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Christmas By December 1

January 6, 2010 by Marissa 9 Comments

I tried something new this year. Several weeks before my friend Karen wrote this post about simplifying Christmas, she wrote about how she and several friends encouraged each other to finish their Christmas shopping, wrapping and cards by December 1. When I read that, I knew immediately that it would be a great idea for me. Since having kids (maybe before, but I can’t remember life before kids), I find myself stressed out every December. By Christmas day, I am exhausted and overwhelmed, I haven’t cracked a Bible open in weeks, and I know I’ve been too consumed by all the work to spend time talking to my children about Christ’s birth. Not exactly how I should be preparing my heart or my family to celebrate the birth of our Savior!

This December, I was going to visit my sister and newborn nephew for 5 days right before Christmas, so I had already gotten an early start. When I read Karen’s December 1 goal, I kicked it into high gear and got it done. Here’s my timeline:

Early October: Asked for wish lists from family members
Mid-October: Started shopping (was almost entirely done by mid-November), using Amazon.com and other sites with free shipping to save time
Late October: Bought outfits for kids’ Christmas picture
Early November: Took Christmas card picture, updated Christmas card address list
Mid-November: Started wrapping gifts; wrote Christmas letter, got cards printed, got return address labels, stamps, etc.
Thanksgiving week: Addressed Christmas cards, finished wrapping gifts
Weekend after Thanksgiving: Decorated house, cards were ready to mail
December: Talked about Advent with the kids, Christmas crafts with kids, baking, holiday gatherings, school parties, cleaning, travelled to Utah

As you can see, December was still pretty full. It was a little more chaotic than I thought it would be, due in part to my pre-Christmas travels. But I knew it would have been so much worse if my shopping, wrapping and cards hadn’t been done!

Next year, I’d like to do some baking in October and put things in the freezer. This year, I found myself constantly running to the store because I had to bake something for one of several holiday gatherings. My friend Lynette made multiple batches of cinnamon rolls, froze them, and pulled a pan out for each gathering. Genius! I’m not a good freezer girl, so I’m going to experiment between now and October and find some things that freeze well and can serve as my signature item next December.

If you found yourself overwhelmed and exhausted this Christmas, consider joining me for the December 1 Challenge 2010! Make a timeline now so you are ready in October or September or whenever you need to start to give yourself time to enjoy Advent and prepare your heart to celebrate Christ’s birth. I want that to be my purpose: not to impress others with my organizational skills or be the first Christmas card you receive, but to make time for me and my family to mediate on the incarnation, the Word made flesh, God coming to earth to save His people from their sins.

Why I’m not blogging much

September 28, 2009 by Marissa 2 Comments

I find myself living on a runaway train these days. I was on this runaway train right after Sarah Kate was born have jumped back on since school started. Everything is a blur of diapers, meals, kissing boo-boos, settling toy disputes, carpool, overseeing various educational pursuits, paying the electric bill and sweeping the kitchen floor, and any coherent thought I have beyond what to make for dinner is so fleeting I’m not even sure it was there. The runaway train isn’t bad–it is exactly what God has called me to in this season, but it doesn’t necessarily lead to much tangible productivity. If this train should happen to make a stop at the Blogging Station, you’ll be the first to know.

A New Life Verse

July 30, 2009 by Marissa 7 Comments

I think I have found my “Life Verse.” I’ve never had a life verse before, but I know people who do. The verses are usually very inspirational, something along the lines of reaching the nations or future generations for God. Good stuff, really. My favorite verse thus far is Romans 8:1, but it didn’t seem to fall into the Life Verse category.

But a couple of weeks ago when I was doing my Bible study (Behold Your God–an awesome study of God’s attributes which deserves many, many blog posts that I don’t currently have time to write), I came across a verse I’ve never noticed before:

2 Chronicles 20:12: We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.

Some context for those of you who don’t have 2 Chronicles memorized: King Jehoshaphat and the Israelites are watching multiple nations of enemies coming against them in battle. They know there is no way they can defeat this multitude. Jehoshaphat calls the people together, and they cry out to the Lord, asking what they should do. It specifically mentions that they are all standing before the Lord, along with their wives and children. Can you imagine this picture? Standing there, clutching your children to you, watching the enemy come, knowing you are powerless against them and crying out to the Lord for help. (To see how it ends, see 2 Chronicles 20.)

