Christmas in July! How to Plan a Stress-Free Holiday Before The Holidays (Best of Episode) | S5 E28

Speaker 1: 0:09

Hello and welcome to the family business with the Alessi's and yes, I know. If you've been listening to this podcast at all, you immediately know that this is not an Alessi voice that you're hearing. My name is Alan. I'm one of the team members on the production team behind the family business, along with technical director John Roman Ashley Munoz. We are all here behind the scenes, always helping the family business to share things that they cannot share on Sundays, because family is everybody's business. Now we're coming to you today because this episode is one that isn't in the normal scheme of things as a matter of fact, it's one of our best of episodes but because, if you're new to the audience, you may not have found or heard this episode before. You want to make sure to bring it back to the top of your queue. Well, this episode is going to help you, especially because, in this season that we're sharing it, normally people are only thinking about the summer, or about summer vacation or maybe even back to school, but you're not thinking about Christmas just yet. But you should be. You see, in the Alessi family, christmas is an all year thing, and especially in this summer month, it's a great time for you to get ready for the holidays before the stress of the holidays arrive. So we're going to present this best of episode where Stephen and Mary Alessi help you to get ready for the holidays and to avoid all of that stress by planning ahead. This is one of our best episodes, so we're so glad you're going to listen. Make sure you share this with a friend or family member who you're thinking is going to need this information long before the holidays catch up to them. All right, you've heard enough from me. Let's get into this Christmas in July episode. Enjoy, make sure you take some notes and share this with a friend after you've listened.

Speaker 2: 2:02

Welcome to another podcast edition of the family business podcast with the Alessi's Hello. We're here today because family is everybody's business and we're talking about things here in the podcast booth that we can't always talk about on Sunday, and today's going to be a lot of fun because Mary is with me Miss Mary, alessi and Mary today we're going to be talking about preparing for the holidays. So we want to get right into this because there's a lot as people are in the mindset of Thanksgiving. We're on the eve of Thanksgiving with this podcast and what happens from here, because it seems like from right about now, people will be just mentally fully engaged in the holidays, and when we think of the holidays, we're really. I don't mean to criticize it, but it seems like Thanksgiving is on the back burner because we're already on the Christmas train.

Speaker 3: 3:07

Of course, and we're ready to make it happen. And I also clarify we are talking about conflict within families at the holidays. I mean, that's what we're talking about and how to avoid them, because people need to know right off the bat that every single family, ours included, deal with a lot of conflict around the holidays. So we wanted to dive into that and get real here today and talk about even our own areas where strife is always present at the most the happiest season of the year. That's why we do start early. That's why I like to start early, because it just gives you more time to manage the holiday and it's not just about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Speaker 2: 3:48

But when you're saying that, you're actually saying we're doing all of this planning because of people. Yeah, it's really everything that we do during the holidays and while we're talking about preparing for it is because you want to manage people your expectations of them their expectation of you. That's right, and we have the intention that this will be the first holiday season that we have where there are legitimate in-laws. So we've grown the family for the first time. So we have an extra son and an extra daughter. With the extra son and the extra daughter are their parents and their siblings, and so we also have expanded what that looks like with the family for the holidays. So what we're talking about in preparing is how to manage all of that, which, when you're dealing with so many people during the holidays, there's going to be conflict somewhere, and not that you're going to eliminate all of that. But here's the thing If you're going to have a holiday season, you should be able to enjoy the holiday season, and if it comes to Christmas, then let's enjoy it.

Speaker 3: 5:00

So Christmas should be. It should be fun, it should be a time of celebrating and getting together. It should be a time about family. Obviously, we know Christmas is not about us. Ultimately, it's about the reason for the season, which is Jesus. But of course it's been commercialized and we love it and thank you, lord, for giving us your birthday and we have a great time as a family. We get together. I think the biggest reason for the conflict is expectations, and every family has the way they do Christmas, their history, their traditions, their culture. The thing who has a rose condole Do I say that right? Sure, kind of something like that, anyway, and some people have said again Arroz con dulce. There it is, isn't dulce, don't worry about it. Rice and beans.

