How to Bring Peace to Your Home This Winter
Heading into the winter like.. WAIT WHAT? (Do your kids say “Wait” all the time as a filler word? Mine do.)
Global Pandemic- Wait, are the numbers rising?
Shorter Days- Wait, is it already dark outside?
Tension - Wait, Facebook arguments & public protests?
Oh, lest we forget that the Holidays are upon us. Now, let’s add in some glorified hustling to the mix.
I realized last week that we were moving into a new season. We will have to be intentional in cultivating our wellbeing and soul as we head into the coming months. That means we need to be proactive versus reactive with everything coming our way.
We need to practice releasing some mindsets to maintain our peace this season.
Release Expectations
We need to release the expectations we have on ourselves to have the perfect Holiday season. Recently, I found myself in Kirkland’s (home decor store) wanting to redecorate my whole home for the Holidays. It just smells so nice in the store. Something about it makes me want to have that atmosphere of peace in my home. But I don't need to buy all the shiny things to achieve that. I can simply cook some delicious pumpkin bread with my daughter and cultivate the feeling of home without all the excess purchases. The memories made last longer than the new decorations.
Release the Need to Go to all.the.things
Let’s release the idea that we need to go to every gathering and every activity. Whether it be family or friends, there are so many well intended people in our lives that want to host and include us. That is wonderful, but it can also be exhausting. It also can be stressful when you are worried about sickness. So as a family decide what is most important to you and release the rest. You can not go to everything and love your people well. Ask me how I know…
Release the Need to Please
We need to release the need to please everyone. It will never happen. (Preaching to myself over here) I don't even mean pleasing all your friends, I mean pleasing everyone within your home. Each person in your home is an individual with unique gifts, desires and personalities. As a family, we are a team which means sometimes you take one for the team. Teaching our children to compromise and roll with disappointment well is a requirement for real life.
In Matthew 5, Jesus shares with us the Beatitudes in His Sermon on the Mount. Jesus wanted his people to know how to live, so He taught them these Beatitudes. I have heard these referred to as the Be-Attitudes, which means the attitudes we can cultivate through the Holy Spirit living in us.
One important Be-Attitude is in Matthew 5:9, Jesus states, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.”
Notice that it says, work for peace.
Ladies, we will have to work for peace in our hearts, minds and homes. To start to cultivate peace this season, we need to release the expectation of a perfect Holiday season, release the idea that we need to go to everything, and release the need to please everyone.
Release it friends!
I also have a list of simple ideas to daily restore your soul here so you can thrive this winter season.
Love, B
