Open Your Gifts
Open your gifts
They allow
Your creativity
To flow
.
Open your heart
It allows
The love In you
To flow
.
Open your mind
To allow
Truth to
Flow in
.
Open your hearth
And allow
Weary Souls
To enter
.
Open this day
With joy
To let the
Son shine in
.
Today’s a gift 🎁
Open it!
When your hair is sparkling silver
And your chest is wrinkled skin,
How can your life be useful?
How can you keep your grin?
I’ll tell you all my secret –
It’s not too hard to know.
You have to find your niches
And stay useful as you grow.
You can’t let age impale you
And make you feel extinct.
You have to keep on growing
And keep your life distinct!
So find out where your passions
Lead you to volunteer –
And soon skin and hair tone
Will bring you cause to cheer!
It’s only when we’ve given
A life of service sincere
That we can join the chorus
In a heartfelt round of cheer.
We must resolve to remain useful.
We must share our time with glee.
Then the outer image fades away,
And our joy is all they see!
Let’s Do It!
God has entrusted us
With treasures of great worth.
Hope and inspiration are ours.
God gives us each other – and Christ’s birth.
God gives us, by His grace,
The gifts of immeasurable treasure.
He gives us the abilities
To use these gifts without measure.
We don’t get to choose
What treasures we receive,
But we are allowed to choose
What we do or achieve.
To fulfill our life’s purpose
Or to ignore our responsibilities
Is a choice we each make.
What are your possibilities?
We can double our gifts
Or we can ignore or bury ’em.
We can share our gifts
Or we decide they’re too heavy to carry ’em.
We will be rewarded according
To the return to God on our gifts.
Our talents are ours to use or
We’ll watch dismayed as our reward shifts.
God will take from the selfish
The wonders He placed in their hands.
He’ll rebuke the ungrateful ones
Who ignore His service demands.
So, are we giving back double
The abilities God generously gave us?
Do we accept them and honor Him
By using the gifts that can save us?
He gave us comfort so we
Can return comfort to others.
He gives us perfect directions
For how to use our gifts for our brothers.
So, let’s do it!
Amen?
Jan Beekman
-based on a sermon by Rev. Jean Johnson
-reflecting on Matt. 25:14-30
11/19/17
GONE
Gone are the robins
Gone is the fall
Gone are the leaves
The wind took them all.
Gone is the turkey
The cranberry, too
But love’s never gone
When I think of you.
HERE
Here is December
Here is the tree
Here are the presents
With love wrapped by me.
Here are the bright lights
Here candles glow
Here is the wreath
Here comes the snow!
THERE
There are the shoppers
Siftin’ the pickins
From Black Friday frenzy
Peckin’ like chickens.
Plucking a bargain
Spending their dough
There are the shoppers
Where is the glow?
EVERYWHERE
Looking for the perfect gift?
The right thing to share?
Don’t look in shopping malls;
You won’t find it there.
Looking for a pocket watch
To help him count the hours?
Looking for the magic fly
To boost his fishing powers?
Looking for a spiffy shirt
To guard him from the cold?
He has clothes enough to spare.
That’s not the trick, I’m told.
Don’t go shop in super stores
For the perfect gift to share;
Just point him to God’s love and yours –
He’ll find it everywhere!
HAVE A BLESSED, LOVE-FILLED DECEMBER!
The BEST Christmas gift doesn’t come in a box. It isn’t hidden in your Christmas stocking. It needs no wrapping paper or bows and it won’t cost you a thing except a little time. It’s an act of kindness that can come only from you.
I received the BEST Christmas present yesterday. Christmas is a couple of weeks away, but this gift will last until then – in fact, it will live in my heart forever!! You can give this kind of gift to someone today. It was a note from a former student. Eva was my first grader in 1980. I have moved 1,200 miles from her, but she cared enough and took the time to find me. Paraphrased, her note said, “I found my calling. I love teaching. In addition to teaching first graders, I am teaching Spanish two nights a week at the local college, and I am working as a mentor for beginning teachers. Thank you for being so instrumental in helping me find my calling…”
Eva was a bright and promising first grader who came to school as an English as a Second Language student. She spoke Spanish at home and in her neighborhood. She was making such great progress when at Christmas time her parents wanted to pull her out for a couple of months. Seasonal workers, they returned to Mexico each year to spend the holiday season (plus some) with Eva’s grandparents. I offered to have Eva live with me rather than missing so much learning during this crucial time in her developmental stage. Her parents, seeing my concern, recognizing the truth of my fears that she’d slide backward academically if she missed that much school, decided to cut their intended stay. They returned in early January. I was able to take my wonderful first graders on to second grade and by the end of the next year, Eva was an A student. It was a winning duet: supportive parents, and a bright and eager mind. It’s a caring, concerned teacher’s dream. I stayed in touch with Eva through her continued schooling and joyfully attended her college graduation. What a privilege!
But, the frosting on the cake was the BEST Christmas present ever – thirty-two years later. She took the time to contact me. My heart is so warmed by Eva’s acknowledgement and her success. Thank you, Eva! May God continue to bless you as you are a blessing to others!
You can send The Best Christmas Gift today! A note, a phone call, a text message, “Thank you for making a difference.” Isn’t that what life is all about? Give someone a lift. It won’t cost you anything more than a moment of your time. Merry Christmas, friends! Be a blessing!!
Hugs to You !!
Inspire to Love
Let the SonShine!
You inspire me to respond
Learning to Live; Living to Learn; Learning to Love; Living in Love
