Happy New Year! The new year is a time when many of us think about setting new goals. And many of our goals — expressions of the kinds of people we want to be — are shaped by the people around us whose examples we want to follow.

Fittingly, the virtue for January is the Pacesetter — the one who sets an example for others by following the example of Christ.

With Thanksgiving so late this year it’s easy for Advent to sneak up on us! Don’t worry, we’ve got your back, and are bringing back our family oriented Advent devotional for you to use as a tool in your home again this season.

Have you ever played rock-paper-scissors to see who gets to go last—or to see who gets to sit in the backseat?

My college roommate would yell “backseat!” every time the two of us rode with another diver. He also had the unique custom of tipping the ice cream server for his milkshake at Baskin Robbins. He explained, “Think about it…you tip the bartender, and all they do is knock the top off of a bottle. The person making your milkshake spends so much more time with your order.” He was a strong, yet empathetic leader in college and continues to be one now. I think that growing up in a household of four kids taught him that life was about much more than him—and these lessons have had a great deal to do with his success.

A little help navigating all there is to do for your kids.

Birthday parties. Sports games and practices. Music recitals and lessons. Tutoring. Help in homeroom. Classroom events. Chapel. Help with homework. Parenting events. Robotics. Scouts. Lunch with your child. After-school adventures.

And that is just part of a list for one child at one school. You might also have just as much to do for other children, as well as plans as a family, taking care of other relatives, neighborhood gatherings, and church and social commitments. Not to mention the fact that you work and need some personal downtime every now and then.

If you are like most parents, you may feel overwhelmed by all there is to do. You may even feel anxiety or guilt over not doing some of the things available to you and your kids.