I love ideas. I love cookbooks – because they are full of ideas. I love hobby stores – because they are full of ideas. I love Pinterest – because of the endless ideas I can save in my personal online scrapbook!

And with the Christmas season now front and center, it seems like the perfect time to try out these great new ideas, whether that means trying a new recipe, making a new craft, or finding the perfect gift. Some holiday music and a fresh snowfall create the perfect setting for finally digging into all those fabulous ideas!

However, I have been learning to stop and re-think my perspective. I hear an “S.O.S” signal inside, a voice in my head, speaking these words: “Choose a Season Of Simplicity, not a Season Of Stress.” And I am beginning to listen.

As time passes and my life changes, I am learning that simplicity should be sought after as eagerly as productivity. The loudest messages around us announce that if we work hard, we can have it all. If we plan well, we can do it all.

But there is another message we need to hear. Values that lead down a different path. Here are three values that continue to influence my thinking:

*Life can be richer when I have less.
This may look like less gift-giving, more purposeful gift giving.

*Life can be more enjoyable when I do less.
This may look like less extra activities, more intentional times of rest.

*Life can be more memorable when I achieve less.
This may look like fewer new goals, more meaningful investment in current goals.

So this year I am attempting to plan a Christmas that demands less and delivers more. More time. More peace. More joy. This year my S.O.S. call will not be a call to a season of stress, but a call to a season of simplicity. I hope you will join me!

From my house to yours, Merry Christmas!