Our Christmas tree in our new Nashville home.
There’s so many holiday gift guides floating around the blog world right now, and I debated whether to put one together also. But then I thought, you know, we’re not going by any gift guides this year, so why should I promote one?
Instead, what we are doing in my family this year is simply… making our gifts. When my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas/My birthday this year, I simply said “Make me something. Don’t buy me the usual knick knacks, make me something from your heart.” And now Stephen and I are doing the same for each other and others as well. It’s so easy to get caught up in the newest and hottest gadgets out there, but making something from the heart is so much more meaningful.
Now mind you, I’m not not not crafty. While I wish I had the gift of being the one behind who inspires others on Pinterest with my crafty projects, I just wasn’t born with a crafty gene to create something out of nothing. I wish I had that gift, and time, to really sit down and whip out something amazing. But I’ve learned, making something from the heart doesn’t always have to be crafty. Last year, the gift I made my mom was an album of all our photos from our trip to Europe. In the past as a little girl, it was a drawing of my hand spelling “I Love You” in sign language, with a poem I wrote. I want my mom to remember not what I bought her, but how she felt when getting the gift.
The other gift I try to give has nothing to do with Christmas… but it’s a gift I try to give all year long. It’s simply the gift of…. giving… when I see God open an opportunity. While Stephen and I feel blessed to earn a living on the creative gifts we have, whenever we see someone in true need of one of our creative gifts, if we are in a place to be able to give, we try our best to give without asking anything in return. We also love blessing others with random acts of kindness when we can, such as leaving someone a bigger tip than they deserve, buying someone’s groceries behind us in line, or praying for someone on the spot.
It’s so easy to get caught up in forgetting that Jesus is the reason for the season and the gift He gave us, but below are a few ways I hope you can remember what this season is truly all about.
THREE WAYS TO GIVE THIS SEASON:
1. MAKE SOMETHING. If you are crafty, go to Michaels and brainstorm up something unique for that special person in your life who is used to getting something store bought from you. If you are not crafty, Personal Creations is a great site which helps think for you, and you just plug in a custom name or phrase!
2. TITHE. When was the last time you sacrificed part of your paycheck to give to your church? I know it can be hard, I know it’s a sacrifice, I know there are many other things you need to be spending your money on, but with all that God has given you, how can you not give Him back His 10%? If you don’t belong to a church, is there someone in your life that could use a check for the 10%? And next time you go get groceries, you know you will see that reminder there ringing the bell with a smile as your walk in. There’s so much beauty in giving that you don’t understand until you give, and as Jesus said, “It is better to give than to receive.”
3. GIVE YOUR TIME. Just as hard as it is to give money, giving of your time can be just as hard when your To Do list is adding up with each day getting closer to Christmas. Yet, this time of year, so many charities, organizations and churches are in need of how they are trying to give in others lives too. Think of the homeless shelter that needs more volunteers on Christmas to serve up meals tho those whose only Christmas gift is a hot meal. Think of that church pageant who needs people to help with wardrobe, music, passing out candles. Or what about that old man down the street who will be spending Christmas alone? Maybe it’s time you stopped passing by his house on the drive home, and stopped for an hour to see if he needs anything.
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthian 9:7
I hope your Christmas season is turning out to be a blessed one! Leave me a comment and let me know any other ideas you have for unique ways to give this season!
