 I have spent much of the last few days going through the process of creating my 2018 goals. I have wrote, revised, doodled, and created. I feel good about what I have set before me and to be honest...I’m excited! It’s a whole new year. It is fresh. It is clean. It is full of the unknown. I wonder what God will teach me or show me. I wonder how my husband and my relationship will grow. I wonder how the girls with change and mature. Anything could happen. I might proudly get all my goals done with bold checks in the boxes. Or, not a single one will be finished. It will mostly be a combination of the two, but, it will be a successful year if I walk it with God. I think that is what makes me feel good about 2017. I definitely didn’t get done over half of what I planned, but I have more peace. I have more sense of direction. I have a healthier spirit and body and heart and head. I have God. If you have time today or in the next few days, I want you to click here and get your own goal-setting worksheet. If you have questions about the process, this printable will walk you through it. So, are you ready? Ready or not… 2018 comes.
How do you feel about the new year? Does it intimidate you? Excite you? Or is it simply another day?
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Buying presents for the holidays can be a huge source of stress for me. Though I have come a long way in my healing from Approval Addiction, I tend to over-think everything when it comes time to give someone something. It doesn’t help that gift-giving isn’t my love language and that makes me have a large lack of intuition when it comes to trying to bless others with a tangible blessing.
When going through the story of Jesus birth in Matthew 2:1-12 I lingered on the account of the wise men who came from the East to give the blessed baby gifts. The men traveled a long distance, coming from a far land, to bow down before the Christ and give him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. If you know me, you won’t be surprised to learn that rules and guidelines make me feel secure. When I read the story of the wise men my heart found a little peace. I had a Biblical example of how to give presents. If you want to make gifts special for the season, perhaps one of these tips will help you as well.
As you go out to do shopping and open your computers to browse, I hope some of these thoughts give you peace. I love how Christmas gives us the opportunity to bless so many around us. Note that wrapping the present and making it look pretty wasn’t listed? However, I like lovely things and I will still be curling ribbons while I watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Merry Christmas!
What do you think about when shopping for those you hold close in your heart?  I bit my lip and carefully rolled the frozen bit of fudge into the hot coating. I dumped it on the wax paper. Adela dutifully dusted the top with sprinkles. We grinned at each other. One down and about 200 more to go. There are about 20 people on my list this year to receive a little box of bon bons. They are for our neighbors and mailman and friends. Obviously, I am not helping anyone get through the holidays in a healthy manner, but I don’t do this only to give someone precious to me a smile. I do it because for a few hours I relive memories of my mother. I can’t remember the first year she made them, but I remember the soft chocolate gleam against wax paper. I remember sneaking little bits of fudge until my stomach felt raw. I remember mom’s concentration and how enthusiastic she was to visit those neighbors and drop off those little packages. Goodness, I miss her. I am not the only one for whom the holidays beckon back a thousand memories that make our heart sting. No matter how many Thanksgivings, Christmases, birthdays we make it through, it always feels strange and a little empty without our lost loved ones. I turned and dumped another bit of fudge onto Micaela’s tray. She chuckled and smashed it between her chubby fingers. The sound of her laughter soothed that pain. One after another the bon bons were dipped and decorated. Adela snitched sprinkles. I shook my head and pretended not to see. God, how thankful I am for movement. Movement helps me remember to breath. Movement helps life keep going forward despite the pain. Movement brings new memories and moments of love. If I couldn’t move and do something, I might be lost in the pain instead of going forward into the love and memories. It took a few days but the bon bons were made and packaged. They are meant to bless others, but they have already blessed me and mine more. Happy Holidays!
Do you find the holidays hard? If so, are there traditions you hold on to that help you move beyond the pain and relive good memories? |
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