22 December 2021
Christmas time is upon us. A Season of gift giving. Reflecting upon why we give presents, to our loved ones, why we give to those in need, give gifts to those less fortunate than ourselves. It makes you realise how grateful you are for your life, your family and friends. In Europe this gift giving started by St Nicholas is celebrated on December 6 with stockings and socks hung up in front of the fireplaces. Nicholas (now traditionally known as Santa) was young when his wealthy parents died. He committed to obeying Jesus’ words to “sell what you own and give the money to the poor.” And so used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick and the suffering. One of the legends around his good deeds includes him tossing bags of gold into the window of needy families, which landed in their shoes or stockings that were left in front of the fire to dry.
This tradition was not around til the mid 1800s in America when in New York the elite were encouraged on one day in December each year to give food and drink to the poor who celebrated in the streets. This tradition changed to be celebrated in people’s homes, where gifts started to be exchanged, especially with the influence in 1823 of the poem The Night before Christmas. So the intermingling of presents with St Nicholas and Christmas was born.
For Christians throughout the world, we celebrate Christmas, the day of Jesus, the son of God’s birth. I guess I always felt like God gave so therefore we give to others. The others being our loved ones but also those in need. Those who are less fortunate than you.
Willow shared with her Mum the other day, that she was looking forward to Christmas very much because on that day she gets a present, she gets toys that are just for her and she does not have to share it with anyone. Oh, I laughed! The scripture that came to my mind was:
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.
1 Corinthians 13:11
Hopefully I’ve matured and my heart wants to Give more than Receive. The Joy in Giving is eminent. That does not mean I don’t enjoy receiving but I know as a parent and grandparent, the joy of a gift given to my children and grandchildren far out ways what gift I may receive. God has been working on my heart to be more like His. But I still have a long way to go. We give because He first gave to us. He gave to us Himself, even while we were still sinners. So when we give a gift I feel like it is me giving something of myself to others too. Following the example of Christ, not necessarily St Nick or Santa who did a wonderful thing.
This Christmas myself and my prayer team would like to give you a gift of our prayers. On 26th December we are going to petition and pray to the Lord Our Saviour and ask Him to come and help us, come and provide, come and heal, come and save. All the marvellous things that only Our God can do. So please send in your prayers and join with us in praying for Our Saviour to come to our house, our lives and our situations. Many of you have already sent in prayers for us to pray for. My heart breaks for many of them. I will reply to each and every one of these over the next few weeks.
I wish you all a blessed Christmas and may God dwell in our hearts more and more.
Much love always,
Rosemary xx
May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’
Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups. If you would like more information please click HERE.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Do you find joy in giving?
Who is someone that you could give to who may not be expecting it?
Who could you give the gift of prayer to this Christmas?
9 Comments
Mary Rufolo
❤️listening to u and reading your messages.My husband Joe will see cancer specialist tomorrow. This was devastating news and although we believe in the power of 🙏we also have had difficult moments with tears. We so hope he beats this disease and is once again in good health. He still works in his own co. at 74 and wants to continue helping his clients and be married to me for many more years. Thank u for prayers and I want to be strong and accept God’s will!
Mary Kay Valan
My daughter and I were just in an automobile accident. She had an epileptic seizure, and we are ok, but the car is considered totaled. God looked after us though because it was night, no cars on the road or people around. I do feel God’s blessings but am feeling jittery and worry about my daughter’s condition. I am asking for prayers for her health and wellbeing as well as my granddaughter who was talking to us on the phone when the accident happened. She is at a rehab center after ankle surgery and is not able to get around and help her mother. Just need some prayers to keep the worry at a minimum and a good future for all of us. Thank you for your words of encouragement and love and I thank the Lord for sending His blessings on us in this accident.
Donna Pupich
A Happy and Holy Christmas to you, Rosemary, and to Bruce and the rest of the family. I feel like you and Bruce give me gifts everyday with your teachings and prayers. Thank you and God bless all of you!
Jeanne Zettler
AMEN
Rosemarie Kuske
Thanks Rosemary for explaining our traditions of gift giving. In Europe we had different Traditions. Gifts were left by St. Nicholas on 6th December to the good children. Christmas was surprise gifts from the Christchild (Christkind), Fr. Christmas is a new invention by people who don’t want it a Christian festival anymore.
In Holland and Greece gifts are exchanged on 6th January, the feast of the Wise men, bringing gifts to the Baby Jesus.
We have been in Australia for 50 years now and our family has grown a fair bit, but unfortunately it’s not our traditions anymore. We had to accept the in laws with different ideas. All very sad. The problems within the Catholic Church have been used as a reason to stay away from church. And of course questioning everything that we grew up with.
We love our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, but it’s sad that we are the only ones still going to church. My prayers are that all of them will have a personal encounter with Our Father and His Son and Holy Spirit one day. Our faith is not enough to convince them.
We pray that you and all your family are having a blessed and beautiful, peaceful Christmas.
Thanks to your lovely husband Bruce as well, we watch him every night.
God bless you
With love and prayers all the way from Victor Harbor in South Australia
Horst and Rosemarie Kuske
Sandie Murray
Your heart of love for Him and others is so very precious ! I ask for prayers for my own family and all who experience strife and contention where there should only be grace and mercy and respect! May faultfinding be replaced by loving kindness as no one walking this earth is anywhere near perfect! They don’t realize how it hurts the heart of God to be mean spirited! The closer they are to Him, the less they will hurt others and bring unity in our homes, churches and the world so needed!🙏
Sharon
Please pray for my granddaughter, who is going to be delivering a creation from God any time now, to be the mother this new creation will need.
Valerie Simms
Thank you Rosemary for this blog, very near to Christmas and for sharing with us about giving! I can relate to you about the scripture verse that it’s better to give than receive! I would love to give more physically, financially and spiritually!!! Out of the three it is spiritually that I can give most, especially in prayer. The other two I am limited, and one in particular can bring tension within my family! So in this particular area, i make do by giving what I receive!!! I will do what i can to pray for all who are in need of prayer, and will ask for you Rosemary, Bruce, all who are praying for us in the ministries, as well as those who follow the ministries to pray with me for my lonely, depressed and frail mother, unity in God’s love for my whole family, especially with my younger sister, and a new career for my husband and my son. Hope and a new future for myself and family! Most of all an ever deepening relationship with our Lord this Christmas!!! May the Lord keep blessing you Rosemary, Bruce and all who do such wonderful work in the ministries for us all and especially for the Lord!!! Happy Christmas to you all and followers of Rosemary’s Blog!!!
deanna Francke
Thank you Rosemary for sharing your jottings from your journal over this past year. I pray that God will bless you, Bruce, your family & the ministry team abundantly in the coming year. May God pour down on you His choicest blessings. Compliments of the Season. 🙏🎄🧨🧨