Michelle Lesley

If your theology pretty much matches up with mine (as outlined in my “Welcome” and “Statement of Faith” tabs in the blue menu bar at the top of this page) and you’d like to contribute a guest post, drop me an e-mail, and let’s chat about it.

How to Keep the Holidays
Happy, Holy, and Unharried
by Merry Usman

The holiday season often sweeps in like a storm—twinkling lights, bustling preparations, and the pressure to create “perfect” celebrations. For Christian women, the challenge isn’t merely managing logistics; it’s guarding our hearts and homes so that Christ remains at the center amid the busyness.

As Reformed Southern Baptists, we recognize that every blessing and every moment is sovereignly given by God, and our celebration must reflect His glory and truth, not cultural expectations or worldly pressures.

1. Remember the Sovereignty of God in Your Celebrations
Scripture Foundation: Psalm 18:30 — “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.”

Start your season with intentional worship and Scripture reading
- Dedicate time each day to read God’s Word, focusing on passages related to Christ’s birth.
- Reflect on God’s sovereignty in orchestrating history to fulfill His promises.
Reflect on the Nativity story in its full biblical context
- Study Matthew 1–2 and Luke 1–2 to see God’s sovereign plan unfold.
- Meditate on the fulfillment of prophecies and the miraculous nature of Christ’s birth.
- Remember the incarnation as the ultimate reason for celebrating.
Begin gatherings with prayer and thanksgiving
- Open meals, gift exchanges, and family activities with prayer.
- Express gratitude for God’s provision, protection, and presence throughout the year.
- Invite family members to share what God has done in their lives as a testimony of His faithfulness.
Incorporate hymns or carols that glorify Christ
- Select songs that emphasize Jesus’ birth, work, and glory rather than just holiday cheer.
- Use music as a teaching tool to instill biblical truths in children and adults alike.
- Encourage singing as a heartfelt act of worship, not just entertainment.
Turn ordinary tasks into acts of worship
- Dedicate decorating, cooking, and gift-preparing to God, seeing them as service to Him.
- Approach each task with gratitude and a desire to honor the Lord (Colossians 3:17).
- Model for others that even simple, everyday activities can glorify God when done with the right heart.

2. Guard Your Heart and Mind

The holiday season is rife with stress—family tensions, financial pressures, and societal expectations. Proverbs 4:23 tells us: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Practical ways to guard your heart include:

Limiting overcommitment and choosing responsibilities that honor God.
Seeking quiet moments of devotion, prayer, and meditation on Scripture.
Remembering that your value is not in productivity but in being Christ’s faithful servant.

A heart aligned with God’s Word produces peace and joy, even amid chaos.

3. Lead Your Household in Biblical Womanhood

As women, we are called to model godly character and discipleship in our homes. Titus 2:3–5 exhorts older women to teach what is good, love their families, and live with discernment.

During the holidays, this leadership might include:

Modeling patience and forgiveness in family interactions.
Teaching children to honor Christ through worship, service, and gratitude.
Prioritizing God-centered traditions over worldly expectations.

True leadership is not about perfection—it is about obedience and faithfulness to God’s commands.

4. Practice Biblical Generosity

Acts 20:35 reminds us: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Holiday giving should reflect Christ’s love, not societal pressure:

Focus on thoughtful, heart-driven gifts rather than costly or extravagant items.
Serve others in your community through acts of charity.
Teach family members that true joy comes from giving in love and obedience to God.

By following God’s principles, generosity becomes a reflection of His grace rather than a source of stress.

5. Navigate Relationships with Grace and Discernment

Family dynamics can become tense during the holidays. Galatians 6:9 encourages perseverance: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

Maintain grace and discernment:

Set healthy boundaries to preserve peace.
Avoid unnecessary conflicts and choose forgiveness over pride.
Pray for wisdom in interactions, trusting that God works even when circumstances are challenging.

By reflecting Christ’s character in our relationships, we create a spiritually nourishing environment for all.

6. Celebrate Mindfully, Rooted in Scripture

The holidays are not about spectacle—they are about celebrating the coming of our Savior. Mindful, Scripture-centered practices might include:

Advent reflections focused on Christ’s incarnation.
Family devotions that discuss God’s redemptive plan.
Teaching discernment, especially in avoiding false teachings and worldly messages around the season.

Mindfulness grounded in God’s Word ensures that celebrations nurture faith, not mere festivity.

