There didn’t seem to be much she didn’t want. It seemed like half the toy catalog was written down on her list. Barbies, doll houses, princess things, and dolls. Not to be left out were matchbox cars, board games, Playmobil things, and a football. She even asked for love. She was just a young girl.
Her list changed over the years. Now there were clothes, gift cards, and money on the list. She also asked for iPods, iPads, and other things that start with I. One thing hadn’t changed though, she still asked for love. She was just a teenage girl.
She had most everything she ever wanted. She didn’t have much of a list this year. A new pair of Nikes, some pots and pans for her new apartment, gift cards, and money. Mostly, she just wanted her family to be together. She still was asking for love. She was just a young woman.
She had everything she had asked for. She had been married a few years and had her first child. She asked for her child to be healthy. She asked for her husband to be faithful. She asked for good friends. She asked to be successful in her career. She asked for her bills to be paid. She asked to always be loved. She was just a young mom.
She was confused about her life. Something was missing. She had everything she wanted. She had a great career, she had great friends. She was happily married, had two healthy, happy children and a strong foundation from her parents, but she had forgotten about the one who loved her. Somewhere along the way she had forgotten about her faith. She asked for love. She asked for forgiveness. She was just a young Christian woman.
She thanked God for the life she had. She asked that her children have a relationship with Jesus. She asked that they don’t wait as long as she did to accept Jesus in her life. She asked that they realize how much they are loved. She knew the gift that Jesus had given her. He was born, He lived, and He died on the cross for her sins. She asked for love and she received the love of her Heavenly Father. She received a gift she could never pay back. A gift given to her a long time ago. She just had to be open to receiving it. She was just a woman on her journey to eternal life.
She asked for one more day. She asked for memories she couldn’t recall. She shed a tear for a child lost too young. She asked to see her parents again. She remembered Christmas past. She asked if she had done enough. She thanked God for the gift of love He had given her. She was just a woman at the end of her days here on earth. She was just a woman, filled with joy for the life she had lived. She was just a woman that loves God. She was just a woman that accepted His gift.
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, how many presents under your branches are for me?
How many presents are under the tree for Jesus? It is his birthday. He is the reason for the season.
What presents can you give to Jesus you wonder? There are many and I bet you have never thought of them. Maybe some of you are giving Him these presents every day. Maybe some of you give them one day and take them back the next.
Present one: trust. Do you give him all your trust? Do you trust him even when things are going bad? Do you trust his plans for your life? Do you trust him completely, 100%? If not, maybe this year is the year you give him the present of your trust.
Present two: your heart. Do you give him your heart? Does he come first in your heart? What does your heart treasure the most? That new job promotion? Your wife? Your football team? This season put Jesus first in your heart.
Present three: love people. Do you truly love others? Do you know your neighbor’s names? Have you forgiven those that have hurt you? Have you reached out to people that may not know about Jesus? Do you live your life that will lead other people to Jesus? Are you making disciples?
Present four: family. Is Jesus part of your family? Do you talk to him like you do your spouse or children? Do you share with him your heart? Do other members of your family treat him like he is part of the family?
Present five: time. How much of your time have you given Jesus today? Have you set any time out of your busy day to just spend with him? Five minutes of quiet time with just you and him? Two minutes? One ?
This post was inspired by a devotional I read that really spoke to me so I wanted to share it with you.
What other gifts can you think of that you can give to Jesus? Not only on Christmas but every day.
