Is it seriously already December? How did that even happen? November came and went like a flash. Remember back to the beginning of November when I wrote about developing an attitude of gratitude? You can find that blog post here.

Blessings

As I looked back over my thankfulness journal, I noticed a very distinct pattern of blessings. Most of my blessings that I’m most thankful for were people. My family, my friends, my pastor, my community, my co-workers…. Other things that I was most thankful for was time – the long weekend, time spent with my hubby, time relaxing on a Saturday morning.

Gifts

As we move into the busiest time of the year, I have made a very profound decision. If time and people are the most important blessings in my life, shouldn’t I then focus on giving people the blessing of time and people for Christmas? We often spend so much time shopping for a special gift for each person. What in the world can I get _________? How much should I spend on __________? Will they even remember what I get them? Do they remember what I gave them last year? Do I even remember what I gave them last year?

Making memories

Last year, we took a family trip to the beach as part of the kid’s Christmas gift. We had such a great time spending precious time with each other. If I asked my kids or grandkids about last Christmas, would they remember one thing that they received from us? I think they would think back to last Christmas and remember going to the Gaylord Ice exhibit because that was time that we spent together, but I really doubt they could tell me about a gift they received. I can promise, however, that each family member, even the little girls, can tell me a memory that they made on the beach last summer. So this year we are forgoing gifts for the adults. We are going to spend the money that we would’ve used to buy Christmas gifts and instead, invest it another family vacation. We can call this the gift of making memories!

Four gifts

Christmas is for kids, of course, so there will still be gifts under the tree. However, I’m going to try really hard this year to only get each grandchild four gifts: something to wear, something to read, something they want and something they need.

My Christmas wish is that our children and grandchildren will develop strong memories of a family that laughs together and has a good time together. The greatest gifts don’t come from a store!

Christmas wishes

Speaking of Christmas wishes, I’m working on another challenge for the month of December. During the month of November, I gave you a challenge to write down your blessing each day. For December, I challenge you to write down a Christmas wish each day of the month. These wishes can be material things if you choose. However, if you are like me, you don’t need anything that comes from a store. My wish list will be a reflection of what I discovered that I was most thankful for in November.

December challenge

Will you join me in the December challenge? Let’s create a life of thankfulness and blessings to those around us. When God sent His only Son to earth, He knew that gifts didn’t need to come from a store. May you experience a meaningful Christmas this year as you focus less on what to buy for others and more on what matters most!  Merry Christmas!

Be Blessed,