{"id":834,"date":"2011-12-11T09:00:37","date_gmt":"2011-12-11T15:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/?p=834"},"modified":"2011-12-09T20:27:15","modified_gmt":"2011-12-10T02:27:15","slug":"christmas-gifts-for-the-family-that-dont-cost-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=834","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Gifts for the Family (That Don’t Cost Money)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Many think the custom of giving gifts to loved ones at Christmastime came from the Magi giving gifts to the Christ child long ago. I\u2019m not sure. However, giving Christmas gifts has become part of our lives. Unfortunately, some of us get so caught up in creating a perfect Christmas environment by cooking, decorating, and buying the perfect presents for our family that we neglect those gifts that are most valuable \u2013 the ones that don\u2019t cost money. Why not consider giving some of the following?<\/p>\n

Affection:<\/strong> We shouldn\u2019t need to have a sprig of mistletoe as an excuse to kiss to a spouse or hug our children. What good are homemade cookies shaped like Santa, bells, and sleighs if our family members feel like they are in the way while we are making them? What good is a perfect, color coordinated Christmas tree if our little ones don\u2019t feel wanted? A wink, a smile, a hug, a kiss \u2013 these will be remembered long after the cookies are eaten and the tree comes down.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe kindly affectionate to one another\u00a0<\/em>with brotherly love in honor giving preference to one another.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>(Romans 12:10)<\/em><\/p>\n

Laughter:<\/strong> All the health benefits of laughter are too numerous to mention but here are a few. Studies show laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body\u2019s natural pain killer. Laughter changes brain chemistry for the better. It lowers risk of heart disease, increases blood flow, and reduces stress. Laughter is contagious so it\u2019s the perfect gift to give to others. Clipping a funny cartoon to share is great. But even better is to find the \u201cfunny\u201d in everyday life. So when those little holiday mishaps come \u2013 and they will come \u2013 just find the humor in a situation. Burnt figgy pudding is not the end of the world. Remember, if you can laugh at it, you can live through it.<\/p>\n

\u201cA merry heart does good, like medicine\u2026\u201d (Proverbs 17:22)<\/em><\/p>\n

Appreciation:<\/strong> Learn to appreciate our differences. Focus on a person\u2019s positive qualities, not what we would consider negatives. We are not all alike. That doesn\u2019t necessarily make some of us better than others \u2013 just different. Some of us are organized, some are disorganized. Some are fashion conscious, some are happier in jeans. Some are morning people, some come alive a night. And nowhere are our differences more magnified than in a family environment, so let\u2019s cut each other some slack. Let family members know they are appreciated for who they are. We could even throw in a few phrases like, \u201cYou did a good job,\u201d \u201cThank you for your help\u201d or \u201cI love those jeans!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thank God for every remembrance\u00a0of you\u2026\u201d (Philippians 1:3)<\/em><\/p>\n

Time:<\/strong> We only have a certain amount of time. When a day passes that time is gone. We never get it back. If we don\u2019t take the time to create family memories we end up in a Cat\u2019s in the Cradle<\/em> situation. Just hanging out together as a family is not time wasted. Playing a game, attending a church Christmas program, singing Christmas carols to a CD, watching It\u2019s a Wonderful Life<\/em> or How the Grinch Stole Christmas<\/em> on television, making a card for Grandma, visiting Aunt Matilda in the nursing home, or just driving around town to see the Christmas decorations can be some cost effective activities we can do as a family \u2013 all together! Ecclesiastes says there is a time for every season. Why not take some time to enjoy this season together? It is time well spent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a time for everything and for every\u00a0season under heaven.\u201d (Ecclesiastes 3:1)<\/em><\/p>\n

I guess I\u2019m really talking about the gift of love. Our houses may be twinkling with lights that can be seen in outer space. A plastic Santa with all the reindeer, even Rudolph, may be adorning our lawn. Our door may have four wreaths. We might even have a snowman mailbox that would put Frosty to shame. But everyone knows when giving presents that\u2019s it\u2019s not the box and wrapping on the outside that counts. If our houses are decorated on the outside but don\u2019t have the gifts of love on the inside, we miss the mark \u2013 especially at Christmastime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many think the custom of giving gifts to loved ones at Christmastime came from the Magi giving gifts to the Christ child long ago. I\u2019m not sure. However, giving Christmas gifts has become part of our lives. Unfortunately, some of … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/834"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=834"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/834\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}