This is the time of year when we ask for gifts, make lists for Santa and others in our life with the hope and a simple child-like faith that we will receive some of what we have asked for. Why not? We have asked for these things, and so therefore we should expect to also receive some of them. Right?

In the beginning of the Bible, Genesis, God says, "Let there be the light," and there was light. He essentially speaks aloud on each of the seven days of creation for what it is He wants on that day, which tells me there is something important about the act of asking out loud for what we want. God only needs to think about something and it is done, so I believe the real message He wants us to understand is the power of intention, by speaking out loud our needs and desires to Him.

I know it is hard to ask for things, especially things that require the generosity and good nature of others. However, when we don't specifically ask for what we need, we leave people wondering and guessing what we want or need, and so we are given that infamous title of "impossible to buy for." I try not to be that person people dread to buy for because they have no idea what to give me. If people who are close to me don't have a clue what to give me, that is my fault, not theirs. This only means I have not taken the time to reflect upon the blessings in my life in order to see the gaps in my "life garden." And I have not put my pride aside and asked my friends for what I need.

Then I think about God. God wants to generously shower gifts upon His children. I have told my children that God, more than anyone else, wants us to tell Him what we want or need. They were confused about this, for they thought God just knew everything about them, so why should they ask Him for what He already knows? My explanation to my girls about why we ask God for things we need is not about what He knows about us but about what we know about ourselves. To sit down and make a "need list" can actually be a hard thing to do, for it forces us to first look at all that we have already been given. Before one item is written on the paper, an attitude of gratitude can't help but overcome a person doing this exercise, and this, I told my girls, is why we ask God for things along with thanking Him for what we already have been given.

So whether it's Christmas, or the middle of June, it is important to remember to be grateful for what we already have, keep a child-like faith that if we ask for something we truly need, it will be given to us, and most importantly, this way of walking with God and through our life is how we should be year-round, not just during the holidays or gift-giving season.