Planning for Peace and Joy : Personal Notes (Jill)

I love fall. It's my favorite season. The leaves change color, the air carries that indescribable fall scent, and the heavy sweaters and jeans come out of storage. But every year the same thing happens -- as Thanksgiving draws closer, stress rises.

Aside from the typical writing deadlines, I'm scheduling flu shots and last- minute doctor appointments before our health insurance runs out for the year. I'm baking pan after pan of brownies for the kids in the upcoming drama production at my daughter's high school. I'm preparing for a Thanksgiving holiday trip to southeast PA to visit my husband's family and buying gifts for the Christmas exchange we do every year. Oh, and this year I signed up to sell my books and jewelry at the local high school for the annual Thanksgiving weekend sale. I'm obviously overextended.

When I first married, I was a master planner -- every event planned to the last detail. (I'm sure I annoyed a lot of people.) Then I had a child. I still managed to plan and was pretty good at sticking to a schedule. But when my second child came along, I learned to go with the flow. Fast forward twelve years, and I'm finding there's no plan or schedule at all, and I can only plan for about the next six seconds.

A few years ago, I tried to revamp our Christmas schedule in an effort to enjoy the holiday season. I didn't enter any craft shows and said no to a few events. The season was much more joyful. Peace on earth & good will toward men, indeed.

I know everyone's busy during the holiday season. I'm still learning to say "yes" to the important things, and pass on the rest. Even then, sometimes I'm scrambling to get stuff done (like this year). What about you? Have you learned to relax and enjoy the holidays? Or is every year a struggle? Do you have a plan you use to help you get the important things done? I'd love to hear the strategies you use to keep your holidays full of peace and joy. Please comment below!

Top Three Fantasies to Reread this Fall (Erin)

Fall is a glorious mixture of red-gold, crunchy leaves, cloves and cinnamon, and apple cider. As the days get shorter and darkness falls more quickly, fall is also a time to settle into a cozy corner on the couch with a familiar, comforting book. Maybe you are even lucky enough to have someone who would enjoy reading one of these aloud with you. Here are my favorites. . . which are yours?

3. Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief: For everyone who is frustrated with school at this point in the year, Percy Jackson provides a welcome reminder that school isn't set up well for everyone. Percy's dyslexia, inability to sit still, and tendency to vaporize teachers are actually all part of what makes him a hero. Sometimes, the parts of our lives that cause us trouble are there for a reason--following Percy's adventures just might give you extra encouragement to discover those reasons.


2. A Wrinkle in Time: I love to join Meg as she pulls on her New England anorak and tromps out to the star-watching rock. Little does she know she will be called to adventure, and her yes is an essential part of rescuing someone she loves. Best of all, A Wrinkle in Time is a gracious reminder of the power of love to transform our faults into our strengths. (Have you seen the trailer for the movie due out in March? I can't wait!)



1. Harry Potter: As a Christian, I know there are lots of perspectives about what to do with Halloween. For us, Halloween is a great excuse to listen to John Williams' fantastic score, make a batch of butter beer (like root beer, but with butterscotch), and invite friends over. But whenever I think of Harry Potter, I also think of the value of self-sacrificial love. Harry, Ron and Hermione show an excellent example of true friendship, and Dumbledore is always standing in the wings, leading and guiding Harry, but also pushing Harry to live up to his calling, in much the same way God leads and guides us, and asks us to make love for others central to the decisions we make in our lives.