Comments on: How To Make A Christmas List http://shaungroves.com/2012/12/how-to-make-a-christmas-list/ Official site of Shaun Groves - musician, speaker, advocate for children living in poverty Sat, 25 May 2013 01:34:27 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Patty Giorgio http://shaungroves.com/2012/12/how-to-make-a-christmas-list/#comment-48738 Patty Giorgio Thu, 20 Dec 2012 04:52:36 +0000 http://shaungroves.com/?p=12363#comment-48738 Absolutely beautiful story Shaun. Thank you for sharing and reminding us how abundantly blessed we are. Merry Christmas dear friend.
You and your family are so special to me and will always be. OH WHAT YOU’VE DONE WITH YOUR LIFE…I’m so proud of you and so blessed to know you. Love to all, Patty Giorgio

]]> By: the winter of my discontent | making life http://shaungroves.com/2012/12/how-to-make-a-christmas-list/#comment-48690 the winter of my discontent | making life Thu, 13 Dec 2012 21:17:20 +0000 http://shaungroves.com/?p=12363#comment-48690 [...] “giving lists” instead, and know the joy of sharing with others.   I want them to make lists of blessings they already have.   I want them to know that Christmas is not about a man who’ll give you [...]

]]> By: Beth http://shaungroves.com/2012/12/how-to-make-a-christmas-list/#comment-48630 Beth Sat, 08 Dec 2012 04:21:29 +0000 http://shaungroves.com/?p=12363#comment-48630 I don’t see anything wrong with gift-giving at Christmas time. Why is it that because it’s not “our birthday,” we cannot receive a gift or gifts? God is the ultimate gift-giver! He gave us His Son! In giving gifts to others at Christmastime, it is a chance to model the giving of God to us. Our family focus is on Christ and His birth, His putting on of human skin while remaining fully God. We also give gifts to each other, and do for others outside our family as well. The kids are always excited to get the letters that come from our sponsored children after Christmas to see what they received from our gift-giving. Is that wrong? Not at all. It’s great for all of us to be mindful of all we have, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to want things. It’s where our heart is in those things that makes it good or bad.

]]> By: Jill Foley http://shaungroves.com/2012/12/how-to-make-a-christmas-list/#comment-48627 Jill Foley Fri, 07 Dec 2012 23:55:08 +0000 http://shaungroves.com/?p=12363#comment-48627 Our girls get a few gifts from us at Christmas, but we do a lot of talking about the gifts God has already given us and also how we can give gifts to God.

In November my girls started a “thankful journal” and we’ve continued with it – writing down a “gift” we are thankful for. I’m not sure what twist I’ll give it in January, but I love taking a moment to pause and think about all we’ve been given.

]]> By: Julie http://shaungroves.com/2012/12/how-to-make-a-christmas-list/#comment-48626 Julie Fri, 07 Dec 2012 19:41:42 +0000 http://shaungroves.com/?p=12363#comment-48626 I totally agree with you Rebekah. Reading this post made me sad. I feel there is this weird guilt trip going right now in Christian circles on getting your kids gifts and even having a traditional “Santa” gift. Can’t there be BOTH the joy of embracing gift-giving as a reflection of God’s gift of Jesus, AND emphasizing that Jesus is the gift? I have teenagers now and they definitely get that emphasis in our home and we still have fun making wishes for Christmas. I hesitated to comment because people were so gushingly supportive, but I was glad someone else offered a counter-perspective.

]]> By: Sheila Warner http://shaungroves.com/2012/12/how-to-make-a-christmas-list/#comment-48625 Sheila Warner Fri, 07 Dec 2012 19:01:00 +0000 http://shaungroves.com/?p=12363#comment-48625 Listening. That’s the greatest gift we can give our children. I learned that far too late in life. My children are now grown and we have good relationships, but when they were little I was not a compassionate person at all. Thanks for this great post. We only have a short time with our children, who are God’s gifts to us. May all of us remember the huge responsibility we have, and may we always show God’s love to them as they grow. Keep up the good work. Your kids will thank you when they are grown.

]]> By: Shaun Groves http://shaungroves.com/2012/12/how-to-make-a-christmas-list/#comment-48617 Shaun Groves Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:09:31 +0000 http://shaungroves.com/?p=12363#comment-48617 I’ve written quite a lot about gift giving here: http://shaungroves.com/series/going-giftless/

]]> By: Rebekah http://shaungroves.com/2012/12/how-to-make-a-christmas-list/#comment-48616 Rebekah Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:52:33 +0000 http://shaungroves.com/?p=12363#comment-48616 I totally disagree. God has given us many and all gifts. Look around you. God is generous; God wants us to enjoy all things. How is it wrong to give our children gifts mirroring God’s many gifts to us? How is it wrong to show them love this way? To me, this is an awesome way to show them God’s love. I think you may be taking a bad attitude that was passed onto you from growing up and instead of sanctifying it through your experience of salvation you are trying to completely strike it from your children’s experience. Seriously, by you depriving your kids of gifts at a time when all other children are receiving gifts you are setting them up (in my humble opinion) to have bitterness toward God as they get older. When do you give your kids gifts? Why not now? As children, they are constantly growing, their interests are growing. I hope they aren’t playing/reading/discovering the same things they were as 1, 2 or 3 year olds. When do you give them new things to discover/read, etc. We don’t buy our kids lots of toys, books, games, etc. through the year. One reason being, so we can shower them with gifts at Christmas. Gifts don’t have to be useless junk – although some of those kinds of “useless junk” just b/c they want it – gifts are totally appropriate. Look at God!!! He has given us SO MUCH!!!!! God became MAN!!! Earthy!!!! I don’t know you, a friend shared your post on FB, but I just wanted to offer another perspective. Thanks. By giving gifts and celebrating God’s greatest gift, as well as his additional bountiful gifts without number, we as Christians should be the ones celebrating the LOUDEST!!!!

]]> By: Shaun Groves http://shaungroves.com/2012/12/how-to-make-a-christmas-list/#comment-48615 Shaun Groves Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:47:41 +0000 http://shaungroves.com/?p=12363#comment-48615 I thought that was “peas.” The girl loves some peas. But she says it’s “peace.”

]]> By: Marisa http://shaungroves.com/2012/12/how-to-make-a-christmas-list/#comment-48604 Marisa Thu, 06 Dec 2012 17:27:51 +0000 http://shaungroves.com/?p=12363#comment-48604 What a fabulous post. How we have to battle against the world’s pressures to keep our focus where it should be at Christmas. Love your idea of writing down what you already have – to be thankful to the one who has already given all for us. May these lessons grow deep roots in the hearts of your children and blessings to you for planting these seeds in their lives :)

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