An Angel's Special Christmas Gift.
by
Steve Brunkhorst
Towering ponderosa pine trees reached up to touch a
blue December sky. Their top branches waved to billowy
white clouds sailing over the snow-covered Colorado
forest. Sniffing the sweet-scented Ponderosa bark
filled my head with the aroma of Christmas candles and
butterscotch cookies.
I lowered my tripod to the ground, and pointed my
camera lens toward the top branches of these living
giants. Their pinnacles formed a lofty monument to
centuries of natural perfection. If these trees could
talk, they would tell tales of the forest dating back
hundreds of years.
The sky was alive with moving cloud forms. I thought,
"Maybe there will be some angel clouds to photograph
today." I walked into a small clearing to get a full
view of the moving clouds. Suddenly I froze in my
tracks, amazed at what I saw.
Upon a large boulder was a perfect angel made of snow.
She posed graciously with wings spread while I
photographed her from several perspectives. Her framed
image would make a unique Christmas gift for a friend
who collects angels.
I had witnessed again the magnificent perfection of
nature; its artistic forest patterns are filled with
divine symbols. All of creation bares God's signature
in ways we can read it.
Like a moment of compelling photographic light, every
moment can bring gifts of joy and empowerment. Yet we
must attend to them, and choose to see them with new
eyes. Awareness allows us to see through the eyes of
the spirit, and understand with the heart.
How can we increase our level of awareness to fill our
moment-to-moment experiences with more wonder and joy?
1. Stop, and attend purposefully to sights, sounds,
smells, and feelings in the present moment. Accept
this unique moment as your own, and notice the
perspective from which you view it.
2. Continue to focus on the feelings within your
present experience. Rather than compare your
experience with a previous one, bask in the moment.
Focus on its uniqueness.
3. Return a silent feeling of gratitude for each
experience, knowing that all events are divine gifts
given to help us learn and grow in faith.
4. Record your experience by writing it in a journal,
recording it on tape, or taking photographs if
possible. Your recorded perspectives will allow the
sensations of your experience to remain fresh in your
memory.
5. Share your experience. Thoughts that continue to
receive our attention will increase in our daily
experience. Sharing our experiences divides the joy
with others. It is also a great way to keep a newfound
level of awareness growing and thriving.
The snow angel indeed provided a unique Christmas gift
for my friend, and also for me. It's a special gift
that has kept giving year after year.
Every time I view the angel's image, it reminds me to
attend to the present moment, and to view the gift of
life through a spiritual lens. Life's perfection is
always there, in sunshine and storm, in bright and
overcast light.
I will always recall that crisp December day when I
met an unexpected friend in the forest - an angel made
of snow. Her reminder to see with the spirit's eyes
has been a life-empowering Christmas gift - the kind
of gift one might expect to receive from an angel.
(C)
Copyright 2003 by Steve Brunkhorst. Steve coaches
talented professionals who want to renew or enhance
their sense of personal empowerment and creativity.
Get Steve's free motivational mini-zine, "Achieve!
60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration" by visiting
www.AchieveEzine.com
The Gift Shopping Blues.
by
Carolyn Schweitzer
When it
comes to great gift ideas, I have about as much
imagination as a hamster. (If they were imaginative,
hamsters wouldn't run endlessly in those little
wheels). It's odd, really. I'm what you'd call a
"natural" when it comes to shopping. I LOVE to shop.
Give me an entire day at Filene's Basement and I'm in
Heaven.
For the uninitiated, Filene's Basement is one of the
most famous bargain basements in the United States.
Lurking beneath Filene's Department store in Downtown
Boston, "The Basement" is a place where merchandise is
continually marked down and competition for the best
buys is fierce. There's even a day each Spring when
wedding dresses sell so cheaply that scuffles break
out in the aisles.
I prefer my shopping nonviolent. But still, the
prospect of a great big store full of unexplored
"stuff" is more exciting to me than a giant Easter Egg
hunt is to the average five year old. I know I'm going
to find Easter Eggs (i.e., "hidden treasures"). I just
have to uncover their secret little hiding places.
That's part of the fun!
I have one small problem, though...
Shopping is only fun if I'm not looking for anything
in particular. As soon as there's a "list" involved,
it starts to feel like work! Add in the idea that I'm
looking for some very special (yet unspecified) item
for someone else, and the pressure's really on. If
someone says to me, "You must go forth and find
something for less than $100 that will make your
mother-in-law ecstatically happy", it stops me cold. I
become as helpless as a man (Sorry guys!).
