Darling Little Life

  • About Me
    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
    • Affiliates
  • Faith
  • Family
    • Marriage
    • Motherhood
  • Home
  • Beauty
    • Fashion
    • Hair + Makeup
  • Shop
    • Shop My Instagram
    • Amazon
Faith

Embracing “less” This Holiday Season

Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post may contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you!).

Thanksgiving passed in a blur. We hardly blinked and we’re well into December already. All of the holiday activities have begun which means for some of us, it’s the most wonderful (stressful) time of the year. So maybe this year is the year that we finally “embrace less”.

When I suggest this, I’m not talking about less material things (although for many of us, less stuff is something worth considering). Rather, I mean “embracing less” as a heart posture of slowing down. Of quieting the busy so that we can take in that which is truly important.

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Col 3:2

Embracing less so that you have the heart space to draw nearer to Christ.

Because what we really need this holiday season is a refocused heart on advent. And one of the simple things he asks of us, is to abide. “Abide in me and I in you.” John 15:4

“refusing the wrong of rushing, lingering long enough to really listen. There is no need for more: the heart is full of gifts that is full of Christ.”

Ann Voskamp

What would it look like if we could set aside some of the hustle and bustle of the holidays that bring worry and stress, and instead abide in Him? What if we sought out practical ways to bring fullness, unity, and peace in your home?

And this will look different for everyone. But a few examples/ideas:

  • If sending the perfect Christmas cards to everyone is enough to put you and your family over the edge, consider a family night of writing some handwritten letters to just a few loved ones. It may not be “easier” or less time consuming, but it’s displays thoughtfulness to the recipient and time together as you write (or color if the kids are young).
  • Forgo the popular (yet sometimes traumatic) Santa photo for a quiet night at home. Pull out a few props and set up a family Photo Booth- get a little silly together!
  • instead of trying to fit in every single activity and party, be OK with saying no to some of these outings for the sake of a healthier, well rested family.
  • Take a little extra time at dinner each night to read through an advent devotional together.

Set aside hurry and hustle for slow growth, being present, and abiding in Him long enough to hear His still small voice.

Refuse to feel guilty for not ticking off all the holiday bucket list items (like ice skating, decorating Christmas cookies, caroling, etc). These can be wonderful activities to usher in the joy of the season, but when the “why” behind them doesn’t point towards joy, it’s a hindrance, not a help.

And I get it, there are commitments we need to follow through on and holiday activities we really can’t avoid, even though they do bring a measure of stress and busyness. But even in this, we can shift our perspective towards Christ:

“Linger in the quiet and taste the grace of now, and know that He is good and He is God… So the whirl can hush and the spin can slow because He will bless, and He will bless with himself come down. The present is His presence…

Ann Voskamp

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love.”

Zeph 3:17

Will you pause long enough to listen to His rejoicing over you?

[zilla_likes] 
December 11, 2019, Leave a Comment
Faith

Rejoicing in Slow Growth

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
    that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
    for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8

We live in this instant gratification, “hustle” culture. We seem to measure success by how much we’re doing and how quickly we’re doing it. And lately I’ve been feeling the pressure to adopt this mindset. I’ll think to myself, “my blog and social media would be seeing more traffic if I spent more time on it. My child would be “better off” if we enrolled her in all of the programs and activities. I should really volunteer more and attend all the extra events at church.” Do you ever feel this way? Like you’re never quite doing enough and never quite measuring up?

But the Lord whispered to my heart that instead of doing more, I need to rest in Him.

Instead of filling my plate with more tasks and busyness, I should be looking to Him to fill my cup. That I’m exactly right where I need to be and I need only to be surrendered and still before Him- allowing Him to work in and through me.

And so I’ve decided to daily set aside the pressure to “hustle” and lean in to the principle of slow growth. I’m finding that this is not so easy to live out though.

I can guess that whatever season you’re in, you’ve had moments of chafing against the slow growth. Impatience towards the time it’s taking to move to where you want to be and where you feel God has called you. But perhaps in the waiting, God is doing His deepest growth in your heart.

“The secret of his public life was his private life. Show me a man or woman who is effective in public, and I’ll show you a person who is effective in private. This is the hidden life–that part of a person that develops in apparent obscurity, the part that the Spirit quietly grows up in each of us if we allow it…Each season of life is important and leads to the next.”

Jill Briscoe, Prayer that Works

Slow growth is the molding of your character in the quiet.

I recently heard a sermon by J.D. Greear on Acts 9:13-31. One of his main points was that “Paul was chosen yet God took many years to prepare him”. He provided some other examples of individuals in Scripture that were called by God but went through a season of waiting first, a “delayed preparation”:

Paul, 17 years: Scholars agree that there were at least 17 years between his calling in Acts 9 his missionary commission in Acts 13.

Moses, 40 years: God chose him to lead Israel out of Egypt. Instead of doing that right away, he spent the next 40 years tending sheep in the desert.

David, 15 years: God anointed him to be King of Israel but then he went back to being a shepherd.

Joseph, 20 years: God told Moses he would use him to save Israel but then sent him off to slavery and prison first.

God used those periods of waiting to soften them and prepare them for accomplishing His purposes.

And this isn’t just about “waiting”… Slow growth is the embracing of the quiet sanctification that God accomplishes in your heart AS you wait.

It’s the painfully small, necessary steps towards Christlikeness.

Because maybe slow growth looks like slow death…

This is the hard part. Slow growth requires death to self, the surrender of our will, and the letting go of our expectations and allowing God to do His work in and through us.

So don’t be afraid of the wait. Be OK with the fact that maybe God isn’t asking you to do more. Be OK with the fact that maybe God is just asking you to be still and surrender to His sanctifying work in your heart. Rejoice in intentional growth. Take a cue from nature– slow and steady growth develops deep roots and rich fruit.

“That they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Isaiah 61:3

read more on God’s timing in seasons of life: “When Life Brings change, but you’re not ready”

[zilla_likes] 
November 5, 2019, Leave a Comment
Faith

Darling Little Bump update: Baby’s gender

Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post may contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you!).

This pregnancy is flying by! It’s hard to believe we are over half way through! Keep reading to hear the exciting news of finding out darling baby’s gender! But first, a few bump pics:

8 weeks pregnant:

16 weeks pregnant:

20 weeks pregnant:

It’s been interesting getting Olivia involved in these photos- after my first attempt, I decided candid was the way to go! 😉 I love seeing the progression of my growing bump as well as Olivia’s growth, even if I haven’t been as consistent with bump pics as I was in my first pregnancy!

and now, for the big news about baby’s gender…

Continue reading
[zilla_likes] 
September 23, 2019, Leave a Comment
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 8
  • Next Page »

meet Emily

Christ follower. Wife. Mother. Sharing a bit of Faith, fashion, family, and everything in between.

Social

follow @ Instagram

Instagram requires authorization to view a user profile. Use autorized account in widget settings

Recent Posts

Embracing “less” This Holiday Season
Emilymae713, December 11, 2019
Black Friday Sales 2019
Emilymae713, November 25, 2019
3 Reasons to Shop Small First
Emilymae713, November 22, 2019

Subscribe

Archives

The Only Moment theme  |