Seven Priceless Gifts Left Under the Tree

It's a good time for reflection

Most of us can agree we sure don't always receive the gifts we expected at Christmas! The long return lines at every store is proof. Sometimes returning a gift comes with a valid reason like the item of clothing didn't fit or, we received two of the same kitchen gifts we already have in our cabinets! And then there are those gifts that are perfectly fine, but some would rather have the cash. It's tragic we tend to turn a beautiful celebration like Christmas into a retail nightmare.

So, let's get rid of this disillusion and find something real. Often, the last week of the year is a good time for reflection--finding the priceless gifts left under the tree that will last throughout the coming year. Gifts that will make a difference in our new, adventurous life journey.

Seven Hard to Find Gifts, but Worth It!

They may not be obvious at first, but if we look hard enough, we'll find the real blessings to take into the New Year:  

1. Survived the first...second...third...Christmas on our own!
2. Shared time with new friends
3. Discovered laughter is good medicine
4. Enjoyed a calm and happy home  
5. Found our heart's desire
6. Made what's old into what's new
7. Recognized change is good for the soul

Don't Forget the Key

Did you notice? None of these blessings needed gift wrap! They are ours to keep. But we do need a "tool" to further expand them into a whole new life of faith, confidence, and hope. The tool to opening these forever gifts is Prayer. Much of life is extremely difficult without a daily conversation with God. He is the Giver of Gifts and delights in presenting them to us. Check the verse today at the bottom of this message for a clue how to receive the best He can give. And never give up!

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you” Luke 11:9 NLT.

The Real Christmas Story

Christmas: The Birth of Jesus

"Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!

You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus."

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.

And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

The Shepherds and the Angels

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Luke 1:30-31; 2:1-20

Last Minute Real Quick Delights

Now let’s not panic! Five days to go until we celebrate Christmas 2017. You can do this! But if you’re stuck for something to eat, drink, or bring with you for the celebration, try these real quick solutions:

Golden Apple Drinks for Two

1 c. unsweetened apple juice

1 c. club soda

Lemon slices

Ice cubes

Fill stemmed wine glasses with ice cubes. Add apple juice and club soda. Drop in lemon slice and stir. Makes two servings.

South of the Border Casserole

1 doz corn tortillas

1.5 lbs ground beef

1 med chopped onion

1- 4 oz can green chiles chopped

1- 10 oz can cream of chicken soup

1- 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup

1- 10 oz can enchilada sauce

½ lb longhorn cheese, grated

Brown meat and onion in a skillet, add chiles, soups, and sauce. Cook until well mixed. Layer tortillas , mixture, and cheese in baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min or until cheese melts and casserole is bubbling.

Potato Chip Cookies

3.5 c. sifted flour

1 c. sugar

2 tsp vanilla

½ lb butter AND ½ lb margarine

3.5 oz bag potato chips, crushed

Cream butter, margarine, and sugar. Add flour and vanilla. Blend in chips. Drop by spoonsful on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 min at 350 degrees or till lightly browned.

Spaghetti Salad

1- 16 oz pkg of thin spaghetti

1- 16 oz jar Italian salad dressing

1 small red onion chopped

1 cucumber chopped

Tomatoes, chopped (as many or few as preferred)

⅓ jar Parmesan cheese (suggest Shillings Salad Supreme)

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook spaghetti, drain, set aside while chopping vegetables.

Mix all ingredients in large mixing bowl.

For dryer salad: don’t pour salad dressing in all at one time.

Serve at room temperature.

Giving Thanks

“So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. . .” Mark 8:6 NLT. (Emphasis added.)

Life in a Jar for Christmas

How many gifts have we ever received that were immediately returned to the store? The reason, most likely, is because the giver didn't know us well enough or, worse, didn't personally care about us; it was an obligation. Many commercially bought gifts are boring and do not have any personal flavor. But, no fear; it's never too late to begin getting creative! Time to have some fun crafting our own special Christmas gifts to give to our favorite people.

One of the most clever of ideas are the Gifts in a Jar. Just about anything goes and this is easy! Use quart size Mason jars, so the lid can be decorated with fabric and ribbons or anything else our imaginations can come up with. We can adapt them to our individual friends and family, so they reflect both the giver and the receiver!  

