Christmas is just around the corner, mere days away on the calendar. How are you doing? Bouncing between moments of full-on stress and moments of surprising joy? You are not alone. The holiday season can bring out both the best and the worst in us. Is there any way to stop this roller-coaster of emotions? While there is no “one-size-fits-all” answer, one strategy that has proven to open the door to a less-stressful Christmas can be summed up in one word: simplify.

How to simplify Christmas looks different for all of us. For some, it is buying less. For others, it is scheduling less. Yet the result is the same. When we pursue simplicity, we can reduce stress, engage in deeper conversations, avoid debt, and enjoy a substantive peace that pervades our personal lives and impacts those around us. Simplicity can give us the gift of time. Time to think. Time to enjoy. Time to rest.

May I offer you a gift to encourage you to embrace simplicity this Christmas? I have written a 5-day Christmas meditation that focuses on Mary and her encounters with various people around the time of the birth of her son, Jesus. This devotional consists of just a few simple paragraphs to read each day, with encouraging words to help you find the joy of Christmas once again. Like Mary, who “treasured these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19), I hope this Christmas resource will enable you to do the same. Simply enter your email address in the form provided and this 5-day Christmas meditation will be delivered to your inbox. Also, what helps you find simplicity during the Christmas season?  Let’s encourage each other to pursue a simple Christmas before the season has passed us by.