Planning and Goal Setting Part 2
“We should make plans – counting on God to direct us.” Proverbs 16:9
What if...in this season of thanksgiving…What if we thought about one person per day. One family member, one friend or one co-worker. All those on our ‘need to get a gift for’ list. Start now, before Thanksgiving, and think about one loved one per day between now and Christmas.
What if...instead of fretting over what that person might like. What you need to buy for them…
What if...you spent a whole day praying for that loved one as you thought about what type gift they would like best?
I don’t know about you but when I start to think of everything that should be done, all that needs to be bought, fixed, wrapped, shipped, mailed, stamped, baked, bundled, put together, mixed up…I tend to get a little overwhelmed.
One loved one a day between now and Christmas.
Last year, after I read this post, I decided I would give a jar of thankfulness to my grandmother. I kept a piece of paper by the coffee pot. As I washed dishes and watched children play, I thought about my grandmother. I allowed myself to think way back to my childhood. Back to making homemade pizzas in her kitchen, on those certain, well-worn baking sheets of hers. She’d let us spread the dough and get our hands all in it. We’d feast! Then, later on, the sound of her voice as she read to my brother and me at bed time those sleepover nights.
I thought about my grandmother and I wrote. Each, small snippet. Each bit of thought. And I gave it to her for Christmas. She didn’t know I’d remembered. She still will mention that jar of thankfulness. All because I allowed myself the pleasure. To stop and think.
And, for years, my children have enjoyed playing with the cement mixer Tonka truck from my brother’s childhood. Now, my brother has a son of his own. So my husband and my son spent some time restoring it. Sanding away the rust of the years, painting, polishing to be sure it would be safe for a two-year-old. My brother told me about a week ago how much my nephew still enjoys that truck. The truck he played with in the sandbox at the same age.
What difference could we make in the life of aunts, uncles, parents, children – if we prayed, off and on, as we thought throughout a whole day – one loved one each day? I’ve found, through this habit, that the gifts I settle on tend to be meaningful gifts. Usually less expensive than what I first thought.
But rich with love.
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- We start off in November by filling Operation Christmas Child boxes.
- My favorite: Gathering Joy – filling a jar with slips of thanksgiving to honor a parent or grandparent. And also from Holy Experience, Joyful Mothering.
- Meaningful Gifts
- Fun, Easy, Frugal Gift Ideas
- Big Cook – spending a day mixing up food gifts
- Three Gifts for Christmas – the guideline we follow for gifts for our five children
Love it. It is always good to slow down and think on why we are thankful for the people in our lives!! Thanks for sharing the other links!!!
I love this! Thank you for sharing, every year my husband,children and I get together before Christmas and have a Christmas breakfast usually. We chose a while back that the gifts should be homemade. Last year, we made bath salts and mocha mix in a jar. I have also done a journal jar for her. For my parents last year, we made a DVD for my parents with songs and pictures from our childhood and some from their childhood, it was so special to them, especially my Dad because both of his parents have gone on to Heaven.
Oh Tricia, this is just precious. My grandma is 84 and I am thinking I will do this for her for Christmas plus a gift card to a bookstore (she and I share a love for reading). Thanks!
Thanks Angie! Jenny – The thankfulness jar is a blessing both ways! Love it. Felina – your DVD idea is great – what a treasure!