First person: Time to regulate, regroup and reset — you’ve got this

We made it! It’s Christmas week and we survived. Whether you pushed through heart-wrenching sadness, found it difficult to tame over-the-top excitement or landed somewhere in the middle, the season can sometimes do a number on our emotions.

Still, nothing compares to celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And watching the season through a child’s eyes can truly be magical. From there, the calm that seeps in Christmas Day and deepens the rest of the month can trigger depression for some, so be sure to stay connected to those who are isolated.

Challenge for us all

The week after Christmas provides an excellent time to regulate, regroup and reset — and that’s a good challenge for all of us. Determining exactly where we need to regulate and regroup might be the hardest part of the challenge, but once that’s accomplished, we can chip away at preparing to reset. It’s not really about setting resolutions as it is resetting in general.

A bit of winter fresh air and sunshine on our face, finally mending the broken parts of the fence, enjoying a hot cup of coffee while catching up with a friend, heading out to the hunting house hours before sunrise, reading and finishing an interesting book, all-morning pickleball games with nowhere else to be, and so many other options — all ways to fill our souls.

My Aunt Linda would add quilting and my friend Janet working in the yard. My dad would say gardening and my friend Dale woodworking.

What activity slows your heart rate and calms your spirit? What do you enjoy doing so much that time zips by much too fast? Try to find a way to keep doing those things as often as possible, especially this week.

It’s also a good time to tackle a few tasks we are dreading and get them out of the way once and for all. Think of how refreshing it will be to start the new year with one or two of those heavy items completed.

And before we find ourselves back in the routines of life, what if we take advantage of the expanded personal time to think about how God has worked in us this past year? How have we grown in our faith? What have we learned about Him?

What was the hardest part about this past year? How will persevering through that help us/change us/challenge us going forward? What part warmed our hearts? How can we use those memories to give ourselves and others hope and encouragement in the difficult moments ahead?