This Holiday Season, Fill Your Home with Life, Not Stuff
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As the Christmas season officially begins, many of us will find ourselves caught up in a whirlwind
of preparation and shopping. Almost all of us desire our holiday season to be a time of connection,
relationships, making memories, and spending time with the people we love. And apparently,
a large percentage of us think buying more stuff is going to make that happen. Don't believe me?
Did you know that three of the four busiest shopping days of the year occur during the week
of Christmas? But what if the most effective way to elevate our Christmas season isn't found
hustling and bustling about to different stores and websites? What if instead of filling our home
with more stuff this year, we chose to fill them with more life? Because more stuff and more life
are not the same thing. In fact, oftentimes, it's the pursuit and accumulation of stuff
that keeps us from real life. Christmas shouldn't be about filling our homes with more things.
It should be about creating space for life and laughter and connection. Our relatives and
friends don't travel long distances to our homes for the decorations and the presents. They come
for the joy and the warmth and to be together with their loved ones. Think back to your most
cherished Christmas memories. Rarely are they about the gifts that you received. Maybe you
remember one or two, but that's about it. More often, your most cherished Christmas memories
include being with friends and family and cousins, laughing, and the feeling of being together.
These moments of connection are the most life-giving parts of the Christmas season.
Too often, we place pressure on ourselves during the season. We rush to the store for one more gift,
or we dash about trying to find the perfect ingredients to make the perfect party,
or one more idea of something we should get pops up in our head and we rush out and get it.
But in this frantic pace of the season, we risk missing the life happening in front of us.
So this year, let's shift our focus from the external trappings of the season
to what truly matters. Let's remember that being present, both physically and emotionally and
mentally, is more valuable than any present we could ever buy. Even for the little ones,
the real holiday magic isn't opening boxes and boxes full of toys on Christmas morning.
It's in the time spent with family being together. Part of me thinks, deep down, kids only want more
toys on Christmas morning because they view it as just one more opportunity for you to sit down
and play with them. This Christmas, let's make a conscious choice to bring more life,
not more stuff, into our homes. Let's resist the constant urge to get just one more thing
and instead to count all the blessings that we have already around us. Let's slow down,
breathe in the moment, and be fully present with our loved ones. Christmas is a time of giving,
of course, but the greatest gifts we can give are our time, our love, presence, and attention.
These are the gifts that fill our homes with life. So rather than more shopping,
let's slow down and look for moments of togetherness and prioritize people over things.
Let's fill our home with life, not stuff. After all, the true magic of Christmas is defined
not by the stuff, but the joy we share. Have a great one, everybody.
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Those of you who know my story know that I was a pastor for 15 years before writing full-time
about minimalism, and so I'm really excited to let you know about my newest book, Uncluttered
Faith. Fascinatingly, I'd spent 15 years as a pastor and 15 years as a minimalist when I wrote
this book. Really excited for you to read it. It's all about what Jesus had in mind when He
invited us to follow Him, to give up our possessions and our money and live a better
life, focused on Him in a closer relationship with Him,
enjoying more benefits than the world can ever offer. I think you're going to love it.