7. Find Joy in Christ Alone

Philippians 4:4 commands: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Circumstances may not always align with our plans, but joy rooted in Christ is unshakable:

Rejoice in God’s sovereignty and providence.
Embrace small blessings as evidence of His care.
Model gratitude and worship even amid trials, demonstrating faith to your household.

Joy in Christ transforms ordinary celebrations into acts of worship.

Practical Steps for a Christ-Centered Holiday Season

Begin each day with Scripture reading and prayer.
Evaluate commitments: retain only what glorifies God.
Center family traditions on Scripture and worship.
Give generously with a heart focused on obedience.
Practice grace and maintain discernment in relationships.
Use the season to teach children biblical truths and discernment.
Rejoice in Christ, trusting His sovereignty and care.

Closing Reflection

The holidays are not about perfection, prosperity, or worldly recognition—they are about proclaiming God’s glory and rejoicing in His mercy. By centering Christ, guarding your heart, and modeling biblical womanhood, Christian women can create celebrations that honor God, nurture their families, and reflect His eternal truth.

This season, let your light shine—not through outward displays, but through faithful obedience, joy in Christ, and discernment rooted in Scripture.

Merry Usman is a Christian marketing specialist and a devoted Christian writer who loves weaving stories that inspire faith, strengthen hearts, and shine the light of Jesus.

Christmas

Mary’s Blessing

December 19, 2025December 10, 2025 Michelle Lesley

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
Luke 1:26-31

Mary was just an average, godly young woman, probably in her teens. She had kept herself sexually pure, and she had submitted herself to what was, undoubtedly, her parents’ choice of a husband for her.

Twice in this passage, Gabriel tells Mary she is “favored” by God. This is the same Greek word translated as “blessed” in Ephesians 1:6:

In love, He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:6

God blesses us by bestowing His grace upon us to bring us to the Savior, Jesus – for His own reasons, not based on any merit of our own. And God blessed, graced, and favored Mary to bring the Savior, Jesus, to her. For His own reasons, not based on any merit of her own.

God blessed, graced, and favored Mary to bring the Savior, Jesus, to her. For His own reasons, not based on any merit of her own.
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And as incomprehensible to Mary as this news was, her response was not, “No, this can’t be,” but, “How will this be?”. Like Elizabeth before her, Mary believed God.

Like Elizabeth before her, Mary believed God.
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But even as she believed God’s word to her, she must have had a million fears and questions: Would Joseph believe her? Would her parents believe her? Would anyone believe her?

In that time, Old Testament law demanded that women be stoned to death for adultery, and for the average Israelite to believe a far fetched story -from a woman, no less- about her child being conceived by the Holy Spirit, well, that must have seemed about as likely to Mary as the virgin birth itself.

Maybe she feared for her life and her safety, but Mary still believed what God said and submitted herself completely to Him: “Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

“I am Your slave, Lord. I’m at Your mercy, to do with as You will. Do whatever You want with me, to me, in me, and through me.” This should always be the prayer of every godly woman.

Next, God sends Mary to visit Elizabeth.

And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Luke 1:41-45

In addition to finding a safe place to hide out from those who might seek to put her to death, Mary needed some good, old fashioned Titus 2 discipleship from a godly older woman. And just look at Elizabeth’s godliness!

Mary needed some good, old fashioned Titus 2 discipleship from a godly older woman. And just look at Elizabeth’s godliness!
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Elizabeth could have been jealous of Mary. She could have bitterly rehashed all those years begging God for a child, and here, God just showed up and gave Mary a child without her even asking! And not just a child, but the Messiah. Mary got that honor, not her. That could have been Elizabeth’s attitude. But was it? Not a chance.

Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She was humble and honored that Mary would come to visit. She was joyful, and she blessed Mary. And most importantly, she reassured Mary with the truth of the word of God. Her words lined up with God’s word spoken to Mary by the angel:

Blessed are you among women
Blessed is the fruit of your womb
You are the mother of my Lord.

“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Yet again, Elizabeth is such a wonderful example to us of how mature, godly women should think and behave. She shows us how to disciple younger women in kindness, humility, and joy, using Scripture and our God-given wisdom born of the experiences He has brought us through. And she and Mary both showcase the beauty of believing God even in the midst of unbelievable circumstances.

Elizabeth and Mary both showcase the beauty of believing God even in the midst of unbelievable circumstances.
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And look at this amazing picture God paints for us in the next passage, contrasting the beauty of Elizabeth’s spiritual maturity and wisdom with Mary’s youthful innocence, awe, and wonder in worship:

Mary said,

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
Luke 1:46-49

This is personal. My soul, my spirit, my Savior. All generations will call me blessed. He has done great things for me. We can sometimes regard Mary as merely a conduit for bringing our Savior to us. But this was her life.

