Fresh off a Thanksgiving where we could gather once again, and on the front edge of what looks to be another busy Christmas season, I’m taking time to pause and reflect on what I most value most. I find myself increasingly grateful for my many blessings – not just possessions but blessings of all kinds.

My husband, boys, and I were coming home late from a holiday activity the night before Thanksgiving. The boys were both asleep in the back and we were listening to Christmas music. The song, “My Favorite Things,” began to play. We talked about why it gets played at Christmas time. It’s not about Christmas. We have theories, but only theories. My personal “favorite” is that it’s a wonderful time of year to think about your real favorite things, which may or may include raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens.

I spent the rest of the ride home thinking about my favorite things – the things that make me feel better when I’m feeling sad. I’m going to share a few of them here in the hopes that they encourage you to spend some quality time thinking about your own favorite things.

Many of my favorite things stem from childhood memories. I have wonderful memories of family gatherings and my small town’s Christmas parade. I remember going with my family and that tiny parade feeling so much bigger and more exciting than it would be to an adult or even to my children, who are just used to a more significant production. It was special when you knew everyone in the parade, all the kids in the high school band, and everyone lining the sidewalks under streetlights adorned with garland and giant plastic candles to watch and wait for Santa to pass. It felt like joy shared with almost everyone I knew all at once. Joy shared is high on my favorites list.

Decorating the Christmas tree with special ornaments has always been a favorite thing – especially when I was little, and my parents had a shiny silver aluminum tree straight out of the 1960s. I don’t have a beautifully decorated, fancy tree at my house. I have a tree full of hodge-podge ornaments that came from special people. Some friends of my parents bought me an angel ornament in Switzerland for my very first Christmas. It started a collection of Christmas angels that continues to grow today. I have special ones that were made or purchased for me by important people throughout my life. When I hang those ornaments each year, I feel peace in knowing that I was loved and thought of by many people through the years. That village of people that surround us plays a big part in who we are and how we feel.

One of my favorite things about Christmas is and has always been special church services. The seasonal decorations always add an element of extra special to any sanctuary. Christmas plays, choir performances, and singing Christmas songs help make the story of Jesus’ birth more poignant. No matter how often I’ve read the second chapter of Luke and heard messages about the humble birth of our savior, my faith is built more with each passing time. I am in awe every single time I slow down enough to dwell on the significance of God becoming man.

Another favorite thing is spending time with my people, especially my husband and kids. When you’re a child you don’t realize how much time, effort, and money your parents put into Christmas. I suppose that’s for the best. Many happy memories revolve around being taken to Christmas bazaars, light displays and theatrical productions. Others include making cookies and candy and activities that make a childhood special. I enjoy doing those things with my kids just as much as I did with my parents and sister. It gives me hope that my children will grow up to place more value on the meaning of Christmas and time with people they love than gifts under a tree. I hope some of them become their favorite things.

My goal is to be more intentional during this time of advent, this period of quiet preparation. I want to spend equal parts of my time remembering and looking forward in anticipation. I want to spend more time focused on the hope, faith, joy, and peace we have because of Christ, and less time worried about, well, everything else that comes with the holidays. I want to slow down and really appreciate each day for what it is – a gracious gift from God.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Friends, I pray we all slow down enough this Christmas season to appreciate our gift of salvation. If you have not accepted that gift, there is no better time. Of all the people, experiences, and noteworthy moments of my life, it is by far my favorite thing.