Tag Archives: Christmas

Shopping for a Simple Christmas?

One of my favorite lines from the original Grinch movie is, “Maybe Christmas, he thought…doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps…means a little bit more!”  When I start milling about town shopping for presents, decorations, and food for gatherings, it is easy to think I have to prove my love with the just right “stuff” and experiences for my people. I even get discouraged thinking I have to do more, be more.  The truth is, most of my son’s presents are under the tree already, and he barely brings them up — he wants more than anything for me to simply play or watch his choice of movies with him, fully engaged in the moment. And if I am doing something holiday-related, he simply wants to help me or be next to me.

We all mean well with our fussing over trying to create a Christmas to remember.  God knows our heart in doing all the “right” traditions. I mess up shopping for Christmas when I apply pressure to myself or others for doing as I please rather than how God intended this season to be.  We have a sign in our kitchen that says, “Prayer is less about changing the world and more about changing ourselves.” With just a few weeks until Christmas, that sign took on a new meaning for me. Instead of trying to tame the chaos and make everyone and everything behave around me (even praying for peace and calm!), I probably need to pray for the calm, peace, and right attitude to start with me.

Striving for perfection might impress a few people on social media and fool some acquaintances, but it usually just leads to a meaningless fight with my husband, a few tears, and a collapse into my bed.  When I end up defeated, I feel like a fool. And then, when I slow down long enough to simply pray for forgiveness, I am continually amazed by God’s grace. I feel cleaner, softer, and a little more — dare I say it? — jolly.  I feel like I can really pray for people as I wrap their gifts or address their cards. I feel like I have the strength and patience to bake cookies and actually let my son help me with Christmas.

When I try to shop or go through the Christmas motions with a clenched jaw, I am really just trying to cover up some less-than-picture-perfect feelings of hurt and fear.  Truth: More activities, more gifts, or bigger expectations will not hide my hurt and fear from God. He already knows I am carrying around hurt from fresh grief and fear of inadequacy.  I am not sure what you are carrying around in your purse as you shop for Christmas this year, but I encourage you to pray through it. All you are doing is shopping for goods from stores; you already have the best deal around if you carry the love of God with you. He can gift us a simple Christmas that isn’t wrapped up in the false expectations and social media gloss version of it all. As simple and cliche as it sounds, I need this reminder:  Christmas cannot be bought. It’s an attitude, a spirit, an intention.

Lord, help me stop and pray for an attitude adjustment the moment I find myself getting hyper over added expectations at Christmas.  I want to model a jolly, excited spirit at Christmastime; I need your strength and Holy Spirit to do that, Lord. Keep my intentions pure as I encounter Christmas.  Thank you for knowing the dark parts of my heart and loving me through them.

And finally, as moms we might want to add these simple truths to our shopping list this Christmas:

  • Your people simply want you for Christmas.
  • God is pleased with our intentions.
  • He knows the depths of our hearts, even if we don’t talk about it.
  • It is okay to keep Christmas simple.

?Jo Perkins

Soaking in the Truth

Scripture to encourage you:

  • “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7, English Standard Version (ESV)
  • “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6, New American Standard Version (NASV)
  • “For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39, King James Version (KJV)

Music to inspire you:

  • Lauren Daigle’s “Light of the World”
    • “A child prays for peace on Earth, and she’s calling out from a sea of hurt. Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel. And can you hear the angels singing glory to the light of the world? Glory, the light of the world is here.”
  • Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers’ “The Greatest Gift of All”
    • “Knowing you’re in love with me is the greatest gift of all…. So I say a silent prayer for creatures great and small. Peace on Earth, good will to men is the greatest gift of all.”

