Welcome!
This is Day 20 of the 21 Days to a Stress Free & Debt Free Christmas.
I’m so excited that you are joining me for what I hope will be a really helpful series designed to walk with you step by step through the Christmas season in a way that ensures you keep your sanity and that you don’t overspend.
We’ve covered a lot in this series about how to practically prepare for all the events and activities surrounding the Christmas season, so that we maintain our sanity and our budgets. While all of that is great, today is all about preparing your heart for Christmas.
I truly believe that if our heart isn’t in the right place, than we miss out big time. While I love so many of the ideas I read online about advent preparations and daily readings, there are some years when it just doesn’t happen. I’m here to tell you {and myself} that it’s okay. Who says that we have to do all these spiritual exercises only during the month of December, anyway? With lots and lots of grace in mind, I do believe there at least 4 simple ways to prepare your heart for Christmas.
1. Read the Christmas story in the Bible
Whether you are a devoted Christian or have never stepped foot in a church, I’d encourage you to read the Christmas story from the Bible a few times. You can read the versions from the Gospels – Luke’s account is HERE and Matthew’s is HERE.
Pick different translations as well, so you get a variety. Try and soak it in slowly, putting yourself in the situation of those involved in the true story (God, Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the Jewish people, etc.) Step back and actually process what occurred and imagine how it must have been to those who were living it.
2. Examine your heart
In order to prepare your heart, you need to take a good look at it (sounds simple, right?). Sometimes life gets so busy, that we don’t take the time to self-reflect. Carve out some time to do just that. Think about the people and relationships in your life right now. Take a moment to examine where you may be struggling. Are there there people in your life that you need to forgive? Are there relationships that are broken that need healing? Are you struggling to believe at all?
3. Ask for God to teach you something
This can be a risky one. If you ask God to teach you something, then he just might do it. Based on how you answered some of the questions above, then there may be some areas where you need God to teach you something new. Be bold and ask him to grow you in the areas where you need it.
4. Have an open heart
Be ready for whatever comes your way this Christmas. You may be with difficult and challenging people this year or God may be teaching you some hard things. Be open to what is to come and to learn whatever lessons are meant for you. Not everything God wants to show you has to be hard, so anticipate the good as well!
So much of what we’ve discussed the past few weeks have been tangible ways to get through the Christmas season. My hope is that you were able to enjoy the Christmas season a little more and in a new way because you had a plan in place on how to get through. It has been my desire for this series to be really practical and very helpful in that regard, but I also hope that you are a changed person because of the work that is going on in your heart this year. Don’t miss out on an opportunity for growth, even if they may be baby steps.
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Prepare Your Heart for Christmas
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