FOOD JARS: fill with ingredients, include the recipe, and add something extra like a scoop or special utensil.

cookies

soups

muffins

hotcakes

oatmeal & fruit

candy

MEMORY JARS: everyone likes nostalgia. Find unique items to fill a jar to show how you remember a special person in your life. Add a love note too.

tiny photos and/or mementos of favorite times together

toys of all kinds reflecting the person's hobby or a special occasion

colorful strips of paper with Scripture promises written out

hopeful and encouraging thoughts on specialty papers

ONE-OF-A-KIND JARS: these are like a "story in a jar" complete with an ending. They could be something unique, different or to enlighten in some way. Here is an example:  

Ingredients: one-quart Mason jar; 2 cups white, uncooked rice; 20 whole walnuts; a 6-inch square of colorful, cotton fabric; length of matching ribbon enough to go around jar twice; card stock.  

Write or type out the following instructions and print on card stock; fill the jar accordingly; place metal insert on jar; place fabric on top of insert and screw on lid around fabric; punch hole in printed cardstock and string onto ribbon; tie around jar underneath the fabric.   

Instructions:

This Jar is Your Life

It contains exactly 2 cups of rice and 20 walnuts. The rice represents everything YOU want to do with your life and the walnuts represent everything GOD wants you to do with your life. Now, if you try putting in all the rice first, then the walnuts, it doesn't work. But if you put in the walnuts first and then the rice, it all works perfectly according to HIS plan! Keep this jar as a reminder that God doesn't want much from us, just a few walnuts!

Make It a Crafty Christmas

When we were children, some of us may have been kept busy by our mothers during the days leading up to Christmas, just to keep us out of her hair! Making Christmas decorations were a favorite activity for sure! We didn't always have money to go out and buy expensive decorations, so we recycled everything and came up with some very interesting ideas.

With just a few materials that are laying around the house (or very inexpensive items from the discount store), a homemade Country Christmas is easy. It's also fun and we might even want to keep our own children busy waiting for the big day! So let's start here and see what we can do. Then the momentum will start and we can all come up with decorations that will create some warm memories.

Popcorn and Cranberry Garland

This is a quick idea from long, long ago, but still fun and makes a beautiful tree.

*Thread an embroidery needle with twine or thick thread.

*Alternating popcorn and uncooked cranberries, string onto twine.

*Optional: every few feet or so, tie a pretty plaid ribbon onto twine.

Walnut Ornaments

*Use as many whole walnuts as desired to fill the Christmas tree.

*Cut string or thin ribbon into 6-inch long strands.

*After carefully opening and removing the contents of each nut, use any liquid glue to permanently put the shell back together inserting the string at the same time as a hanger.

*Use a very thin layer of liquid glue to coat the outside of the nut and roll in colored glitter before it drys or spray paint in your favorite color.

Hang on tree and enjoy!

Beautiful Snowball Trees

*Use 19-26 large, baseball-size Styrofoam balls (depending on how tall/large desired).

*Take regular size, round toothpicks and insert each one about a half-inch, evenly, all the way around each ball.

*Start at the bottom of a round, Styrofoam base and, sticking each ball into the next one, stack them into the shape of a Christmas tree.

*Coat the entire tree with a heavy layer of spray snow.  

*Sprinkle with glitter.    

(These can be saved from year to year).

Catalog Angels

This one takes a little more searching and time to put together (may even have to start this year and finish for next year depending on your schedule!), but the result is truly beautiful!  

*Use an old, thick catalog (like Sears or a pattern book of some kind) for large angels.

*Use an old, thick smaller catalog (like Reader's Digest) for smaller angels.

*Take the upper, right corner of each and every page, fold down and inward touching spine, and crease.

*Now take bottom right corner, fold inward, touching spine, and crease.

*Do this until the entire catalog is completely folded. It should stand upright by itself.

*Use gold or silver metallic spray paint to completely cover folded angel.

*Buy large or medium wooden balls to glue-gun on top for the head of the angel.

