5 Christmas Wishes

Well, HOWDY!

I have recently been tagged by the FABULOUS lady behind Mom's World to do a fun little post about Christmas wishes! I've been waiting all week to share with you what my 5 Christmas Wishes are and to tag the next five people to carry on the tradition. Here's how it works: I will share mine, if you will share yours! List out your five wishes for Christmas (tangible or intangible); (funny or serious) and let's spread a little holiday cheer! I've chosen five blogs that I just LOVE to PIECES in hopes that they will play along. Even if you're not tagged, you can play along too! Just leave a link to your blog post in the comments and I promise to read and promote it on my facebook page!  My five lucky ladies are. . . .Shinnanigans, Dollops of Diane, This Family Sojourns, Carpool Goddess, and Me and My Soldierman. Check out each one of their fantastic blogs and lets get to linking up and making new friends!

Here are Miss Banana Pants' 5 Christmas Wishes for 2012: 

Comfort. I know that everyone is not oblivious to what happened today in Newton, CT. This is the most significant school massacre in US history. I'm not being pretentious by saying that my greatest wish this Christmas is for "comfort". Comfort for the families who will be spending the holidays mourning the loss of their little boy or girl. Teachers mourning the loss of their colleagues and best friends. Children mourning the loss of their best buddies, as well as their security and sense of peace in a place that was once calm and orderly. I spent the better part of the afternoon by myself, just praying for comfort for all these above and also for myself. You see, I have a kindergartner. Today this happened in Newton, Connecticut, but it could have just as easily been Edmond, Oklahoma. Tragedy is happening all over the world right now because desperate, angry people need to be comforted by God's love. They need to know Hope. My heart aches for the victims, it aches for all of us who now feel scared and insecure, and it aches for those few people who live all around us at this very minute who think that events like today are their last resort. People should never be without hope. Without love. Without comfort. So if I could only have ONE wish, it would be that people everywhere this holiday season could know the hope that I have. That NOTHING is beyond the scope of hope and that they would experience supernatural comfort that only God can give in a time like this.  We need an awakening, friends. I wish that every last one of you would seek God and truly be comforted. This comfort comes in having a personal relationship with the Living God. He didn't cause this, nor is He surprised by it. It grieves Him as much as it grieves all of us. He desperately wishes that you could experience His love and His comfort and His healing. If any of you have questions about what a relationship with God truly means, I would LOVE to walk through this with you. Just message me at michelle@missbananapants.com.  And may God comfort you and your families during the holidays. 

An Uninterrupted Potty Break. Now I know what you're thinking. MBP, you're expectations are too high. You may be right. I've not successfully had an uninterrupted potty break since 2007. But wouldn't it be nice to escape into the bathroom to do my motherly business and experience heavenly peace and quiet?! Is it too much to ask to do my duty (doody. . .see what I did there?!) without another set of arms and legs in the way? Just once, I would like to close the door and not have persistent knocking and questions coming from the other side. . ."Mommy, what are you doing in there? Can I come in? Is there poop? I need to go potty TOO! Let me in, Mommy! I want to flush for you. . ." It's deafening. So yes, it seems like not much, but I would love to be able to pee in peace for the holidays. What a gift of privacy that would be!!

A Bikini Body. That's right. I know it's superficial and it's what's on the inside that matters most and I agree with every bit of that. My insides are just fine, thanks. But I would like my abs back, please. I would love to be able to throw on a bathing suit and run through the sprinklers in the yard with my kiddos without the neighbors gawking in horror at the jiggle-ation. Yes, jiggle-ation is a "thing". I've not entirely let myself go and I don't have a horrible body image. I just miss the me that got lost underneath all the stretch marks and extra skin and would really love to be proud, once again when I looked in the mirror. What wife wouldn't like to be "the trophy wife" for their husband?! It may seem petty, but it would save me a lot of headache (and back ache and hip ache) if I could have my thin, bikini body back without all the foot work involved. Going to the gym and running and eating properly. . .ain't nobody got time for that! Let this be one of my five wishes, Lord. And don't give me grief about it. . .

Unity. On a more serious note, I crave unity among my friends and family. So many times we find that we don't see eye to eye of the meaningless subjects. I'm not trying to say that certain issues aren't important, but I feel in general that there is a greater need for unity in our church, in our families, in our circles of influence. We need to remember that we were all made in the same image and no one person is more important than the other. Nor are so many of the little things cause for dissension. "Divided we fall". . .it's something we should be more mindful of. There are certain truths that we need to live by and let the little things go, the things that cause arguments and hatred and anger to rise up in us because our friends don't always feel the same convictions. We are a people of diversity, but we are supposed to be unified in love. Love for God and love for others. There's no need to judge. It's never been our job. There's also never a need to publicly criticize a brother or sister's way in order that people will see that you and I are doing it "the right way". So, my fourth wish would be for unity and grace and that we would all remember that the little things aren't the main things. We are all family. 

New Life-Changing Experiences. Isn't it amazing when you experience something for the first time and it literally changes the course of your life?! I've had numerous moments like this throughout my 31 years (yes, I said it. I'm no spring chicken!) that have been monumental and goosebump-worthy and I crave more of them. My last wish is that there would be some more of those "A-Ha!-Moments" in the near future. I want to be challenged and stretched and I want to get to the end of this life with no more talent and no more energy left because I literally used everything God gave me. I want more of those moments of glory where everything suddenly makes sense and you see things from a whole new perspective. Whether it's accomplishing goals, seeing new places, doing something that I never thought possible, experience a miracle, or just come to the next major crossroads, I just wish for more earth-shattering moments to add to my history. Those are the moments that I live for. 

And there you have it! Those are my five Christmas wishes! Now it's YOUR turn! Remember to post a link to your "5 Christmas Wishes" blog post in the comments below so others can check it out. I can't wait to see what you all come up with!! Let's spread the holiday cheer! 

Have a FantABULOUS weekend, amigas!