I purposed in my heart a month ago to S L O W down, relax & enjoy the holidays, yet here I am a week away from Christmas & feeling stressed out.  Being the planner that I am, I can proudly say that I finished my Christmas shopping, most of it has arrived, and what hasn’t arrive will be here this week.  The only thing left for me to do is wrap the presents & enjoy the time with our family.

You’re probably wondering, “Why are you stressed out then?”  Well, it’s simple really, my life-plate is pretty full on a daily basis. I juggle a full-time job, run a ‘side’ business with my husband, part-time co-parent with my husband (split custody), care for our home & try to spread our time between our family, and friends. Throw all that in with later nights at work, trying to get into a new exercise routine, holiday parties, wanting to start my blog & any other last minute things that come up & well, ya here I am trying really hard not to stress out at Christmas!

Anyone else in the same boat as me? My heart longs for peace & calm this time of year. I turn my Christmas tunes on & try to keep myself in a “sparkly” mood… but life just has a way of sucking that sparkle right out!

I’m thinking that I’m not alone in these feelings {okay, kinda hoping that’s the case so I’m not ‘abnormal’ ha ha}.  If I’m not alone then let me share with you how I’m presently working through the stress I’m feeling.

I’m working on these areas in my life: 
1) Keeping my heart & mind centered on Christ!  Remembering that it is the Holy Spirit within me Who gives that sparkle, takes the pressure off me & my performance & rests it in His hands. {what a relief! I don’t actually have to ‘do’ more!} Allowing Him to shine through me brings sparkle to each & very moment of my day! Joshua 22:5 “But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

2) Reminding myself of my goal this Christmas: Achieving peace & enjoying the season!  Proverbs 14:30 “A heart at peace gives life to the body…”

3) Stopping & regrouping when I am stressing out! My tendency is to work through the stress & check off the things on my to-do list. However, when I do this, I find myself getting snappy at the people I love the most… losing my sparkle!  I’m really trying to just STOP & think about what I’m doing. Doing this forces me to reevaluate my tasks & re-prioritize! Not everything has to be done right now simply because it’s on my list! This concept is a difficult one for me to embrace; I’m actively learning through this one!! Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”  Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God;”

4)  Staying full of gratitude.  Choosing to focus on being grateful for God’s many blessings this past year forces me out of the stressed-out mindset!  Often times my stress comes from not feeling like I’m doing enough, giving enough, have enough or accommodating enough.  Maintaining an attitude of gratitude allows me to see the beauty in the midst of chaos.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

May the joy of the Lord be your strength today & always!

Sparkle on, friend!