When I saw boxes of candy canes and foil-wrapped Santas lining the shelves of my grocery store one week before Halloween, I wasn’t surprised. There are many signs of how far society has fallen from what was once considered sensible. And yet, I thought, have we really come to this? Blitzing through our days so fast that we barely have time to celebrate one holiday before marketers are ram-rodding another down our throats?
Yes, there really are only twelve days ‘til Christmas. So, unless you’ve got a partridge and a pear tree, a handful of spare rings and some leaping lords lying about, it’s time to get busy. With the convenience of the Internet, it’s tempting to order gifts online, but I’m a huge fan of supporting local businesses, which sponsor youth programs, employ neighbors and build communities. So, I’ve put together a last-minute shopping guide sure to cover everyone on your list and to be a whole lot more memorable than clicking a button on your computer screen.
The perfect gift. For those who love Christmas, isn’t that what we hope to give? Something that communicates the depth of our love to the one who will receive it. A physical, tangible way of expressing the value of those we cherish. Finding such a gift is a challenge. The better we know the recipient – their hopes and needs and desires – the easier it is. Driving down our country road last week to visit his great-grandmother, I asked my 4-year-old son, “What do you think Grammy would like for Christmas?”
Ever wonder if you are receiving God’s best? It’s trendy to talk about “living your best life.” We all want the best life. But what about living God’s best life for you? Where does it start? One of my favorite stories is the romance of Isaac and Rebekah. Told in Genesis 24, Isaac’s father, Abraham, wanted to ensure his son found the best possible wife. So he loaded some camels and sent a servant on a journey to his homeland to find a wife for Isaac. There, the servant met a girl named Rebekah, who was from Abraham’s family. She agreed to be Isaac’s bride.
Wife, mom, writer, friend, sharing God in my everyday life through “Faith Notes.”