Do you spend your days approaching Christmas frantically preparing for the season? It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the stress of the holiday season and to lose focus from the real reason for the season. Christine Trimpe shares a secret she learned that shifted her focus to Jesus and helped her regain her peace, joy and calm in the midst of the holiday season. She shares how to set the tone in your home with her Advent ABC Checklist.

In a recent episode of Your Hope-Filled Perspective podcast, I had the opportunity to chat with Christine Trimpe about preparing our hearts for the Advent Season. If you missed that episode, you can listen here [Preparing Our Hearts For the Advent Season – Episode 136.]

Read to the end for a book giveaway!

3 Tips to Set the Tone in Your Home this Advent Season
by Christine Trimpe

If Christmas in a global pandemic provided one positive outcome last year, I believe we all breathed in a great big welcome and collective sigh of peace and calm. And even in the difficulty, the Good News of great joy radiated in my heart and home. Did you feel it too?

As busy parents, spouses, and holiday hosts and hostesses . . . we may have felt a little confused and uncomfortable without all the normal chaos of the Christmas season. Were you able to cherish the mandatory slow-down?

As I ponder another uncertain Christmas season, I recall the story in the Gospel of Luke about Jesus in the home of sisters Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38–42).

Peek into this story and witness Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus while Martha is busy and distracted making all the preparations for her guest. Martha seems most unhappy that her sister is just “sitting around” while she has much to do. Martha boldly takes her complaints to Jesus. She wants Jesus to tell Mary to get up and help her!

This scene brings to mind the years I spent frantically preparing for Christmas focusing on my entertaining skills and neglecting to choose Mary’s example of sitting at the feet of Christ. For years, I missed out on the Christ of Christmas because of distractions and stressors.

But I have learned a secret to turn my attention from the frenzy of meal preparations and wrapping presents. Let’s shift our focus on His presence with an easy to remember ABC checklist to regain our peace, joy, and calm as we prepare for this festive time of year. Use these ideas to involve your entire family in gaining the proper perspective of the true meaning of Christmas.

An Advent ABC Checklist to regain peace, joy and calm

Advent.

The non-denominational church I grew up in didn’t celebrate Advent with the lighting of candles before Christmas. Despite not growing up in that tradition, I’ve discovered by definition advent is a time of celebration and expectation of the coming of Christ. And Christ is coming in more ways than one as I learned in my new advent practice.

One way to celebrate the advent season is to journey through the Gospel of Luke in the month of December to experience the stories of these multiple comings of Christ. As I read through Luke every December, my heart is overwhelmed with breathless anticipation of Christ’s comings: in the story of His birth coming as a baby to earth, in the gratefulness of His coming into my heart, and in looking forward to His second coming and the glory of our heavenly home.

This year, before you fuss over all the preparations for Christmas, beginning on December 1, make time to sit down and read one chapter of Luke each day. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to experience the breadth of this gospel from the Christmas story through the events on Calvary––leaving you with a breathless anticipation and longing of Christ’s next coming.

Build a Biography of Jesus.

The Gospel of Luke is a wonderful historical biography of Jesus. Dr. Luke set out to write an orderly account (Luke 1:3) of Jesus’s time on earth: from the Christmas birth, through His childhood development, into His earthly ministry, on the cross of Calvary, and ending with His ascension into heaven leaving His disciples celebrating and sharing His Good News of great joy.

Each day, as a family, write a summary or a word cloud on everything you learn about Jesus as fully God and fully man.

As I journeyed through physical, emotional, and spiritual healing I developed a deeper understanding and appreciation of Jesus in His humanness through the Gospel of Luke. For example, in Luke 2 we learn Jesus as a child grew and became strong, was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him (v. 40). How exciting to know that Jesus gets us in our humanness, too––body, mind, and spirit!

As you explore the Gospel of Luke, what makes Jesus relatable to you and your family?

Choose Calm over Chaos.

Let’s return to the scene of Martha and Mary in Luke 10. We know that Martha took her complaints to Jesus about Mary sitting around doing nothing. In our busyness of the holiday season, how often do we grumble or become resentful over the crazy demands on ourselves?

How does Jesus respond to Martha in her chaos as she’s gesturing towards her sister calmly sitting at His feet?

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41–42)

Friend, slow down and read that again.

Take a deep breath and ask Jesus what choice He is prompting you to make. I have learned through my journey of life transformation and continuing sanctification that I do have choices to make every day. I can choose to begin my day scrolling social media mindlessly, or I can choose to begin my day quietly sitting at His feet in His Word through study, worship, and prayer. Which option sounds noisy and chaotic to you? Which would be a better choice for peace, joy, and calm?

Now model this choice for your family. Parents set the tone in the home, so make time with your family and help them get to know this Jesus of Christmas. Help them understand the lyrics of Silent Night, Holy Night “All is calm, all is bright.”

We have a lot on our Christmas platters––hopefully the easy to recall ABC ideas will encourage you to choose peace, joy, and calm this Christmas season and beyond. Experience Advent with breathless anticipation while getting to know Jesus as you build His biography while being like Mary and choose calm over chaos.

Share one way you’ll put these suggestions into practice for peace, joy, and calm this Advent season in the comments below.

 

About Christine Trimpe

Christine Trimpe is a Certified Christian Health Coach, author, speaker, and joy-seeker. Christine recently went on a joy-filled journey of healing of her body, mind, and spirit. This transformation story overflows from her heart with a passion to share the Good News of great joy with you today. Join Christine this December in her new Christmas devotional Seeking Joy through the Gospel of Luke: A Christmas to Calvary Advent Countdown. For more information on the book, visit here: Seeking Joy Info.

You don’t have to wait until Christmas to start preparing your heart. Grab Christine’s early Christmas gift for you today! Seeking Joy through the Gospel of Luke Bonus Chapters.

To connect with Christine Trimpe:

Website Christine Trimpe / Website Joyful Keto Life / YouTube / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook Christine Trimpe / Facebook Joyful Keto Life

 

Book Giveaway

In conjunction with this post and the podcast interview Preparing Our Hearts For the Advent Season – Episode 136. Christine Trimpe is giving away a free copy of her new book, Seeking Joy through the Gospel of Luke: A Christmas to Calvary Advent Countdown.

Leave a comment below sharing with us one thing you’ve learned about regaining your peace during the Advent Season and you will be entered into the contest for your chance to win a copy of her book.

You could also share this blog post on Facebook or Twitter then comment here to tell us where you shared it and you’ll also be entered into the drawing.

The winner will be selected at random and announced next Monday, November 29, 2021. Continental United States only.