Speaker 2: 5:54

You're going to question John Romo. No, no, no, no, arroz con dulce.

Speaker 3: 5:57

There, it is Okay, that's the one I was looking for. The rice and beans, the way they do it in Miami, there's the Puerto Rican way, there's the Cuban way, there's the Argentinian way. There's so many different cultures. And then, of course, there's the mashed potatoes and gravy and the mac and cheese, the right Christmas the right American way that Jesus celebrates Christmas is with macaroni and cheese, I don't know, and turkey, but there's just a lot of expectations that people come with and families come with, and how do you combine all that together?

Speaker 2: 6:28

and not have conflict. And here's another fun fact Cancel culture. Last year canceled Christmas, yes.

Speaker 3: 6:35

Crazy. Can you believe that it's crazy?

Speaker 2: 6:39

It's crazy. For all good people and good Christians it's very sad they canceled. So this will be, as we were reminded of by AP, the first Christmas after people did not get together last year because of COVID for Christmas. So there's a lot of expectations that people have and there's a lot of excitement. But with that comes to brings us back to how do we best prepare for that? Mary, I know right now at our church, where we operate our business, we have been shopping earlier. For this whole month We've been getting shopping out of the way so that come December we can celebrate the Savior the right way. So we've been trying to handle all of that on the front end. So let me just ask you this, from just as my wife, the head of our home when do you start preparing?

Speaker 3: 7:37

Mentally, honestly, I, because of our no really July is the big month. Well, let me clarify, because I was the music pastor, the music director, for many years and we always did Christmas events. Everyone knows if you are in church music and you do events and cantatas and shows, you start in July and in July you already you know Christmas in July If you watch QVC. Qvc starts getting ready in July, oh yes. So halfway through the year, in the summertime, when things are just kind of slow, you get your creative brain around it and you start talking about it and you get your plans, your overall sketch plans for the holidays. And that helps so much because you're not rushing in October. Because if you don't do it this is what we've learned If we don't talk about it and make a plan in July, september comes and September is lost and back to school and then it's October and it's really, believe it or not. You're rushing now and anytime you start rushing, it increases the stress, increases the anxiety, and then Christmas is never what you wanted it to be because you didn't start early enough. And I'm not talking about buying presents this is for those who maybe don't even do presents at Christmas. I'm just talking about getting your mind wrapped around what you want Christmas to be like and how you want the family to come together.

Speaker 2: 8:55

Interesting. If you start early, exercise, a little practice, patience, you definitely will find yourself free from some of the weight, the stress, the pressure that comes on you, thinking I've got to get this gift, I've got to get that done, I've got to buy this, buy that.

Speaker 3: 9:12

For the things I wanted to do and I didn't get to do.

Speaker 2: 9:15

It happened to me last month and we're actually broadcasting this in November. But back in September I saw something for some people that I knew I always tried to honor during the holidays and I bought it and I thought, okay, I'm going to give it to them right now. But then I thought, no, no, no, put it aside, Save it for Christmas. And as we're doing this and planning for the holidays already, it's like oh, here's the good thing, did it early, I don't have to get them that part of my list has already been checked off, but I wanted to give it to them right then when I got it. But hey, it's going to have more value when I'm able to do it at Christmas. So okay, so you start preparing somewhere along the summer I do, and then what do you do then? How do you prepare personally?

Speaker 3: 10:08

I start honestly thinking about the theme and what I want Christmas to feel like, look like. When is Christmas this coming year? Is it on a Thursday? Is Christmas Eve on a Wednesday? So how does that look? How will that look for the family? When am I going to get my Christmas to core up? I don't want Christmas to core, to get lost and just be work. I want it to potentially be a night that feels Christmassy. So I'm going to plan that in advance and tell the family hey, listen, come over, I'm going to get the tree up, let's have some hot chocolate, some cider, and help me and we'll make it fun. I'll cook dinner for you and we'll put some decor together. Give me two hours, we'll cook, we'll do decor and, believe it or not, it starts that ball rolling and for me, as a mom of four kids and now two inlaw kids, it kind of helps meet that need of that Christmassy feeling that every mom wants. And if you started earlier and that happens early November it doesn't get lost in Thanksgiving. And then the strain comes and then the divide. Well, her house, his house, their house, they're going out of town because you're just trying to make everybody's dreams come true at that point. So if you start early and you make things an event that really are work, but you make them a family event, it's just a little tweak that can make all the difference in your joy because it's meeting your expectation.

