Our Attitude at Christmas

An American Express survey about Christmas gifts found that fruitcake was chosen most often (31%) from a list of “worst” holiday gifts. It even finished ahead of “no gift at all.” When asked how to dispose of a bad gift, 30% of those surveyed said they would hide it in the closet, 21% would return it, and 19% would give it away.

Worst Gifts Ever from Readers Digest-

1. “I know my best friend meant well when she gave me an electric bug vacuum, because she knows how much I hate insects. You trap a bug in one end of a tube, then press the trigger to suck the bug into wherever part collects the dead bodies. The whole idea grossed me out so much I never even opened the box!” –Beth Weinhouse. Avoid the unintentionally funny Christmas gifts by learning science-backed ways to give a meaningful present.

2.“One of my relatives is known for giving horrible gifts, and the year I was 16 I got a plain fleece blanket—the type that rolls up for easy transport. Clearly, I wasn’t thrilled, so I tried to return it. Well, that failed when customer service told me the blanket hadn’t been sold in stores… for three years!”  –Alyssa Jung. Follow these gift-giving etiquette rules to make sure you don’t get a reputation for giving funny Christmas gifts

3. “Every Christmas, cousin Nancy sends a box of holiday surprises: rice pasta (I am gluten intolerant), bars of Ivory soap, or perhaps Trail Mix. But this trout tie? Yes, Nancy remembered that I love to fish, but it’s as ugly as sin. I haven’t had the nerve to wear it for 15 years, yet I put it on now so you don’t think I’m making the story up.” –Fran Lostys. If you’re at a loss for what to give, go with these crowd-pleasing gift exchange ideas instead of resorting to funny Christmas gifts.

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“One of my relatives is known for giving horrible gifts, and the year I was 16 I got a plain fleece blanket—the type that rolls up for easy transport. Clearly, I wasn’t thrilled, so I tried to return it. Well, that failed when customer service told me the blanket hadn’t been sold in stores… for three years!”  –Alyssa Jung. Follow these gift-giving etiquette rules to make sure you don’t get a reputation for giving funny Christmas gifts.

“Cousin Nancy, you shouldn’t have”

“One of my relatives is known for giving horrible gifts, and the year I was 16 I got a plain fleece blanket—the type that rolls up for easy transport. Clearly, I wasn’t thrilled, so I tried to return it. Well, that failed when customer service told me the blanket hadn’t been sold in stores… for three years!”  –Alyssa Jung. Follow these gift-giving etiquette rules to make sure you don’t get a reputation for giving funny Christmas gifts.

So many Gifts given this time of year that we forget the most important one of all.

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“Every Christmas, cousin Nancy sends a box of holiday surprises: rice pasta (I am gluten intolerant), bars of Ivory soap, or perhaps Trail Mix. But this trout tie? Yes, Nancy remembered that I love to fish, but it’s as ugly as sin. I haven’t had the nerve to wear it for 15 years, yet I put it on now so you don’t think I’m making the story up.” –Fran Lostys. If you’re at a loss for what to give, go with these crowd-pleasing gift exchange ideas instead of resorting to funny Christmas gifts.

Christ.

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Have you ever wanted to see someone really bad maybe a celebrate, some one deployed in another part of the world or maybe a love one that has passed away.

I invite you to get the wonder the amazement of looking into that tiny manger and see the baby in swaddling clothing that will come to save us from out sins. His very mission

“Every Christmas, cousin Nancy sends a box of holiday surprises: rice pasta (I am gluten intolerant), bars of Ivory soap, or perhaps Trail Mix. But this trout tie? Yes, Nancy remembered that I love to fish, but it’s as ugly as sin. I haven’t had the nerve to wear it for 15 years, yet I put it on now so you don’t think I’m making the story up.” –Fran Lostys. If you’re at a loss for what to give, go with these crowd-pleasing gift exchange ideas instead of resorting to funny Christmas gifts.

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

We learn the game at an early age Hide and Seek. We often spend this life seeking. What and why are we seeking what we are seeking.

In the Old Testament the Saint longed to just look for a promised land. Moses …

Deuteronomy 32:48–52 KJV 1900

And the Lord spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying, Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession: And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people: Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel. Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel.

Deuteronomy 32:48-52

They were just looking for a land we have the privelege to look and see the Lord.

To look at God was

In the Old Testament to look at God was not possible.

Gather around and look with me at Jesus in the Manger.

Jesus the God Man presented given for our Salvation.

John 1:1–5 KJV 1900

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

The “Lamb” to be sacrificed for sin 1:29;36

The “Water” to the thirsty 4:14; 7:37

The “Bread” for the Hungry 6:35

The “Light” for those in Darkness 8:12

I was reading an article and it was saying how some have out grow the baby in a manger. We can’t appreciate anything because we have overheard this.

We grew up with the Jesus story, until we outgrew it. The last day we walked out of Sunday School may be the last day we seriously engaged this faith.2

Frederica Mathewes-Green,

At the Corner of East and Now

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas, ed. Jana Riess, trans. O. C. Dean Jr., First edition. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010), 53.