It's Advent and I'm Trying not to Stress

Every year personal and spiritual growth during Advent means letting go of preconceived ideas for a perfect Christmas.  This seems especially true for me this year.  My husband is winding down his months of working mandatory overtime and I have been playing in the symphony for a rehearsal or a concert every Sunday this Advent except for the last one.  So it seems there is even less time to "get it all done" than in previous years and it has been very difficult to get day to day tasks done around the house: laundry, cleaning, having supper on the table every night and it seems like a lot to think about getting ready for Christmas on top of all this.

Given the fact that it's so easy to feel overwhelmed, I'm really trying to let God guide me toward what he thinks is important for me to do realizing that we are his children and it should really be up to him to decide what kind of Christmas we have.  This means focusing on love. My focus should be on finding ways to better love God and my family.  If I focus on love and what is truly important than I think I may be less likely to feel anxious and overwhelmed which causes me to not be very loving. 

This may mean playing with my children instead of focusing so much on housework or just trying to keep my cool during tantrums and--what I find the most stressful part of the day--getting supper on the table.  I will need help from Jesus and Mary, of course.  It's difficult to not want to blame your husband for the house being a mess or the fact that  you haven't had time to do any planning for Christmas.  This is when it is important to trust God.  Don't sweat it.  Do your little part and it will all turn out o.k. even if it is not exactly what you wanted.

Practically speaking it helps to have manageable, realistic goals for each day with something I want to accomplish in the various categories of housework, child rearing, prayer, and Christmas planning as this helps to stay focused and I feel better when you know what you want to do and then accomplish at least some of it.

I think that working toward the material things that help in celebrating Christmas such as good food, special treats, presents can also help to prepare us spiritually for Christmas if we do it with a spirit of love and joy keeping in mind the celebration that we are fortunate enough to share with our family and the reason we are celebrating.  It's a matter of balance which begins with trusting God and keeping anxiety at bay.

Any suggestions about keeping things in perspective are appreciated.