Monday, November 7, 2011

Balance, Anyone?



Okay, I'm in Christmas decorating mode. But I'm also still really busy with revisions, so I'm having to hold myself back. Anyone else suffering with me? Thinking of all you Nanowrimo contributors out there. Feeling your pain.

As my hubby often has to remind me, "Balance is important". It is, I know, and when hubby says this I know I'm too heavy on the writing and not enough on everything else that is important to me. So, since we have several Christmas parties planned for December at our house and I don't want to be rushed to decorate the day before the first event I'm committing a bit of time each day in November (which might only consist of 5 minutes on a given day, but at least it's something) to getting the house ready. To keep me on track, my post pictures from now until Christmas will be of my decorating ventures. Many will be totally unrelated to my blog topic, but hey, at least they'll be seasonally appropriate. And my prayer is that they help fill you with the Spirit of Christmas.

When I see beauty in the world  I see Christ.
When I see twinkle lights, I see the Star of David.

I know many think that seasonal decorating is just commercialism. And Christmas decorations have nothing to do with the true meaning of Christmas, and I can certainly see their perspective. But to me, decorating in a festive way is how I recognize the importance of the season. It makes me Christ centered. So as I open up the boxes of stored trinkets and lights to celebrate Jesus' birth, I also fill shoe boxes and contribute to baskets for those less fortunate. I support the Angel trees in the malls. And I dream of one day getting myself over to a soup kitchen and volunteering there (that's the getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone challenge I have yet to achieve.)

What about you? How do you bring balance to your life in the midst of the Christmas or as some like to call it, the Holiday season?

Surrendering to Him,

Eileen

14 comments:

Loree Huebner said...

I too need some balance. I have finish up all revisions this past weekend. I've been way heavy on the writing side lately, so I've decided to take some time off of my novel writing until the Monday after Thanksgiving. I've put in a lot of time in the last month.

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving & Christmas. We don't usually decorate until the kids come home on Thanksgiving weekend. We are looking for ways to donate and volunteer. It's such a great blessing to work in a soup kitchen or shelter. God will show you so much.

Erica Vetsch said...

I don't decorate until Thanksgiving weekend, then do a blitz on the house. :)

balance...if anyone ever finds it, I hope they bottle it and sell it, because I'd buy me some.

Looking forward to seeing your Christmas decorations. :)

Terri Tiffany said...

we usually decorate as well on Thanksgiving weekend but won't again this year as it is just my husband and I and all our stuff is packed up for when we ever get a home again. But I enjoy looking at everyone else's work:)

Keli Gwyn said...

We spend one day on Thanksgiving weekend putting the tree up and decorating. Since we get our shopping done before Thanksgiving, we even wrap the gifts (we use fabric drawstring bags) and put them under the tree that day. With those tasks done, we can relax and enjoy the season.

Kara said...

I think your approach sounds great! I try to use the advent season as one to prepare myself and my family for the true reason for the season. And we love to remind ourselves with our decorations, volunteer work, parties etc. It such a joyous time and I try to take shopping a little each day so I'm not stressed about gifts and all those things that can make me forget what the season is about. Thanks for the reminder:)

Anita said...

...on a wing and a prayer! :)

I know you'll handle it well.

Lily Whalen said...

Balance is something I need to work on in achieving the goals I've set for Christmas and otherwise, Eileen. I'm not there yet! I'll probably start decorating the house for Christmas a couple of weeks beforehand. I do like to celebrate advent, though, as a way of Christ-centering myself.

Wendy Paine Miller said...

I take it all in stride, remember to breathe and tell myself it's okay to slow down on exercise b/c I'm running around enough anyway.
~ Wendy

Sarah Forgrave said...

That's great that your husband gives you those gut checks once in a while. As for Christmas decorations, I haven't even shifted to that mindset yet. We've got two family birthdays coming up followed closely by Thanksgiving. I have a feeling once all those festivities are past, I'll be anxious to get the red and green out. :)

Cindy R. Wilson said...

Lovely post. I don't decorate a lot but I get into the Christmas spirit other ways. Mostly through music. As far as balance...this whole year it seems, has been about finding a better balance between God, the family, writing, etc. so hopefully some of that will hang around once we get closer to Christmas :)

quietspirit said...

Eileen:
I've got to find a way to feel better before I can make a lot of headway. Thanksgiving will be one week late for us. Christmas will be that same weekend. Our son is flying in from where he lives and we get to include his birthday in the festivities. If I get the living room decorated, it will be the first time in three years.

Sandra Orchard said...

Good for you, Eileen. I don't bake or decorate nearly as much as I did when my children were little. As one wise woman once told me, the less I put out, the less I have to clean away, afterward. :-)

Eileen Astels Watson said...

Hi, all!

I decorated garland around my kitchen window today--that's the whole of what I got done in the decorating department.

I hope you all will post pictures of your decorations if and when you do put them up. I guess being Canadian I've always started decorating early as our Thanksgiving is in mid October so we see Christmas get underway right after Halloween around here.

My revisions are taking me forever to do and these little reprieves of decorating are helping to lift my spirits, thankfully. Much better than the chores of toilet bowl scrubbing and floor mopping for breaks.

Ally said...

I would so start decorating now if I could, but my husband won't let me until Thanksgiving weekend.