Pursuing Peace: A Series to Help Us Enjoy the Holiday Season

Peace. 

Just saying the word brings a sense of calm over me. My shoulders relax, my heart rate slows down, and the whirlwind of mental activity fizzles. 

Say it again.

Peace.

It's what has been missing in our home lately. 

We've had a lot of changes: 

• a new baby, 
• a new job, 
• then a return to an old job, 
• the start of preschool,
• new Bible study classes, 
• a nice long vacation, and
• a few birthdays. 

And, for me, change brings unrest, disharmony, and a general feeling of discontent and anxiety because I don't adapt well.

But today is November 1st. Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away, and Christmas will be here in less than 8 weeks. 

Did your heart just suddenly jump out of your chest like mine did? 

I don't know about your family, but in my house, the holiday season is not the blissful time of sipping eggnog and trimming the tree that you see in Hallmark Christmas movies. 

Instead, I am generally overwhelmed, exhausted, anxious, frustrated, and just plain weary. That elusive feeling of peace often associated with Thanksgiving and Christmas is nowhere in sight. 

Peace. 

I really want it.

The psalmist David says that if you want peace, you have to seek it and pursue it. You have to make a real effort to attain it. You can't expect it to just happen. 

"Turn from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it."

Psalm 34:14 {emphasis mine}

That's why I am excited about participating in Women Living Well's 3rd Annual "Making Your Home a Haven" 31-Day Fall Challenge. 

I am also excited because each week I will be sharing with you my own strategies, tips, and inspiration for creating peace in our homes and within ourselves. 

We will look at the following: 

• What the Bible says about peace; 
• Practical ways to make our homes places of peace and harmony;
• Tips for encouraging peace in our families; and
• Ideas for cultivating an internal sense of peace so that we can enjoy this hectic time of year and not merely endure it.

I am not going to "challenge" you because I want to encourage peace, and for me, just the word "challenge" makes me antsy. But if you also want peace to reign in your home this holiday season, I do hope you will join me each week, beginning Monday, November 5, as we "seek peace and pursue it."  

Praying God's richest blessings of peace on you and your families,