A gift that keeps on giving!

Well Christmas is almost upon us. 22 more days as of today, and at this time of the year there are always friends who are in the hustle and bustle of running around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off versus taking the time to enjoy the things that absolutely matter the most!

Christmas for me is always one of the most difficult times of the year. In 1991, my Dad passed away 18 days before Christmas. So for me it is sometimes difficult to be in the Christmas spirit. I know this aggravates my wife to no end, but what can I do? I always think back to that Christmas and how I felt and I guess in someways I make myself relive those feelings all over again as a way of remembering him and remembering where I have come from since then.

The Christmas before he passed (1990) away my Mother and I had bought him a very nice NAS Bible and a fancy smancy leather cover for it. He read it quite frequently for the next year and made many signifigant marks insinde of it. When he passed in December of 91, my Mom gave me the Bible and entrusted me with keeping it and I have had it ever since. This is just one example of a gift that keeps on giving. I have many more!

My Dad was the best gift giver I know, aside from God. He taught me more about giving than anyone else ever could have. He loved to give. He gave of himself, his time, his money, his heart, his home, his food, and he would have given his shirt off his back if he needed to. Our house growing up was never empty when I was growing up. Someone was always either at our house for dinner, staying with us because they had nowhere to go, and for a short time my Mom and Dad took care of Elderly people in our home.

I remember as a child I absolutely loved G.I. Joe, more like obsessed about it! I wanted anything I could get my hands on and my Dad supported my habit in a bad way! I mean from 1982- 1985 I had EVERYTHING G.I. Joe. This was my favorite gift as a child:



As an adult I love to give too! I do my best to give in all the ways that my Dad did, and sometimes in even more ways! I like to think that I am as good of a giver as my Dad.

What I truly want to be though is as good of a giver as my Father!

It is hard to accomplish this feat though. He has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

I obviously cannot give the gifts that He has given us, BUT I can absolutely share them with others. I believe my best gifts are the the gifts of encouragement, and hospitality. I love sharing my home with people, and I love giving hugs to encourage people and uplifting them! Most of all I can share the Gift of Jesus with others!

Look at this awesome gift He not only gave me, but He also gave it to you, and you and you, and (well you get the picture):




This is the Ultimate Gift That Keeps on Giving! This gift brought Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love to a world that is and was lost without it! This gift brought everyone one of us the gift of Salvation, the gift of freedom, the gift of Compassion, the gift of never ending Grace, bottom line this gift is AWESOME! It keeps on giving too! Jesus is alive in our hearts for us to share him with others, not to keep it all bottled up for ourselves.

Have you shared with someone you love or care about the Gift of Jesus? I mean I would rather have that gift this Christmas than any other gift I could possible get, and you never know....

If you share that gift with someone else you may change their life FOREVER!

God Bless everyone! Have a safe and Merry Christmas!

Remember Jesus loves you and so do I!