Christmas is just 10 days away, and in this episode, we are highlighting the importance of focusing on what the festive season is really about. This time of year doesn't have to be stressful; it’s not about spending lots of money on presents and stressing about complicated family dynamics. “Jesus is the reason of the season,” and when you really take that to heart, you’ll understand that Christmas is about spending quality time with loved ones and showing people that you care about them. Tune in today to hear about how our family Christmas’s differed when we were growing up, the way we approach Christmas with our own kids, how we have learned not to judge family members who live differently from us, our post-Christmas routine, and more! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• What we did for the first time this year.
• How our family Christmas’s differed from one another's when we were growing up.
• The lesson that Tray learned about Christmas later in life.
• What Christmas is like in our house today. 
• Examples of gifts that come from the heart.
• What we are really looking forward to this Christmas. 
• The benefits of having Christmas in a neutral location.
• Our approach to dealing with challenging family dynamics that may come out at Christmas time.
• How a codependent person typically behaves.
• The importance of understanding that you cannot control anyone else’s emotions or decisions.
• Exploring the concept of “into me I see.”
• Our different opinions on marriage conferences.
• The marriage program that we are going to be attending next year.
• Benefits of clearing out your house after Christmas.
• The journal entries that I write after every Christmas.
• The importance of setting goals for each coming year.

Tweetables:

“Jesus is the reason for the season. We would learn about the Christmas story and we would learn that it was [about] giving.” — @amy_cassels [0:06:31]

“I’ve had to learn how to merge our two philosophies behind Christmas and have our own family Christmas in a way that is special and lines up with our values.” — @amy_cassels [0:07:46]

“You can’t tell somebody how to feel, you can’t manipulate how somebody should feel. It just is what it is.” — Tray Cassels [0:18:4]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

re | engage

XO Marriage

Amy Cassels

Amy Cassels on Twitter

Amy Cassels on Instagram

Amy Cassels on YouTube

ONE Way Life

Mentioned in this episode:

Sparkle Dust

NingxiaRed