Gift-giving!

Tis the season for giving...gift-giving! To some; buying presents is shallow, a hassle, an inconvenience, and they feel as though they are giving in to the "consumerism" and "wordly" part of Christmas (let's not forget, the wisemen showed their love for Jesus by bringing him precious gifts!). Don't get me wrong, some people spend money they don't have, and they give for the wrong reasons, and get caught up in money and presents and forget about Jesus' birth all together, but those aren't the people I'm talking about. I'm talking about the people like me, the people who LOVE gift-giving (and receiving), the people who LOVE going to the mall this time of year to shop for those they love in an atmosphere of Christmas decorations and music, and the people who go to the Christmas gatherings...with impatient anticiaption for the time when everyone gets to "opens the presents"!!! I mean let's be honest, what says I LOVE YOU more than a gift that someone picked out specifically for you, and thought about how much you would love it and use it and think of them when you did.

Josh and I went through Gary Chapman's book "5 Love Languages" http://www.5lovelanguages.com/resources/books/ while we were engaged. It was through that book that I really discovered how much of an emphasis I put on gift-giving to show and feel love. There are definitely other "lanuages" I use to feel loved, but this one really rang out loud to me.

After having a baby, there are certain love lanuages that are extremely hard to use, such as quality time together....that never happens. But it used to happen all the time, you know when you would just sit on the couch and cuddle and focus completely on each other. Before we had Ty, gift-giving wasn't as necessary because we could show love in other "languages". Last night Josh came home from work with a gift just for me! 2 Williams Sonoma cookbooks! One that I'd specifically asked for for Christmas (Essentials of Baking) and another that he just saw and thought I would love it (Cooking for Baby). WOW, I'm still overwhelmed with the love I feel by him getting me such a thoughtful gift. One that he knew I wanted and one that he specifically was thinking about what I might like, picking it out just for me with love. Both, he could have easily kept 2 weeks and given to me when we celebrate our family Christmas, but he didn't! He wanted me to feel loved today. And loved I feel. Completely and totally loved. I have such an amazing husband.

This fall my mother in law dropped off a fall basket of goodies! What a completely thoughtful gift to make me feel so loved! A basket full of peanuts, apples, carmels, apple cider, a tea towel that use to be her mom's and Halloween candy.

My dad is one of the best gift-givers that I know. I remember growing up he had a gift for every Christmas, birthday, valentines day, mother's day....and this year I felt so loved when one afternoon this October he stopped by my house and dropped off a Jack-o-lantern soap dispenser. No reason, just cause he loved me. So Loved!!!

And the beautiful bright red poinsetta that my mom dropped by to help decorate my home for Christmas this year! These spontaneous gifts make me feel completely and totally loved.

And the most AMAZING gift that God gave us this year.... a baby. Ty Nathaniel Turner. We middled named Ty, Nathaniel because it means "Gift from God". Ty is God's way of showering us with His love, and he gave us such an incredible gift to remind us of His love for us. Completely and totally, overwhelming loved is exactly what we feel. What a gift.

So yes, while some think of gift-giving as shallow and irresponsible and an inconvenience. I'm so thankful for the gifts I can give and recieve at Christmas and year round and for the LOVE that I can show and feel! I can't wait for the gift giving and recieving coming in the next few weeks...and for all the love that will be shown as we give and recieve gifts!!!