Gift Shopping. Arrrghh!
"What", I ask myself, "is my Mother-in-Law's version
of an Easter Egg ?" Where are all those clever gift
ideas when I need them? Where are they ever?
Panic sets in. Procrastination comes next. Pretty soon
I've buried the whole thing in my subconscious, hoping
it will "just go away". It doesn't, of course. Like
school exams and work deadlines, gift-giving occasions
keep on coming -- inevitably and way too often. And
those great gift ideas remain as elusive as ever.
So what's a person to do?
My answer was always to get a big pot of coffee and
pull an all-nighter.
Umm, I mean, I'd wait until the last minute and then
shop until the stores closed. Sure, I'd manage to come
up with a few decent gift ideas and some passable
gifts. But it's no way to live. And I always knew I
could have done better.
I knew things had to change. I knew I had to uncover
the secrets possessed by the expert gift-givers...
You know the type. They're the people who smugly
announce that they've been done with their Holiday
shopping for weeks, when you haven't even started
yours -- much less given it any serious thought.
They're never at a loss for great gift ideas and they
can produce the perfect greeting card at a moment's
notice. You won't catch them dashing out to the
Quickie Mart for wrapping paper or ribbon; and they
have an uncanny knack for finding gifts that are
clever, original, and appropriate for any and every
occasion. Most distressing of all, their gifts are
always heartwarmingly thoughtful!
I pondered my situation for a long time (years), and
finally I knew what I had to do. My mission was to
transform myself into the sort of magician who could
produce great gift ideas and fabulous gifts at the
drop of a hat. It's been a long and painful journey,
but I'm happy to report a measure of success. Finally,
I can look a gift-giving occasion straight in the eye
and say, "Hah!! You're not so tough!"
My two most formidable weapons are my "gift closet"
and my "little black book". The gift closet is stocked
with a variety of gift boxes, gift bags, wrapping
paper, tissue paper, and colorful ribbons and bows.
There are plenty of little gift cards, as well as
greeting cards ranging from Holiday themes to Sympathy
to New Baby. Additionally, I've amassed quite an
assortment of gifts-for-any-occasion. Some are
purchased with people in mind and others because I
know they'd be perfect for something.
The "little black book" is just what it sounds like,
only it's not filled with phone numbers. Instead I jot
down brief notes based on what I learn about people.
If someone mentions a hobby or collection, it goes in
the black book. If they hint at something they're just
dying to have, it goes in the book. If I notice a
fondness for a certain type of jewelry or style of
dress, I'll make a note of it. Sometimes I even ask
leading questions, waiting for a moment when the
future "giftee" is distracted, and therefore
unsuspecting. I might even ply the giftee's friends
for information, admitting only that "I'm curious".
All of this has turned me into a bit of a detective --
a secret agent, if you will. And it's actually kind of
fun.
In fact, I think I've found a whole new kind of Easter
Egg hunt. The hidden treasures are now the little
pearls of wisdom I pick up by spying on the experts,
and the tidbits I gather on "giftees" during my covert
operations. Once I've gathered enough "eggs", I'm
armed and ready. I know exactly where to go and what
to do. So now, when everyone else around me is in a
panic over gift ideas for the coming holiday season --
or for tomorrow's office party-- I'm one of the smug
ones. It's a wonderful feeling. And it sure beats
running in that little wheel.
Carolyn
Schweitzer is owner and editor of "Great-Dog-Gift.com"
Check out "The Dog Gift Shopper's Guide for Dog
Lovers" at
www.great-dog-gift.com/dog_gift_3.html , where
you'll learn to hone your skills no matter what you're
shopping for. If it's jewelry, stop by
www.thejewelrymine.com and if you like great
bargains, visit
www.netbrainer.com to learn how to find great
deals on eBay.
Baby Shower Gift for Dads.
by
Randy Wilson
Gift
for Dads:
The mom is always on the limelight when she is
pregnant. Poor Dad! He is also excited as mom. It is
his proudest moment too. After all it is his son or
daughter too.. It would be nice to invite dad to the
shower. If it is a ladies only shower, you could still
get the proud Dad-to-be a gift. In this piece you will
see some of the suggestions which could go as gifts
for Dad.
