6th Day of Christmas with Tracie Miles
Do you often have Norman Rockwell-like expectations about the holidays — the decorations, the food, the gifts, the activity — laden schedule, the family get-togethers?
There are many areas where women want to exert control ensuring the perfect yuletide season. What if we learned instead to let go of unrealistic expectations and embrace an “out-of-control” Christmas this year: relaxing and relating in a peaceful manner while letting others offer input and ultimately allowing God to call the shots?
Then join the 9000 women who have gotten my free 5-day resource From Chaos to Calm: The LET. IT. GO. Christmas Challenge?
This challenge will allow Christmas to go from chaos to calm as you learn to control what you should and trust God with what you can’t. The result? Less stressing and more blessing! Click here for the free sign up.
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Welcome to our 5th annual 12 Days of Christmas giveaways!.
Each day I’ll feature one of my Proverbs 31 sisters offering a recipe, idea or memory and giving away a prize for the day!
Up next?
The fabulous author and speaker:
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My maternal grandparents were pillars of faith. Despite the stress and frustration that surely came with raising 10 children on a very low salary, in addition to multiple foster children, they stood firm in their beliefs, and always made God a priority in their life.
As a result of their faith, their Christian legacy stretches for multiple generations, including all their children and their spouses, 20 grandchildren, and so many great grandchildren that I’ve lost count – with every single one being a believer in Jesus.
One of my fondest memories of my grandparents was their Moravian faith and the Moravian star that symbolized their beliefs. They spent the majority of their life in Charlotte, NC, and they and their children attended a small church for many years called Little Church on the Lane. My parents got married at that church; I spent a lifetime going to the Moravian Love Feasts on Christmas Eve; my mother hung a Moravian star on the front porch every Christmas and still does today; and my husband and I were married at Little Church on the Lane as well.
Although we don’t go back there very often, especially since my grandparents passed away a few years ago, their legacy carries on. Although I have never been a member of a Moravian church myself, the Moravian star will forever hold a special place in my heart.
The star is a popular Christmas decoration in cities and towns in America and Europe, mainly where Moravian congregations exist. It takes its English name from the Moravian church, but in Germany they are known as Herrnhut starts.
The first Moravian star is believed to have originated in the 1830’s at a Moravian Boy’s School in Niesky, Germany, probably as a geometry project, but was soon adopted throughout the Moravian church as a symbol of Advent and the Star of Bethlehem. Yet for me, it also serves as a reminder that we are to do everything we do to the glory of God just as we read in 1 Corinthians 10:31, which says “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
If you read up on the history of the Moravians, you will discover that they were devout Christians and it is believed that “there was no distinction between the secular and the sacred, even in their daily activities. Everything was considered worship.”
Lots of stores across the country sell Moravian stars today in all shapes, sizes and colors, even in areas that don’t have many Moravian churches. But each time I see one hanging in a store, I am reminded of so many wonderful childhood memories, but most importantly, of the birth of Jesus Christ, and that we are all called to live every day worshipping and glorifying Him in all that we do – not just at Christmas time, but all throughout the year.
Now for my giveaway:
One signed copy of Stressed-Less Living: Finding God’s Peace In Your Chaotic World, one Stressed-Less Living Spiral Bound Companion Journal, Cinnamon Spice Coffee, and a Christmas bell doorknob decoration.
**SPECIAL NOTE: Tracie is running a special Christmas promotion! If you order one or more copies of Stressed-Less Living by midnight on December 24th, you will receive 7 free gifts! The 7 gifts include 5 videos from her Stress-Less Video series, an MP3 of her speaking message called Staying Afloat In A Sea of Stress, and a 50 page Stressed-Less Living Companion Journal (download) which makes for a great free Christmas gift to accompany the book! Visit www.stressedlessliving.com and click on the 7 free gifts tab to find out how to claim your free gifts!
To be entered in today’s giveaway, leave a comment telling us what most stresses you out at Christmas.
