Well it's that time of year again! We finished celebrating our Thanksgiving weekend by putting up our Christmas tree. It is the same tree my husband I have had since our first Christmas together. A little three foot shabby thing I got for $3 at a yard sale because we couldn't afford much. I didn't realize at the time my dear hubby was such a sentimentalist or I might have held out for a bigger tree to begin with. I spent several years wishing and dreaming of getting a bigger fancier tree but, this year especially, have come to love our little "Charlie Brown" tree. It's the simplicity of it really that appeals to me now. The simplicity of not having to stress over hours and hours of decorating it, the simplicity of being able to change how it is decorated each year without spending a fortune to do so. And this simplicity also helps us as a family to focus on why we are really celebrating Christmas at all.


As we decorate, we talk to our children about the symbolism of all that we are doing. We explain to them that the evergreen tree symbolizes the everlasting life we receive by believing that Jesus is the son of God and died on the cross for our sins.


We always put the lights and the garland on first. My kiddos have this one down pat, when asked why we do this they remember "Because Jesus is the light of the world!" As we place ornaments on the tree, I like to think of them as symbolizing all the many blessings God bestows on us throughout the year.

by Phyllis Ducey
pfdoriginalartworks


This past week Sue Anderson wrote on the CAST Team’s blog about gifts that God has given us which started me thinking in the same line. Christmas is coming… it is just around the corner. Unless you are one of those who are so well organized your Christmas shopping is done, than you are focused on what gifts you’ll be giving. Yesterday I spent a couple hours doing online shopping and ran to Wal-Mart for a little more. I still expect to do several additional hours of shopping. I realized that I am so focused on the gift giving that I am not focusing on the true gifts of the season… the kind that is given to us by God.

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Mathew 7:11

I can’t even imagine I could count them all or truly know what all of them are. There is the gift of eternal life which God has provided us through His son, Jesus. That is the greatest gift of all. Another gift that I treasure is the Bible… the word of God. I can’t envision living without it to help me understand God’s love and grace.

The gift of the five senses (eyesight, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling) most of us who have them take them for granted but they are so very precious. I realize the value of them as I watch with amusement my little grandchildren playing. And speaking of amusement… laughter… isn’t that a wonderful gift? Crying can be a gift too as it releases tensions from pain whether it be physical or emotional.

Those are a few of the wonderful gifts from God but this season what gifts are we giving to Him? We each have gifts that He has implanted in us. Have you taken an inventory of those gifts recently? You should. Knowing your gifts is not being conceited as long as you are not boastful but it is understanding who you are. God has given them to you to use for His glory and if you are not aware of what exactly they are, how can you use them to their fullest capabilities? How can you gift them back to Him?

In my opinion, if you think you are “giftless” (one of my words that the dictionary has not acknowledged yet), you are not looking through God’s eyes at yourself. It is important to see how He sees you so that you can fully be who He created you to be. As humans we are all the same, yet each of us is amazingly different! We each need to find out what in us is the “amazingly” different part of who we are.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 1 Cor 12:4,5

I have found that some gifts need developing and some need prayer to discover and some are just uncovered by accident.

I work at a hospital that has a nursing home as part of it too. One day they needed help escorting the residents outside to view an event. I decided to take my oldest granddaughter, Emme, with me (at the time 8 years old) then we would go out for breakfast afterwards. It was an unusually cold day for spring and none of the residents wanted to go outside but there was a group in the activity room doing crafts. We went around talking and assisting them. I expected Emme to be shy and reticent because a lot of children (and adults) don’t know how to relate to nursing home residents who sometimes can’t communicate well or drool or are crabby. Emme was amazing! She sang a few songs for them and spent time talking to each. She loved working with them so much so that I could barely pull her away to go to breakfast.

When we were leaving, unprompted by me, she individually said good-bye to each either hugging them or holding their hands in hers and saying something sweet. She’d tell one how pretty their hair looked today and another she liked their blouse. Where did this all come from? I can only say that she is gifted from the Lord to work with them! Now she volunteers at the nursing home weekly with my husband. She loves it and they love her!

Emme’s gift of bringing joy to the nursing home residents was an accidental find. We may never had discovered it if I had not decided to bring her that day. If you are wondering if you are gifted in an area, just try something new… something that you have never done before to see if you find a peace or joy in doing it. If you haven’t discovered it already, find that amazing part of you. I guarantee you it is there. When you find it, give it back to God because he who is faithful with little will be given much… your abilities will grow. Then your faithfulness can become the gift that keeps on giving!

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. 1 Cor 12:27-31

Tea bag holders by kissnangel















Ornament by pinkiebirdieboutique

In love by 2as1

Now is actually a great time to do your Christmas shopping on Etsy. Soon sellers will be getting busy with orders and the post office will be swamped. International shipping can take a little extra time and those deadlines come upon us sooner than we expect them. We all know it's easier on the pocketbook to spread the cost out over a few months instead of waiting until after Thanksgiving. And it's definitely easier on the schedule not to wait. If you want something custom, now is the perfect time to ask.

Here are some perfect Christmas ideas from CAST Team Members all made by a few members of the CAST Blog Team (Thanks ladies for all your hard work for the Team!).

Some of the people on my list will be getting these in custom colors and sizes:

by Phyllis Ducey
pfdoriginalartworks