We can sometimes regard Mary as merely a conduit for bringing our Savior to us. But this was her life.
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God sees us and knows us as His unique, one of a kind daughters, and He is our personal Father. Just as it was right and fitting for Mary to have this intimate moment worshiping her Father for what He had done in her life, and giving him all the glory, it is right and fitting for us to worship Him in quiet moments all alone, giving Him all the glory for what He has done in our lives.

But Mary knew that all of this wasn’t just about her, and as she continues to worship she expands her thoughts to include others:

And His mercy is for those who fear Him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
He has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
in remembrance of His mercy,
as He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.
Luke 1:50-55

In this brief song of worship, Mary quotes from – or alludes to – several passages in Psalms, Isaiah, Habakkuk, and other Old Testament books. She knows who God is and what He has done for His people. She understands His nature and character. She knows His precepts, promises, and covenants. Mary was a woman of godly character, because she was a woman of the Word.

God blessed Mary, and through her godly example she, in turn, blesses us. May God make us all worshipful women of the Word, like Mary.

God blessed Mary, and through her godly example she, in turn, blesses us. May God make us all worshipful women of the Word, like Mary.
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Christmas

Anna’s Example

December 18, 2025December 13, 2025 Michelle Lesley

Originally published December 23, 2021

Remember Anna? She’s one of our often overlooked sisters from Scripture. As with Elizabeth, we don’t usually hear much about Anna, except sometimes, once a year, at Christmas.

When Jesus was about a month old, Mary and Joseph took Him to the temple to fulfill the requirement of the Levitical law of purification. And that’s where they encountered Anna.

Now, just a little lagniappe here, the purification ceremony where we meet Anna was completely separate from Jesus’ circumcision ceremony.

Circumcision took place when the baby was eight days old, probably in the parents’ home or possibly in the local synagogue (the synagogue was sort of a “branch campus” of the temple in towns that were outside of Jerusalem). Mary would not have been able to enter the synagogue in Bethlehem or the temple in Jerusalem for Jesus’ circumcision since she would still have been ceremonially unclean from His birth.

The purification ceremony that made her ritually clean again took place when Jesus was 33 days old at the temple in Jerusalem. A sacrifice was offered for Mary’s cleansing and Jesus was dedicated to the Lord. (see Leviticus 12)

I spell this all out because, if you’re like me, and you hear the Luke 2 account of Jesus’ birth every year, you tend to let it wash over you without really thinking about it. I never really gave much thought to the fact that these were two different events in two different places until I was studying about Anna.

And Luke 2 presents all of these events in kind of a machine gun fashion so it can practically feel like everything in that chapter is happening on the same day, and we can conflate things we shouldn’t. For example, many people think that Simeon and Anna were married just because their stories appear back to back in Luke 2. As we’re about to see, that wasn’t the case.

Let’s take a look at Anna’s story:

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Luke 2:36-38

Anna had a lot of strikes against her in life:

She was a woman. In Anna’s day, women were “low man on the totem pole” so to speak. They were regarded as less than men in practically every way- intelligence, abilities, worth, and so on. They couldn’t testify in court because their testimony wasn’t considered credible. And, maybe you’ve even heard of the daily prayer that Jewish men still say today, thanking God for not creating them a gentile…a slave…or a woman.

She was a widow, and possibly childless. A woman of that time without a husband or grown children to take care of her would have been in very real danger of poverty.

She was old. Average life expectancy in Anna’s day was 55. She was 84. When you’re 84 in ancient times with no modern medicine, you’re feeling it.

So, Anna was a woman, she was a widow, and she was old. She had some disadvantages. But Anna didn’t let those things stop her from serving the Lord full throttle. In fact, she took some of those supposed disadvantages and put them to work for her.

Anna didn’t let disadvantages stop her from serving the Lord full throttle. In fact, she took some of those supposed disadvantages and put them to work for her.
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If Anna had had a husband to care for or children to raise, she wouldn’t have had the time or the energy to serve the Lord full time. And she wouldn’t have had the opportunity either, because no one in that culture would have thought it appropriate for a woman with a husband and children to abandon them to stay in the temple.

Also, in a culture that respected its elderly, it’s likely that more people – especially younger women – would have listened to her than if she had not been so advanced in years.

So Anna turned these disadvantages into opportunities. And what did she do with those opportunities? She used them to serve God and to tell people about Jesus.

