This week my little family is still firmly ensconced in what I like to call “the Christmas bubble”.
Every year on Christmas Eve, I intentionally disconnect myself from the world. The rest of the year I consider it my civic duty to stay somewhat informed of the news, but not the week between Christmas and New Year’s. The rest of the year I fight the never-ending battle with dust and dirty laundry, but not this week. The rest of the year the to-do list hang’s over my head, but during this one week I shove it aside and do only things I really want to do. It’s the Christmas bubble, and I have a day or two left until it naturally pops.
So as you can imagine, I have never been one to rush into taking the Christmas tree down. The tree has always stayed up until at least January 1st in our house. I like to ring in the New Year snuggled on the couch with some sparkling cider and the tree winking in the background.
Over the last couple years I feel even less of a pressure to make a plan for packing away Christmas. I know many people keep their tree until Epiphany, when the wise men are traditionally said to have visited Baby Jesus. In my western state, there is a “tradition” of leaving up the lights until after the big stock show, in order to warmly welcome out-of-state visitors.
I could use either of those excuses, but the real reason I am find myself delaying the inevitable is more simple. The wind whistles outside, and the dark is still coming early, and why wouldn’t I want to keep the sparkle for a little while longer? Sunlight improves your mood, but I believe the same could probably be said of twinkle lights.
Eventually the tree will start to feel like a chore hanging over my head, but for now I’m pushing it out of my Christmas bubble and sitting next to the tree while I type. I don’t regret it.
Other things I don’t regret from the year:
Spending our vacation budget visiting friends.
Staying home more than usual.
Sending out birthday cards every month.
Thrifting more, buying new less.
Being more picky about when to click my shutter button, and less picky when looking at the back of the camera.
Occasionally visiting another church to get a fresh perspective.
Committing time to our home church.
Thinking and strategizing to be more faithful in prayer, which must be the first step to improvement, even if the execution still left much to be desired.
Eating too many Christmas cookies.
Things I do regret:
Letting an emotional rough patch derail me from my Bible-reading plan.
Not reading the quality books I had planned on.
Forgetting to cover my porch furniture for the winter.
Not being as consistent as I wish in reading to my kids individually.
Watching too many dumb videos and not enough audiobooks and sermons.
Letters not written.
Listening to Taylor Swift’s new album out of curiosity (I like it and hate it).
Getting myself too wound up over things.
Eating too many Christmas cookies.
I’ve always been a person of two minds when it comes to resolutions - I don’t like making them because I know that I won’t complete most of them. But every time January peeks around the corner, I feel the need to envision what I hope for the New Year anyway. This last year I made more solid resolutions, and as they say, “God laughed”. Our 2025 looked nothing like I hoped it would when we lit those sparklers at 12:01AM. I am closing this year wishing I had handled all the unexpected things a little better, been a little more faithful, a little more gentle and kind.
As I look ahead to 2026, my mind goes back to a recent, much-needed sermon. The text was Ephesians 5:13-17, used as the basis for planning for the New Year:
But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
That’s my hope for the New Year - to look more carefully in how I walk, particularly in the areas of eternal importance, which may also mean letting go of some of the things that are not important. To make the best use of the time, as some translations say, “redeeming the time” - and so to hopefully waste less of it. To not be foolish, to pray and seek the Holy Spirit to empower me to put away foolish things. To understand what the will of the Lord is by reading it in His revealed word - the Bible - and in understanding His will, to do it.
Happy New Year to you, friends! And my prayer for you is the same as my prayer for myself - may you each awake anew to the light of Christ shining on you.
Posts coming up in January:
Book Catchup posts (I’m still so behind in sharing reviews!)
How To Do Once-A-Month Grocery Shopping
Why Lighting Matters
Reading Goals For The New Year
(Note: I’d welcome any questions, or insights on what posts you want to read first!)
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