Today I had a hard time coming up with my gratitude list.  Sometimes I think my items are too simple, too much of a given, to mention.  But that’s not how it works.  Goodness is present in the simplest of things, especially the things we take for granted.

This is the season for shopping and acquiring new things.  In Prepare Your Heart for a Great Christmas we read:

We have to be careful when it comes to new things. If we’re down, new stuff can cheer us up, but only temporarily. New things are fun, but let’s not trust in stuff to solve our problems. 

The real transformation comes when we can view what we already have with new eyes:  to see the inherent goodness in the people and circumstances of our lives, and to take that as the starting point for our world view.

So, today I’m doing some simple things, but maybe they’re not so simple after all.  The items on my gratitude list sustain me and give me joy–and isn’t that worth living for?

On my list today:

The love of my husband, my beautiful girls, my work.

Today in Prepare Your Heart for a Great Christmas, we read about the “Angels in the Outfield”, and consider the angels of Christmas, too:

The celestial allies help the Angels all the way to the big championship game. In the process Roger’s prayer is answered, though not in the way he had imagined. Angels herald this great season of love—from the Annunciation of Mary to the shepherds in the field. All the earth lighted by their glory, carrying a message from on high. Perhaps our own angels will make an appearance. As we pray for a special Christmas this year, may we be blessed with the grace to accept however our prayer is answered.

I started today still sad from yesterday, which ended on a cranky note for me. I had a good day, but by the end of the evening, fatigue and family issues got under my skin. My face and voice didn’t communicate the love and concern I have for my family members. So, today as I am reminded of God’s heavenly messengers, my heart takes hope in knowing God is near, sees all, and loves us just the same. Today, I intend to love my family, God’s messengers in my life, as they deserve to be loved. I will see and affirm their goodness!

In Prepare Your Heart for a Great Christmas, we read:

The more connected we are [to God], the more our presence and efforts will give witness to God’s love.

Today I’m grateful for the wonderful women in my life.

Today I intend to be present in every moment.

Today I’ll be with women in all generations around me:  my mom, my daughters, my friends.  I’ll go to the dentist, put lights up on our deck railing, and write.

At about 3:30 a.m., I was awakened in the night and had a tough time falling back to sleep.  It’s not often that this happens, but not unusual, either.  When it does, if I wake up too much, my mind gets carried away with worry.

I mulled over the things I needed to do later in the day and dissected a few past situations that I could have handled better.  My anxiety grew to a restless level.  Then I remembered what I’ve learned in recent years about the power of gratitude. 

I took a few deep breaths and directed my thoughts to things for which I am grateful.  I also said some simple words of praise to God for his awesome goodness to me.  As each thought came to mind, I felt a deep peace and calm rise from within me.  My body relaxed, and I drifted off to sleep. 

Today’s reflection from Prepare Your Heart for a Great Christmas invited me to come up with some new items for the gratitude list.  So, I included “falling back to sleep this morning.”  Now, as I look back over the day, I can also add “the day’s activities going much more smoothly than I feared in the dark, wee hours of the morning.”  I’ve experienced it before, and it’s good to be reminded again:  when I place my life in the context of God’s abundant goodness, there’s no room for anxiety or worry.

Today I am thankful for God’s big-ness.  This is a day when my motivation and energy are low.  My daughter’s home from school with a bad cold, and my husband’s been called out of town on an emergency business trip.  I fear my to-do list will go by the wayside as I tend to others.  But, today’s reflection from Prepare Your Heart for a Great Christmas reminds me who is really in charge:

As we prepare our hearts and homes for Christmas, let’s remember that all the things we worry about and fuss over really belong to God. God has entrusted them to us at this time. May we use them to give glory to their Creator.

Not only the things, but the people God has entrusted to us!

Note to moms: Watch Christmas with the Kranks and see how you relate to Nora Krank, played by Jamie Lee Curtis.  Nora is a woman after my heart.  Her character is a frighteningly accurate portrayal of my interior conflicts during the holidays:  trying to please my family, worried about what neighbors and friends think, crazy about my children, stressed over food and decorations.  She careens from one person and situation to the next, seemingly disconnected from a central understanding of herself.  When it comes to what’s truly important, however, Nora stands tall as the heart of her family.  May our daily reflections keep us in touch with that central part of who we are, that part that comes from and is connected to our Big God.