Speaker 2: 11:26

Speaking of the extended family members that now we have in our life because we're preparing so early, it's really helping us deal with their family expectations. So in our sense, we have two newbies. So where are they going to spend their holidays? Are they going to spend their Thanksgiving with our family? Are they going to? Is our daughter and son now going to spend Thanksgiving with their inlaws, right? Or how does that work? So when we are looking at our calendar, because we're planning in advance, we're able to say, okay, this works better in our family because we really emphasize this. This is something that means something. It's mean something in our culture. It means something in our faith. We would love our family to be around at this time. What then? We go to the other family members and we're saying to them which of the holidays really mean the most to you? So what we're trying to do by early preparing and planning is choose where the family members, where we're gonna be able to hang out with each other, which holiday we're gonna be able to hang out with each other, and which one they need to be spending with their other family members, because that other family deserves that opportunity to be able to also share in the celebration of the holiday. So I guess one thing right off the bat reason we need to prepare early is because it removes a lot of stress. It takes all the stress out.

Speaker 3: 12:54

It does right, it really really does, and the family knows there's always an initiator. Let it be us, let it be whoever wants to be the initiator. But when you do initiate Christmas and the holidays early enough, you set the plan in motion and everyone brings up their game, Because not everybody's a planner. They're really not and I wouldn't say by nature I'm a planner. But when it comes to the holidays I love them. I probably love them more than you do, but I do love them and I want them to be something special every year so that we reduce conflict. I initiate with the family hey, even my side of the family, because I have a twin sister and we still get together for the holiday and she's got her family and I've got mine. But we try to keep the traditions that we've had, where Thanksgiving we've always spent on our side of the family with my mom. That's not always the case, but if you initiate and you say, listen, can we talk about what the holidays are gonna look like? You're not gonna get your answer in July, but you may get to the end of October and everybody's had time to think about it and now you do have your plan. But I just wanna say, too, that it's important to remember that Christmas isn't about and I have to remind myself of this Christmas isn't about making my dreams come true. It's not about meeting my expectations, Although I have them. Probably more than anybody in our family, I have big expectations, but what I've learned and had to learn is it's really about enjoying the holiday and not losing the joy in the process of it, so that when Christmas is over, you're like I hated it, that was awful, and we had a fight and so and so didn't show up. Can you believe how rude I don't even I don't want any of that at the holiday. You said it in the beginning that by the time we get there, we're truly enjoying the savior at the holiday.

Speaker 2: 14:45

Well, I just reminded myself of something. I'll make a little note. While we're doing that, what'd you do? Well, we need an extra two stockings this year. Oh gosh, I got to put that on my to-do list right now.

Speaker 3: 14:56

Oh my goodness Steve. We do yeah, Because they're official this year. They were official last year.

Speaker 2: 15:00

Here's the point. Do I call them Moina? Do I put Moina at the top?

Speaker 3: 15:02

Oh, this is stuff. We've got two Christ's in the family.

Speaker 2: 15:04

We've got two. We're gonna have to do Moina Three stockings, john said.

Speaker 3: 15:09

Yes.

Speaker 2: 15:13

As you can see who the real planner is here. We knew I'm actually making them.

Speaker 3: 15:19

Those are the details those are the details Two stockings that's good, Get him engraved and baby girl, because we don't know her name yet.

Speaker 2: 15:28

Gosh, that's so cool, this is crazy that we're already here. Yeah, and hopefully they don't listen to the podcast, and we'll be surprised that we have a stocking form at Christmas. They don't listen, they don't. Okay. Can I mention something here about keeping even the stress low? It could help you balance the emotions of the holidays, yes, oh my goodness.

Speaker 1: 15:50

For instance, if we're thinking ahead.

