Happy Thanksgiving! Although it’s our second holiday season in a pandemic, things have shifted. Perhaps this year, we will gather with friends and family. We can’t rely on past holidays to inform this season, except to say that it will probably be a little busier than last year.

What will you encounter over the next month? Some difficult conversations? Your normal hurry and hectic amped up like a toddler on too many sugar cookies? If we’ve learned anything in the past year or two, it’s to hold plans loosely–because things can change. But we summon the courage to change the things we can. And one thing we can change: our selves. So my question for you: what’s your self care plan for the next month and a half?

 

What habits or practices do you intend to engage in to keep your mind, spirit, and body well-tended, healthy, strong? 

These things don’t just happen–they require intention and action. I’m just wondering if you need some help with that? 

It might be that you’re already weary. And we’re just getting started on what is often the busiest and most emotionally fraught season of the year. What will you do to pause, to rest and refuel your soul this season?

I hope you’ll stop by this space and visit–the conversation here will be encouraging and simple. We’ll talk about soul care, about being kind to yourself, about faith. About some practices that may be helpful. 

I also hope you’ll accept the free gift I’ve created for you: The Gift of Christmas Present, a free ebook that will guide you toward Hope, Peace, Love and Joy in the next four weeks. Advent begins this Sunday–so you’ll want to get it before then. Details about how to grab it are in the box to your right. Or just click here to download. 

If you are not an ebook person (especially for devotions and journaling), I’ve got some big news: I’ve created a paperback version of The Gift of Christmas Present, with beautiful journaling pages added, which launches today. It’s a four-week daily devotional for just $7.99. You might want to give it as an early gift to yourself or a friend.

A soul care habit for the holidays? Maybe reading this devotional with a friend. Or stopping by here to discuss it, since it will be part of the conversation. Or taking time for yourself, just a few minutes of soul-healing solitude each morning to connect with God. 

Spend five minutes a day in this book, and feel yourself begin to breathe. Each day’s entry includes a short Scripture, an encouraging reflection, a thought-provoking journaling question, and a simple prayer.

More than any time of year, the holidays are a time when focusing on the moment feels impossible. But what if you could take just a few minutes a day to slow down, breathe, and just be present? What if, instead of worrying about the future, or regretting the past, you could just receive the gift of Christmas present?

To get your copy (and one for a friend!) of the paperback version today, click here.