12 Days to a LESS Stressed Christmas – Day Five

Relationships – Preparing your heart for your guests can be more challenging than preparing a place for them to sleep! Even if you do not have guests staying in your home, spending extended time with friends and family, can sometimes be stressful. Here are some steps that you can take to strengthen relationships this Christmas.

– Ask the Lord to show you something good in the people that challenge you, and choose to focus your thoughts on the good.

– Ask questions to find out things you did not know about others, to see them in a different light.  This is also a great way to direct the conversation away from negativity.

– Plan ahead to do something you both would enjoy, taking your attention away from your differences.

– Change the subject if the conversation is going somewhere it shouldn’t.

– Agree to disagree; be willing to accept that not everyone thinks the same way!

– Encouraging words will bring peace along with them.

– Determine to speak positively about the individuals that challenge you. This will eventually turn your heart around.

– Pray for them, it is hard to continue to be angry with someone you pray for.

–  Offer forgiveness to anyone that has offended you; it is the best gift you could ever give!

For some encouraging thoughts and Scriptures that will encourage you to have healthy relationships go to my website: www.suemwilson.com