Pre- Holiday Survival Kit

 6 (A)do not be anxious about anything, (B)but in everything by prayer and supplication(C)with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6(ESV)

All pictures belong to Lesli Allyn Blogs  unless otherwise stated.

The Holidays are here!  For some  this  time of  year  can  be very hectic  with  all the  planning  and  family   gatherings.   For others  it can be  a difficult   time  of year  due to  the loss  of a  loved one or  not having   family  nearby.  So today I want to encourage you briefly  as we  officially  head into the  holiday season.

Relax! Don't  over extend  yourself.  If you find that  there  are request that you simply  can't fit into your  schedule  then you need to  be  ok with saying  no.   And that's ok ,  you  cannot  be  everywhere  at once  and you cannot  be  apart of  every event  or  project.  Pace  each project out  in a  time frame that is  realistically  manageable   for you and  don't  take on so much that it takes the  fun of the experience.  The last  thing that you want  is to look back and realize that you were so anxious to make things  "perfect" that you  forgot to enjoy yourself and be  present in the moment. 

I know   that  this  time of  year can also  be  bittersweet  for  some  because  of  a loved one passing or  not  being  able to   be  with family  for the holidays.   I am  familiar with  both scenarios  and I've talked about my story  a bit more in-depth  in  a previous  blog post  called   Grieving: My  Story .    As much as we  may  look forward to the holidays  it is  also  a reminder that things are "different".  This can  be hard to  adjust to   at  first.   I want to encourage you ,  it  does  get better!  If you  give your pain over to  God he will  mend your heart and renew your broken spirit. I am living  proof of this.

My  advice  would  be to be intentional about   celebrating the   lives of the  loved one's  that  have passed; Focus  more  on the  moments that  you shared that made you happy  or  laugh and cling to that.  If you are  unable  to be  with  a  loved one this year try sending them  a small thinking of  your package, skype ,  or  write  letters to keep the flow of  communication  going so that  distance won't interfere  with creating new memories and traditions until your  circumstances change.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,