Christmas shopping

13 Days ‘til Christmas! Are Your Gifts Wrapped?

celebrations, Faith, Family Life, Knowing God, outreach / By teri / December 12, 2023 October 24, 2023 / Christmas shopping, finding the perfect gift, gift-giving

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Ready or not,

Jesus,

and Christmas are coming!

Too often, in the celebration of Christmas, we scurry like squirrels from store to store to get gifts for those we love. We make lists and budget money and, hopefully, pray as we shop. We want to bless people with unique presents that will enhance their lives. We want to find the gift that gives joy and makes memories like a sinless babe wrapped in swaddling clothes Who brought us the first Christmas. We can never outgive God. But we can rethink gift-giving and exercise greater discernment.

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Often, what people need most is not more things. I intentionally choose perishable gifts for some people. My mom has downsized for the last time and prefers not to figure out where to put more stuff. Theater tickets, yummy treats, and shared experiences mean much more to her than nick-nacks. She appreciates “things” she doesn’t have to find a place for. Truth be told, I also enjoy giving her things I won’t have to throw away or dispose of after she passes away. Not to sound morbid, but my mom is eighty-eight; our time together is passing quickly. Spending time together means a lot to both of us. I try to visit her for her birthday each year and have her stay with us at Christmas. Yes, I’m giving her gifts we both enjoy.

Three of my four kids earn annual incomes greater than mine. “What do you want for your birthday?” I’ll ask my son-in-love. “We want you to come for a visit,” he replies. Maybe the perfect gift for someone on your list is time. Just visit them. Perhaps a plane ticket costs three times more than you budgeted—but if you can afford it—think how delighted a parent or child would be if you were the Christmas gift on their doorstep. That’s what God did when He sent His Son, Emmanuel; God came to see us and to let us see Him.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17. God benefits from everything He’s given us no matter how great His sacrifice, “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

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Jesus came to give us life; good gifts promote health like the bicycles Bill and I gave our grandchildren this year. Bikes are not cheap. We combined our Christmas and birthday budgets for each child. My daughter, who hates clutter, was thrilled, and so were her kids. However, it came at the sacrifice of not receiving a gift on their birthdays and Christmas. All four kids received their bikes on their oldest sister’s birthday in mid-July so they could all ride the bikes in sunny, warm weather.

However, the two youngest girls who received bikes turned eight and six in October. So I decided to send a card and a very inexpensive gift to go on their bikes. The eight-year-old loves crafts and buttons. She received a button-bike bling kit I assembled for her. I included twisty ties so she could decorate her basket. She even shared her buttons with her sisters; all the girls received bike-basket, button, bling! Good gifts promote creativity and can be shared. The six-year-old rides fast! We call her Brave Maeve. She received streamers for her handlebars.

Teaching delayed gratification is good. Eve’s first son wasn’t the Savior she hoped for when she held up Cain and said, “Look, God gave us a man!” God gave His Son in the fullness of time (Galatians 4:4), not instantly at the beginning of the world. Maybe the best thing you can give a child is a savings account. My cousin used the money our grandma sent her kids and put it in the bank. They didn’t receive Great Grandma Irene’s many years of gifts until they were eighteen. I wish I had thought of that!!

All gifts don’t need to come in pretty wrapping paper or sit under the tree. I’m not a genius when it comes to gift-giving. The secret to giving great, memory-making presents is not a secret. Pray! Jesus tells us, “Without me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Good gift-giving included.

If finding the perfect gifts and getting all that junk wrapped is stressing you out, maybe you need to drop to your knees, worship the Father of Lights, and ask Jesus, the Light of the World, to give you wisdom. Then, please take a deep breath and savor this Holy Season we call Advent. Wrapping up your Christmas shopping may not involve wrapping at all. The fact that Jesus came reminds us He’s coming again. Do your neighbors, friends, and family know? Let’s ensure everyone knows that Christ died for them, lives for them, and is returning for His people. Jesus is the perfect gift for everyone!

Merry Christmas!

Hunting for the Best Gifts: 21 gift ideas for the person Who has everything

celebrations, Community, Family Life, Motherhood / By teri / November 29, 2022 April 30, 2022 / Christmas shopping, gift giving, gift ideas, the perfect gift, What to give the person who has everything

Will she like that?

I watched my grandma snatch the blouse from my mom’s hands and head straight to the cash register (Grandma was in her nineties and my mom in her seventies when I witnessed this incident). She had seen my mom admire it and try it on. It looked lovely, and Grandma knew Mom would buy it. So, she beat her to it, securing a perfect gift.

We moms never outgrow wanting to lavish our children with gifts. As we enter the thick of the gift-giving season, many of us struggle with the dilemma of procuring the perfect gifts for those we love. Shopping for parents baffles us, especially if they’re downsizing. Those who have adult children with good-paying jobs find themselves in the same dilemma; what we can give that they haven’t already purchased for themselves. What do we get those that already have all they want or need?

Everyone (but God) Needs Something

Most of us feel like we’re drowning in stuff, but our spirits are thirsty. Our parched souls crave quality time with those we love. Maybe a cleared space on our calendar would be a perfect gift? The world mocks and slanders us. Maybe some encouraging words are what we need to give.

God gives us richly all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17), but much of what He provides is not material. He gives strength, hope, and a listening ear. We, too, can furnish these perfect gifts. To help my children, I’m submitting my wish list.

Twenty-one Things My Children Could Give me this Christmas

I want to open my door and find you there.

2. Open a letter and hear your voice inscribed on a piece of paper I won’t throw away.

3. I need your acts of kindness like cooking and cleaning when my house is full of people.

4. Oh, and how I need your forgiveness when I let anxiety get the better of me and the stress monster bites you with mean words.

5. I want to listen to your jokes and laugh with you (even if we’re both laughing at me).

6. I would enjoy you brushing my hair as we watch all the activities around us.

7. I would appreciate less stuff when you leave. Ask for things you could use or want to display or wear. I’d prefer you take these things when they serve you well rather than burden you after I’m gone.

8. I would love to take a walk with you, just the two of us taking a leisurely stroll.

9. I enjoy adventures, going places we’ve never seen before.

10. Experiences make delightful gifts! Concerts, museums, shows, even a project we can do together.11.

11. I want my stocking stuffed with I love you notes instead of trinkets that waste away.

12. I need honest words that confront my sin and invite me to be better.

13. Texts throughout the year, please tell me what’s new with you.

14. Pictures of you and your children always make me smile (digital is fine).

15. Consumable presents like things you bake or a meal you make would be divine.

16. Love and discipline your children well for me, gifting me with grandkids that know right from wrong.

17. I delight to see your growth in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. Share your testimonies of God’s faithfulness with me. Share what you discover as you read the Bible.

18. Gift me with a song. Sing with me, grace me with a performance (one year my oldest taught her children my favorite Christmas carol, a gift I’ll never forget!) or send me a music video you think I’d like.

19. Reminisce with me. Share your favorite memories of childhood. You could even write it out (again, a paper I won’t throw away).

20. Teach me something new like a recipe or helpful technology tip.

21. Pray for me, asks about my needs, and trust the perfect Gift Giver to provide what you cannot.

Giving the Perfect Gifts

In light of what I desire, I realize my friends and family may need these too. Maybe I need to buy less and sacrifice more. The best gifts require time and effort both tend to be more costly than the money we budget for material things. The best gifts nourish us. The best gifts make us better. The best gifts never lose their value or wear out. May God show us how to give lasting treasure the kind moth and rust does not corrupt, and thieves can never steal.