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If you and I were sitting across from each other right now, hands wrapped around warm mugs in that little local coffee shop we both love, I’d probably laugh and say, “Mercy, doesn’t December sneak up faster every year?”

We’d swap stories about trying to do all the things: wrapping gifts, baking cookies, decorating, attending gatherings, juggling work and family, all while trying to find a little peace on earth. And I’d tell you that, for a long time, I wore that busyness like a badge of honor. Until I realized it was stealing the very joy I was trying to celebrate.

Over the past few years, the four candles of Advent — Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love — have become my quiet guides. They’ve helped me slow down, breathe deeper, and rediscover what truly matters. I realized this shift after so many years of Christmas stress.

So, pour yourself another cup, friend. Let’s chat about what these little lights can teach us about finding calm in the middle of all the things.

Hope is where a calm Christmas begins. It’s the quiet confidence that even when the schedule feels full and the to-do list never ends, God is already weaving everything together for good.

When we hold onto Hope, we stop chasing perfection and start trusting the process. We believe that what truly matters will still get done — and that it’s okay to let the rest go.

For far too many years, Christmas was my busiest season. As a direct seller, my weekends from early November through mid-December were packed with vendor events. I’d rush from one fair to another, smiling on the outside but exhausted on the inside.

By the time they finally wrapped up for the season, the tree wasn’t up, the cookies weren’t baked, and honestly? I barely had the energy to care. A few years, that poor tree didn’t see the light of day until a week before Christmas.

But the past couple of years, I’ve been more intentional. I’ve learned that Hope isn’t about checking everything off the list — it’s about trusting that God’s already working in the parts I can’t get to. When I slow down and give myself permission to let go, the season unfolds more beautifully than I could ever plan.

🌿 Psalm 71:14 (NIV)
“As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.”

Peace doesn’t just happen — it’s something you create by saying no to chaos and yes to what truly matters. Even Jesus stepped away from the noise to rest and pray. If He needed margin, so do we.

Peace is built in the pauses — the nights you stay home, the mornings you linger with coffee, the moments you choose presence over pressure.

There came a point when I realized that every “extra” thing I did for Christmas came with a cost, usually my peace. So I started making changes that made room for margin.

Now I make some Christmas treats ahead of time and skip the elaborate Christmas Eve meal. We also stopped exchanging gifts with the adults in our family. It had turned into a gift card swap, just passing the same twenty dollars back and forth in prettier wrapping paper.

You know what? Nobody misses it. Instead, we linger longer over dessert, laugh more, and actually rest. Peace is learning that “less” often leaves more room for what really matters.

🕊 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.”

Joy doesn’t wait for everything to be perfect. It’s already hiding in the laughter, the smells of cinnamon and pine, the glow of the Christmas tree, and the quiet moments when your heart feels still.

Joy shows up when you give yourself permission to slow down — to savor instead of sprint.

When my girls were little, I hosted a Christmas cookie-decorating party for several years. I had visions of Hallmark perfection; matching aprons, soft carols playing, gentle laughter.

Reality? Icing everywhere. Broken cookies. Tears over who got the last snowflake. Every year I swore, “Never again.”

But now that they’re grown, they remember those chaotic afternoons with the sweetest nostalgia and so do I. The laughter, the sugar highs, the memories — not the mess. Joy, I’ve learned, rarely looks picture-perfect. It’s sticky, loud, and full of grace.

✨ John 15:11 (NIV)
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Love is what all of this leads back to — the greatest gift we celebrate and the simplest one to give. Love shows up in kindness, in thoughtfulness, in slowing down long enough to truly see someone. It’s not about more gifts under the tree; it’s about more connection around it.

One year, everything hit at once — work deadlines, Lemongrass events, church responsibilities. The house was bare, the fridge empty, and Christmas was approaching fast. Two of my girls were coming home from college, and I was determined to make it “perfect.”

Spoiler: it wasn’t.

We ended up going out to dinner on Christmas Eve. No matching pajamas, no Pinterest table. But a few days later, we all gathered in the kitchen, made some goodies together, and played games around the kitchen table. It wasn’t perfect — but it was real and we all had the best time!.

And that’s the thing about Love: it doesn’t need everything to be in order. It just needs us to show up — fully, wholeheartedly, and willing to trade control for connection.

❤️ 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

So, friend, if your to-do list feels longer than December itself, remember this:  The candles of Advent aren’t just symbols for a church service, they’re gentle reminders for our hearts.

💛 Hope — trust that what matters most will still happen, even if everything else doesn’t.
💛 Peace — protect your margin and your sanity.
💛 Joy — embrace the imperfect moments.
💛 Love — choose presence over perfection, every time.

✨ Romans 15:13 (NIV)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

If your heart’s craving a calmer Christmas this year, grab my free Calm Christmas Planner. It’s designed to help you slow down, breathe a little deeper, and savor what truly matters most.

If you’re anything like me, you’re craving more calm and less chaos this Christmas. I’d love for you to join me for Making Space: An Advent Devotional*—a simple 25-day independent journey to clear the clutter and prepare your heart for the final Advent candle…the Christ candle. Because He’s the reason behind every bit of our holiday hope.

*Simply click the name of the devotional above to access it.

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Kim Harris

Your Natural Skincare Lady