I read this on MSN and really liked what it had to say. Since we at New Community have been doing the Advent Conspiracy, I have been refocusing on what matters during Christmas. I have been trying to (and not always succeeding) to worship fully, spend less, give more and love all. Not an easy task. The article is on how to beat the holiday blues if you are single. I would just add to try the Advent Conspiracy. It might change how you feel about Christmas.
Keep the Holiday Blues at Bay
By Margot Carmichael Lester
If you're single during the holiday season and not happy about it, it can be hard to have a smile on your face all of the time. Here, some coping tips.
Are you feeling down about being single this holiday season and wishing you could just go into suspended animation till January 1st ... or make that February 15th? You are not alone, as the song says. "Newly single daters feel down around the holidays, because everything about the holidays centers on the traditional view of family togetherness," says Leah Klungness, a psychologist in Long Island, NY, and co-author of The Complete Single Mother. "The media images of happy families gathered about the Christmas tree, parents lovingly laying out toys from Santa, couples embracing in a romantic setting — all create the impression that everyone else belongs to a loving family and are certainly half of a loving and committed couple," she says. That makes it easy for you to feel like you're the biggest exception to that on the whole planet. But you don't have to be low during the holidays. We've come up with 10 tips for beating those blues (or at least keeping them from beating you) so you can socialize and enjoy the holidays without a spouse.
1. Make some changes. "A big life change, like suddenly finding yourself single, allows you to redefine the holidays more to your personal liking rather than constantly needing to respond to the demands of others," Klungness notes. "If you hate to bake, then why do it? Are you flooded with paperwork at your job? This might explain why you describe holiday cards as ‘another big job I need to get out of the way.'" This year, don't do anything just because you think you should. Instead, do what you truly enjoy.
2. Mix and jingle. "After I left my husband, I wasn't looking forward to the holidays," recalls Nancy Prefontaine of Scottsdale, AZ. "But another newly-single friend and I hosted a holiday mixer for all our single friends. It was fun — and there was no feeling sorry for ourselves because no couples were allowed. By the end, we were all in the holiday spirit."
3. Practice gratitude. "Make a gratitude list of all the great things that are in your life right now," notes Diana Kirschner, psychologist and love coach on the Love in 90 Days Boot Camp TV show. "Make a payback visit where you go to someone who helped you a lot and give them a thank-you gift. Research shows that these steps help create happiness."
4. Focus on family. "My wife had the kids last Christmas, so I went home to my parents and spent the week catching up with old friends and family who also were home for the holidays," says Thom Englund of Boston, MA. "It was nice to be able to focus on people I don't get to see much and re-establish relationships."
5. Do good. Volunteer during the holidays at places such as a nursing home, soup kitchen or animal shelter. "It's a great way to counterbalance any blue feelings you may have," says Steve Kemble, star of the Style Network's Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? and ABC's Extreme Makeover: Wedding Edition. "Additionally, helping others is always a wonderful way to make you feel better about yourself, while at the same time making others feel better about themselves. There is no better feeling than brightening someone else's life."
6. Get away. "After my husband died, I just couldn't face our home during the holidays," says Suze Hernandez of Fresno, CA. "So I decided to give myself the gift of travel. I spent Christmas and New Year's in Hawaii, and the escape was just what I needed to start the next year full of hope instead of despair."
7. Exercise. "It's important to get sufficient exercise," says Judy Bolton, therapist and co-author of When Did You Know … He Was Not The One? "It has been scientifically documented that exercise stimulates the endorphins, which send a calming effect throughout our bodies." Plus, you might meet someone cute and available at the gym.
8. Unclutter. "My wife died around the holidays and I spent that time going through her things — and mine," explains Carl Means of Knoxville, TN. "Now I use the end of the year to clean out my closets and cabinets. I get a feeling of accomplishment and clarity. And since I give most of the stuff to local charities, I know I'm doing something good for people who are less fortunate. That boosts my spirits, too."
9. Think positive. "For my friends who insist that staying home will make them feel better, I always recommend that they write down 25 positive things about themselves," Kemble says. "Trust me, you will end up feeling so much better about yourself."
10. Indulge. "Over Christmas vacation, I take advantage of all the guilty pleasures my ex despised," admits Sarah Dukes of Chicago. "I catch up on soaps, check in on the Real World marathon, and whip out my K-Tel 70's music compendium. It's hard to feel sorry for yourself when you're doing something this ridiculous." Following this advice will help you keep the holiday blues at bay so you can enjoy the end of year and move ahead with a positive outlook ... and quite possibly be ready for an amazing new romance in 2009.
Margot Carmichael Lester is a freelance writer whose work also appears in Go magazine and The Los Angeles Business Journal.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Monday, November 03, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
I read this today and felt my heart scream...Sing it again... I hope this speaks to you as much as it did me.
Keeping Company With God
One of the passages of scripture that I never get tired of hearing, reading, or studying is found in Isaiah 43:1-5. Though the passage is describing the redemption of Israel, as I read the words, I find my own redemption being described. As my eyes pass over the words, phrases catch my attention and capture my heart:
Thus says the Lord…He who formed you…Do not fear…I have redeemed you…I have called you by name…You are Mine! …I will be with you…I am the Lord your God…Your Savior…You are precious in my sight…You are honored…I love you…Do not fear….
Though I read that passage a thousand times, my heart cries out, Sing it again. Those words of scripture never grow old. Like God’s promises, they are new every morning. Yet despite their freshness and life, distraction still gets the best of me.
As followers of God, sometimes I think that our greatest challenge is not having too little information but too much. The Bible makes it clear that God wants us to be able to recognize his voice.
Scripture overflows with examples of God speaking to his people. Adam, Eve, Abraham, Moses, David, Samuel, and Noah all experienced ongoing dialogue with God. Yet God doesn’t just speak to the big-name, biblical-equivalent of rock stars; he spoke to Cain regarding his countenance, Hagar regarding her son, and Ananias regarding a blind persecutor of the church. Meanwhile, Jesus personalized the idea of conversation with God. He demonstrated through his life that hearing God’s voice was more of an expectation than an exception.
I believe that we will never be better able to discern God’s voice from the other voices as quickly, concisely, or accurately than when we spend time in God’s Word. This is where God most often sings it again. Published as the greatest love letter of all time, the Bible is a soul-wrenching invitation to a real relationship with the one who can love us like no other. Whether we read the words in an ancient or modern translation or download an audio version on our iPod, God’s Word breathes life and hope. Specific passages provide the correction and direction we need. When we allow the words of God to come alive in our hearts, they unleash an unmistakable transforming power in our attitudes and actions.
One of my all-time favorite definitions of prayer comes from Clement of Alexandria who simply described the divine activity as “keeping company with God.” Not only are we servants of God, but by his grace he has also made us friends, so that we serve him out of gratitude. Through prayer, we partner with God in the work he is doing throughout the earth.
Through prayer, God invites us to sing the song of our lives to him—every word and every phrase—and he even enjoys the chorus. Prayer matters. Sometimes that’s easy to forget, especially when I don’t see any answers, or worse, when I receive an answer I didn’t really want. Yet the invitation remains:
Sing it again.
I am beginning to believe the real beauty of prayer is not just in the request but in the repetition. Something wondrous happens when we respond to the admonition of Paul to pray without ceasing. Something enchanting happens when we ask God for something more than once, as if with each refrain, our heart aligns itself a shade closer to God’s heart. It’s almost as if something sacred happens in the echo of our prayers. Through prayer we become part of a greater story—the story of what God is doing in our lives, our families, our communities, and around the world.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
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