Monday 3-2-1: 12/21/20

Hey there! Thanks for joining me on this Monday as I share more new & favorite things I’ve been loving!

3 Tips (for ending the year)

1. Make a 2020 Good List. Instead of filling our mind and time dwelling on all the hard things this year has brought, we should sit down and write all of the good things we’ve seen happen. Check out this instagram post from Risen Motherhood’s Laura Wifler for more inspiration on the #2020GoodList.
2. Intentionally set aside some time with your spouse to write a family mission statement. I’ll be writing more on this topic in 2021, but this article by Focus on the Family is an excellent place to help you begin. (Single? Kids already out of the house? You can still write a mission statement for what you want your life to be about!)
3. As you celebrate the arrival of the Christ Child at Christmas this week, do whatever it takes to think about eternity. Go visit a family member’s graveside, sit outside in silence by yourself for a few minutes, listen to David Platt’s podcast The Urgency of Eternity, or read a psalm aloud together as a family that points your eyes to the future to come. May our celebrations be practice rehearsals that the story is not yet over, and the final feasting is still to come.

2 Things I’m loving

1. This Outdoor Advent Calendar by 1,000 Hours Outside. Considering it’s already Christmas week, I’ll save this resource in my Christmas folder for next year. (These are also just really fun outdoor activities you could save for that really long month of January too!) Hint: Your older kids will love these ideas too!
2. This rendition of Away in the Manger by Phil Wickham.

1 Quick Thought

BE PRESENT

“All things are lawful for me,”
but not all things are helpful.
“All things are lawful for me,”
but I will not be dominated by anything. . . .
“All things are lawful,”
but not all things build up.
—Apostle Paul

While it’s easy to busy ourselves with the buying and giving of presents this Christmas season, it is much harder to actually BE PRESENT with our families. I’m writing this knowing I need to hear it just as much as anyone else. More than anything material I’ve gifted my children this year, the BEST THING I can offer them is a genuine relationship. Putting away my phone, making eye contact, engaging in conversations, asking questions, listening well, and being intentionally present will have far more lasting impacts than that toy they really wanted.

Take your pictures, remember the Christmas pajamas and morning cinnamon rolls, and then consider not posting your life on the social media squares. Because isn’t that the point of it all? It’s your life.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours,

~Emily | Little Roots Co.