Remember the season is because of the birth of a child
It’s not the decorations or presents
Or all the parties and events
Here is an open invitation
To join in the celebration
No gifts to bring or trees to decorate
Whenever you are ready, we will wait
A genuine heart with love to give
I believe you are meant to live
Do not give up, Do not be dismayed
If you are having a string of bad days
There is a hope for a better tomorrow
One not promised without sorrow
One not promised without pain
One not promised without rain
One promised that you are never alone
One promised that you have a home
One promised that you are loved
One promised of HOPE, sealed by His blood
I can’t promise tomorrow will be better
I can promise you have a helper
Instead of falling down it’s time to rise up
Don’t give up when you’ve had enough
The night will fall and the sun will soon shine
Please, please give it some more time
Tomorrow is new
Perhaps a blessing for you
Tomorrow will soon be here
And maybe, just maybe, it’ll be your year
A baby boy was born in a manger
Don’t let him be a stranger
Get to know hope, love, forgiveness and grace
Tomorrow you will gladly embrace
I want you to know you are known
And that you aren’t alone
Don’t give up, YOU are loved, even when you are blue
This is my Christmas prayer for you
Talk to your doctor if you are feeling sad for long periods of time. They can refer you to a mental health specialist. If your feelings of sadness during the holidays are accompanied by suicidal thoughts, do one of the following immediately:
Call 911.
Go immediately to a hospital emergency room.
Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).
You can improve your mood by practicing self-care during the holidays. Eat a healthy diet, and maintain a regular sleep pattern and exercise program. According to the kept Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, as little as 30-minutes of cardiovascular exercise can provide an immediate mood boost similar to the effects of an antidepressant medication. Joining a support group where you talk to people with similar experiences to yours can also help.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE AND YOU HAVE WORTH AND YOU ARE LOVED MORE THAN YOU KNOW!
Lots of songs but couldn’t decide to put suicide or hope or someone loves you song so put a mix of all them.
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, you know Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen, but do you know Cinnamon, Gumdrop, Sparkles, and Peppermint? Of course you don’t, because most of you have not heard of the great reindeer revolt.
It was December 17, 1938. Exactly seven days before Christmas Eve. As you would expect, the North Pole was extremely busy getting everything ready for the big night. All the elves were making the last of the toys for all the good girls and boys. Santa was checking his list, then checking it twice just to be sure no one was missed. Mrs. Claus was busy making snacks for everyone. The reindeer were finishing up the last of their training exercises.
Maybe it was because the reindeer were tired or maybe they felt they weren’t being respected enough but for whatever the reason, some of the reindeer decided they had had enough. Cinnamon, Gumdrop, Sparkles, and Peppermint had enough and decided they were no longer going to work on Christmas Eve. “We work every Christmas Eve and we are tired of it. We want to stay home and enjoy the evening with our families. All of us should join together and tell Santa no more.”
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen all said no. “We are not going to revolt against Santa. How can you do this? Think of all the children. We work one night a year. We have 364 days to relax and take vacations and do whatever we want. We enjoy our job and traveling all over the world and seeing all the decorations and the children eagerly awaiting our visit.”
This was not the first time that Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen had seen a bad attitude from Cinnamon, Gumdrop, Sparkles, and Peppermint. In fact, over the last six months they had seen many warning signs. They tried talking to them, but never seemed to get anywhere. Cinnamon, Gumdrop, Sparkles, and Peppermint had even started calling Rudolph names and would not let him play in any reindeer games.
All the reindeer argued and fought for several days. We are right and this is what we are going to do. No, you are not right, we are right and we will stand our ground. Back and forth, back and forth it went.
Finally, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen decided that this could not go on. They made a very difficult decision, one that did not come easily and one that made them very sad. These reindeer have been friends their entire lives but they no longer saw eye to eye. They told Cinnamon, Gumdrop, Sparkles, and Peppermint that they could no longer be friends. They didn’t want Santa to think they were revolting too, just because of who they were friends with.
Santa saw what was going on and felt very sad for the reindeer. But, he too, had to make a very difficult decision. If Cinnamon, Gumdrop, Sparkles, and Peppermint did not want to fly on Christmas Eve, then he was not going to force them. But he knew he needed eight reindeer to fly.
He held tryouts and four reindeer stood out amongst the rest. They were Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen. They joined forces with Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen and became the eight famous reindeer you know today. Minus Rudolph of course, he would join the team a little later.
That is why you have never heard of Cinnamon, Gumdrop, Sparkles, and Peppermint. That is why a year later that Johnny Marks wrote Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with its famous opening lines of which you know. You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, you know Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen, and the rest is history.
That is also why you should be wise and choose your friends wisely. You will be known by the company you keep.
