The holidays are over. For many, it’s a bit of a downer. For some, there has been a blur of activity with too many things to do and not enough time. Quieter days are welcome, but it may mean just returning to the work week exhausted. For many, there wasn’t a flurry of activity, so there’s nothing to recover from except disappointment. Celebrations they’d hoped for didn’t happen.  Loneliness has been especially hard.  No matter what your Christmas season was like, if you look, there were things, even small things, that were a delight.  Sift through your days since Thanksgiving. What big and little experiences gave you happiness?  (BTW, have you given thanks to the Giver?)  How could you bring those delights into the months ahead?

My list of delights this season included helping children re-enact the first Christmas. The play was done for the whole church to enjoy. The hours of preparation with the kids were little gems of joy shared with many other adults who each contributed their own special gifts to make the program a success. But now that the applause has died away, what can I carry into the new year? I can be intentional about keeping relationships with those children current. I can make it a point to seek them out at church and ask them about their week. One girl loves horses, so I’ve been sending her mom horse videos from You Tube to share with her. I could find out the interests of other kids and find little tidbits to send them via their parents. I can remember their birthdays. What relationships could you cultivate this new year?

During this sacred season, I saw how much effort and time many people contribute to the church each week. It makes me want to make a habit of thanking the many selfless servants who are working behind the scenes (and those who make public contributions.). Together, they make our church the happy, loving place it is. Everyone likes to be appreciated and a few sincere words of acknowledgment go a long way! Who could you thank this week?

I enjoyed being able to provide baked treats for others in December but realized I needed to settle on a reasonable number of tried and true recipes and throw away the many recipes I’ve printed off the internet that were fails. Then, I can bless others with treats and not end up with ones that aren’t shareable! What useless things could you get rid of in order to be more efficient?

I enjoyed the music of the Christmas season, but how could I put more music into our lives on a continuing basis? After talking it over with dear Husband, we decided to buy a modest bluetooth speaker so we could enjoy music in our home. New Year’s Day started with the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah which moved me to tears.  I’m also taking a free online class on the history of music in the West. Since my poor brain isn’t wired for music, this has been a stretch! But even though I can’t produce music, I can certainly enjoy it. Learning about the great composers is helping me appreciate their music more. Could you make music to delight yourself and others, or could you be more intentional about growing in your music appreciation?

We didn’t get much time to celebrate with family members this Christmas because of sickness, moves, and snowy weather. But it made me deeply appreciate the few hours we had with two of our adult kids and their families. I want to cherish every interaction we have with our dispersed family this year. And to look for opportunities to connect, whether it be texting a silly pet photo or a link, “I thought of you when I saw this …” I want to buy up every chance to be part of their lives. That means dropping what I’m doing and giving priority to time communicating when they reach out. Or sometimes initiating. Who do you need to keep in touch with?

Living in a climate with short, dreary days and long, rainy nights, I realized how much light cheers me. A friend gave us a gift card and I spent some of it on battery candles. They are so cheery and homey! Realizing how much enjoyment gentle lights bring, I’ve started the hunt for lamps for our living area. Little things can contribute a lot. How could you make your living space more cozy and beautiful?

During the holidays, my soul was stirred by great art depicting the Nativity. Each artist emphasized a different aspect of the story. I loved the paintings of happy faces admiring the Christ child. Some old, some young, each individual and expressive in their own way. This spurred me to look up paintings after Christmas of different Bible stories. I like to study them for Biblical accuracy and decide how I would adjust their details to be more scripturally true. It’s a good exercise to evaluate paintings, comparing them to the Biblical account. (Looking it up in the Bible when in doubt.) I can’t paint, but maybe with AI I could recreate some Biblical scenes accurately? How could you incorporate art into your week?

This month, Biblical blogs, devotionals, and articles kept bringing me back to the heart of the season. I often think of many believers in restricted parts of the world who don’t have access to Biblical materials. The Bible is all we need, but the thoughts of godly men and women from the past and present can stimulate us and refresh us as we get a glimpse of Scripture from other viewpoints. I’m so grateful for these resources. (And thanks, also, to dear husband’s brother who faithfully sends his texts with Scripture and thought-provoking questions to make us take a second look at the daily passage.) I want to continue to avail myself of these helps to keep my heart fresh and earnest. Do you have trusted resources to stimulate your soul?

In studying the Gospel accounts of the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, I was helped in my understanding by being able to see the verses with the Greek translated directly underneath with definitions and synonyms in the margin. Also, being able to compare 30 English translations helped clear up questions I had about the meaning of a verse. Even though the story is so familiar, there are always new treasures to be found! I want to be a good student this coming year! Are you using Bible study aids to take you deeper into God’s Word?

What delighted you this season? How could you carry that into the new year?

Resources I use:
Bible study tools:  https://www.biblegateway.com/plus/
Free online courses in various disciplines:  https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses

Blogs I enjoy:

Blog

https://www.epm.org/

https://colsoncenter.org/breakpoint

https://www.desiringgod.org

www.coldcasechristianity.com