Perfectionism
-noun
definition: the demand for the highest standard of excellence.
I know some sure-fire ways to lose your Christianity during the holidays
(because I have done this a time or two myself) and here they are:
give yourself and everyone else unrealistic expectations,
put unreasonable demands upon your budget, home, and family,
AND
place extra pressure on this time of year to out-perform the rest of the year.
Why do we put so much pressure on the holidays to live up to
some sort of higher standard than the rest of the days of the year?
Who sets the requirements for the Christmas season?
What happened that we allow Pinterest, HGTV, decorating blogs, BHG, or
Martha Stewart to decide our version of perfection?
Where have our priorities ended up that we are more worried about
traditions, gift giving, togetherness, religious celebrations, decorating, sleigh rides, and baking
than we are the reason for why we do it all?
How can we keep our focus on what's truly important this time of year?
I believe we need to wake up every morning
and remind ourselves of what really happened.
Remember Mary and Joseph?
They were travelling, probably with few possessions and enough food and money to be able to
register for the census in Bethlehem and make it back home to Nazareth.
Their plans didn't include shopping for gifts,
baking 12 dozen cookies and a ham (definitely NOT a ham),
or stringing lights on a Christmas tree.
The closest they got to spending time with lots of people together under one roof
The closest they got to spending time with lots of people together under one roof
was at the inn where they were turned away
because there was no bed or breakfast available for them.
because there was no bed or breakfast available for them.
I've heard that there wasn't even a Hobby Lobby in Bethlehem!
My goal this season is to be less worried about perfectionism
and more focused on the Perfect One.
How about you?
Signed up for the Chaos to Calm emails and am commenting to enter to win a copy of the book, which looks great! Good intentions always seem to fall by the wayside at some point during the Christmas season but I love reminders like this to not let Martha or BHG determine what my Christmas should look like. Thanks Leslie!
ReplyDeleteI'm your friend on GFC :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I like you on FB :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I get your emails. Feeling a little like a stalker now... :)
ReplyDeleteThe book looks wonderful!-Amanda pbear1122@aol.com
ReplyDeleteI have liked you on FB-Amanda, pbear1122@aol.com
ReplyDeletethanks for this post. the holiday season gets .extra crazy at our house. my hubby works for UPS.
ReplyDeleteboodeful@gmail.com
This looks like a great read! I'd love it!
ReplyDeleteLove to have this book...I really could use it!!
ReplyDeleteI am a FB fan.
ReplyDeleteI'm your friend on GFC
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog and would love to win those books. mom4jboys@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteLaura
I need this! I'm sitting at home with a bulging disc & being forced to do nothing because I wouldn't let things go over the past month or so. Why is it so hard to do?
ReplyDeleteI follow you through google reader - I never miss a post!
ReplyDeleteI would love to win one of the books!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway! I would love to win!
ReplyDeleteI would love to win this study. Sounds like a good one!
ReplyDeleteA.M.E.N.!! We do need desperately to bring back Christ in Christmas. It's not "Winter Holiday", being politically correct is not my thing. Honoring Christ is. There have been years we didn't even put up a tree. Maybe God let me have multiple chronic ailments to slow me down and join me to Him? Perfection is sure no longer on my radar!
ReplyDeleteJanet
Already made my Christmas Planner and ready to have a calm, peaceful, joyful Christmas!
ReplyDeletechavj64@gmail.com
I may have just found your blog but I am so interested in reading more..Thank you for the chance to win this book...I so need to let it go and let God take over...I am hoping that with His help I can do that. May you be blessed and I will be here to read more often now.
ReplyDeleteSmiles & Blessings,
Robin Still
stillfamily6@comcast.net
I would LOVE this. Pick me, pick me!!
ReplyDeleteI think I need this - it sounds like me, especially the falling into bed exhausted every night. Late, late at night. Not enough hours in a day to do everything that everyone expects me to do day after day. I've been trying to let go, but need some help here. Love your posts. Arlene
ReplyDeletecookieln@aol.com
Right on time, as usual, Leslie! Hope I win this one! kimberly.a.bradley22.civ@mail.mil
ReplyDeleteOoh, pick me! :)
ReplyDeleteConnie
ccorey@binghamton.edu
I would love to win this book. I need help in this area of my life.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI would love to win this book! Thank you for the review :)
ReplyDeleteblessed-morning (at) hotmail (dot) com
I would love to have a copy of this book! Looks wonderful!
ReplyDeleteOh! This is so what I need! I have difficulty letting go of control & do realize I can't do it all, but how? Thanks for the opportunity to win.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'd love to read this book!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like it'll be a wonderful book to enjoy with some hot cocoa and a soft afghan!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry I missed the giveaway - will have to buy the book because I NEED IT ! I am putting away the Thanksgiving and Fall decorations, getting out the holiday stuff, shopping, thinking about baking, and all the other tasks....and just thought - wow, won't it be nice in January when all this is over and life is simple again. That is NOT the way to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I took a coffee break, found your blog - not a coincidence. I am hoping to "let it go...." ! Thanks !
ReplyDeleteagyjay@gmail.com
Oh please pray for me! I moved from a mobile home to a much smaller apartment last March and this is my first Christmas in my new place. I love Christmas and my Lord Jesus, i love decorating and all that Christmas stands for, but it is going to be really hard this year as there is not a lot of space for decorations. There is not even a place to set my Nativity up that is safe (i have a cat). I did figure out i will only put branches on the front and sides of my 4' tree so it will fit up against the wall and that will help. I love my apartment and cat, but this is hard for me to deal with. I really would love to win a copy of Let It Go, i need all the help i can get! :)
ReplyDeleteOh please pray for me! I moved from a mobile home to a much smaller apartment last March and this is my first Christmas in my new place. I love Christmas and my Lord Jesus, i love decorating and all that Christmas stands for, but it is going to be really hard this year as there is not a lot of space for decorations. There is not even a place to set my Nativity up that is safe (i have a cat). I did figure out i will only put branches on the front and sides of my 4' tree so it will fit up against the wall and that will help. I love my apartment and cat, but this is hard for me to deal with. I really would love to win a copy of Let It Go, i need all the help i can get! :)
ReplyDeleteOh yes I am focused on the perfect one - always am - but this year we started a 9 day remodeling project that was supposed to be finished before Thanksgiving. No stove for Thanksgiving. Project is still not finished and won't be this week or next. My traditional holiday decorating starts the day after Thanksgiving. This year I can't get to the decorations and even if I could, there is absolutely no place to put them. The house is in chaos. I found a single big red candle in a closet and placed it on the new kitchen countertop - that's my decoration and my focus of who the light of the world is everytime I walk in there and it's a good discussion topic to the workers as they come in. I have had no time to shop - my mom is in the hospital with pneumonia and congestive heart failure - so Christmas traditions have disappeared this year and I am sure I will find myself the last few days trying to shop, wrap and clean so our adult children won't be disappointed. Today I think I am coming down with a cold.
ReplyDelete