Readings and Resources to come alongside of you:

  • This YouTube channel has short devotionals for kids: JellyTelly. In the hustle bustle of the season, these short videos can center us as a family.
  • If you do not follow ParentCue on socials, they are so helpful during this time of year with reminders and scripture. www.theparentcue.org
  • Josh and Christi Straub’s In This Together podcast is good for encouragement in marriage and parenting, but their most recent episode is timely and helpful for #simpleChristmas.  This is a re-released Christmastime episode where Dr. Josh & Christi tackle questions such as:
    • Is my gift-giving out of control?
    • What does an entitled child look like?
    • What will my kids really remember about Christmas?
    • How can we truly make it about Jesus’s birth?
    • Is the attitude I am modeling gratitude or grumbling?

Related Posts on Texting The Truth:

Living Out the Truth

Ideas to try:

  • Have you heard this poem to remind you about how to shop for gifts? Everyone should get “something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read.” There is a free app called Wunderlist that can be shared with others too.  It makes a glorious ding sound whenever something is completed.
  • To save time and make it simpler for myself, I have started choosing a particular kind of wrapping paper for each person or family, so I do not have to write gift tags on every single gift.  Then I make piles for each group under the tree.
  • At our house, because our son is five he still likes the thrill of opening lots of presents (no matter how small), I wrap even the smallest pack of markers by itself.  However, the limit is 12 gifts, after the 12 days of Christmas. Also, we have Santa bring 3 gifts, and we connect it to the 3 gifts the wise men brought Jesus.

Treasured Products we love:

  • This is free, but it can be helpful. To help relatives who do not always know what’s “in” with kids, you can make an Amazon wish list for free and text relatives the link. That way kids have something to open rather than just gift cards or cash — of course, all gifts are wonderful, and money always fits and never goes out of style.  
  • Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling devotionals are on Amazon — written in such a personal way, friends and family members will be endeared to read these. They are not written in “Christianese.”
  • Don’t forget our special offers from Lisa Langenhop. She is running a special just for the readers of Texting the Truth! ?It is the perfect gift for your moms, aunts, friends, teachers, you name it! Message from Lisa:  I’m offering a 20% discount on anything in my etsy shop – including the 2019 Bible Verse Calendar ! The discount is live until Dec. 15th at the deadline for Christmas delivery. Use code TEXTINGTHETRUTH20 at checkout.

{These suggestions are ideas from novice moms. Sometimes our life situations need more. In that case, seeking out professional help is the right call.}

Reality Isn’t Picture Perfect

Joanna

How’s the Christmas decorating going this year? ?

Katie

Ha! Well, so far we have managed to pull the Christmas tree and bin of ornaments out of the basement. That’s about as far as we have gotten.

Joanna

That’s a start at least! ?? I think that getting it all down is the hardest part, like ripping off a bandaid to start the new season.

Katie

Lol, so true! I think we are going to have to put the tree up in a corner of our kitchen, because that is where I can find space. Our little tree, in our kitchen with its random mismatched ornaments, will not exactly be perfect Christmas card-worthy. But I think it will be cheery to look at in the most-used room in the house!?

Joanna

So funny you mention that, because I decorated the kitchen a lot more this year too. It truly is where we hang out most as a family. ?

Katie

Yes! Us, too.

Joanna

I think random ornaments are perfect and totally card-worthy. Why is there this false sense of expectation out there around decorations and what it is all “supposed” to look like??

Katie

I don’t know! Our home would certainly not be featured in any Hallmark movie!?

Joanna

Ours either — although, I like to watch those movies, too! So hopeful and cheery. Reality: most of my decorations are hand-me-downs or homemade, and my husband had to repair a lot of things as we decorated this year. I had to be the one to throw away some family stuff too, but it made a good excuse to add a few new ornaments too. Are your ornaments mostly homemade or hand-me-downs?

Katie

Yep! Most of them are ones the kids have made. Or ornaments that we have been given as gifts over the years. They definitely don’t follow any theme or color pattern. But they contain lots of fun memories!

Joanna

Those are the BEST! They should be front-and-center anyway, because the people in our family are what need to be celebrated most at Christmas, not the glitter and gold, right? I have had to remind myself to be thankful for my family I have with me right now and not just remember days gone by with my mom and grandma. Lots of reminders of them this time of year. ♥️

Katie

Yes. This is your first Christmas without them, right?

