The Best Gifts

#inspiration, gifts, ChristmasHave you completed your Christmas shopping? Some gifts are purchased, some are lovingly hand-made and others come straight from the heart.

Of the many gifts given and received over the Christmas season, often those most valuable are the ones that don’t come from a store.

One of the most thoughtful gifts I ever received came from my daughter. She didn’t have a lot of money but wanted to do something special for me.

I had a drawer full of recipes cut from the newspaper, jotted on scrap paper or passed on from friends. My daughter took the opportunity to go through these whenever I wasn’t home and neatly print the favourites onto recipe cards, which she placed in a small file box. This allowed me to find the ones I wanted with ease. Almost twenty years later, I still use and appreciate this gift.

My children, now grown with families of their own, don’t remember a lot of Christmas gifts received while they were young.  What they do remember is receiving a new board game every year. We would spend hours as a family playing these games.  The time spent together is what their memories are made of.

Over the years I’ve given and received some wonderful gifts. I’d be happy to share more of them but would rather hear about yours. What are some of the best gifts you remember and what make them special.

I’ll do a draw from the comments I receive and one of you will win a gift from me!

Christmas Village

#Jesus, love, peaceA Dickens Christmas Village is set up on my hearth. The lights in the church, shops and house shine onto the little village scene. In one area Charles Dickens reads from A Christmas Carol to a crowd gathered around. Nearby are a group of Christmas Carolers. Some children are playing in the snow.

Gazing at the cheerful little village brings back precious memories of receiving the various pieces throughout the years. My adult children enjoyed moving some of the people to unusual locations in the village to see if I’d notice. Grandchildren loved to gaze at it but knew not to touch the porcelain pieces.#Jesus, love, Christmas

This village brings me peace and joy. It also reminds me of love shared with my family, who are the primary members of my personal village.
Christmas is about peace, joy and love. There is no better way to honour Jesus than by sharing the love that he so generously gives to me. That is what I plan to do with those I come in contact with.

I want to express my appreciation for each of you who read my posts. May you feel the blessings of love and peace not only this Christmas but throughout the coming year.

This is how God showed his love among us; He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ( 1 John 4:9 NIV)

Children’s Christmas Concerts

#God, #inspiration, loveThis week we have the pleasure of attending school Christmas concerts for grandchildren. I can hardly wait!

I view these concerts as having several things in common with the first Christmas: music, drama, God and the element of surprise. You never know quite what to expect at a children’s performance. I sometimes think the audience actually looks forward to the mistakes in the program!

Some children are blissfully unaware of mistakes they make. They are happy being on stage and waving to parents in the audience. A few are embarrassed if everything doesn’t go exactly as planned. Either way, their parents look on proudly.

When I was six or seven I had a major role in a school concert. I was to recite T’was the Night Before Christmas. My mother helped me to memorize it and by the day of the concert I had it word perfect. Once on stage, I got nervous and part way through forgot the next line. After pausing to think about it, I started again, not realizing I was repeating a few lines. My little brother called out from the audience, “You already said that part.”

I was embarrassed at my mistake and my little brother stole the show! It was his outburst and not my performance that was remembered.

These mistakes are what provide the most memorable moments. They also teach us the real meaning of Christmas; that true joy comes from being loved by God, no matter how many mistakes we make. That’s what God was telling us more than 2,000 years ago. He’s still telling us that today. His love is there where we follow the script and when we get mixed up. He is there cheering us on, just like the loving parents watching their children in the concerts.

Not only at Christmas but throughout the year, let’s be like little children, basking in the love of our Heavenly Father.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)

Christmas Village

memories, Jesus, loveA Dickens Christmas Village is set up on my hearth. The lights in the church, shops and house shine onto the little village scene. In one area Charles Dickens reads from A Christmas Carol to a crowd gathered around. Nearby are a group of Christmas Carolers. Some children are playing in the snow.

Gazing at the cheerful little village brings back precious memories of receiving the various villagers, family, appreciationpieces throughout the years. My adult children enjoyed moving some of the people to unusual locations in the village to see if I’d notice. Grandchildren loved to gaze at it but knew not to touch the porcelain pieces.

This village brings me peace and joy. It also reminds me of love shared with my family, who are the primary members of my personal village.

Christmas is about peace, joy and love. There is no better way to honour Jesus than by sharing the love that he so generously gives to me. That is what I plan to do with those I come in contact with.

I want to express my appreciation for each of you who read my posts. May you feel the blessings of love and peace not only this Christmas but throughout the coming year.

This is how God showed his love among us; He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9 NIV

Nativity Sets

hand carved, love, familyWe have two nativity sets in our home. One is very traditional. The children in the family have enjoyed this set for years and played with the pieces, talking to and rearranging them.

The second one is far more precious to me. It’s wooden and hand carved. My brother loving made this for my mother many years ago. It always held a place of honour in her home. Even when she was aging and no longer had the enthusiasm to put up any Christmas decorations, this set was always displayed.

