CHM183: Why We’re Choosing Fewer Gifts and More Connection

Welcome back to the podcast. If this is your first time here, I'm so glad you found your way in. And if you've been walking this homeschool journey with me for a while now, then welcome back. This is a space for Christian women and homeschool families who are trying to educate their children with intention and while also holding on to your faith, in your peace, and your sense of calling. So as we close out the year, I wanted to offer an episode that feels less like instruction and more like just a gentle conversation the kind you'd have with a trusted friend who's been in this season for a while. And today we're talking about finding the true meaning of the holidays without feeling pressured to fall into the trap of commercialism or comparison. If you're listening during the holiday season, you already know that the noise gets really loud, and everywhere there are end of year expectations, school wrap ups, family obligations, and in the middle of it all, it's so easy to forget what this season was meant to feel like. So today I want to share it three simple shifts that our family is making, and I invite you to consider what might bring more meaning and less pressure into your own holiday rhythm. So my first idea is that we could redefine what special means. Somewhere along the way, we were taught that special means more, more gifts, more spending, more hustle. But after years of homeschooling and years of holidays, I've learned something really important. That special isn't created by excess. It's created by intention. And this year our family decided to scale back on gifts, not eliminate them completely, just simplify. Our kids are older now and the gift frenzy just doesn't fit this season of life anymore. And honestly, it feels freeing and refreshing. So I go back to Scripture a lot, and I like Gluke twelve fifteen, and it says that life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. So the heart of the holiday isn't found in what we buy, It's found in how we show up for one another. Secondly, the idea of shifting from stuff to shared experiences is important. Instead of focusing on things, we're choosing experiences like good food, which we share slowly hopefully, Holiday movies, the familiar ones that feel comforting and nostalgic, and also some new ones that I've got on the radar for this holiday family games. We've got a new one that we've really been enjoying. We like when called Imposter, so we've been playing that one a lot, and then resting actual rest without guilt. So these moments don't need batteries or clutter up the house, and they don't fade when January arrives around the corner. And for homeschooling families especially, I like to say that this is what counts, because we're teaching our children how to slow down, how to enjoy one another, and really value presence over productivity. These lessons matter so deeply and they they're the ones that last. And then lastly, I like to talk about modeling values and not performances, because our children are always watching. They notice how we handle pressure, they see what we prioritize, and they feel whether our faith is something we perform or something we live. So when we choose peace over perfection, connection over consumption, then we're modeling something really powerful to our families. I believe that that's so important. And as for women of faith, we turn to the word of God and so scripture gently calls us back to this posture. In Psalm forty six and ten, it says be still and know that I am God. So stillness is countercultural. We like to be busy, we like to rush and get things done quickly because there's just so much to do. Right, but during the holidays we need to really focus, I think on being still and reflection. It's often in the stillness that we remember what the season is truly about and what really matters. So if your holiday looks simpler this year, and if there are fewer gifts, if there's more breathing room, that doesn't mean that your holiday is lacking. It just actually might be fuller, fuller of peace, more full of connection, full of meaning. And hey, that is a beautiful thing to model for our kids and to experience in our families. So before I close, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you. This is a brief episode today and I just want to really allow this message to sink in. And so we're gonna end it here for the year on Christian Homeschool Moms and come back in January. But I have the privilege of sitting down with so many truly incredible guests, and each one brought a unique voice and story and perspective to this podcast. So I just want to take some time to thank Danny Ward for reminding us what it looks like to homeschool and rhythm. Ashton Tate for connecting faith and fitness in a way that honors the whole person. And Nellie Harden for helping our daughters understand their God given worth. D M. Whittaker for fostering safe, affirming spaces for black and brown homeschoolers. Gracie Ramirez for creating beautiful bilingual books that serve our children. Leslie Martino for encouraging us to slow down and truly see our kids. Dana Riffer for inspiring faith driven entrepreneurship and young people. Margaret Shauvre for making everyday math feel doable and meaningful, Audrey Rindlisbacker for sharing about motherhood while living mission driven lives, Sharon James for offering deep encouragement for mothers in every season See j for walking us through the homeschooling high school years. And Brittany Proctor for bravely sharing her story of homelessness, healing, restoration, and the beginning of her homeschool journey, and each of these conversations shine a light on different families, different paths, and different seasons, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share them with you here. So to you the listener, my friend, thank you for being part of this community, and thank you for showing up, for listening and for doing the quiet, faithful work of homeschooling or educating your and I wish you and your family a peaceful and grace field holiday season. So I'll be back in the new year with more conversations, more encouragement, and more support for families of faith, Christian women and homeschoolers who are walking this journey with faith and intention. And until then, I want you to rest well, hold your people close, and remember that meaning matters more than more. And until next time, Merry Christmas and happy New Year.