This year I am re-evaluating Christmas giving.  Since my immediate family will be going on a trip this Christmas, we have had to prepare for Christmas earlier than usual.  I've needed to think "hard" about gift giving and what I feel each person would enjoy.  This re-evaluation process has been laid on my heart so strongly that my devotional for this week reflects my thoughts.

So, I would like to share a couple of enjoyments I have experienced in the last 24 hours that puts this season into the proper perspective relating to gifts and the rush of shopping, beginning with yesterday afternoon.  I wrote that I'm a "talker" to other drivers on the road and my plan was to be more loving and patient as I left the house with a long list of errands.  I think I did very well, but going from one mall situation to another, I stopped by a quaint little group of shops known in our area as the Quail Shoppes.  There are several small owned businesses and one of my favorites is a soap store, Artemis Botanicals.  There is a wonderful young woman who makes her owns soaps and lotions and I have been a benefactor of her business. 

As I stopped by to purchase my usual number of lovely smells, she and I chatted as we shared Christmas plans.  It was unhurried and I had all the personal attention I needed to make my selections and chat with a friend.  I then visited the small little restaurant next door, Cattail Coffee & Tea, and remembered when I shared a meal of turkey chili and homemade biscuits with my friend from Virignia.  We had stopped by for lunch and reminisced about our grandmothers' homemade biscuits and memories of days gone by.  The owner made one of my favorite hot drinks, a Chai Tea Latte with honey and spices....it was delicious.  It was an absolute joyful pause to a long day of lists.

Ironically, that same Virginia girlfriend, Sue, called me this morning.  She has begun her Christmas retreat from working until "next year" and wanted to share a virtual cup of coffee and conversation with me to start off the Christmas celebration!  What a wonderful start to the morning!  Sue has begun the same process of re-evaluating the gift giving process....maybe it's age.....maybe it's life experiences, but what's in a gift?  To me, to enjoy the moments at small establishments where the owners are kind and caring helps to make the season bright.  But never forget spending time with good friends, whether by phone or a personal visit, is the best.  Better yet....use snail mail....that's one of our favorites, right Suzie?  God bless, my friends....have a wonderful, day!