Christmas greetings!
As
I sat down to write this letter, unsure of how to start, a glimpse of the
spiral next to my computer with my “gift list” caught my eye. I started my “gift list” around this time two
years ago after reading Ann Voskamp’s book One
Thousand Gifts — A Dare To Live Fully Right Where You Are. Since then, I’ve listed not just 1,000 but
almost 3,000 gifts that the Lord has blessed me with. And through this process, I’ve learned to
notice the little things in each day that I know He intended just for me
because they speak to my heart. Some of
the highlights from this past year include:
·
Finding just the right person to give my
Christmas Jar to last year.
·
New friends the Lord has placed in my
path, many of whom are much younger than me (it’s such grace that they even
think I’m relevant or interesting!).
·
Getting the opportunity to host family
and friends several times over the summer because I’m still in my house.
·
Financial provision when, in a
three-week span, the air conditioner in my house was struck by lightning (which
was not covered by the warranty) and my more-than-twelve-year-old car retired.
·
Being able to attend three Longhorn
football games.
·
My mother’s retirement after 43.5 years
at Warm Springs Rehabilitation Hospital.
·
Continuing to find treasures in His Word
that encourage my heart, like this from Habakkuk 2:3:
“For still the vision awaits its
appointed time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely
come; it will not delay.”
·
Having Erin home for Thanksgiving for
the first time in five years.
·
Anticipating giving my Christmas Jar to someone
in need this Christmas.
Ann Voskamp writes,
“All’s grace,” and encourages readers to give thanks in all circumstances. So I’m slowly learning to identify and be
thankful for those things that are hard to be thankful for, like when the Lord
uses something to humble me or gives me circumstances that I wouldn’t have
chosen.
I hope that you and
your family have experienced abundant blessings from the Lord throughout 2012
and that you take time during the seasons of Advent and Christmas to thank Him
for all of the little ways that He has blessed you as you celebrate the
ultimate Gift, the birth of Jesus.
Merry
Christmas!
Alyssa
