{"id":436,"date":"2013-12-01T09:00:51","date_gmt":"2013-12-01T17:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/warmanloving.org\/site\/?p=436"},"modified":"2022-07-26T16:54:14","modified_gmt":"2022-07-26T23:54:14","slug":"help-me-convey-the-reason-for-the-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/warmanloving.org\/site\/help-me-convey-the-reason-for-the-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Help Me Convey The Reason For The Season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Surprise!!! December is here (again!). This is the season where the lists get longer and the stress thermometer begins to rise. We need to &#8220;prepare for the season&#8221; on top of all the regular stuff that needs to be accomplished. So how can we refocus our vision to see beyond the to-do lists and be intentional about bringing out the true meaning of the holidays? First, we need to identify what is weighing us down . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What&#8217;s The Hurt?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Too many activities<\/li><li>Extended family expectations<\/li><li>Gift giving<\/li><li>Financial strain<\/li><li>Too much to do<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>What are some of the things that can be eliminated this year? What are the one or two &#8220;must-do&#8221; traditions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What&#8217;s The Hope?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress . . . The people walking in darkness have seen a great light . . . for to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.<\/p><cite><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Isaiah+9&amp;version=NIV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Isaiah 9<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Our traditions help connect the generations and bring meaning to the season. They are an opportunity for us to pass on our values to future generations and give us a purpose when we tackle our checklist. And hopefully, it serves as a reminder to focus on the people &#8211; our family, our friends, our Savior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What&#8217;s The Help?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em>If you had to choose just one item that helps your family convey the meaning of this season, what would it be?<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Consider displaying a simple nativity. Talk about one person\/animal each day and relate his character and importance in welcoming the arrival of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other practical and simple ideas to help with the season (<em>but not meant to overwhelm your to-do list<\/em>):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Plan ahead<\/li><li>Avoid debt by giving appropriate gifts<\/li><li>Reduce at least one activity<\/li><li>Eat meals together as a family<\/li><li>Light a candle in the evening<\/li><li>Reduce screen time (TV, computers, tablets, phones . . .)<\/li><li>Schedule some OFFLINE time to <em>disconnect<\/em> with technology and <em>connect<\/em> with people<\/li><li>Read stories that tell of the Christmas story<\/li><li>Watch a Christmas special together (popcorn &amp; cocoa optional!)<\/li><li>Help an older person with their tree or decorations<\/li><li>Buy gifts or bake for a needy family<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep things simple . . . and keep it focused on Jesus!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Surprise!!! December is here (again!). This is the season where the lists get longer and the stress thermometer begins to rise. We need to &#8220;prepare for the season&#8221; on top of all the regular stuff that needs to be accomplished. So how can we refocus our vision to see beyond the to-do lists and be intentional about bringing out the true meaning of the holidays? First, we need to identify&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,8,6,34,17],"tags":[50,98,99],"class_list":["post-436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fathers","category-marriage","category-mothers","category-parenting-2","category-relationships","tag-christmas","tag-help","tag-holidays"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Help Me Convey The Reason For The Season - Warm an&#039; Loving Ministries<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Warm an\u2019 Loving is a non-profit counseling and training center dedicated to helping heal individuals, couples, and families through professional counseling and seminars.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/warmanloving.org\/site\/help-me-convey-the-reason-for-the-season\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Help Me Convey The Reason For The Season - Warm an&#039; 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