I may have written the book, but I need my Great Christmas Book!  I am very grateful for the reminders this book contains, and the priority on creating a gratitude list and intention for every day. 

Today I am thankful for music, the chance to sleep in a bit this morning, and reconnecting with my husband after a long day of house projects yesterday.  Today my intention was to enjoy our home and reconnect with Steve, both of which I succeeded in doing!

Before you start running to catch up, keep in mind today’s scripture passage, “All things work together for good for those who love God.”  (Romans 8: 26-30)  No matter where you are with your preparations, God’s grace will work with you, right where you are. Before you give in to the weight of feeling that it all depends on you, remember that, in reality, it doesn’t. God is in charge, and God will get you through.

Steely Dan’s drug-influenced and quasi-prophetic song Black Friday loops through my head today.  “When Black Friday comes,” sings Donald Fagin, “I’ll stand down by the door…I’ll collect everything I’m owed, and before my friends find out I’ll be on the road, When Black Friday falls.” 

In Prepare Your Heart for a Great Christmas, we read:

 … the media has dubbed the day after Thanksgiving “Black Friday.” Retailers hope for a successful shopping day to kick off the industry’s most lucrative time of the year. Black Friday is a fitting name in the retail world and the natural world as well. Many shoppers begin their preparations in the dark, either pre-dawn or earlier, and this time of year includes the longest nights and darkest days of our calendar. Yet in this darkness, light displays twinkle in stores, parks, and on homes. The displays date back to a time when folks more closely in rhythm with the earth than we are noted the winter equinox.  

Today I am grateful for this glimmer of light in the midst of darkness.  I remember a truly Happy Thanksgiving Day, and look forward to time with my family today.  My intentions are to be a joyous and loving presence in my family and to enjoy the day with them.

In The Year of Living Biblically, author AJ Jacobs gained many insights during the year he sought to “follow the Bible as literally as possible.”  At a recent book fair, AJ spoke of the commandments he’d created as a result of his experiment.  The first:  Thou Shalt Give Thanks.  AJ learned the power and importance of “giving thanks for the 100 things that go right everyday, rather than focusing on the few things that don’t.”

  This lesson is echoed in Prepare Your Heart for a Great Christmas.  We begin our journey on a day established for the purpose of giving thanks.  Everyday, our journal pages will ask us that question first:  “Today, I am grateful for … “  In the Thanksgiving Day reflection, we read: As you move through your day today, pay attention to the big and little things that are meaningful to you: from the people you love, to that wonderful light in the refrigerator that comes on just when you need it. Say “Thank you!” Then give thanks for how light your heart feels after you’ve said those two simple, life-affirming words! 

Today, I am grateful for my happy and healthy family, for our home and a light schedule.  My intention for the day is two-fold:  to follow AJ’s advice; and to be an example of love, joy and acceptance to my extended family when we gather today.

  Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!

The sun is shining on a warm sunny day here in St. Louis as I type these words.  The forecast, though, calls for rain, a drop in temperatures and snow as we head into Thanksgiving Day! The weather provides a vibrant metaphor for what many of us are feeling these days. Wherever you go, people are saying they cannot believe the holidays are here!  How quickly the time goes!  With a day’s time we’ll travel from beautiful late summer to bitter cold winter.  As swiftly as the weather changes, so will we be plunged into the holiday rush. My friends, I am right there with you!  Beginning on Thanksgiving Day, my blog will go “live” with daily entries.  I’ll include short excerpts from Prepare Your Heart for a Great Christmas plus new reflections on the season.  As we journey along toward a Great Christmas, please post your comments, ideas and struggles to create a happy holiday season.  Post ‘em and we’ll all benefit!  Register for email updates to receive the message daily in your inbox. 

Catch you on Thursday!  Happy Thanksgiving!