Challenged To The Core - Kathi Brixey

Holiday cheer can be manufactured or manipulated by the ads we experience through the media in all of its forms. These ads set us up with false hope that whatever they are selling will improve our Christmas or our life. If you haven’t noticed, they are very good at what they do. We can be convinced to buy almost anything; a car, new appliances, makeup, clothing, or even food, based on our willingness to believe their claims. So what does that say about those of us, who live here in the real world? For one thing, we tend to live outside our financial means, but more importantly that we can be swayed by what we see, hear, taste, touch or smell. Not only do we want what we can’t afford, but we are convinced that we deserve it. On television or the movie screen we see men and women “setting the mood” for romance to persuade us to want their version of life. I believe it’s time for women to take back control by “setting the mood” that God wants us to have in our homes; where we have an intimate relationship with our families. We know our spouse and our children much better than anyone else. During this holiday season there will be multitudes of things to do; places to go, gifts to buy, and food to prepare. All of these activities can create a lot of discord in your family. Why would you let a season of love and goodwill be destroyed by poor planning. You can “set the mood” in your home or even your workplace by thinking ahead. Here are a few suggestions for this holiday season.

First of all, even if you’re not a list maker, make a list. Break it down into categories; a gift list, an event list, a baking list and a list for any other area that needs to be conquered. Then plan a shopping list of items needed for each of your categories by stores. I know that it sounds like a lot to do, but if you spend a few moments preparing a plan it will save you hours of time later. The time you save can be spent with your family enjoying the holiday season.

Now that you have your shopping list, grab your calendar and schedule time to get it done. If you can’t do the shopping on one day, divide the lists by stores that are near each other and schedule however many days you need on the calendar. Now that huge list doesn’t look so overwhelming when it’s broken down to just a few things each day!

Next year you can start stocking up in September and October on the ingredients that you will need to do your holiday baking. Sometimes you can find items on sale before the holiday season. You can also, start picking up stocking stuffers throughout the year to save time shopping in December. Over the years all of this gets easier and easier and not so overwhelming. What’s the saying “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.

Now that you are organized, here is where “setting the mood” comes in. Each day we have the opportunity to make choices, choices to be happy, angry, selfish, and sad. Sometimes things happen to us that are out of our control, but how we respond to them is a choice we make. Try choosing to respond differently than you would normally. I can guarantee that people will notice, giving you the encouragement to try this again.

If you ask our children one of their “special memories” growing up they would probably tell you how there were always fresh baked goodies and hot chocolate waiting when they got home from school in the winter and cold juicy fruit or ice cream sandwiches in the warmer months. Yes I know it sounds simple, but I did it for my own sanity. You see if they were happy and content then they shared more of their day with me and we talked a lot after school. This also lent itself to a quieter afternoon. At supper I often had a candle burning on the dinner table (setting the mood). Candle light relaxes you and makes for a calmer evening. Now, our children had no idea that I did this to calm them, they just felt special.

This approach will also work well with your spouse. When there is something important to talk about, a few minutes of preparation to “set the mood” will help dispel any distractions and tell them they are special and that you value their time. What a great way to say that you love your spouse. All through this holiday season see how many ways you can do this, it will pay off in big dividends.

The more ways you find to “set the mood” the happier your holidays will be. I have done so many that now I even get requests for specific ones from my family members. Get creative and find what works best for your family. Most of the suggestions I’ve given you can be modified for use in the work place. Plan to be thoughtful, it’s a choice.