The countdown til Christmas is officially on! Every year since becoming a parent people have told me, "Just wait until next year... it gets better!" Well, this is the 5th Christmas we've celebrated with Micah and our 3rd Christmas with Hannah, and they were right... it just keeps getting better!

I just love that they are both able to grasp the concept of what Christmas means this year. Not just when it comes to the trees, decorations and presents (although, they have loved all of that and are literally "grasping" at the gifts under the tree already!) But thanks to a cute little advent calendar I found at Home Goods (pictured above) and these adorable free-printable scripture cards that I found here, they are learning the true meaning of why we celebrate this special holiday. 

Each morning, they wake up and are excited to open the next pocket on the calendar. In each pocket, I've included two small candy canes and two Scripture cards that chronologically tell the story of Jesus' birth. At first, I thought the candy cane would be the bribery they needed to sit still and pay attention to the Scripture. And it was for the first couple days. But now, on Day 6, they have started to get excited about hearing the rest of the story! We read each previous Scripture, so the story makes sense in context. And Micah has even memorized the first couple of verses! By Christmas day, they will know the whole story of how our Savior Jesus came to earth. 

I also let them decorate their own little Christmas tree with special and homemade ornaments we've collected since they were born. These days pass so quickly, I want to make sure to document what I can to remember these first Christmases with them. Only 19 days left!

Hannah reading the "Day 3" scripture card. 

The book of Ecclesiastes says, "There is a time to speak and a time to be silent." And I am certain that I will spend the rest of my life figuring out when to do either. 

I have always regarded Ecclesiastes (along with James and Proverbs) as a book full of practical wisdom. When I am torn on a decision, or don't know what to do in a situation - I often turn to one of these books for help on what is wise. Sometimes this wisdom means confronting the problem and coming face-to-face with the issue at hand. And sometimes, it means stepping away and spending time in prayer, allowing God to do what He does best - taking the issue from my hand.

This has been a life-long, learning process for me. Because my first instinct is always to DO or SAY something. I'm an advocate for injustice. If I believe something is wrong - those close to me will most definitely know about it. 

Yet, while advocating is a good thing - arguing isn't (I even wrote a post on this very topic last year). And especially, for followers of Jesus, this can be damaging to our faith and witness if we are not careful. 

Last week, I made the mistake of sharing my opinion of this election season on social media. Listen to me when I say - it was a mistake. What I thought would just be an opportunity to offer a different perspective for my friends and family on the election - turned out to just be an opportunity for them to have a different perspective of me. Because, like it or not, people associate you with your opinions. Insults were fired and blame was casted - all because of the way I was choosing to vote/or not vote.

It got so bad that I had to deactivate my Facebook account, for fear of receiving another discouraging Facebook message. My heart just couldn't handle it anymore. I'm sure I'll be back eventually, just probably not until after the heat of this election is over.

There's a reason people say the two things you should never discuss are religion and politics. Because when people tie their identity into something - any criticism towards the subject becomes directed at the person. 

And while, for the sake of eternity, I can take the insults about my faith. And for that reason, I will never choose to be silent about what I believe about Jesus.

Politics, on the other hand, is temporary. Not eternal. And my identity and hope will never be found in who I'm voting for. Keeping that in mind, I think this is what Ecclesiastes would refer to as the time to be silent. 

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now, rather we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

— 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

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This is it. The last day of 2014. There have been so many great things that have happened this year (like the birth of my daughter and the launch of my photography business) that I could spend hours recapping, but instead I would rather talk about the future. Some people choose one word or a "word of the year" to focus on for the upcoming year. In past years, nothing has ever really come to mind. But the closer we began to approach 2015, the stronger I felt that this year... I needed a word. Not just to join in the "hype" or feel like I'm setting some goal for myself - no, this is a word that I believe God has specifically placed on my heart and is teaching me to live by in the upcoming year (and beyond!)

My word for 2015? Simple.

Yes, you read that right. My word is simple.

I don't believe I'm an extravagant person, by any means. But I do like nice things. And my taste is sometimes more extravagant than my lifestyle allows (pointed out by my husband just recently). But the Lord has been working on my heart most recently, through conversations and sitting in other people's homes, through random little things I've read randomly in random places (seriously, random) and through His word - that I need to live life more simply.

Getting rid of the clutter, the packed schedule and the need to stay updated on social media. Focusing more on heart work and less on busy work. Cleaning out the closets, literally and metaphorically.

Life with two small children is not slowing down any time soon. But what I can change is how many toys there are to pick up after playtime, how many clothes we wear, how often we go out to eat and how much shopping we do. I will begin this next year by purging and only keeping things that I love or use often. I've found some helpful tips here and here on how to help me do that (and if I don't return your text message, I'm probably head down in a box somewhere).

Again, we have never been extravagant people. This isn't just about giving up a life of luxury - I truly feel called to a simple life. I want to live simply, so I can be of more use for the Kingdom of God.

I've noticed that when my life is super-packed and busy, I have less room in my schedule for others. And with all the STUFF we've accumulated lately, it takes me hours to tidy up my house. I want to have a home free of clutter, so I can invite people over on a whim and they won't be sitting in my two-week-old clean, unfolded laundry. I want there to be freedom in our budget to buy (or make) someone a meal. And I believe the answer is simple. Less is more.

There are so many verses from Scripture that come to mind when thinking of the way I desire to live my life to the glory of God. Here are a few areas where I am striving to live more simply.

• In appearance - "Do not be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God."1 Peter 3:3-4
• In hospitality - "When you put on a luncheon or a banquet, don't invite your friends, brothers, relatives and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you."Luke 14:13-14
• In my home - "She carefully watches everything in her household, and suffers nothing from laziness."Proverbs 31:27

I am super excited for this new year! Excited for purging? Not really. But more than anything, I'm excited to see how the Lord is going to continue working in and through our family. This year has been a growing one (literally) and more than ever, I feel this anticipation of what He is going to do! My prayer is that our lives point to Jesus in all aspects. May the desire to live simply in our physical lives, be a motivator to live more abundantly in Christ!