It is the thought that counts:
The gift for dads need not be necessarily expensive.
There are plenty of ideas for the perfect gift for dad
to choose from. They would range from the inexpensive
to the very expensive. It all depends on your budget
and what you are willing to spend. Remember, it is the
thought that counts, not so much the gift.
If you remember the gift that you got in the past,
even the small inexpensive ones which came as a
surprise were the memorable ones. They made you glad
by reminding you that your friend or relative thought
of you. Some of them you probably still have, like a
figurine, or something more elaborate.
So the future Dad would feel just as good about
getting the perfect gift for dads, especially if he
wasn't expecting to get a gift. So a surprise gift
would add to his pleasure even more.
An expensive gift for dad would be nice too, but most
people cannot afford to buy them. You could however
all get together and get the father-to-be one gift.
Let him know it came from all of you. That way nobody
would feel left out of the giving. You don't all have
to give the same amount, just what you can afford.
A gift for Dad should be something which he likes or
has a soft spot for. Some of the less expensive gifts
could be cologne, after shave, a money clip, or
gourmet coffee. If he writes letters, you could get
him some manly looking stationary supplies. Or maybe
something for his desk: A letter opener, paper weight,
pen and pencil holder, drawer organizer, postage
stamps - for the ugh! bills he has to send. Thank you
notes would be the perfect gift for dads, he wouldn't
have to get them himself to thank the guests for the
gifts.
Want a unique gift for dad, try a Coffee Tasters Club
from DistinctDeliveries. Coffee lovers enjoy coffee
from around the world. You get to taste smooth
Nicaraguan coffee or the exotic flavor of Malawi
coffee. With each monthly shipment they send you two
different 12 ounce bags of fresh roasted coffee from
around the world. You can choose either ground or
whole bean delivered to you.
Some gifts for the bedroom would be a small reading
lamp, table for eating in bed, candy if he has a sweet
tooth. Or maybe a bath robe, slippers, or a bath towel
wrap. The perfect gift of this type is the "Time Out
Gift Basket" by DistinctDeliveries. Dad will enjoy the
treats of Assorted Milk Chocolate Sport Balls, Fruit
Flavored Hard Candy, Hunter Nut Mix and Deluxe Mixed
Nuts, and a tin of Assorted Imported Butter Cookies if
he has a sweet tooth!
If he likes jewelry, then you gift him jewelry as
well. Remember, not all men like to wear jewelry. You
might want to ask the mother-to-be about Dad's tastes.
An ID bracelet, necklace, earring if he wears them, or
a nice ring.
If Dad works out at the YMCA or local gym, or just
likes to jog he might appreciate a jogging suit,
sports clothing, sport accessories, jogging shorts,
ball cap, gloves for weight lifting, shirts for the
gym, or maybe some sweatbands.
Golf balls or a golf club or set of clubs. Does he
like racketball or tennis? Some tennis balls, a tennis
racket or racketball racket for the worn out items he
has now.
Does Dad like to go fishing? Pick him up some fishing
lures, or a book on fishing. Maybe a gift for dad like
a new reel, or rod, or rod and reel. A tackle box,
some fishing accessories included, or just as is.
Hunting might be something Dad does. He would
appreciate some gear related to hunting. A hunting
jacket, orange cap, orange gloves, or some scents to
attract the animals. A magazine subscription about one
of the sports he likes.
A new watch to change his look or just to replace his
old worn looking watch. Then add a billfold to make it
complete.
Does he collect memorabilia? Get him memorabilia that
he collects as the perfect gift for dad. Or just get
him started collecting by buying him something. For
example: boxing memorabilia, sports cards, or sports
memorabilia.
An autographed ball, autographed jersey, or an
authentic jersey of his favorite team would be good
gifts for dad. There are so many sports; dad probably
has a favorite sport he likes best.
If Dad likes to read, maybe he would like a magazine
subscription, book or book gift basket. Lastly, a good
gift for dads would be to get him a gift certificate
for the local sports store, Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target,
hardware store, or sports clothing store.
Again, ask his wife for help on this one. As hostess,
give out some of these for a gift idea for dad in a
list to the guests you are inviting.
© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.
Randy
is owner of Planning the Baby Shower where you can get
more tips and ideas for your baby shower. You can also
purchase and find free baby shower games. Randy owned
and operated a very successful storefront/mailorder
business from 1988 to 2003.
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