The Christmas blow up

Christmas prep has all but exploded in my face!

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I have

Songs to learn for church

Presents to wrap

meals to plan

orders & gifts to finish

Christmas cards to address & send

On top of that I still have

Children to play with

Laundry to do

house to clean

list to make

phone calls to return

It's like my life has exploded on a piece of paper with the title "List".  It's overwhelming.  I feel like a failure.  Like I've missed out on something.

And then, you hear the words only someone who loves you can say "You are the only one putting this much pressure on yourself".  

We live in a world full of the things you must do, what it must look like, this is what success is, this is what failure is.  But it's a world full of choices.  We either believe all of that or we don't.  We either believe the lies that we are to be all, to all people or not.  We either put the pressure on ourselves to make everything look like what we see in the movies or the magazines or we don't.  We want it to look like what we believe is other peoples perfect lives.  We can choose.  We can choose to fulfill these expectations that we feel are around us or we can believe that these are false expectations appearing real!

(This F.E.A.R- false expectations appearing real is what drives poor choices sometimes)

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99% of our reactions to a situation, I believe, is what shapes our lives and how we are feeling.  

In the waters of baptism we are made new creations in Christ.  I live in that every day.  Dying each day to sin to be made new.  And in that I can change my reaction and choices to those around me.  Nobody puts pressure and expectations on me, only myself.  I can hear the "buts" now.  But I feel pressure from....  That is not true in my opinion.  (Although somedays I have trouble believing it).  I must remember that it is my choice to react to that pressure and I can make a choice not too.  I can choose to remember that God dwells within me and there is no pressure, just the fullness of life that God desires for me.  The fullness that comes from remembering whose I am & to whom I belong.  

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