Thursday, December 27, 2012

Grown Up Christmas List

So...even though I don't prefer Amy Grant's music (or voice or...her in general), the Grown Up Christmas List song always kinda got to me.

And now Michael Buble croons it. And my, my, my...my heart both soars and aches at the same time.

I've been working on my Grown Up Christmas List since about the first week of December. It's come together quite slowly, and I have been humbled and happy to learn that I might be growing up a bit. This is the first time in a long time that I didn't really WANT anything for Christmas. I mean, sure, it's fun to open presents. Especially when they're personal and thoughtful. But I'm more of a quality time person, anyway.

This year, though...in light of all that's going on in the world around us and the chaos that just is constantly swirling...I want things that aren't THINGS.

So here you are, friends, my grown up Christmas list.


  • My kids to be happy. And not with the gifts under the tree. I mean...happy. With us, with life, with what we have, with non-tangible things, relationships, each other, and most of all with themselves.
  • My kids to experience joy. Real joy that is not based on circumstances but on the basis that we are so very blessed.
  • My family to have quality time together. Screen-less time. Giggles, stories, and memories made.
  • Us all to be healthy, though I realize this is relative and can change in the blink of a moment. But I don't want to take advantage or for granted these happy & healthy days we have.
  • I want this world to stop selling things to my kids. I want my 6 year old to realize what good he has  instead of seeing what he doesn't have.
  • To fill my children's hearts with compassion. I want them to love without cause, and I want them to give out of a heart overflowing with Jesus.
  • To learn content~ness, which apparently isn't a word. {Contentedness is what "they" want me to change it to, but that just sounds fluffy...}
  • Children to never fear walking into school or a mall or a park.
  • Friends to know they are loved by my actions/words.
  • Marriages to be peaceful and purposeful...not at all revolved around children, but around Jesus.
  • A church that is only concerned with the things Jesus is concerned with.
  • Orphans to be loved and adopted.
  • The unlovable to feel loved.
  • To be generous when we can, as people have been generous to us.
  • To stress less. I want to enjoy days, even when they're rough. {If you know me, you know I REALLY struggle with this.} I want to learn to go with the flow and take things as they come.
  • Ruby's adoption to be final. But yet, I want peace for her birth parents. This can't be easy for them.
  • Broken hearts to be mended. That those that have lost loved ones would savor memories instead of pain...and that there would be no regrets. If there are regrets, may we learn to swallow them and move on and use them as fuel for our current friendships and relationships.
  • Hatred to just...go away. That we would love one another and TRULY be Jesus to our world {instead of trying to be God's judge here on earth}.
  • Families to be whole
  • People to be passionate about things that matter.
  • Peace...in the world, in our country, in our corrupt state, our little village, and our home.
  • Those that I love to seek. Truly seek God. The Word is truly the only way to do this.


And even though my list will probably continue to grow, I will use this as a basis to reliaze what is important...in my family, church, and relationships. And though I don't do resolutions well (who does?!), I will set goals slowly and prayerfully, hoping that a few of these things will be in 2013.

And to tickle your ears...here you go...


What's on your Grown Up Christmas List?

1 comment:

  1. As always I love the love that fills your heart and spirit! A perfect list I even teared up at the compassion you feel towards knowing it will be hard on Rubys birth parents but just like with my situation they have to know deep down in there hearts Ruby is right where she needs to be with a happy healthy family! Happy New Year Jos
    Love ya LeeAnn

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