Tag Archives: Christmas

Christmas Eve Day

leejohndrowteamToday is Christmas Eve (morning). I am looking forward to all it brings, including lots of kids and grandkids, as well as a friend or two.

This has been a monumental Christmas season. I lost my job a few weeks. It gave me plenty of time to be with family, make preparations and enjoy the time. Continue reading Christmas Eve Day

Gifting God

2015-11-06 11.05.36“Take the scissors and open the blades this much. Then push against the wrapping paper.” The shears quickly cut the paper.

That was my mom teaching me how to wrap a present. Whether it was socks, a boxed tie, a belt or some unusually shaped toy for a brother or sister. (Last night I showed my grandson, Jacob, some of the same techniques.) Gift wrapping was about the most fun of the season after the tree was up and in place.

Both my mom and my dad taught us the value of doing something well when it came to Christmas presents. Wrapping presents often took hours. Scissors, tape, ribbon and paper. They taught us how to curl ribbons and make beautiful bows. How to hide the cute ends and square packages.

The wrapped packages were pieces of art.

We would make little cards of scraps of wrapping paper. Little rhymes would be used to “suggest” what was inside. (Don’t worry about the weather,for this is better than leather.)

People were devoted to the process of making something better. Expressing oodles of love and care. Blessing one another.

My folks would go to stores where many of them would gift wrap as a service. Beautiful boxes, colorful papers and artsy bows, couple with a gorgeous card. (You had the sizzle and the steak and there was atmosphere too!)

There were no bags. Few gift cards. As a matter fact, the only thing a bag was used for was to get packages from one place to another.

I know it is Christmas and the thoughts are in your mind.

It would be a good Christmas story.

But as I pondered it a few days ago, I thought about our devotion to Christ. Often in our walk with Jesus people fizzle out, get bored, becoming less enthusiastic. (Still saved, just not having fun.)

It is not a criticism but more of an observation. Why does this happen? Because often we forget two things. One is, He is the source of life. Two is, we get allow ourselves to get caught up in other things. We tend to forget “customer service”. We skip the devotion.  We miss the special things we once did.

Now, we look to give God “gift cards” and “presents” tossed in a bag.

Something needs to change.

Whether it is cooking or wrapping presents if it is not bringing you joy, it is not the project, chore or task, but most likely it is the times missed out on.

But, I am so busy!!!

You can choose to be offended, feel guilty or shout “stop”, but busyness coupled with no joy is often the signpost of you forgot something.

In Him, you can find joy doing dishes. Too many are forgetting the simple fact that He is life. In Him we have life. Through Him we have life.

Dolly Parton — “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”

I encourage you to recollect the things that brought you joy. Maybe Christmas is your jump start.

The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of generosity and of goodness. It illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than in things.

Thomas S. Monson

God Bless You!

leejohndrowteamYesterday I had an encounter with a person so bitter over Christmas, it offended her.

I shared a bit about it yesterday.

However they got to that place of hurting did not matter. They were there. So much so they would break policy and find themselves constantly on the lookout for their boss to change the music back. Continue reading God Bless You!

I Can Because I Want To!

preachingatvillageAs I entered the large Christmas store, I was excited. I had my decorated bag in my hands. It had my stuff in there. Things I had brought. Nothing fancy or extravagant, but they were mine. They were things I carried. As I walked into the store I was ready for the beauty of Christmas. I opened the door and there were large empty shelves. It looked like there had been something there, but nothing to make me say “wow, I am here”. I was actually a little bit bummed I think. As I passed some of the shelves there were the helpers, the elves and I thought “this is weird. Where was the joy?” They looked down at the bag in my hand and while I thought they might ask to hold it, they did not. Continue reading I Can Because I Want To!

Merry Christmas To You!

2013-12-20 17.14.38Today as the gifts are opened and the food is eaten, there is still plenty of magic to go around.

Last night I attended our annual Christmas service and I watched the people come in, I thought what a wonderful time of the year. As I saw the people coming in, I saw the hugs and I saw the laughter. I also saw tears and bewilderment on some. “Why am I here?” “How long does this last?” I wandered around getting to as many as I had a chance, but at some point it gets too much because there are too many. It was beautiful. Continue reading Merry Christmas To You!

A Little Dirt Never Hurt…

preachingatvillage“Get the bubble wrap Mildred. We gotta protect the kids.” Do you really do that? So many folks are running around trying to make it perfect that they are missing the point of life. To live it.

My dream had me walking up to someone preparing to blow a hall in a wall. It was almost as if the wall was like that that went around a prison. I could not stop it and when I awoke, I realized I was not to stop it. It was important to setting the captives free! Continue reading A Little Dirt Never Hurt…

The Winning Number Is…

leejohndrowteamYesterday I participated in a webinar. It was about a product I don’t totally understand. But the guy was interesting and I hung in there. What they taught on had little to do with technology and more to do with marketing and promotion. That and webinars give me a few moments to do other things, like review email, answer questions and get caught up. People participated around the world. Continue reading The Winning Number Is…

A Hug Changes a Heart – Laughter Changes An Atmosphere

2014-08-09 13.57.03Last night a couple of young friends connected with me and ended up coming over to visit. If they only knew how much I “needed” it.

Perhaps it is the season and it is the enemy throwing junk down on people, but it has seemed like there is a lot going on in people’s lives. Maybe there is. Maybe we are more connected than we realize. But, when they said they were coming over, I was encouraged. Continue reading A Hug Changes a Heart – Laughter Changes An Atmosphere