Today the plan is to wrap and write. No, it’s not some new writing technique. I literally have to start wrapping Christmas presents . . . and write at least 2,000 words in my work-in-progress.
I have to admit that wrapping is not my favorite thing. I LOVE the buying. I LOVE thinking of someone and coming up with the perfect gift. If I had my way, I’d rush from the store and immediately give the gift to the person I bought it for. Wrapping is just a necessary chore that I do to conform to the standards set by society.
The truth is, that I’m gonna pay my kids to do most of my wrapping for me. Yes, a few years I had my kids wrap their own gifts. Gulp. Partly because I don’t like wrapping, and partly because I was so excited to show her what I got her. Sigh. I can’t do that this year though. They want to be surprised on Christmas morning. No fun!
Of course, the gift-giving that we get all crazy and excited about is supposed to represent the gift of Jesus being sent down to earth. Too often, I forget this when I’m pushing my shopping cart through WalMart and trying to find that “one thing” for that “hard to buy for person” and find “something that won’t cost and arm and a leg.”
This morning though, as I was reading in John chapter 17, I discovered something REALLY cool. I discovered what Jesus is giving YOUR family and friends this Christmas. It was right there in black and white . . . or in this case since I have a red-letter Bible, red and white. Check it out:
“My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. And all of them, since they are mine, belong to you, and you have given them back to me, so they are my glory!” John 17:9-10
There is a lot of giving going on. God gave us to Jesus. Jesus knows we belong to God. And we are Jesus’ glory. (So where does the gift that Jesus is given to our friends and family fit in?)
Check out that part, “So they are my glory.” My study note in the NLT Life Application Study Bible says, “What did Jesus mean when he said ‘they are my glory’? God’s glory is the revelation of his character and presence. The lives of Jesus’ disciples reveal his character, and he is present to the world through them.”
So I have to ask: Does your life today reveal Jesus’ character and presence? If so, Jesus is present in the world through you. And that presence is a present to your friends and family!
Today, I have a long list of things I need to do that deal with presents. But my prayer is that in the midst of it, Jesus’ presence (through me) will be a gift that I can share. The cool thing is it’s one I don’t have to wrap and I don’t have to wait to give … perfect!
12 Days of Christmas Giveaways Day 10
I’m celebrating Christmas with my favorite blog readers by giving away a different book pack each day! Today’s book pack is the Amish Pack, which includes: The Promise Box, Christmas Gift for Rose, and Along Wooded Paths. Winners will be announced on my blog on Christmas day!
I would love to read some of you amish books.
by reading the birth of jesus story from the bible and giving godly gifts.
Linda Finn
We are putting Jesus’ birth first by remembering why we celebrate and by sharing with others.
The family won’t be together this year so I ‘m going to reflect a little on why we celebrate Christmas. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL.
I shared the remembrance of Him in my Christmas cards. 🙂 MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 😀
merry christmas
Blessed Christmas! The greatest gift is Jesus’ presence, grace, and forgiveness – knowing that He is coming back! And that nothing can snatch me out of His hands … I am not fodder for the devil’s use. Blessed Christmas!
I shared through my Christmas cards, my prayers, my public and real faith. Merry Christmas, Tricia! You are a true blessing from God.
I will continue to share Christ through prayers, cards, and doing special things for them. Words without action mean very little.
I am celebrating Christ at Christmas by focusing on the people I am with, rather than the trappings of the day. For instance, this year I have not put up the usual decorations. Not that I don’t have Christmas spirit, I just don’t have much time for the extra things, and what time I do have I’d prefer to dote on the people in my home. Maybe another year this will be different, but it feels right this year.
Merry Christmas!
We share through the cards we send, havin a manger scene in a dominate place in our house Christmas Eve candle light service & any way we can, no matter how small. Merry Christmas Tricia!
All through Advent, we do a Bible reading a night. On Christmas Eve, we put baby Jesus in the manger (we leave him out of it till then because he wasn’t born yet) and read the story of the birth of Christ.
We always send out religious christmas cards. Sadly most of our relatives are not christians. I actually had one comment to me and say, you know, yours is the only religious christmas card we get. I am happy because they are reading about Jesus, the reason for the season!
I hope my friends, family and strangers see me as an extension of Jesus’ love this time of year.
I have made various earrings with different symbols of Christmas (holly, creche, silver bells, wreaths etc)and written explanations . . . leading to the Gospel message and with invitations as part of the note to our church’s special events/services. I give them out to friends but also to people who serve me at various stores I shop at or servers at my favorite restaurant. Today, our Pastor shared from 1 John about the meaning of Christmas, 1. there is a Savior, 2. We can now have fellowship with God & 3. God is love. One of my earrings was a bit different but I was led to make them a heart of nails with the words “For God so Loved the World” John 3:16. At the time I ordered them I was like really God, but I got the nod and followed through. I have given many of them away but still have a few to give out tomorrow a.m. my last time out to shop for food/one more gift . . . It was just so cool to be ministered to by God through making earrings and then have it confirmed through my pastor this a.m. that Love is what Christmas is all about . . . 1 John 4:7-8 and so many more verses . . . because God is Love! Merry Christmas!
I also hate wrapping presents, so use gift bags and tissue paper exclusively.
I plan to share Christ using the Scripture you gave with the characters and voice prompts- hallelujah for the angels, etc.
Hope it works.
Love to win the Amish book pack; I really enjoy Amish fiction.
We study the nativity story as a family.
I have been making a point of offering to pray for everyone. I also am trying to pass along lots of blessings. by living out kindness and caring more than ever before.
I enjoy showing the presence of Jesus in my life, during the Christmas season – by making charitable donations, sharing/reading the story of Christ’s birth, inviting others to special Christmas church programs; but hope that I show His presence ALL year long – by offering encouragement to, & praying for, someone EVERY day!
bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com
By the Christmas cards I’m giving and what I write in each card.
I am so glad that God gave us Jesus as His present to us, as the past two years with cancer, I would not have made it without the love and support of Jesus Christ and his love for me and the love He has instilled in the hearts of all my awesome friends and family. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year