*Shape angel wings out of tin foil or metallic wrapping paper and glue onto back.

*Optional: use white pipe cleaners to create arms and a small folded paper to fashion a hymn book for angel to hold.

Make a family of angels, one for each person in your family!

"Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus” Luke 1:30-31 NLT.

Alternative to Traditions

Christmas can be celebrated anywhere in any way. It isn't a requirement to participate in all the demanding shopping and gift-giving. It's about the birth of Jesus. So, we are here to say, it is absolutely okay to take a break and skip all the commercial "hoop-la" this year if one chooses. We understand the first year without a spouse takes some getting used to and a quiet Christmas is good for our souls.  

Sure many of our friends and relatives who don't fathom what we are going through will gasp at the change in our plans for this one year. They might think something is truly wrong with us. Eventually, they will understand we are just adjusting, not dropping out of the human race! Christmas will simply be on a smaller scale than usual.

What does a quiet Christmas look like?

We are definitely not speaking of hibernating in a closet and never coming out until mid-January! Celebrating the best quiet Christmas ever looks like:

• attending dinner with one favorite person instead of joining a massive holiday party with all the background noise
• shopping online instead of fighting the crowds at the mall
• putting up a tabletop tree instead of spending energy decorating & wrestling with a ceiling-high tree
• using candles and a Nativity set instead of decorating the entire house
• taking a friend to candlelight church service instead of baking 20 pies at the last minute out of guilt
• reading the Christmas story with a niece/nephew while their parents go out
• completely getting away on a little side trip by ourselves

Something Different

Changing the way we do things now may save our sanity and is the way to be strengthened. We can be healed from all the pain, sorrow and worry just by taking care of ourselves; by quietly listening to the God Who loves us beyond a doubt. There is no way to hear Him speak to us unless we remain quiet. The noise and chaos in the world drowns out His voice. So we can do Christmas quietly this first year and see a difference in our hearts and minds!

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. . .And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:6 NLT.

Four Pieces of Pie

The phrase "I love ____" is so common that the true meaning of love has nearly lost it's meaning. We become so attached to an object, we associate human feelings to that "thing." Therefore, human affection and constant caring of another person becomes diminished and somewhat unimportant, or casual. Is this, perhaps, where the concept of a "Bah-humbug" idea of Christmas comes from? How do we get back to Love?

The Pie of Love

This, however, is the season that abounds in love! The kind of love that unselfishly shares our feelings with those we have personal ties with both at home and in our friendships. We gladly decorate our houses to welcome our family and friends into a warm home. We put up Christmas trees to light up dreary December days. We plan and shop for just the right present to give to those we love.

It's amazing how giving becomes a contagious, attractive pursuit, especially during the month of December. And not just with our own families. We've all seen in the malls, the Angel Trees with paper tags of little boys and girls names and ages. We buy and return the gift to the tree and a child is not forgotten. We hear of stories about firemen and policemen giving gifts to children in need. We willingly participate in the U. S. Marines Toys for Tots program.

And in our own homes we lovingly give of our own joys. Each year many of us make dozens and dozens of cookies and sweets baking all the way up to Christmas! Sometimes we use them to fill numerous gift tins. We choose to give out these welcome food gifts and in the process, teach our kids how to share their love. The reward is seeing the expressions on the faces of the receivers!

The Pie of Joy

Of course, the true meaning and joy of Christmas is celebrating the birth of Baby Jesus. In many families and Christian churches, children are welcomed to attend a "Birthday Party" for Jesus and it brings to life the events surrounding this glorious occasion. Then families attend midnight church service, many times with lit candles, where the Christmas Story from the Holy Bible is told to all. What a joy come to life!

A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. —Tenneva Jordan    

What two additional pieces of pie do you have to give?

"While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them" Luke 2:6-7 NIV.

[The entire Christmas story can be found in the Holy Bible, Luke 2:1-20]

Seven Best Christmas Traditions

It’s on the way! Most of the world celebrates Christmas--the birth of Jesus Christ--in approximately three weeks on December 25th. In a few countries, the celebration is held on January 6th, which is called the Feast of the Epiphany or also known as the celebration of the Three Kings (Wise Men). For those countries that use the "Julian" calendar, Christmas is on January 7th. Not all countries believe in Christmas and, therefore, do not celebrate with us.  

