Merry Christmas

Wishing all of you a blessed Christmas season. May your days be filled with joy and wonderment as we reflect on the awesome power of God’s peace and goodwill. Please enjoy this wonderful rendition of “What Child is This” by Andrea Bocelli & Mary J. Blige that was featured on Oprah.

¡Feliz Navidad!

In the Spirit of the Season

I love this time of year. It is a time to get together, see family and friends, and enjoy the spirit of the season.

I asked my niece and nephews a question that I heard a Priest ask kids in Church one Sunday. I asked why is it we get presents on Jesus’ Birthday? I asked them that if they knew that they were getting ten presents would they willing give one a way. Well….Out of the Mouths of Babes. They said sure, because the greatest present they receive on Christmas is Love and they would like to share it.

I must say that not only was I proud of their answer but I was truly moved. The kids went beyond the materialistic and they really understand what it means to share in the universal spirit of love.

In the spirit of the season, I wish all of you peace and love.

Merry Christmas

Three Kings

Today is Epiphany, Feats of the Three kings, Little Christmas, or the Twelfth day of Christmas. I was in church today listening to the story of the three kings’ visit and thought of one of my favorite children’s books, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

I love this book because the Herdmans knew that if you were going to visit someone special you give them something from the heart. I reread it every year during the holidays and it always brings a smile to my face.

Peace

The Fun of the Yankee Swap

Okay, so I feel that I have been a little too serious lately on Christmas giving……

Last night my local Toastmasters held its Holiday Party. We had to bring a Yankee Swap gift that was odd, fun, and something that we definitely wanted to regift. We turned this into an amusing table topics discussion.

Well, I tell you, I originally opened a little clock radio quite nice, definitely a keeper. But no…… My eyes got greedy and I saw the lovely vase that someone else had and swapped it. For those who don’t know me, I love flowers, so I thought to myself, Wahoo! I scored. Yeah that cockiness was short-lived as someone opened their gift and swapped with me. You want to know what I got! I received a set of four miniature ceramic non-matching cowboy boots. What a hoot! We all laughed. I tried to hawk like an auctioneer telling folks they would just love to have this one of a kind item. We had so much fun. The spirit of this is to not take life seriously and enjoy the moment.

What fun and outlandish Christmas grab gifts have you received?

Giving with Heart

You know I was in a toy store the other day, to pick up a gift for our church’s giving tree. The giving tree grants holiday gifts to children in need. As I was trying to decide between a couple of items for a little girl, I asked woman who I was in conversation with what she thought about this present or that. Her answer alarmed me, "For a giving tree? I wouldn’t spend a lot of money on it? Wow! I thought, if we are giving a gift shouldn’t it be from the heart. Why participate in charitable giving to anybody and give them something that you would not want to receive.

That is why so many of us are royally disappointed with Yankee swaps, Kris Kringles, and holiday gift exchanges. We often buy the gag gift or something we definitely wouldn’t want to get as a gift and feel smug that we participated in the annual event.

This year, give with your heart, with love and with joy!

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35 (New International Version)