To me, this nativity set is priceless. It isn’t traditional because Mary and Joseph are standing together and Mary is cradling baby Jesus in her arms. To me this is much more personal than looking at the baby in a manger. Mary is holding Jesus close to her heart.

Thinking of Mary holding Jesus close to her heart in the hand carved set, I relate this to God holding each of us close to his heart. He isn’t just sitting back watching us. Instead he is tenderly holding us, guiding us and showing his love by his very presence in our lives.

When I look at the nativity sets in my home, I am reminded anew of the miracles of love that Christmas represents. One is the miracle of family and the love shared between them. The other is the great love of God which enables us to fully experience all of the other gifts he blesses us with every day.

Not only on Christmas but every day, let us give God our honour and praise as we remember the love that came down from heaven to reach out to us.

God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not dies but will have eternal life. John 3:16 GWT

In The Stable

birth, Jesus, greatest giftThe ox and donkey were bedded down in the stable for the night. Suddenly the door opened, letting in a gust of cold night air. “I wonder what’s going on,” said the ox. “It’s past feeding time and no one ever comes in here at night.”

The donkey replied, “I see another donkey. It looks like we have to share our quarters tonight.”

Soon the animals realized that it was more than another animal they’d be sharing their straw with.

A young couple entered the stable. She was very pregnant. This was confusing to the animals as it looked like the people were settling in for the night.

During the night the woman gave birth to a son, and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in the manager. The sleepy stable was soon overcome as shepherds appeared to worship the baby. They told the young couple that an angel of the Lord appeared to them telling them that the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger was the Savior – Christ the Lord.

The Lord of Heaven and Earth had just been born in a lowly stable and the ox and donkey were in awe that they were there to witness the holy birth.

Let us also be in awe at this birth. Jesus wasn’t born in a palace to only reach the powerful and influential people but was born in a lowly stable to relate to everyday people like you and me. For this great gift I am eternally grateful.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12 NLT

A Child is Born

baby, celebrate, eagerly awaitedA few days ago a good friend celebrated the birth of a new baby into their family. This child was eagerly awaited and loved long before he drew his first breath. He is loved unconditionally even though he can give nothing in return. He is loved for his very existence in this moment and not for what he may become in the future. His family is committed to provide for his needs and to guide him as he grows.

This is the way that God loves each one of us. I know that he loves me just as I am. He loves me even when I have nothing to give back. He is watching over me and is always there to nurture, support and guide me to reach my full potential. When I fall down he is there to lift me back up. All I need to do is to call out to him in prayer.

I can have this relationship with God because he sent his son Jesus to earth to demonstrate His great love for me. The birth of Jesus had been foretold and written about in the scriptures hundreds of years before that historic night in Bethlehem when he arrived as a helpless baby. The baby Jesus is the greatest gift known to mankind and is the reason I celebrate Christmas this week.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 NIV

He Sees You

Christmas, Santa, Jesus, giftsAs we approach Christmas I overhear parents telling their children to be good so Santa will come and leave them presents. A well know Christmas song reinforces this. The words that have been imprinted on the minds of many generations are as follows:

He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good, for goodness sake

When I hear these words I have a slightly different perspective. I think of Jesus. He sees us in all circumstances. He does know if we’ve been bad or good and still loves us unconditionally. The gifts that he brings are everlasting and always available. They are not just delivered on one night of the year, but are there for us every day.

My celebration at Christmas is not all about the man in the red suit. It is a celebration for the Son of God, who came to earth as a baby, born in a manger. I will rejoice as the shepherds did that night in Bethlehem when the angels sang glory to the newborn King.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying” “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:9-14

Plastic Cutlery

pressure, peace, JesusWhile attending a potluck dinner, we placed our meal on paper plates and picked up plastic cutlery to eat with. When my husband tried to cut his chicken the pressure he applied on the knife caused it to snap into 3 pieces.

I looked at him and said “I think there’s a story here.” Instead of getting him a new knife, I pulled out my phone and took a picture of the broken piece of plastic cutlery!

To me this knife was a reminder of what happens when too much pressure is applied in my life. I have been known to keep adding things to my to-do list until I have far too many commitments. Knowing that I can’t keep up adds so much pressure to my life that I am liable to snap. This is especially true during this time of the year. Life can be busy enough without adding extra shopping, baking, decorating and socializing to the mix. The added pressure takes away from the true meaning and joy of the Christmas Season.

Christmas is not about running myself ragged. Instead of being ready to snap from too much pressure I need to stop and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. It is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. God sending his son to earth was the greatest gift known to mankind. Nothing else can compare. The gift I can give back to God is that of my time and appreciation. It’s easy to do and fills me with peace, joy and love.

A child will be born for us. A son will be given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. He will be named: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 God’s Word Translation

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