That’s what the Christian life is all about – serving God and telling others about Jesus – whatever your station in life.

Maybe you’re single like Anna, and God has blessed you with the time and freedom to serve Him full time – or at least fuller time than you’d otherwise be able to.

Maybe you do have a husband and children- and God has given you the opportunity to serve Him by serving them: pouring the gospel into your children, being a godly helpmate to your husband, and being a faithful, serving member of your church.

Maybe you’re older, and instead of using your golden years for travel or hobbies or shopping, God is leading you to teach younger women or throw yourself into ministry in some way.

Anna’s example to us is to bloom where God plants us and grab hold of every opportunity to serve Him and tell others about Jesus.

Anna’s example to us is to bloom where God plants us and grab hold of every opportunity to serve Him and tell others about Jesus.
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Christmas

Elizabeth’s Gift

December 17, 2025December 13, 2025 Michelle Lesley

Originally published December 23, 2020

Sometimes I think that if Elizabeth’s story had happened back in the Old Testament, we’d spend much more time on it than we do and be much more amazed by it than we are. Instead, we kind of tend to regard her as a footnote in the Christmas story, overshadowed by the story of Jesus’ incarnation.

And I’m sure Elizabeth is totally fine with that. Like her own son said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

But Elizabeth’s story is a rich gift to Christ’s birth narrative, adding wonder and awe to the divine beauty of the tale. It is also God’s gift to us as Christian women, giving us a sister in Christ to look up to and learn from.

Elizabeth’s story is a rich gift to Christ’s birth narrative, adding wonder and awe to the divine beauty of the tale.
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In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
Luke 1:5-7

Elizabeth was righteous before God. She walked blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. Like you and me, she wasn’t perfect. She still fell into sin. But because she loved the Lord, she repented, and strove to live her life to please Him.

But Elizabeth also knew sorrow. She and Zechariah had no child. She had been barren for all of her childbearing years, and now she was elderly – some scholars estimate at least 60 years old – and long past menopause.

If you or someone you know has ever experienced the heartbreak of infertility, you know just how painful that is. And in biblical times, culture added insult to injury in a lot of ways. It was assumed any infertility was a problem with the woman, when today we know that men can also be infertile.

Because children are a blessing from the Lord and the fruit of the womb is a reward, and because God sometimes closed the wombs of certain women in Scripture as a result of sin – it was often assumed that if you weren’t having children you were cursed by God, or your barrenness was some sort of punishment for sin.

And in addition to all of that, in that day and time, women were “low man on the totem pole” so to speak. They were regarded as less than men in practically every way- intelligence, abilities, worth, and so on. They couldn’t testify in court because their testimony wasn’t considered credible. And, maybe you’ve even heard of the daily prayer that Jewish men still say today, thanking God for not creating them a Gentile…a slave…or a woman.

So, practically the only way women of that time could achieve a modicum of respect and status in society was by marrying well and by having sons. And, though she did marry well, Elizabeth didn’t have any children.

Try to imagine being a woman of Elizabeth’s time, having all of that on your shoulders, and having virtually no power to do anything about it.

Do you think you might be a little bitter toward God?

“Lord, my husband’s a priest! We can’t go around having people think you’ve cursed us.”

“We’ve been serving You all these years, and all we’ve asked for is a baby. You owe us.”

“You’re not going to give me the one thing I want most in life? Forget it – there are plenty of other gods to worship. I’ll go serve one of them.”

But not Elizabeth. Elizabeth just kept getting up day after day, trusting the Lord, serving the Lord, obeying the Lord.

Elizabeth just kept getting up day after day, trusting the Lord, serving the Lord, obeying the Lord.
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And let’s not forget, we know the rest of the story. We know God is going to miraculously open Elizabeth’s womb and she’ll be the mother of John the Baptist. We know she’s going to be one of the first people to learn the good news of the Messiah. We know she’s going to be celebrated and famous across the world once her story gets into Scripture.

Elizabeth didn’t know that. For all those years faithfully following and trusting the Lord, she didn’t know any of that. For all she knew, she was going to die childless and in obscurity, quickly to be forgotten even by those who knew her. And yet she still chose to walk faithfully with the Lord.

Elizabeth was faithful to God because of who God is, not for what she could get out of Him. She served God to get more of God, not to get the goodies.