Remember, you have until Sunday night December 16th to comment on all the posts. One grand prize winner will be chosen from among the gals who post on all 12 days!
What the grand prize is will be announced TOMORROW!!!
I use to stress over others’ expectations…or what I perceived as their expectations. As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned that most people aren’t paying any attention to what I’m doing and I am handling the holidays much better.
MONEY.
Balancing gift giving with what we should be focused on – I don’t think I do a very good job with focusing on Jesus as much as we should,
How expensive gifts are these days!!
I’m mostly stressed out about the gift giving process. There seems to be this “underlining” competition with the amount spent and since you gave me a gift now I have to give you a gift. This makes the gift giving process so unpleasurable for me. I know I will have to come to terms with how others handle gift giving and just be who I am. This Christmas, I’m giving homemade gifts.
Making sure everyone feels happy and loved equally!
Buying gifts – I always try and come up with the “perfect” gift for everyone but try and stay within budget.
I get stressed out trying to figure out what to buy for everyone!
I get stressed over picking out the right gifts…..
I love the Moravian star. Would love to get one to hang in front of the porch! What stresses me out most, is np not being able to figure out what traditions to start. My husband is not big on holidays. This year i realized after reading Untangling Christmas, and asking my husband the series of questions, that i am the only one that is putting so much pressure on myself for everyone to have perfect Christmas. My daughter is four and i really wanted to start sme traditions. So this season i have been deciding which traditions to adopt. It’s been fun without the pressure! Some we will we start next year!
I stress about making sure our children get to see all of the family during this time. We don’t live near either side, and everyone wants their time. That is very stressful keeping everyone happy.
Buying meaningful gifts for my wealthy in laws….uggh! Stressing just thinking about it.
As a sinlge mom trying to make sure my son sees all sides of his family.
I married into a family of ten (my husband is number 5). I love having family time with them, however it has become such a major event to get the majority of the family together, since we all have kids, and in-laws to share time with. We now have married kids of our own who are starting a family. My husband and I are on the road Christmas Eve, and all day Christmas trying to see all the different family groups. I really do not want to visit the week before or the week after, it just does not feel like Christmas. I guess I should just feel blessed to have so many loved ones.
In previous years, it was very stressful balancing a full-time teaching job and all the holidays responsibilities that come with it, plus decorating, baking, Christmas Cards, shopping, etc. This year I am retired so it will be interesting to see how that affects my usual stress.
As I’ve gotten older the thing that stresses me out the most is not being able to do as much for other people as I want to. I want to buy for every kid on the Angel Tree in every store I see. I want to take food to every family that I know needs help. It breaks my heart to see all these people and not be able to help all of them.
Christmas cards! My mom always was a stickler for hand written Christmas cards with a summary of the past year or at the very least some personal note. I get so stressed just getting cards addressed AND to the post office in time to arrive before Christmas. No handwritten notes here!
How busy we get as a family with all the programs and concerts!! And this year it is having creative costumes for those programs!
All the last minute stuff that basically comes up at the last minute. For example tonight is my daughters band concert & at the last second tells me “oh btw everyone is going out to CiCi’s Pizza afterwards”…nothing has been sent home a head of time to inform us of this. Gotta love the public school system!
Trying to do it all, see it all, yet make the time not to miss the memories , experiences of the kids—in just a few short days of the month of dec!
I stress over trying to do Christmas on a small budget, but make memories that will last a life time.
What stresses me out the most is trying to get everything done and make sure I don’t overlook the qimple, fun traditions with my kids that bring that special bit of joy and fun to our Christmas celebrations.
What stresses me most about Christmas this year is that we are packing to move the week after Christmas. I’m trying to enjoy all the leading up to Christmas day and not just focus on packing and preparing to move. It is hard to strike a balance.
As my kids get older, the wants get bigger… this year the whole thing is a stresser!
Finding all the presents and shopping for the family