Holiday Stress...Cut yourself some slack

 I posted this on my Facebook group today and wanted to share it with your here....

It's Thursday again! The weeks are flying by! Not too long now and the Holiday Season will be in full swing! The happiest time of the....what? Who said that? Well they lied. We, as women, know that the holidays mean STRESSSSSSSSSS. You know what? Most of it is stress we bring on ourselves. If you didn't nearly kill yourself this year making everything "perfect" what would happen? Well the world would come to a screeching hault, that's what.
WRONG! Let me tell you a little secret...If you don't spend 40 million hours planning and prepping the perfect holiday feast complete with all the obligatory decor and instead, set a simple but lovely table and gather your family....nobody is going to say "wow, the food was great but where were the 32 origami elf napkins and the reindeer ice sculpture that has a gumdrop fountain? gee...Christmas is ruined." I promise.
We need to cut ourselves some slack. Things do not need to be magazine cover perfect. If one of your knives doesn't match...nobody will notice...only you...and you will freak...for what??? A non matching knife? Oh that everyone's troubles were that severe.
This isn't the season of perfection. I read the book and I'm telling you, it says NOTHING about things having to be perfect. Wanna know what it does say...here goes:
There were shepherds. (These guys bathe once a year, even if they think they don't need it).
There were wise men. (These guys took forever getting where they were going because they wouldn't ask for directions but hey, they did have a star).
There was no room at the inn. (The no vacancy sign was flashing hard).
There was a stable. (Not the lovely cleaned ones you see on movies and on tv).
There was a manger. (Those things are covered in horse/cow/grazing animal slobber. They really are.)
There was perfection. THAT was perfection. That was where the Prince of Peace was born. He isn't asking for tinsel and perfect center pieces. He looks at the mess you are and says, this is where I want to be.
Stop stressing. Stop putting unrealistic goals in your own head. Perfection isn't the perfect decoration or the perfect wrapping on a store bought gift. Perfection is easy. It is stress free. It is the beautiful mess that is and was and always will be where God chooses to meet us.

Now, go start your holiday madness...but remember...the Prince of Peace was born in a manger.....not a palace.

Much love to you.
xoxo~Sharon