Postcards from the Funny Farm

7 days ’til Christmas …Thanks to my wife’s planning and our family’s efforts at frugality, this Christmas is going smoother than ever. Sarah started buying gifts three months ago and we’ve been really good about keeping them hidden. Tonight, she’ll be wrapping a few and in the next 7 days ’til Christmas we’ll just pick up some stocking stuffers and holiday foods as necessary. It’s great when a holiday goes smoothly, especially when you’ve put a lot of hard work, hope, and prayer into just such a thing.

But what am I not listing as “picture-perfect” this holiday? Well, as usual … there’s a list. Maybe Santa will take away these worries, that’d be nice! I usually just share positives here with the occasional rant, and this list is somewhere in between: ranting with a purpose, I’ll call it!

• Work stressors: one problematic parent, the standards test coming in April, being a better leader, planning …
• How I’m dealing? Let it go, not everyone is going to like me, make a calendar and stick to it, care about people, make planning a priority above the tasks.
• Family stuff: financial lacking, being a more romantic husband, spending more quality time with my kids, start reading the Bible with my wife and son.
• How I’m dealing: Pretty much by doing everything listed above!
• Health: Walking on the treadmill 45 min. a day. Drinking more liquids.

These are a few of the major stressors in my life that need addressing. Christmas is an excellent time to slow down and make a list like this. I look forward to looking back in a few months and seeing how well I did on these goals. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying sipping hot chocolate, watching a lot of TV and blogging good thoughts as they come to me. Coincidentally, the anniversary of my blog is in about a month and it’s been great looking back in reverie at the posts of my life since then. You can check out the long list in the archives.

So what are you dealing with this Christmas? Things you are thankful for? Things that stress you that you are working on? Do you have any tips on how I can get through my “fun” list?