Eight Gifts that Don’t Cost A Cent…

1) THE GIFT OF LISTENING… But, you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.

2) THE GIFT OF AFFECTION… Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

3) THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER… Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, “I love to laugh with you.”

4) THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE… It can be a simple “Thanks for the help” note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

5) THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT… A simple and sincere, “You look great in red,” “You did a super job” or “That was a wonderful meal” can make someone’s day.

6) THE GIFT OF A FAVOR… Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

7) THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE… There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION… The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it’s not that hard to say, “Hello” or “Thank You”.

Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care.

Nativity

The blessedness of Christmas
Is the miracle of birth,
When Christ, a child, called Jesus,
Was born upon this earth.

A star shone in the heavens
As darkness touched the night,
Attracting the poor shepherds
Who watched in awesome fright.

The wise men in the cities
Had heard the story told,
That a King, Lord and Saviour,
Lay in a manger cold.

The shepherds and the wise men
Who saw the brilliant star,
Followed it in wonder
To Bethlehem afar.
And there they found the manger
Enshrined in golden light,
Where laid the Christ Child Jesus
In swaddling clothes of white.

They knelt before their Master
As angels sang above,
A song that made it Christmas
So filled with joy and love.

Three Christmas Gifts

by : Mildred Goff
The wise men brought three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

This Christmas, try adding three gifts to your list. Yes, I know your Christmas gift list is already overly long, that you have neither time nor money for extra gifts. But these will cost you little in time, and less in money, and they will capture for you the true Christmas spirit so often lost in the rush and flurry of the season.

First gift: to a stranger. This might be a note to the bus company, mentioning that bus driver who is unfailingly pleasant and courteous, even under the most trying conditions. Send a Christmas card to the waitress who is so cheerful and quick to serve you. Write a letter to the author whose book, story, or poem you have enjoyed recently. Drop a note to the department store whose windows entice you, with a word of praise for the work of the window dresser. You can think of many more. Choose at least one.

Second gift: to someone you find it hard to like, or someone you feel does not like you very much. It might be your cross old great-aunt, or a sharp-tongued cousin; perhaps it is a business associate who annoys you, or an irritable neighbor. Send a small, inexpensive, but thoughtful gift to one in this group. It might be no more than a clipping or an article about some hobby for the neighbor; a magazine you know she would enjoy for the cranky relative. Remember, it is easy to give to those we love, but God’s love includes the whole world.

Third gift: to someone in trouble. Think of those enduring a cheerless old age, who would be so grateful for an unexpected caller. There are many in hospitals who have no one to visit them, to read to them, to talk to them. And consider those in prisons; yes, we are told we should visit them, too. An hour spent with one of these lonely and half-forgotten persons will do much for them, and more for you.

This Christmas, give these three gifts. You will be repaid a thousand-fold.

Improvement Era
Dec. 1957;
Christmas Classics p. 95

When Love Comes Down

by Mabel Jones Gabbott

The night was still, and then a song awakened shepherds ’round
their fire,
And hastened them to Bethlehem! Hosannas from a heav’nly choir!
This was the night when Love came down, as promised in God’s holy word.
The angels heralded in song the blessed birth of Christ, our Lord.
This was the night the King was born, as stars foretold in distant
space;
And three who watched the skies were led to Bethlehem, that holy place.
This was the night when Love came down, as promised in God’s holy word.
The angels heralded in song the blessed birth of Christ, our Lord.
This was the night, that holy night, when Love came down to bless the
earth.
And men and angels worshipped Him this night, the night of Jesus’ birth.
This was the night when Love came down, as promised in God’s holy word.
The angels heralded in song the blessed birth of Christ, our Lord.
This was the birth of Christ, our Lord.

The Savior’s Christmas Gifts

by :Spencer W. Kimball

Love involves giving of oneself, as Christ did. Christmastime is a glorious time of happy friendliness and unselfish sacrifice; a time of increased hospitality, devotion, and love; a time of the subduing of selfish impulses; a time of renewing friendships, cementing loosening ties, and the swelling of the heart. It transcends the individual, the family, the community, the nation; it approaches the universal, crosses borders, and touches many nations of the earth. Our caroling voices sing the sweet songs of Christmas reminiscent somewhat of the host of heavenly angelic voices in the long ago, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

We set up the evergreen tree with its gleaming, brightly colored lights; we hang wreaths and bells; and we light candles — all to remind us of that wondrous gift, the coming of our Lord into the world of mortality.

