If you know true love
Count yourself lucky;
For it is not an easy
thing to find;
Fake love is everywhere;
But true, genuine love
Hardly anywhere;
It is so scarce;
But not impossible;
However, a real possibility;
If you want it;
You can find it;
But you must start
By giving it to someone;
What you give
Is what you receive;
What you don’t give
You don’t receive.
Give true love
And receive true love.
The way to get is to give;
To give more, is to get more;
How is that possible?
It is very possible;
To give is to open your hand;
And with an open hand,
You receive;
With a closed hand,
You can’t receive.
Therefore, open your hand,
And give,
And you will receive.
Give a hand;
Take a hand;
Don’t ask why!
The givers have
More;
The hoarders have less;
Those who give more,
More they receive;
Those who give less,
Less they receive;
Give and receive;
Hoard and lose.
Give, give and give.
The more
You will receive.
When you give, do so cheerfully;
Give from your heart;
Don’t give from your hands alone;
Let your heart be
In what you give;
Give with love;
Give selflessly,
Without a desire to be seen
Praised, or rewarded
For your generosity.
Let charity be your sole motivation;
You shall be abundantly rewarded,
For God loves a cheerful giver.
Enjoy “The Christmas Shoes” by Newsong 2000!
The muddy slush piles up against curbs and trampled footprints scatter about on the snow-covered sidewalks. Storefronts capitalize on impending Christmas shopping with festive, decorated windows. Full of alluring ideas that tax the mind where wallets won’t permit, it’s hard to swallow. But, love consumes our hearts, so we become obsessed with not wanting to forget a single person. We shop online and by foot comparing prices, then wait in long lines. Frustrations mount as, sometimes, we end up paying for overnight delivery because we ran out of time.
Are we losing sight of Christmas? We join together bearing gifts for one another to commemorate Jesus’s birthday on the 25th day of December. But where did the idea of excessive gift-giving come from, anyway? It’s not how this holiday began because there was a time when celebrating this day was a taboo.
Origin of the Christmas Holiday
Jesus’s birth was categorized as a pagan holiday. It is their belief He never existed as a man, only as a spiritual entity. Then, in the 1600s, Rome became the birthplace of Christmas as we know it; so, it’s a fairly new celebration. But, as history reveals, Protestants (the Puritans) in America hated this holiday and banned it in 1644. They believed it was an insult to God to honor a day associated with ancient paganism. The Puritans also considered Christmas trees and decorations unholy rituals as well as traditional foods such as mincemeat pies and pudding.
Pagan Christmas image courtesy of Huffington Post
Commercialism of Christmas
So, how did Christmas ever come to the point of being the ultimate gift-giving experience instead of the rejoicing of a holy birth? Perhaps the commercialization of Santa Claus bearing bags of gifts started the dreaded Christmas creep. New York City’s annual American International Toy Fair is held in February, and the stores purchase and scheme for the following holiday. Isn’t that a little much?
Do you know a whopping 18% of gifts given to others are never used by the recipient? To make matters worse, we spend the next six months paying off the debt we incurred because it was ‘the thought that mattered.’ Scroogenomics author, Joel Waldfogel, summed it up well – “if the spending we engage in doesn’t produce any satisfaction, then it’s hardly a measure of well-being.” Why are we allowing the commercialism of Christmas to affect our purses and create greediness?
Make Your Christmas Count!
I think this Christmas we should, instead, get involved with our communities. Spend money, if you must, giving to those less fortunate. There are orphanages, Senior Citizen centers, hospitals, and homeless people who would appreciate your gift. Take your children with you and let them feel the happiness of another person smiling over an unexpected present. After all, as a Christian, God expects us to help others in need.
Image courtesy of YouTube
Overloading our own kids and others with presents is not the reason for the season! Limit your immediate family gifts to three and make them count. The birth of Jesus should be our celebration. Attend a local church service and enjoy the sensations of the joyous season. Jesus was born to save us – let that be enough for you this year.
God bless and Merry Christmas!
Doing a thoughtful deed for others has such high rewards, but when it happens unexpectedly to yourself, it dramatically changes the credence of kindness. I’ll never forget coming home one day to find a neighbor who lived across the street, mowing my front yard. How do you put a value on their thoughtfulness? The most significant action is the act of giving! It’s the only thing our government hasn’t figured out how to tax either. A simple smile, a ‘hello’ or ‘good morning,’ means so much and it costs so little to deliver to the receiver. It is the sweetness of Christian life – care, love, and consideration.
Thoughtfulness denotes good character and earns respect. God expects us to model His love to others for it shows we have Him living inside us. Giving unconditionally is the value of thoughtfulness, and it becomes a domino effect. It’s the priceless heartfelt feeling when you witness someone smiling over such a little act.
I am blessed to remain in these rejoicing moments. God promises to honor us tenfold when we give to others out of consideration and love for one another. It is my calling, too, to walk blindly into the valleys and spread His good news to the confused. Making others feel like they matter in a sometimes cruel and unrelenting world can be challenging, but the reward is so great. Be not afraid, our gracious God has a gentler side.
The value of thoughtfulness goes a long way in making so many people happy. It restores the faith in humanity. Christians, we have a calling to give with a free spirit. It will shine in heaven’s armor, trust me! Let us follow God’s path.
“Are you surprised you got what you got? Why should you? That is exactly what you gave. We always receive what we give or what is exactly equivalent to what we give. Echo out, echo back.” (Romilia Quotes)
What are you giving
To the world?
Are you giving your best
Or your worst?
Are you giving excellence
Or mediocrity?
Are you giving quality
Or garbage?
Are you giving light
Or darkness?
Are you giving peace
Or war?
Are you giving hard times
Or easy times?
I encourage you,
Give your best;
You are the best;
Give excellence,
You are excellent;
Give quality,
You are quality;
Give gold not silver
You are gold not silver;
Give light,
You are light;
Not darkness.
You give what you have;
From what you give
Will be known who you are.
Giving, your key to success;
If you want to succeed,
Give and give;
The more you share,
The more you receive;
Do you believe in this?
I do;
The more you give,
The more you are given;
And there is so much
You can give;
Not only material things,
But more importantly
Intangible things;
Things you cannot see;
Things you cannot touch;
Things so cheap
You don’t need money
To buy;
At the top of them are,
Love;
Good will, kindness,
Help, your smile, care,
Friendship;
Give boundless love
To fellow humans;
Give boundless love
To God;
Give generously to him;
He has given generously
To you;
And continues to do so;
Give and you will receive;
Give to others
And receive from others.
Give knowledge;
Give your previous time;
If you don’t give,
Don’t hope to receive;
The giving equation is real:
Giving equals receiving.
Giving leads to receiving;
Receiving emanates from giving.
If you want to succeed
Learn to give;
And give generously.
“Cultivate the habit of giving. What you give always finds a way to come back to you It may come back in a way that you recognize or in a way that you don’t.” (Romilia Quotes)
