Tag Archives: gift

Not-so-secret Santa.

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I got my Secret Santa gift at work today.

secret santa

You know how it works. There is a dollar limit and everyone picks a name out of a hat.

You buy, then wrap, the gift.

But the person getting the gift does not know who is giving it.

The gift I received was great. There was a party game and a dozen A Christmas Story socks. Whoever gave the gift did a fantastic job. I loved it!

When living through Christmas every year, one is reminded about the greatest gift ever given.

A baby in a manger.

Have you received that gift? Even though there are billions of people in the world, that gift of salvation is still available.

Here’s the kicker: This gift comes from God, not a Secret Santa.

There are no surprises. No bad gifts. Nothing to return. No gift receipts needed.

We actually know what the gift is going to be before we receive it.

Our bibles tell us everything we need to know.

So as you are ripping apart wrapping paper and cutting through the ribbon on your presents, remember this:

Jesus is a gift that is already unwrapped and you have full access to Him.

opening a gift

This could be your best Christmas ever!

Merry Christmas!

 

 

Lent, pt. 35

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In a few days, Monday the 15th, I will celebrate my anniversary with my wife.

It will be 19 years.

Wow, it is hard to think that many years have gone by already.

I found a couple of rather interesting lists regarding gifts for anniversaries.

anniversary list 2anniversary list

Although neither of the lists had 19 years, I did find them amusing.

The lists that did show 19 years, mentioned a common theme.

Bronze.

What?!?!

My question, then, is what in the world do I get my wife, whom I love, a gift that somehow relates to something bronze?

Who made these lists anyway?

To my wife, I love you and thank you for 19 years. May God give us 19+ more!

Kindling and cliches.

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Happy New Year! You will hear that phrase many times today. Maybe 50 times. 100? Who knows. No doubt, there will be some people who actually mean it. They are sincere in wishing you a happy 2019.

But there are others who say it just because it is a good thing to say. They are using a cliché. Just hollow words.

I don’t mean to be negative minded today. Personally, when I hear that phrase, it will be fuel to my fire.

pouring_gasoline_on_fire

When I say fuel to my fire, I am referring to two verses in the New Testament.

II Timothy 1:6-7

“6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

2019 can be a miraculous year. See my last post for details. Anatomy of a Miracle

Those verses have been familiar to me for most of my life. Very recently though, they took new meaning for me.

Catch the second part of verse 6. These words can be revolutionary.

“…which is in you…”

Everything God needs to accomplish His will is already in you. He put it there when you were being formed in the womb. All your life, you have had the skill, talent, ability, resource, etc. for exactly what God will have you do.

But sometimes it is easy to forget that fact.

So whether the ‘Happy New Years’ you hear today are heart-felt or empty words, remember this: fan into flame the gift of God!

Let those clichés turn into kindling!

fan into flame

Make the choice to use the stuff of life to grow the fire in you.

Who knows, something might just catch on fire!