This has definitely become my Summer Verse, if not my Life Verse. For one thing, this verse is very easy to memorize. It rhymes and has lots of 2’s in the reference. And if there is one theme in my life right now, it is that I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to encourage my 5-year-old to not become a prideful Pharisee who craves approval and does all the right things only when someone is watching. (It takes one to know one, and that kid is just like me.) I don’t know how to encourage my 3-year-old to put his poop in the potty rather than in his pants. And I certainly don’t know how to encourage my sister-in-law as she battles the most formidable enemy we’ve faced in a long time: breast cancer.

I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on the One who is my refuge and strength, an very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). He promises His perfect wisdom is ours for the asking. (James 1:5). He hems me in, behind and before, and lays His hand upon me (Psalm 139:5). When my eyes are on Him, I can choose to be overwhelmed by His love and goodness toward me, rather than being overwhelmed by my circumstances. (With thanks to my summer Bible study leader for this last thought.)

I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on You.

Adventures in Couponing

July 11, 2009 by Marissa 2 Comments

Several months ago, my husband started expressing his desire for us to start spending less and saving more. (This may or may not have coincided with a certain Democrat being elected president and vowing to “reform” health care. But that is another story for another blog.) He has repeated this preposterous suggestion many, many times. And every time, my flesh (sinful nature) has done a good job of ignoring it. After all, his job is pretty secure, he’s not making less money than he did a year ago–why should we cut back? Shouldn’t I be doing my part to stimulate the economy and support my local retailers? (I really want Gymboree to survive this economic turmoil.) It seemed crazy for my husband to ask me to make sacrifices, and not even so I could use the saved money for something fabulous, like an iPhone or a cleaning lady. Just for the sake of spending less and saving more. He must be nuts, right?

After some conversations with my wonderful friends (if you don’t have godly, truth-speaking friends in your life, may I suggest you get some immediately?), I realized that this was a huge area of disobedience in my life. My husband is asking me to do something. He is not asking me to sin. In fact, the thing he is asking me to do is perfectly reasonable, probably a good idea, and (gulp) would be glorifying God by thinking less about my own selfish desires. I knew it was time for the S-word: submission. I couldn’t bring myself to submit right away, so I started by praying that God would convict me and enable to submit and obey. And then I turned to my local expert on honoring your husband by spending less money: my friend Lynette.

I’ve been giving Lynette my coupons out of the Sunday paper for months. I had no idea what she was doing with them, but I knew I needed to find out. I broke the sad news to her that she would no longer be getting my coupons and asked her to share her secrets with me. Thankfully, she is very supportive of my saving money AND my submitting to my husband! She taught me a few key strategies:

1. Stop being married to specific brands. I was shocked when I compared the shampoo I usually buy with some much cheaper alternatives. I’ve been having shampoo tunnel vision for months, and my hair doesn’t even look that great.

2. Track the cost of items that you buy on a regular basis. When they go on sale, stock up.

3. Keep your coupons from the Sunday paper, and then use blogs such as Common Sense With Money, Money Saving Mom and Passion for Savings to find out how to maximize your savings by combining coupons with low sale prices.

4. Don’t be afraid to shop at Aldi. (I haven’t conquered this one yet. Maybe when the kids go back to school in the fall, and I don’t have to take three kids with me everywhere I go.)

This concept of combining sales and coupons is amazing! It is definitely worth spending some time on. In my first week, check out what I got . . . serious bargain-hunting bloggers always take a photo:

Pringles for 49 cents, family-size boxes of Special K for $2.50 each, Edy’s ice cream for $1.33 each, and deodorant for 38 cents! I also got a pint of Starbucks ice cream for 50 cents, but I gave that to my sister-in-law, because seriously, how much ice cream does a girl need when she has baby weight to lose?!?

Back when I was just dipping my toe into the pool of obedience but not ready to jump in, I read on a stay-at-home mom’s blog that she thinks that her job is to save her family as much money as possible. I thought, “Poor thing. My job is much more enjoyable–spending our family’s money and having fun doing it. Oh, wait . . . hmm, maybe that isn’t supposed to be my job . . . oh bummer, this woman is right!” Now I have a new view on my job description, though sometimes I miss my old job. I can’t wait to see what my new strategies will accomplish when it comes to lowering our spending, and (more importantly) pleasing my husband and letting him know that what’s important to him is important to me. I want to honor my husband with my spending, following the example given to us as women in Proverbs 31:

An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.

Proverbs 31:10-11

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