But look what happens next…

Now while [Zechariah] was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense…And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense…the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
Luke 1:8-9,11,13

Zechariah has the great honor of entering the temple and burning incense. Suddenly – a miracle! Gabriel, who stands in the very presence of God Himself, has brought the amazing news that Elizabeth – barren and past her time – is going to give birth to the forerunner of the Messiah.

And Zechariah doesn’t believe it.

But Elizabeth does…

Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.
Luke 1:25

Elizabeth believed God.

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Luke 1:39-45

The newly pregnant Mary comes for a visit. The Holy Spirit reveals to and through Elizabeth that the baby Mary is carrying is the Messiah. And, once again, in great humility, Elizabeth believes Him: “Who am I, that my Lord should come to me?” Elizabeth wondered.

Indeed – who are any of us, that our Lord should come to us?

Elizabeth did not seek out Jesus. He came to find her. So, we who were dead in our sins and trespasses did not seek Him. He came to us, to seek and to save that which was lost.

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.”
Luke 1:57-60

It’s a boy! What a joy-filled day it must have been. This wasn’t just any birth. It was God’s promise fulfilled. It was God’s mercy to Elizabeth, His blameless – yet not sinless – and undeserving child. It was God’s blessing to Elizabeth, His faithful servant. The same kind of mercy and blessings He shows us, His faithful, yet undeserving sons and daughters. The same way He fulfills His promises to us.

The time quickly came to circumcise and officially name the baby. Tradition dictated that he be named after Dad: Zechariah. But Elizabeth believed all that God had revealed about this baby to the point that she put her foot down, broke with tradition and insisted, along with her husband, that the baby be named John. It wasn’t about what she wanted. It wasn’t about what others thought was best. It was all about God, and what He wanted.

All of these unbelievable things happening to Elizabeth, yet Elizabeth believes God. Obeys God. Trusts God. She trusted and obeyed God all of those years when He said no, and she believed and obeyed Him after He said yes.

Elizabeth trusted and obeyed God all of those years when He said no, and she believed and obeyed Him after He said yes.
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May we, as godly women, be daughters of Elizabeth: Believing God through the unbelievable. Trusting Him in times of uncertainty. Obeying Him in the face of opposition.

What a legacy this dear sister has left us.

What a gift.

Christmas

Oh Christmas Tree!!!!

December 16, 2025December 12, 2025 Michelle Lesley

Originally published December 9, 2013

Christmas always comes with some drama. Ripped from the pages of Facebook, here’s the epic saga of my tree decorating of 2013…

Plugged in every strand of lights to make sure they were working before putting them on tree. Plugged in every individual strand of lights to make sure they were working after putting each on tree. Decorated tree. Plugged in tree. Everything fine for about 15 minutes.

Entire tree goes out.

Went searching for problem strand. Determined it was one of two strands at bottom of tree.

Figured out which one it was.

Carefully disentangled said strand from branches and ornaments. Discovered kids had hung ornaments on light strand. Discovered that 10 year old, despite a lifetime of instruction, is still hanging multiple ornaments on a single branch like so many bunches of ripe cherries. Discovered it is much easier to take lights off a tree when there are no ornaments on it. Discovered a 44 year old spinal column ain’t what it used to be.

Plugged new strand of lights into end of previous working strand. No worky.

Prayed.

Contemplated tree with no lights on bottom branches. Imagined offspring in years of therapy due to improperly lit tree.

Prayed again. Considered that this was probably the stupidest prayer God had ever heard.

Replugged a different way. Worky. Restrung working strand of lights. Yay. Tree is now completely lit.

Stepped back and discovered side of tree -heretofore unnoticed- looked like a giant had taken a bite out of it (disproportionately short branches). Decided to rotate tree so “bald spot” would be in back.

20 degrees- bald spot still visible.

45 degrees- bald spot still visible. Tree protests being moved by dropping two large jingle bells on my head.

90 degrees- bald spot in back, but now all front ornaments are in back and back ornaments are in front. Also, all breakable ornaments are now dangling precariously over bare tile floor in back instead of over padded tree skirt in front. Some appear ready to commit ornament suicide any moment.

Redecorate approximately 40% of tree. Discover angel topper now at right face instead of facing front. Climb on hearth to rotate angel. Tree drops more jingle bells.

Due to rotation, tree is now too close to couch. Perform origami on spinal column again and attempt to slide tree closer to fireplace. Foot of tree stand gets hung up on edge of a tile. Tree sways but stays in tact.

Operation “Outsmart Christmas Tree” complete. Merry Christmas to me :0)

2016 Update:

15390933_1497550346952561_8203440308723296225_n

Tree shopping and decorating

15492362_1503195283054734_7820584082818057414_n

My husband says the angel looks like it’s
about to launch into orbit!

