friday five: the seasonal string around my finger

At RevGals Kathryn writes: It's a busy season and our minds get caught up in lots of different things. We all know that especially during this time of year we have to be intentional about the things that are important or we can lose them. What are five things you try to be intentional about, whether it be for this season specifically or in general?

1) This year I am trying to be intentional about making a daily record of what this season means to me. I have a great childhood to thank for implanting in my being a love for Advent--long before I understood what Advent was about. We had family traditions that practically overflow the memory banks, and I love each and every one of them. As an adult without children of my own I haven't been able to continue those traditions n the same way, but I do carry them in my heart with deep affection, and now with grandchildren I can do a little something here and there to extend the joy.

2) During this season I try to think of special things to do for the people who have touched my life during the year. This year I have colleagues for the first time in a long time, and I am enjoying "plotting" little things to do to acknowledge that I am grateful for them.

3) I am a Pinterest junkie, and I am endeavoring to implement some of the great ideas that I have pinned on my various boards. I've actually pulled off a couple of them, one of which was the wreath I made for my daughter-in-law for her birthday. (see photo). I'll actually have a two week break from work at Christmas, and my plan is to use that time to implement even more of the great ideas that inspire me.

4) Regardless of season, I am making an effort to stop myself from saying things "bluntly," and taking the time to reframe what needs to be said in a way that doesn't come across as critical or negative. There are some people in my life that tend to provoke blunt reactions, so my goal is to improve those relationships by taking the edge off how I sometimes respond.

5) There have been some significant changes in my world this year, and I want to be intentional about communicating to the people who were/are part of the good things that have come about how much I value those good things.


Bonus: I am trying to live from a place of gratitude more often, and so far, that hasn't been hard. I'm praying that the discipline of being rooted in gratitude will have life-changing consequences.