Choosing What to Give ~ Some Gifts that Matter

Greetings Dear Reader,

I often ponder the things that I can give that will mean the most.  I make a very organized and detailed list for everyone for whom I will be purchasing presents.  I keep this in a document so that I can review what I have given over previous years.

At the top of the entry for each person I put the most important gifts.  The first thing I list is ways in which I want to show the person that I am thankful for his or her place in my life.  It is one of the ways I prepare my heart for the Thanksgiving season. 

It may be that I have a conversation with someone reminding him or her of how they have positively impacted me.  I may make a small gift or buy a meal.  The core is to find a way to specifically show my gratitude for the life of the individual and how it intersects mine in a good way.

Also on this page I keep a list of things I wish to do to show charity, love, and compassion to others throughout the season.  There are volunteer opportunities.  Some I do without including anyone who knows me.  An anonymous time of volunteer work is very rewarding.   Some like Bell Ringing for the Salvation Army is an annual event in which I involve my family. 

The focus must be on choosing gifts that matter.  If I give gratitude, love, charity to others then I can choose tangible gifts with the right heart.  This mindset also makes me more present when I am out and about interacting with others.  When I am at restaurants and shops the right mind helps me remain patient, respectful, and polite with clerks and servers. 

Many gifts are needed to fill out my list.  The most important ones only cost me effort and a little time.  The rewards of being in the right mind and heart make the season unfold in a way that keeps Christ at the center of it.  That is the most important gift that I can give myself.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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