Leadership Tips & Training On the First Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...

This time of year I am always fascinated by the gift recommendations out there to help us find the perfect present for those on our shopping list.  Every year, hundreds of people wait with great anticipation to see what Oprah has on her “favorite things” Christmas List.  If that does not help, you can go to YouTube and watch a video showing the top ten best presents to give this season.  You can actually Google “what to give the person who has everything” and 286,000 results come up. 

Recommendations are everything from white chocolate polar bears to recycled glass tree globes.  By far the most telling gift recommendations of all time are two that I saw in the Air Mall magazine while flying up to Sandy Cove, MD last week.  The first one is called Bob’s Affirmation Box.  Every time the lid is opened, a happy voice pipes up “Looking good, Bob,” or “Way to go, Bob.”  You can keep your keepsakes in it and receive a daily dose of encouragement for only $24.95!

The second gift that grabbed my attention is a customized door mat.  You can have your picture, your family’s picture or even your cat’s picture imprinted on the doormat with the message, “It’s about TIME you got home.”  Are you getting it?  Are you seeing what I am seeing?  We live in a world of lonely, depleted, too busy people.  It is a sad day when in order to hear a positive word, I have to buy the words in a box.  It’s a sad day when a family is neglected in such a way that their hope is placed in a door mat to do the trick of encouraging more time at home. 

Two Very Special Gifts.  Therefore, I am recommending two very special gifts for you to give this season.  Each gift is very expensive because it will cost you some time and effort, but is needed more than another new-fangled gadget out there. 

The First Gift.  The first gift is to give authentic words of encouragement daily to those around you.  People are desperate for love and acceptance.   I would love to meet the person who thought up the idea for Bob’s Box.  It was either someone who knows the power of the spoken word or someone who is a dry and thirsty soul.  Take time this Christmas and write a special thank you note Christmas card to each of those in your FP4H class.  It might be the only encouraging words they receive this season.

The Second Gift.  My second gift recommendation is the gift of your presence.  I am intentionally making myself available, especially to those in my FP4H class, this Christmas season.  I know for some, Christmas is not a happy time and can be full of stress and sadness.   I have put each of my class members in my phone so when they call, I can see their precious name pop up.   I am committing to be there for my class members over the holidays.  I know the days will be busy and full, but at least I can connect by phone with each of them.   We are coming together to weigh and pray and I intend to be fully present; not distracted by the next thing on my Christmas list.   I also plan to take time away from my work routine and actually spend that time with my family.  That means I will not open my computer when they are in the room.  I am asking God to provide time for me to accomplish my work responsibilities and not compromise my family time.  He is a family man and I know He will do that for you too.

A wonderful thing about these two gifts is they have the supernatural capacity to reproduce!  As a result of those you bless with your words and with your time, these gifts will be passed on to others!  They really are the gifts that keep on giving!  I call it divine re-gifting! 

I hope each of you have a wonderful Christmas – full of Grace and Peace.

Vicki Heath