The Ultimate Gift

Another week has passed and no blogging. It is hard to keep up regularly, especially with Christmas time.

Last night Kate and I watched The Ultimate Gift, a movie which came out about a year ago. It was about a incredibly wealthy man who gave his grandson the ultimate gift. I won't spoil it for you but instead of giving him money, he gave him the gift of things that matter, the gift of work, the gift of family, the gift of laughter, the gift of problems. It keeps you on the edge of your seat seen this young man gain responsibility in his life.

Tonight a Sunday School class is doing something great. They are making a steak dinner for those in Transitional Housing (MATS) and the Daily Bread Ministry (who feeds people from our community every day). About 15o are scheduled to attend. On top of that, they are giving each person gifts and after the meal, they are going to watch The Ultimate Gift. It is exciting to see how Christmas for several folks means more than attending worship services, but it means giving back, of their money and their time. I'll let you know how it went later.

Another exciting thing this year is how many responded the jail ministry request of helping kids at Christmas. There was a M and M tree with kids names on it whose parents (usually fathers) are in jail. So many gifts have shown up at our office to be given to those kids whose parents are seen weekly by people from our church.

Which leads me to another thought, is the disposition of our lives in general to give back or to take. SOmetimes people do great things at Christmas to either relieve guilt or to make it Christmas or Thanksgiving special to others. But I have to ask myself if overall I am a giver or a taker. Do I look first to help others or to meet my own needs first? I saw in a recent article that Gingumsburg UM Church has challenged churches and local busiiness to give as much money as they spend on themselves to their mission to Africa, with a goal set of $1.5 Million dollars. WOW! This challenges me to be that giving to others, especially others I don't know. Think about yourself, your disposition, your Christmas giving. Are there any adjustments that need to be made?