Speaker 2: 15:51

Here's what I wanna start already talking about in my family. I wanna talk about the fact that my dad's not there. This will be his second time. That's right. This will be the second Christmas without my dad, which then means we have to be thinking. I'm thinking in terms of I wanna make sure my mom's taking care of him, my sister's. Somehow we split that up. Mom hangs out with us at Thanksgiving. She'll hang out at Christmas with them. But in our own family I'm gonna keep talking, papa, I'm gonna bring up the stuff, the name, what we did. Let them talk about it, so that on Christmas morning we're not emotionally unbalanced myself, not emotionally unbalanced where now I'm sad because this is he's not there. So, just preparing in advance just helps you even deal with the stress levels and it helps you deal with the emotions that you're gonna have. And speaking about emotions, you know what that brings up? This about family If you're preparing in advance, you've gotta be willing to make certain sacrifices.

Speaker 3: 16:56

Yeah, sacrifices.

Speaker 2: 16:57

And it's best to prepare yourself in advance. So talk about that for a minute, because maybe you have family members that are coming to your house that don't share the same faith that you share or are in a different lifestyle. Do you open your home up to them? Do you want them around? Do you want to, you know, embrace the partner that comes with them? How do we manage all of that stuff as we prepare in advance?

Speaker 3: 17:23

Well, the holidays are number one. There are a time that the family comes together to celebrate each other and the holiday. It's also a time for us to really express our faith because, as Christians, it is about. The reason that we are Christians is because a baby was born, a savior was sent to the world. So it is an awesome time for us to share our faith. You know, we started a Christmas store this year and all the ornaments are Christmas themed. They're meaning their nativity, their baby Jesus. There's not enough of the holiday that's about Christ that we see that's marketed into the world. So we have such an opportunity, as a church and as believers, to bring back the real reason for the season and ultimately, that's what's gonna give us joy. So when we do have family members that don't share that faith, it's hard and Christmas can be very difficult. People get very self-centered. It's about me. It's what did you get me? You didn't get me the right gift last year. You're gonna get. Are we doing gifts? You know how much are we spending? Okay, $25. Well, you know there's always somebody that isn't happy with what they got, even getting the time slot. You know who's gonna get together. Whose house is it gonna be hosted by. There's just a lot of drama that can come along with it, and I think that's where we, as believers, we really need to exhale and just say I started early, I've got my needs met, I'm keeping my expectation reasonable, I'm not setting my sights too high, I've got unsaved loved ones that I know are not gonna come to the table with the same fruit of the spirit that I'm going to come in. And it is an opportunity for us to really lay down our wants and our needs, make Jesus the reason for the season and pray about the right people, family members, to open the door to and I think that's like a whole nother podcast in and of itself. Knowing when to open the door to family members that reject Christ or their lifestyle puts you in conflict.

Speaker 2: 19:17

And you know, Mary, it may not even be a rejection. It's just a different opinion, a different viewpoint.

Speaker 3: 19:23

It's just not living for the Lord.

Speaker 2: 19:26

We have to be so careful when we say certain things. We don't wanna come across as haters. We don't wanna come across speaking a Christianese language about this. But if there are values of a family member that are different than the values that we hold dear to, it doesn't have to be all spiritual, just values in general. If there are difference of values and the person, because they're blood family, you still want to celebrate the holidays with them. If you're put preparing in advance, maybe you could say all right, you know what I may not. I may not because I don't want tension and friction on Christmas day or Christmas Eve. Maybe I could say to this family member of mine let's go to a restaurant, you know, the second week of December to just get together for family's sake and celebrate the holidays together as family. Now, I'm not at that point. I'm not eliminating my family member that I have a different set of values with, but I am including them so that they still sense that you know we could have a difference of viewpoint about these values and I still want to love you anyway. So let's just manage these differences in a way during the holidays that is going to still allow us to celebrate each other because of our love for one another. And you might have Doesn't mean I've got to have you know, be invited or have them over to house with all the rest of the family.