Joanna

It is the second without my mom and the first without my grandma, and it feels really final because they hold the majority of my childhood memories. I was super close with my Mamaw. When I unwrapped her Christmas stuffed animals box, I could smell her house again, and I just had to really savor the scent and move on. ? ? I want my son to remember the cute scene and not me crying over it, you know?

Katie

I understand what you mean. Is it hard to feel in the Christmas mood sometimes when memories and sad times pop up this year?

Joanna

Yes, and most of the time we moms try to just bury the feelings because the expectation is the happy face and the Hallmark house. I know Mamaw is smiling, glad I have cleared more clutter out of the house and not hanging on to broken decorations.

Katie

Right – although none of us probably have that Hallmark house. And it probably isn’t healthy for us to try to fake a happy face, huh?

Joanna

No, it really isn’t. I am glad we are talking about this, because it is so true. None of us live in a Hallmark movie. Why do we feel pressured to live up to these manufactured images?

Katie

You know, I think I just feel this pressure to make Christmas magical and perfect for my kids. And it doesn’t help to start comparing my life to the Christmas photos everyone else posts on Facebook either.?

Joanna

People only post the highlights, though. I wonder what our kids will really remember.

Katie

When I step back and think about it, really all I want is for my kids to remember Christmas as a happy celebration of Jesus’ birth.✝️ It really is that simple, right? We don’t need to make it more complicated than that!

Joanna

Someday our kids are going to be missing us like I miss my mom and Mamaw, and I want them to remember how we tried. We were never perfect, but we tried. We were there to teach them about Jesus.

Katie

Yes, that’s what I want them to remember most about me. That I taught them about Jesus.

Joanna

No amount of money, gifts, forced smiles, fancy outfits, or Hollywood decorations could make Christmas any more picture perfect. We are loved just as we are.

Katie

So true! I need to let go of all the other expectations of what Christmas should look like and focus on enjoying this time to celebrate Jesus’ birth.

Joanna

If things go “wrong,” is that really so wrong? What’s the worst that could happen if it is not all just so? In the end, God’s plan will prevail. It may not be like we plan in our mind, but it could be even better!

Katie

His plans are always better than mine! ?

Soaking in the Truth

Scripture to encourage you:

“ Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21, NIV)
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Phillipians 4:8, NIV)
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)

Music to inspire you:

My Hallelujah by Bryan and Katie Torwalt
“What can take away my hallelujah? Nothing can take away my hallelujah. Shadows will fade. Darkness with break. I’ll keep on singing your praise.”

Readings and Resources to come alongside of you:

7 Ways to Get to Christmas Without a Total Meltdown by Carey Nieuwhof from theparentcue.org. In this list of 7, #1 is to Create Realistic Expectations and #3 is to Expect the Unexpected.
Unmet Longings, Hope and Christmastime by Kelly Minter. “You can be following the commands of Jesus this Christmas season and seeking Him the best way you know how, and still there can be aches and gaps and even silence. You’re in good company with these two [Elizabeth and Zechariah]”.
7 Ways Your Family Can Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas
by Lisa Appelo from imom.com. Great, simple ideas from planning a movie night to writing a letter to Jesus.

Related Posts on Texting The Truth:

All I Want For Christmas This Year
No More Manufactured Moments
Holiday Hustle


Living Out the Truth

Ideas to try:

Take pictures of the would-be “blooper” moments, not just the “just right moments,” like the photo I took last Christmas Eve of my daughter’s pink sneakers and red tights!

Post one of the verses we shared on your refrigerator or in your planner to remind you of your #simpleChristmas promise this season.   
You can make verse images on the free Bible app that could become your lock screen on your phone to remind you of the true reason for Christmas.

Treasured Products we love:

Too Many Tamales or The Snowy Day are two holiday picture books that feature “accidents” that happen around Christmas and how kids learn to turn them into happy memories instead of melting down about them. They point back to letting go of unrealistic expectations.
{These suggestions are ideas from novice moms. Sometimes our life situations need more. In that case, seeking out professional help is the right call.}