What is Advent?

Yesterday, December 3rd, began the season of Advent. The next 22 days are used to prepare ourselves for Christmas. Some parents give their children Advent Calendars to teach them about the coming celebration. This favorite "puzzle" has a tiny opening for each day. Behind the "windows" are pictures explaining the story of Christmas. It is great fun for the child to wake up each morning and discover something new!

Traditions, Trees, and Tassels

There are numerous Christmas traditions different families celebrate to mark the days of December. And even though we may be single-again, there is absolutely no reason at all to avoid or cancel all these traditions. If we choose, we can revise the way we do Christmas to fit our new lifestyles, making totally new customs of our own. Whatever we decide to do, staying positive will create the best year of all!      

First of all, comes the household decorations to make everything beautiful and special. Wreaths for the front door or front gate, lights on the house and inside too (don't let this stop you: hire someone or ask a friend if this is too much to tackle), table centerpieces, and Christmas pillows for the sofa. Finally the tree goes up. On and on we go; as much or as little as our tastes dictate. It's all the fun of the season.

Then, of course, are the presents on Christmas Day imitating the gifts given to Jesus by the Three Kings. Shopping is great fun for some of us, but if this drives you crazy, crafts and handmade gifts are very popular and are really much more personal than buying a commercial gift in a store for someone that they don't want anyway.

Did you find the seven best yet?

1 Advent

2 Decorations

3 Wreaths

4 Centerpieces

5 Happy Birthday, Jesus!

6 Gifts

7 The Three Kings

This is just the beginning. Be sure to keep an eye on this blog over the next four weeks. You will find unique ideas of all kinds for the Christmas celebration!

“He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth” Luke 1:14 NIV.

   

Delights for the Tummy

It certainly wouldn't be a yummy Christmas arriving soon without all the wonderful cooks in the world! Tasty food expanding our waistlines! (smiling here!) But, truly, we all grew up with some kind of favorite dishes, maybe made in warm, cozy kitchens of our mothers and grandmothers. And then, as we had families of our own, many, many recipes were invented, experimented with (and maybe failed!), but we eventually started our own cookbooks with our favorite recipes.

Sharing Recipes

What a great past time! Some of us, though, may only pretend to be cooks and bakers. Or maybe, never attempt to get dirty in the flour and sugar at all, which is absolutely fine. (Time for a Hahaha! here). So let's start by sharing some really easy food starters. We might even try them out and then add them to our own pages of recipes--the better for our friends and families. Note: most of these recipes are made quick and simple, not necessarily from scratch, but just a lot of fun and yummy for our tummy. Adjust to your own liking.

Old-Time Tastes

Spiced Tea

2 c. orange, powdered drink mix (aka Tang)

1 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 c. instant tea

1/2 tsp. cloves

1 c. sugar

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly and store in an airtight container. To serve, use 2 heaping teaspoons to one cup of hot water. If desired, garnish with a lemon or orange slice.

Waldorf Salad

2 c. peeled diced apples (6 medium)

1 TB sugar

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Dash salt

1 c. diced celery

1 c. halved red grapes (optional)

1/2 c. nuts

1/4 c. mayonnaise

1/2 c. whipping cream

Sprinkle apple cubes with sugar, lemon juice and salt. Add celery, nuts, and grapes. Fold mayonnaise into whipping cream. Gently fold into apple mixture. Chill. Serves 6.

Cherry Delights

1 c. margarine

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. light corn syrup (Karo)

2 egg yolks (save whites for later)

2-1/2 c. flour

2 c. chopped nuts

24 Maraschino cherries (cut in half)

Oven 325 degrees

Mix margarine and sugar. Stir in syrup, egg yolks, and flour. Chill. Roll into 1-inch balls. Dip into slightly beaten egg whites, then in nuts. Place on greased cookie sheet. Place one cherry half into each center. Bake 20 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.

Stay connected to this blog for more Christmas celebration ideas!

Then God said, "Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food." Genesis 1:29