For those of you following my blog, a few posts ago you may remember that I put up a winter Bucket List. Upon pondering the holiday this morning I realized that I had a few things to mark off. Some of these were accomplished with knowledge by my own part that it was happening, but others…were a sweet sweet surprise to my soul. Some of them happened exactly how I had imagined, and others were God’s way of giving me patience but still answering the dreams of my heart. I wanted to share with you my progress so far :) so here it goes:
CHECK! 1. I wish to dance in the snow with someone I love. (I got to hold the most precious angel of a baby and dance INSIDE while it was snowing OUTSIDE…I consider this a victory!)
2. I wish to have full days where I do not have to work and all I am responsible for is watching Christmas movies with my sister, drinking hot cocoa, laughing hard, crying some, and loving every minute. (This day might possibly be happening today as it is the first day in months I have had no work, nowhere to go, and nothing specific to do!)
SEMI-CHECK! 3. I wish to shop with my family in the horrific chaos that is Black Friday-for there are no better Christmas memories than tackling this feat! (I went alone to shop on Black Friday and experienced the chaos by myself-but was VERY successful none the less.)
CHECK! 4. I wish to listen to the best Christmas music, while decorating a house/tree, singing at the top of my lungs, and dancing in Christmas pajamas. (My Treece family and I did this a few days before Christmas and it was one of the best memories I will hold near and dear to my heart.)
SEMI-CHECK! 5. I wish to read a Christmas story to a precious child, and watch as the magic I feel for this wonderful time spreads to their heart, too. (I did not read a Christmas story to a child, but my sister made up a Christmas story and told it to me. It was about Bert the Elf who lived in Canada. He wears Doc Martin boots, drives a Prius, and works at Burger King. I was a pretty hysterical story that definitely deserves a check off the ole Bucket List!)
6. I wish to be driving home on a very cold, enchanted winter night, turn on Delilah and hear my favorite Christmas song! (I sadly did not hear my favorite Christmas Song on Delilah. Breath of Heaven (also Mary Did You Know). I find myself constantly connecting with Mary and love so much the songs that talk about her journey, her thoughts, and her heart.)
CHECK! 7. I wish to give a very special and meaningful gift to someone who needs it. (I gave a very special and meaningful gift to someone. I don’t know if they needed it, but they got it. And in return from someone completely different, I also received a very special and meaningful gift!)
CHECK! 8. I wish to sing with my church family at our Southwest Family Christmas and continue spreading the Christmas cheer. (I don’t know about spreading Christmas cheer because that was the night I got the stomach flu, but I DID perform at our SW Family Christmas and had a blast!)
CHECK! 9. I wish to carol beautifully in the downtown park during the Christmas parade, joined by those in the crowd, wishing to send the enchanted melodies high into the crisp night air. (This was a wonderfully enchanted evening.)
CHECK! 10. I wish to have an enchanted experience with community during the community production of "A Christmas Carol"--maybe even getting to share Jesus with people I am serving alongside, who might not truly understand why this holiday is so important. (***It is so special reading this now, because I had forgotten it was on my Bucket List at all. But during lunch between a Saturday matinee and Saturday night show, I got to sit in a circle with about 6 other amazing Christians and share testimonies! Individually we went around the circle and got to share how God has been working in our lives, from ages 13-50. I was AMAZING. After that, in the dressing room while doing vocal warmup, we busted out some Christ Tomlin “How Great is Our God” and it was the most blessed experience. I feel HONORED to have met those wonderful people and to have been a part of that show!)
CHECK! 11. I wish to see someone accept Jesus Christ and take Him on as Lord and Savior. (I got to see a SWEET little angel named Priscilla take on Christ as her Lord and Savior. She radiates God’s love and is so on fire for the Lord. I am very blessed to know her and to be with her during this crucial and amazing time in her life!)
CHECK! 12. I want to witness a God-encounter (whether my own, or someone else's) (** I had the most amazing few days of a God encounter (that is on a previous blog) and was literally touched by His hand and so certain of His presence in my life!)
13. I wish to fall in love...and I wish for the very first time in my life to be truly kissed under a mistletoe, or when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve.
14. I wish to make snowmen and snow angels with all 3 of my sisters.
15. I wish to drive around looking at Christmas lights with my family, listening to the Veggie Tales Christmas album (because they tell me it's so amazing!)
(I hope this is a work in constant progress) 16. I wish to come out of this holiday season with more patience, more love, more compassion, and more of what will make me more like my Love, Jesus Christ.
17. I truly wish that after the holiday season I will be more at peace accepting the things I do not know, and live each day serving and loving the best I can, while waiting on the Lord to tell me what to do next.
18. I wish to hold hands with the man I know I will spend the rest of my life with.
CHECK! 19. I wish to laugh so hard I cry. (What a WONDERFUL thing!)
20. I wish to ring in the new year in love, with love, and learning learn. For love is the human project, and the ONLY thing in this world that truly matters.
I am certain that the things not checked, will indeed happen. Maybe not this holiday season, maybe not next, but someday. And while I wait for love I will grow in the love I am surrounded by everyday by my family, by my friends, and by my true Love-Jesus Christ. So Bucket List....until we meet again...
In Him,
Meg
