Happy Holiday Season!
Happy Holidays, Lovely! I hope that your Thanksgiving was meaningful, relaxing, & special.
As we look forward to Christmas, I thought it would be fun to share some fun holiday traditions that can leave a lasting impact on those with whom you share them.
(I really should have talked about this last month, so we could all practice some of them during Thanksgiving, but let’s tuck these away for next year, as well as enjoying some of them during the Christmas season.)
Give Yourself Grace
As most of us are probably aware, the holidays are known for their hustle & bustle. There is an overall rush to make the holidays special & memorable to those near & dear to us.
But let’s take a moment to step back, take a deep breath, & consider some (possibly new) traditions that can add an extra special touch to our holidays.
And yes, that could include going for a Rotisserie Chicken this year versus a turkey if you’re just cooking for one or two of you (I know that’s something my hubs & I do when we don’t have plans with friends).
It’s important to give ourselves a break sometimes so that the holidays are more about making special memories than looking forward to the stress being over when it’s all done, am I right?
Giving Thanks
For Thanksgiving, it can be easy to think about the “feast fit for kings” that so many of us look forward to, or even remembering the beginnings for the lives of the settlers.
But for me, the overshadowing theme for Thanksgiving is just what its name implies—giving thanks.
Not just giving thanks to our family & our friends, but also to those whose service makes our lives better: military servicemen & women, janitors, customer service support, nurses, doctors, & so many more.
Other people doing hard jobs to improve our lives day-to-day deserve our special thanks, most certainly.
But the One who deserves our thanks most of all, is our great God.
Amidst the troubles of this world, amidst our rebellion & sin, God sent Christ to pay our debt on the cross so that we could find redemption & grace. He offers us strength & peace when we ask of Him. He loves us fiercely & unconditionally. He is Lord of All, Creator of All, & our great redeemer.
So, during the Thanksgiving season, take time to show extra appreciation for your family & friends, & for those working to serve you, whether it be the cashier at the checkout, your gym instructor, your mailman, barista, or the janitor cleaning the restrooms. But most of all, remember to thank God!
Say, “Thank You,” a little more regularly (& then maybe make it a habit in every day).
Making Moments Meaningful
Here are a couple specific Thanksgiving traditions my husband & I have enjoyed with our family & friends.
When gathering for the Thanksgiving meal, we take turns reading compiled verses about Thanks-giving, taking time to recognize our God in Heaven who is the author of all good things.
Here are some verses that we have used in the past:
- “Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving;” (Psalm 95:2a)
- “with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6b)
- “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
- “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
- “When you have eaten & are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you.” (Deuteronomy 8:10)
- “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful & thankful.” (Colossians 4:2)
- “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, & so worship God acceptably with reverence & awe.” (Hebrews 12:28)
- “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; & be ye thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)
- “Now thanks [be] unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ,” (2 Corinthians 2:14)
- “And Jesus took the loaves; & when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples,” (John 6:11)
- “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 107:1)
You can even make this into a memorable keepsake for your friends & family to take home with them! Add thanks-themed verses to a document, include a fun border, & print a copy for each guest. Then, after passing them out & taking turns reading aloud, they can have a nice reminder of the many reasons to give thanks year-round!
(For extra fun, cut out leaves from construction paper & add one of each of the verses to each leaf (& maybe even add a little glitter, *wink).
Don’t Just Say It, Pray It
Another tradition that my hubs & I have done with friends is instead of going around & saying one thing we’re thankful for, we all hold hands & take turns praying our praise to God for what He is doing, has done, & will do in each of our lives.
(And for those who maybe don’t feel comfortable praying out loud, make sure to say that it’s okay to simply squeeze the hand of the person next to you on your turn if you would like to pass.)
It has always been such a heartfelt time of unity when we have come together to openly praise God by praying together. You really leave feeling more like family.
Can you think of another meaningful tradition that refocus our hearts on giving thanks to God & being a testimony of His love & power to those with whom we share our Thanksgiving holiday?
Remembering Christ in Christmas
For Christmas, there are so many great traditions out there that I simply could never touch on them all, but here are some ideas to try!
Someone recently pointed out to me that Luke has 24 chapters in it. My friend’s idea for a new tradition was to spend every day in December reading one chapter of Luke together as a family & finishing off by re-reading the story of Christ’s birth on Christmas morning.
What a great idea to keep our hearts & minds focused on Christ all season long by reading through Christ’s ministry on earth & His sacrifice & resurrection!
The Nativity Ornaments Search
If you have young children (or grandchildren), another fun tradition is to have tree ornaments for the different people in the Christmas story & as you tell the story, have the children search & find the different ornaments that represent each part of the story!
What a great way to make the Christmas story fun & engaging!
(If you have multiple children, you can even have several sheep ornaments as well as a shepherd, or barn animals, or multiple angels, etc. so they each have something to search for. Or, simply have them take turns being the searcher.)
Being a Light for Christ for Christmas
Many Christmas traditions can also involve serving those around us. Here are some (of many!) ways you can represent Christ by serving those around you this Christmas season (& all year round, even!)
- Babysit for a single parent so they have time to Christmas shop (or relax!)
- Volunteer at a shelter
- Serve food to the homeless
- Read the Christmas Story to individuals at a nursing home or hospital
- Collect & distribute warm clothing & food gift cards donations for the homeless
- Bring cookies & carols to hurting families (struggling through cancer, recent injury, or the death of a loved one during Christmastime)
- Give money to a local charity
- Send an extra monetary gift to a missionary
- Sponsor a child in need with gifts or monthly sponsorship
- Send letters to deployed military.
There are so many ways to spread the love & hope of Christ during the holidays–Get creative!
Which traditions stood out to you? Do you or your family do other traditions that point to the love & hope of Christ? Let me know about them!
I hope that this season (& all year round) brings you closer to each other & closer to Christ. God bless.
Spread love, Beautiful, & Shine HOPE this Christmas season (& all year long)!
Coming Next Week
Make sure to check back on Monday morning EST, for next week’s burst of encouragement for your week. Love you!
A Note from Michelle:
If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Weekly Special Spotlight:
Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Gatsby Necklace
Empowering Women in India Out of Poverty!
Dazzle in this faceted silver glass beaded collar necklace. Pair it with a little black dress or jeans & heels.
Artisan Information:
In India, poverty is rampant & fair working conditions are hard to find. But with every purchase, women are receiving an income, access to healthcare, & adult literacy programs! Not only does this change their lives, but they are also pouring back into their communities & helping others! You have the opportunity to empower thousands of women in India!
Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!
Shop Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