Speaker 3: 21:10

No, that could cause tension. We can set ourselves up by not knowing that we can set boundaries, and we can set ourselves up to really have an awful time because we have not set those boundaries and rerouted with a good idea. What would lead us to, you know, more conflict. Give me an example A lot of families, you know they might have family members that drink a lot and at the holidays it's a time to just get together, get drunk, drink, have a party, jump in the pool, you know, in Miami, and you might have little kids and you're saying, you know, I just can't take them, we can't go because the family well, that's what you're suggesting. Find another time to love your family without making them feel like you're the Christian and now you're gonna reign on their parade. Oh, you're too. You know goody-two-shoes, so self-righteous. No, I just you can give yourself permission to set boundaries in love. They're not gonna change. That's harder for them to change. And not drink at their party to accommodate you versus. You know that's probably not the best environment for our family, but so let's do something else. Let's get together during the day where there's not a lot of drinking. So there's just ways around it to reduce the conflict.

Speaker 2: 22:20

Yeah, that's why we're trying to prepare in advance. What about planning ahead with events, shows, trips, all of that? You got the like in our church environment. You know we're gonna have programs. You got your whole shopping deal going on. How important is it then to plan ahead for those?

Speaker 3: 22:38

It's very important because what we have found as a family that the more the holiday is filled with things we're doing at the church like the Christmas show, the single moms event all of our family serves at all these events. We're doing big pop-up days. Everything is to reach the community. We do it Thanksgiving, the turkey days where single moms come, we do the shop with a cup. We do all of that and our families involved. When we have not done those things, we felt like the holiday was empty because we just left it to fit our need. But when we were active in all those activities which is why we start early, because we say let's fill up the holiday with opportunities to give back, opportunities to get the family together that aren't just on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. So, like the Christmas show, when we first decided I said to the kids I wanna do a Christmas show, they were like you're crazy, mom, there's. No, we can't cram one more thing in. Now they can't imagine the holiday without the Christmas show Because it really is kind of a diversion. It fills your cup but you're also giving back, you're serving other people and if you plan enough in advance, all that gets on your calendar and it gives you things to find joy in that aren't just crazy family related or that one time slot that you're trying to make it all happen at once.

Speaker 2: 23:56

Well planning a trip requires you gotta do it in advance. Make sure and I guess preparing or planning it is really getting your brain around it. Okay, are we gonna do this when we're gonna head out of town? What kind of hotels? Whatever we're gonna do, that eliminates the stress from the last minute deal. Take last minute trips. Sometimes that's a little stressful, but that's good to consider all that now, what family members you're gonna stop by and visit, and so forth all of that is really important.

Speaker 3: 24:24

Well, can I interject there something we did this year, because we've got two new couples and there's a lot of adjustment to that.

Speaker 2: 24:31

Yeah, so what are we doing?

Speaker 3: 24:32

And we decided back in. I looked at the date back in August. The two singles in the house said can we not be home for Christmas because it is such a major change? And we said, yes, let's do something different. So we found a city we know we love that we could drive to, and we went. I booked hotel rooms months ago and just for the four of us we've got our whole trip planned. But we also knew that as we got closer and things changed, we could change them. But we had our trip booked with a little exit strategy if we needed to. But the beautiful part about that is it keeps us always remembering we have that trip ahead of us and that's gonna be fun. For the first time in all these years it's just gonna be four of us, I know, but we planned that early enough where we're not scrambling with all the feelings and the emotion as we get closer to Christmas, where it's glaring. There's so many changes this year.

Speaker 2: 25:28

Yeah, your gifts, your food when you're going to an event or, like we're right now, on Thanksgiving. But how are you planning food for the event? Are you including other family members?

Speaker 3: 25:42

Oh yeah.

Speaker 2: 25:43

Instead of just making it all about the home, your pressure providing all of that. How are you sharing the plans for that?

Speaker 3: 25:51

Well, I'm not a control freak, unless it's Thanksgiving lunch and I want certain things on the menu. Why?

Speaker 2: 25:57

are you looking at me that way?