We send Christmas cards to numerous friends and relatives, pulling back into happy memories the loved ones who have moved out of our immediate association. Like the wise men who opened their treasury and presented to Jesus gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh, we present to our loved ones things to eat and wear and enjoy. Though we make an effort to follow the pattern of gift giving, sometimes our program becomes an exchange — gift given for gift expected. Never did the Savior give in expectation. I know of no case in his life in which there was an exchange. He was always the giver, seldom the recipient. Never did he give shoes, hose, or a vehicle; never did he give perfume, a shirt, or a fur wrap. His gifts were of such a nature that the recipient could hardly exchange or return the value. His gifts were rare ones: eyes to the blind, ears to the deaf, and legs to the lame; cleanliness to the unclean, wholeness to the infirm, and breath to the lifeless. His gifts were opportunity to the down-trodden, freedom to the oppressed, light in the darkness, forgiveness to the repentant, hope to the despairing. His friends gave him shelter, food, and love. He gave them of himself, his love, his service, his life. The wise men brought him gold and frankincense. He gave them and all their fellow mortals resurrection, salvation, and eternal life. We should strive to give as he gave. To give of oneself is a holy gift.

Christmas Joy

By: Reverend J. Harold Gwynne

The angel herald spoke of joy
God’s gift to humankind
And humble shepherds quickly came,
Incarnate joy to find.

The wise men, guided by the star,
Rejoiced with purest joy;
Their journey led them where they found
The Mother and Her Boy!

And now this blessed Christmas joy
Is known throughout the earth,
As joyful people everywhere
Observe the Christ Child’s birth.

And still the joy of Christmas comes
To fill our hearts with cheer;
This joy of which the angels sang
Grows sweeter every year.

This CHristmas joy within our hearts
Is deep and full and free;
It is the spirit of our Lord,
The Man of Galilee.

Christmas Gifts, Christmas Blessings

by :Thomas S. Monson

“What did you get for Christmas?” This is the universal question among children for days following that most celebrated holiday of the year. A small girl might reply, “I received a doll, a new dress, and a fun game.” A boy might respond, “I received a pocketknife, a train, and a truck with lights.” Newly acquired possessions are displayed and admired as Christmas day dawns, then departs.

The gifts so acquired are fleeting. Dolls break, dresses wear out, and fun games become boring. Pocketknives are lost, trains do nothing but go in circles, and trucks are abandoned when the batteries that power them dim and die.

If we change but one word in our Christmas question, the outcome is vastly different. “What did you give for Christmas?” prompts stimulating thought, causes tender feelings to well up and memory’s fires to glow ever brighter.

Someone has appropriately said, “We make a living by what we get, but we build a life by what we give.”

Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas Spirit. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The Spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than things. To catch the real meaning of the Spirit of Christmas, we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the Spirit of Christ.

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb.
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part

Christmas Eve (hushed was the)

By: Anne Stubbe

Hushed was the night on the Judean hill.
The weary shepherds with their charges lay
under a darkened sky, serene until
There shone the wonder of eternal day.
Then was the sky ablaze with glorious light;
The white-robed angels of the Lord came down:
” Peace on earth, good will to men this night…
Forever blessings on your little town.”
Now, under centuries the shepherds lie,
And quiet is the little town, but still
The blessings holds.The word that will not die
Proclaims once more, as on that faded hill,
The love of God; and in the hearts of men,
The star still glows- and Christ is born again.

What is Christmas? (is it just)

Is it just a day at the end of the year,
A season of joy, merry making and cheer,
Is it people and presents and glittering trees?
Ah no, it is more than any if these.
For under the tinsel and hidden from sight,
Is the promise and meaning of that first Christmas night,
When the shepherds stood in wondering awe,
And felt transformed by what they saw.
So let us not in our search for pleasure.
Forget our right to this priceless treasure.
For Christmas is still a God given day,
And let us remember to keep it that way.

Mother’s Christmas Wish, A (come dear)

Come dear family, gather ’round our Christmas tree;
Let us spend a little time in love and harmony.
Tomorrow we will celebrate the birth of Christ our Lord,
But I’ve a wish this year to see it’s meaning’s not ignored.

The gifts are neatly set about with names and tags and bows.
And Christmas goodies are in sight, the stockings are in rows.
But as I look into your faces, what I wish to see.
Is a love for Christ our Savior, not “What’s Santa bringing me?”
Each time one of you were born and laid here in my arm,
I thought about the Christ child in the manger safe and warm.
I thought of how his life began, and all the things he taught.
I thought of how he died for us–that death could conquer not.

