Faith Through Hearing-- Calming the Crazy

Between last Monday and this past Sunday I baked over 100 cookies, two different varieties. I attended three parties, and hosted one of my own, on a weeknight, at my apartment.  I did this while working, doing chores--because I had to clean and re-clean the kitchen about a dozen times (I think I washed the same bowl about five or six within the span of 36 hours)--and trying to get started on my own Christmas shopping.

I think I'm done baking cookies until Christmas Eve. I had to freeze what remained of my peanut butter chocolate chip cookie mix that I used on Sunday because it was calling to me from the fridge.  And I've been really bad about working out lately.  But the Christmas shopping still isn't complete.  So there's that.

I think this year, I'm finally beginning to understand why people are sometimes stressed during the holidays.  I don't know how it happened, but I get it.  I really do.  After baking all those cookies and hosting people for a night I ended up having to take a day off work because I was so exhausted. 

But this is how it goes right?  Even the best laid plans sometimes unravel like a torn sweater and things end up being rushed/last minute/cluttered. And in an effort to make the holiday season and celebrations perfect, we stretch ourselves too thin, which can sometimes result in attitude that's less than celebratory and more cranky and irritated. 

The two things that have really calmed me down and helped me focus on what really truly matters--what Christmas is about--are my YouVersion Bible App and the daily devotions that come with it.  It has a whole category for Christmas.  So I just want to share with you some of the readings that have really stuck with me and pulled me out of some of those crazy moments that have come about over the past two weeks:

Isn't Christmas awesome?  Isn't God awesome?  Yeah.  I think so. 
Anyway, you'll be happy to know that I've been using this week of December for some much needed rest, relaxation and rejuvenation.  The apartment isn't that clean, and Ben and I have been watching movies on Netflix and playing with the new WiiU console.  No parties until Friday.  Loving this week.