Speaker 3: 25:58

Because people have listened to the podcast, so they know. I will say, though that is something that, as I've gotten older, I would rather have peace and a good time than the perfect meal and asking for help. Again, this goes back to strategy and planning. Asking for help where there's a menu, there's a schedule, even when a lot of people come together at our house and there's a lot of free time because they're all staying over, having a schedule, we're going to have breakfast at 10 o'clock, you know, and then in the afternoon there's free time, and then in the evening we're gonna do a tea hour or wine hour, and different ones are gonna oversee that, because we've got a big family and we have a farmhouse and people like to come to that, but I can't be the only one in the kitchen and it's not fair. So, communication, asking for help, letting the other family members know if you're coming this is what we need you to do and sharing the load financially. It just helps when you have those open dialogues and you make those plans, everybody enjoys the time together more, even putting on the day schedule, game hour, you know, and they can come.

Speaker 2: 27:13

Wow, for someone not that organizing you would do that. Well, we've got it before.

Speaker 3: 27:20

Yeah, where we're gonna do games for the family and who wants to play movie time? We're gonna do a movie at nine o'clock, you know, for whoever wants to come down, those little things you go. My family doesn't need that, whatever, and you'd be surprised. You're right that when you plan it and you make it fun like that, then it just it makes all the difference in the world If you're a family of four or if you're a family of 40, incorporate that For all the non-Americans listening.

Speaker 2: 27:48

Thanksgiving day, from about two to four, is nap time, so you definitely need to schedule in your naps after all that turkey.

Speaker 3: 27:57

Yes, we need to put the nap on the schedule.

Speaker 2: 28:00

For sure, for sure, I would say. Even as you prepare in advance for your food, why don't you prepare in advance for your decor around your house? Now, I'm not crazy about getting outside and lighting up the house, the fence, the front porch, christmas tree, all that stuff. That's not my go-to at all. It's like more work. But thinking about it in advance, okay, helps me kind of manage. Well, I don't have to do it all in one day, that's right. I'm going to do it all on one. You know, once Friday I can do a little bit on the day off, and then the next Friday I can do a little bit more and get it done early enough so that you're able to enjoy it. Here's our goal at Christmas. As a family, we want to wring out the rag of Christmas so much that when we are done with Christmas we can't wait to throw the Christmas tree away and burn it up because-. They're based a new year. Yes, All of the decorations around the house we just want to throw away instead of pack them, because we have taken every ounce of Christmas out of Christmas, and that's good because we're starting early, but that's important, you know. Think about your home, doing it with the kids, how that works, how you encourage the spirit of it and not do sometimes like I would do oh my gosh and complain and not have the right Christmas attitude about it all.

Speaker 3: 29:28

Can I just say, can I just interject here too? Of course you will. Hallmark channel, yeah, taught us something that even the unfested people that don't decorate their homes themselves love it, because Hallmark is the number one watch show during the holidays. As a matter of fact, it's what is it? October 27th today, something like that, and Hallmark's already launched all their Christmas shows. It's already started, steve. Can you imagine? Yeah, can you believe it? Yeah, you and the girls already on the couch. I'm obsessed with it. You are, but what's great about that is it again, it gives you that pace where it all just doesn't rush at you at once, but it shows that people do love it. They do love the festivity of it and I'm happy to sacrifice and be that person.

Speaker 2: 30:13

When did you start going and buying the stuff in Atlanta that you saw? June, june, june, and they told you you were actually late.

Speaker 3: 30:21

They said January is when you shop for the next year at Christmas time.

Speaker 2: 30:24

So our Christmas will actually spill over into January 2022.

Speaker 3: 30:31

See senior.

Speaker 2: 30:33

So that you can get the church ready for next year. That's crazy, I know. Here's something before we close this out. Mary, what about an outreach? Putting scheduling an outreach somewhere within your month to serve others, but what do you think about that?

Speaker 3: 30:51

I think every single family, whether it's a single mom, a single dad, married couple needs to plan something with their family to go and be a blessing. There are so many opportunities that you can go and really that's what your kids are gonna remember anyway, because that hits our soul when we have an opportunity to give back, whether it's at an orphanage or the Miami rescue mission.

