Holidays – Melissa Schlies

Before Setting Goals, Do This First in 2022

Three months into my first job in youth ministry, I sat in the office of one of my coworkers. My shoulders were hunched. My eyes were heavy. I was afraid I was going to cry if I said too much. I felt so empty. Across from me sat one of the few fellow women leaders on our staff. She was a force, and yet cast a motherly gaze directly into my face. Though I was trying hard to keep it together, she drew out of me what I needed so badly to say: The way I was leading and living [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2022-01-03T01:01:55+00:00January 3rd, 2022|Categories: Balance, Habit Making, Health, Holidays, Mental Health, perseverance, Practice, Routines, Self Care, Social Distancing, Start Here|Comments Off

Don’t Forget to do THIS Before Christmas

So many of us are afraid to confess or to declare what it is that we want because we confuse naming our desire with demanding the desire. —Emily P. Freeman At the end of October, Tony and I started making our travel arrangements for Christmas. Every year, the week after the holiday, we fly to see Tony’s family in Wisconsin. But this year, I wanted to go to Massachusetts first. I wanted to be with my family for Christmas Day. For two or three nights, we sat trying to figure out flight logistics, but it just wouldn’t work out. On [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-12-20T10:34:02+00:00December 20th, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Adulting, Christmas, Holidays|Comments Off

A (Mostly) Unexpected Christmas Bucket List

One of my favorite Christmas memories from growing up, is of my dad taking our family into Boston. He wanted to introduce my sisters and I to one of his favorite memories as a kid: seeing The Enchanted Village at the now former department store, Jordan Marsh. A small mechanical village with over 250 animated figurines, The Enchanted Village, takes you back to a Norman Rockwell version of Christmas. Created originally in 1958, it can still be visited each holiday season at a large furniture store in Massachusetts. Only, at fourteen, I probably didn’t appreciate it as much as [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-12-12T20:56:03+00:00December 13th, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Adulting, Christmas, gratitude, Habit Making, Holidays, Hope|2 Comments

When it doesn’t feel like Christmas

There is a mouse in our house. Unfortunately, I am not talking about a cute Christmas book we all need to buy the children in our lives. Nor am I channeling Dr. Seuss with this post. There is an actual mouse somewhere in our house. I guess this is what happens when you buy a home that is over a hundred years old. There are cracks where a mouse (I am hoping it is only one), can get in. And now, in the middle of the Christmas season, Tony and I are trying to figure out which cracks it’s using [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-12-07T21:11:39+00:00December 6th, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Adulting, Christmas, Contentment, Holidays|Comments Off

When Christmas Carols Sound Sad (& What to do With All Our Feelings this Week)

One night recently, Tony and I were on our way home from doing—what else—holiday errands. The sky outside was dark. A Christmas carol that is one of our favorites was playing on the radio. And about halfway through the song, Tony said, “For some reason, this song sounds sad this year.” It’s amazing how much of our own experiences we bring to music, or any type of art for that matter. But when Tony said these words I had to agree. In years past, this particular song has sounded as triumphant to me as Easter morning. As hopeful as kids [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-12-18T19:37:23+00:00December 21st, 2020|Categories: Acceptance, Change, Christmas, Depression, Faith, grief, Holidays, Hope, Loneliness, Social Distancing|Comments Off

For the Person Asking “Why Even Bother Celebrating Christmas?”

For many of us, when things don’t go the way we want, our first response is, “What’s the point?” Why should we continue with our plans if they can’t happen the way we want them to? Why should we even bother? Since buying our house earlier this year, in the middle of COVID, I’ve been tempted to think this way many times. Only for all of us, this defeatist attitude stems not from our plans being changed. Rather it is our desires that drove us to make our plans in the first place. My struggle to keep from throwing in [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-12-15T15:27:06+00:00December 14th, 2020|Categories: Acceptance, Christmas, Faith, grief, Habit Making, Holidays, Hope, perseverance, Practice, Preparation, Waiting|Comments Off

On Wanting Christmas to Make Everything Better

For many, Christmas came early this year. By that I mean, even some of my die hard “Christmas doesn’t begin until after Thanksgiving” friends, were decorating their tree the first week of November. Like in The Holderness Family video, we’ve all wanted to believe “Christmas will make everything better.” A little red and green comfort decorated with twinkle lights, feels like a balm on the ache that has been this season. Only now that we’re officially into December, even Christmas is feeling different this year. So many of us are having to let go of our usual traditions and even [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-12-04T16:28:10+00:00December 7th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Depression, Faith, Holidays, Hope, Loneliness, Waiting|Comments Off

2020 Christmas Gift Guide

One December Saturday, when I was in ninth or tenth grade, my parents decided to take me and my sisters into Boston. Having both grown up just outside the city, they wanted to share a part of their childhood holiday experience with us. It’s still one of my favorite Christmas memories. Just as the sun began to fade that afternoon, we watched the Christmas lights begin to color the city streets. That day, we saw The Enchanted Village, found a place for lunch with the biggest slices of pizza I’d ever seen, and window shopped through downtown Boston, admiring all [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-11-23T19:03:36+00:00November 30th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Good Books, gratitude, Holidays|Comments Off

Practicing Gratitude In The Midst Of What Can’t Be

There are times in life when we get to be deliriously happy. As a kid, for me, this looked like our Grampa spontaneously taking us out for ice cream. Waking up to our mom baking blueberry muffins. And running down the beach with our cousins. For some reason, it doesn’t take much to experience complete joy as a kid. It doesn’t take much to experience complete joy as a kid. Though as adults, we too, have our own spectacular moments. For me, this happiness has looked like riding a train through the country side of India. The night Tony told [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-11-20T20:02:40+00:00November 23rd, 2020|Categories: Acceptance, Balance, Conflict, Faith, gratitude, grief, Holidays, Hope, Social Distancing|Comments Off

My Favorite Thanksgiving Links 2020

I know, I know—I said last week, that there’d be no more Thursday posts. But as we’re all getting ready for a tougher-than-most holiday season, I thought I’d share an updated list of all my favorite Thanksgiving Links to get us through this week! As I have shared before, hands down, fall is my favorite season. Give me the chunky sweaters, all the flannel, the apple picking, and the pumpkin flavored (almost) anything—I am here for it. Though many people think Halloween is the best fall holiday, Thanksgiving is my favorite. But this holiday that also typically offers an extra [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-11-19T20:17:24+00:00November 19th, 2020|Categories: Food, gratitude, Habit Making, Holidays, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead|Comments Off

Don’t Forget to do THIS Before Christmas

A (Mostly) Unexpected Christmas Bucket List

When it doesn’t feel like Christmas

For the Person Asking “Why Even Bother Celebrating Christmas?”

On Wanting Christmas to Make Everything Better

2020 Christmas Gift Guide

My Favorite Thanksgiving Links 2020

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