I wonder how his face would look, if these gifts to him we gave–
A shirt, a train, a story book. .which of these would he save?
I think he’d rather see us give kindness to each other,
To say our thanks and give our love to him, our oldest brother.

So, as the colored Christmas iights are blinking in your heads,
I hope to find you each with love, kneeling at your beds,
And giving him a birthday wish that will be sure to please:
Just vow to love your fellow man, and promise from your knees.

Then in the morning when you pass your Christmas gifts around,
Give the gift of love and joy. .let true peace here be found.
For Jesus will be here to join, he’s told us so, you see.
“If you do it unto the least of these. .you do it unto me.”

–Suzanne Dean

A Small Step?

by Tom Norvell
________________________________________

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6 TNIV).

Progress and positive change takes time. Maybe you've been there. Maybe you are there. You are convicted that a change needs to occur and you take the initial steps that produce a sense of exhilaration about what lies ahead, then progress slows. You begin to feel frustrated, you get impatient, and before long you begin to question the need for change.

When that happens here's a simple principle that might be helpful. Remember: A small step is still a step. Here's what I mean:

• You know you need to lose weight. Not notice that some of your clothes are a bit snug, but assume the clothes were left in the dryer too long. Then, you are looking through a box of old family photos and you ask, "Who is that?" Your wife says, "It's you." Then, to make matters worse your doctor gently reminds you, "You gotta lose some weight!" You agree and confidently say, "I'm going to do it!" You set your goal. You buy new exercise clothes and shoes. You pick a place and a time and start running. You run about half a block when you realize that you are out of breath and every muscle in your body hurts. You think you are going to die right there. You question your sanity. You want to quit. Please don't. Remember: a small step is still a step.
• You and your spouse are not getting along. In fact, you both admit that you cannot remember the last time you were happy. In the heat of an argument one of you uses the word divorce. It scares you both. You agree to see a counselor. You tell your story to the counselor and she lays out a plan to improve your relationship to save your marriage. You both agree and commit to do the hard work. The first week goes well, but about midway in the second week you have another argument. "We're right back where we started!" You both get so discouraged that you wonder if there is any hope. There is. Remember: a small step is still a step.

• You decide the best thing for your career is to go back to school and finish your education. You get the catalog. You apply. You are accepted. You buy your books. You begin going to class. Then, everything piles up on you. Going to school and holding down a full-time job is too much! You feel like you are getting behind and losing ground. In the middle of another late night of studies you say to yourself, "What in the world am I doing?" You doubt whether you'll ever finish. You think about dropping out. Please don't. Remember: a small step is still a step.
• Someone you love has passed away. The holidays are approaching. You are not sure what you are supposed to feel. You are not sure what you are supposed to do. All that you know is that there is an ache in your soul that will not go away. Nothing you do makes the pain any less. You pray for strength, you get out of bed and somehow you make it through the day. The next day you do it again. Remember: a small step is still a step.
• You decide to learn to play a musical instrument. You buy the instrument. You take a lesson or two. You set aside time for practice. You work hard for several weeks, but then you begin to feel like you are not making any progress, so you set it aside and try to forget about. Please don't quit. Remember: a small step is still a step.
• A group of spiritual searchers agree that something has to change. One more Sunday of the same old stuff is not acceptable. Dreams of what could be are shared. Plans are made. Decisions are made. Then, the opposition strikes. Criticism escalates. You wonder if this really is what the Lord wants. You entertain the thought of going back to the way it was. Please don't. Remember: a small step is still a step.

Everything we do begins with one small step. The idea. Sharing the dream. Walking around the block. A baby learns to walk by taking a small step. We learn to ride a bike with a small step. Businesses are built because someone took a small step. Ordinary athletes become great athletes by taking a small step. Addictions are conquered by one small step at a time. Churches develop great ministries by taking a small step. Couples celebrate anniversaries because they take small steps that turn into years. Remember: a small step is still a step.
When Jesus was beginning His ministry and preparing for the coming of the Kingdom, He selected a small group of men and challenged them to take one step: "Follow me." They did. The world was changed. Our faith walk begins with a step of faith: "I believe." We are not sure what all is involved or what it means, but we are willing to take the small step in faith. Without that small step, nothing changes.
Are you facing a crossroad in your life? Are you wondering if the dream you have is possible, if it is worth the effort, if you even want to continue the pursuit? Are you wanting to see change, but it's happening too slow? Remember: a small step is still a step.

Remember: a small step is still a step. Don't give up. Take the small step.