15493639_1504539066253689_4307547966780027519_o

Oh no, not again!

15590045_1504539469586982_5131855764000279749_n

Fixed!

2018 Update:

Still not the picture perfect tree, but we love it!

2020 Update

This year all the lights stayed on, but the tree ended up being a little shorter than we liked, so I wrapped up a milk crate like a present and the tree stand is sitting on top of it. Also, the angel topper that we’ve had since we got married gave up the ghost a couple of years ago, so we had to replace her with a new one whom we’ve affectionately dubbed “disco angel” due to her LED lighting. (Yes, I know real angels don’t look like that. Don’t @ me. :0)

2021 Update

The tree looks pretty much the same this year as it did last year, so I thought I’d show you some of my favorite decorations instead:

All the Lesley stockings. I love the birdhouses my husband built. As we keep adding members to the family, we’re going to need a longer mantel!

2022 Update

This could, conceivably, be the last Christmas any of the kids will go with us to pick out the Christmas tree. The last two in the nest are 19 and 20 respectively, with full time jobs and their own activities to attend to.

Christmas ornaments from travels to various conferences this year.

2023 Update

The Lesley Way is for everybody to pick out and advocate for the tree he or she thinks is best. Then, Dad (who’s the one who actually has to trim it), makes the final decision. Mom has veto power, but, since Mom would be happy with almost any tree in the place, and since we all have similar taste in trees, it’s rarely exercised. This year, we picked Laura’s tree.

Probably one of my favorite Christmas tree pictures ever.

Bonus pic of my husband and me goofing off at our local Christmas parade.
Every Southern girl needs a big, floppy Ouiser hat to keep the sun at bay!

2024 Update

This year was the very first time we have ever gone Christmas tree shopping without at least two of our children. It’s one of those things that most couples experience when they first get married, and here we are, after almost 32 years of marriage doing it for the first time! We have always loved picking out a tree together as a family, but this was a different kind of fun – a “date day”!

My dad passed away this past January, so after the funeral we spent some time helping my mom sort, donate, and downsize some things. She very kindly allowed my girls and me to go through all of her Christmas decorations and take the ones we wanted. I’m so glad we will all have these precious heirlooms and the memories that go with them. I have been waiting almost a year to hang them on my tree. Wanna see?

If you’re around my age, you might remember decorating glass balls like this. Elmer’s glue and glitter, baby! We all had one with our name on it. These are my mom’s and dad’s, which will henceforth hang on my tree. My husband’s and mine – new this year, and purchased on a trip to a retreat I spoke at – aren’t quite as elegant, but we like them.❤️💚❤️💚

Before there was “Elf on the Shelf,” there was elf on the tree. Circa the 1960’s, I’m pretty sure.

The three glass balls, the gold filigree Star of David, and the aqua/silver tinsel Koosh Ball-looking thingie, my parents bought in sets in Germany when my dad was stationed there before I was born, so they are all about 56-57 years old. My sister and I used to have great fun throwing those tinsel thingies at the tree, and I kept the tradition when I decorated this year! We got the straw stars when the Army moved us to New Mexico when I was a child, so those are probably 45-50 years old. We threw those too, but they didn’t stick as well as the tinsel ones. :0)

It looks like the middle section isn’t lit as well as the upper and lower sections, but that’s just because the branches are a lot thicker right there.

2025 Update

Our second year searching for our Christmas tree as empty nesters! We think this year’s tree is the best shape and size we’ve ever gotten!

I did have issues with the lights again this year. They were all working when I put them on the tree, and then a strand and a half went mysteriously dark. But here’s the wisdom of age for you – this year, I didn’t take the lights off the tree. I shoved the infernal quitter strands all the way back to the trunk where they’d be invisible and went out and bought a new 250 light string to replace them.

I was pretty happy until I reached for an ornament tote – which I had already gone through this year, mind you – and found four brand new boxes of lights that I’d bought at an after Christmas clearance sale sometime within the last few years.🤨

Oh well.

I thought you might enjoy this little video I made. It was for a Christmastime women’s meeting at my church (so I’ve clipped out the first few seconds for privacy reasons). We all brought something to demonstrate how we “keep Christ in Christmas” in our homes.

Author: Michelle Lesley

Guest Post: How to Keep the Holidays Happy, Holy, and Unharried

How to Keep the Holidays
Happy, Holy, and Unharried
by Merry Usman

Mary’s Blessing