Speaker 2: 31:18

Or a senior living facility.

Speaker 3: 31:20

Absolutely. Go buy and pass out little ornaments. There's so many opportunities. They're a phone call away. What a difference it makes in perspective for your kids that Christmas isn't just about what they get under the tree and what they're disappointed that they did not get. And you make it about other people and you let your kids know that there's a lot of people that don't have what we have at the holiday.

Speaker 2: 31:44

Takes the attention off of yourselves. It does, yeah, and it's just a principle it's better to give than it is to receive.

Speaker 3: 31:49

No doubt, if we can do that for others, your neighbors, yeah, do that you might have a lady in your neighborhood, on your street, that's an elderly lady that lives alone, that her kids aren't coming to visit her. You could find out.

Speaker 2: 32:03

Okay, I'm getting sad now.

Speaker 3: 32:04

But it's true, especially with COVID. Again, we don't know, but you could have your kids, go and tell your kids what you're doing, and we're baking cookies and we're gonna make a little meal and we're gonna take it over to her, which is one of the plus yes, Bonuses to being a part of a church community, Because your church community.

Speaker 2: 32:21

Here we're doing something at our place that is reaching out to many of our single moms, when we help them not only with food but we help them with gifts for their children. It's a big outreach that we have. We also have the Miami Rescue Mission and here we are providing a food for the homeless during the Thanksgiving season. So there's ways that you can contribute to that and even as a family, if you financially give a gift towards something like that, like one member of our church did this week, he actually had his kids sit down and write out the check. That's brilliant. Write it out, so they're explaining to their kids what they're doing and they're giving. So what does that do? It's teaching them to think outside of themselves. And I think it also I would say to our regular community of listeners if you are part of what we do here, consider looking around at others in this church community. There may be single individuals that do not have a chance to go home, maybe because of COVID restrictions, still, whatever. Maybe you want to invite them over to your home, share your home with them, share the holidays with them. If it's Christmas, bring them over for Christmas, christmas Eve, or invite friends of yours to come and join you at a church environment, because Christmas is usually a time people want to go to church. So that's good, that's a find, that church, that you want to invite somebody to come. Be a part of that. But think outside of yourself, because once we've learned a principle, what you make happen for others.

Speaker 3: 33:56

God turns around, makes happen for you.

Speaker 2: 33:58

So you want to bring joy to others. If you'll do that, then you're going to find a lot of joy being returned to you. So just think out of the box, think out and plan in advance, and you'll be able to see that this holiday season of 2021 will be one filled with much joy. Okay, I've got to go, but the last question. Here's a question for you what do you want for Christmas?

Speaker 3: 34:28

World peace? I don't know. You know what I need. You want to know what I need? Talk.

Speaker 2: 34:34

I'm giving you a chance right now. What do you want? What do you need?

Speaker 3: 34:38

I just need a new watch.

Speaker 2: 34:40

A new watch.

Speaker 3: 34:41

I need a new watch, perfect. And you know I'm good with knockoffs, I don't need anything?

Speaker 2: 34:47

No, you're not, I am too. No, you're not. They break and then we don't see them again. Okay, I know you're not going to believe this, but I want another gun.

Speaker 3: 34:54

No, come on.

Speaker 2: 34:55

Yeah, I got it all picked out. Are you kidding me? Yep, it's going to be cool, All right. Thanks for listening to another episode of the family business with the LSEs. Hopefully you were encouraged today. Thanks for joining us.

Speaker 4: 35:12

You've just enjoyed another episode of the family business podcast with the LSEs, and we can't thank you enough for being a part of our audience. Now that you've heard more about the LSEs, we want you to join in the family business, and here are four easy ways to do just that. One, make sure to follow the show right now on your app and download this episode so you can hear it at any time. Two, rate our show and leave a review. We love reading your reviews and we often share them on the show. Three, share this episode with someone who could use this advice and tell them why you enjoyed it. And lastly, four, you can go to alessefamilybusinesscom and leave us a voicemail comment or even a question, so we can answer it on a future show. We'll see you here for our next episode at the family business with the LSEs, because this family is everybody's business.