The Christmas cookies I ate last night showed up on the scales this morning. My morning caffeine isn’t even down the hatch yet and already I’m down on myself.

Negative thoughts pile up as I think: it’s Christmas Eve, the house isn’t clean yet, I never made that batch of biscotti I’ve been promising, we still need stocking stuffers, and my nails are not done.

You know, that endless, impossible list running in our heads. It makes me want to crawl back under the covers where I just slept until 8:30! 8:30? Really? I could’ve been up checking off the list.

This bogus pile of evidence proves I am possibly the world’s worst mama and threatens my brain all the time. The battle is real, and without God’s grace I would lose every time.

I’m much better at extending grace to others than giving grace to myself. I read somewhere a while back, and I don’t know where, but the author challenged me with a question something like this.

How can you give grace out if you aren’t practicing giving it within?

Give grace to myself? I didn’t know where to begin.

Lots of soul-searching and praying and journaling happened after reading that question. I’m still working on it, but I am much further along than ever before.

Today, I am sticking my tongue out at my list and giving myself the gift of grace instead.

Yes, there are chores I need to do, and I will, but my attitude will be different if I approach them from a place of grace.

I’m intentionally making a new list of things I’m thankful for like family, friends, food, health, time, and fuzzy socks.

This Christmas Eve my focus is worshipping like Mary instead of working like Martha.

I want a Mary type Christmas setting my eyes and heart on the only thing that matters: the birth of Jesus.

So, I’m telling the Martha in my head, “Just hush.”

I’m following Mary’s example instead. Would you join me?

Give yourself the gift of GRACE.

Dear God,

Thank You for sending Your One and Only Son down to a filthy stable nobody cleaned up so He could grow up to cleanse our hearts from the filth of sin. Help me to keep my focus on this gift alone. Lord, I lift up any other women struggling and tired this holiday season to get it all done.

Fill them with Your Grace, Lord, and help them to give grace to themselves.

In the Name of the Baby sent down to save the world, Jesus,

Amen