The purpose of this blog is to encourage wholehearted worship worldwide.
To be authentic, we got to keep it real. For many, the holiday season means more stress than joy. The busy-ness, the expectations, and the pressure can be overwhelming. It’s exacerbated if you’re also processing significant loss or pain.
Been there, done that, round two …
Four suggestions for adding hope to your holidays.
1) Plan your work and work your plan.
Now is a great time to reflect on the past year. In fact, take a long look at the past 5, 10, 15 years. Is your life headed where your want?
Re-examine why you’re on the planet. Rediscover your unique purpose and passion. Find a fresh vision. Here’s a couple of resources I recommend for thinking this through.
- “Creating a Life Plan” by Michael Hyatt This post links to an excellent free e-book. A wonderful resource to re-tool for the new year.
- Beyond Sunday by David Santistevan – a Step by Step Guide to Creating and Sustaining a Vision for Your Worship Team. This free e-book is short, simple, easy to read and easy to follow. A great tool for developing clarity and focus.
2. Cut something out, even if for a limited time.
It’s a busy season for many folks. For your humble lovable worship dude, there’s planning next years major projects, end of year bookkeeping, Christmas worship services at multiple churches, and picking up some much needed income producing free lance work.
One reason I’ve been behind in my blogging is a glut of urgent and important tasks filling every spare moment. So – blogging had to take a lower priority. It is important to my mission on the planet, and I am committed to keep blogging. But it’s being cut back right now.
3. Change your worship routines.
Personal Worship: If you don’t have a personal worship habit, ramp up to begin one. Advent is a wonderful time to rediscover the mystery of God becoming one of us, revealing His love. Take time to encourage yourself in the Lord. Read an advent devotional or blog.
Corporate Worship: Do something new. Visit a church with a different worship style. Go to a special Christmas worship service. Attend Handels Messiah.
4. Change up your exercise routine.
We are physical beings (1 Thessalonians 5:23) . Working on your physiology improves everything else. Experiment with a fresh exercise program, it kicks up the anti-blah endorphins.
These suggestions have been helpful to me. I hope they will be to you, too. Happy Holidays!
