December 31 – “Reflections on gifts”

Have you started reflecting on your favorite Christmas gifts of the year?  I don't know that I have ever done that myself, consciously.  I don't mean ranking them in order from best to worst.  And it certainly wouldn't be appropriate to rank them based on how much or how little you like the person who gave them.  Just think about them.  And appreciate the person who gave them.   I know I got the biggest laugh out of my superhero cape from my brother Stan and his family.  They know I was a Superman comics guy from way back, so it was especially appropriate.  I have already worn it to the fire station and to church.  I'm sure there will be at least one more event I can squeeze in where it will be appropriate.  Well, maybe appropriate is not the right word.  But I'll look for somewhere else to wear it.  And they also gave me a rocket blender.  I don't know what rocket has to do with it, but I really want to make a cherry limeade slush.   Movies always seem to be a good gift as well.  I know there are days when all I want to do is sit and watch three or four movies – a marathon.  Of course Chris usually will only join me for one, maybe two.  This year I got Chris one of those vampire vs. wolfman love story movies.  We watched that one first.  It was the third in a series of – well, more than three.  I never read the books, but she did.  I get a kick out of hearing her say how much better the book was when we see a movie based on a book.  I sure hope the book was better, because the movie was slooooow moving.  And the star never even got bit by a vampire or a wolf.  It did finally have a battle scene, though.  After that one we switched to something a bit more light hearted.  Josh and his family gave me the entire first season of the original Superman TV series.  That's one I grew up watching every week.  The only sad thing about it was that they changed the name of Clark Kent's Mom and Dad from Jonathan and Martha to Eben and Sarah.  I didn't remember that one.  It was fun reminiscing, though.  Still on tap to watch are three from Nathan and his family: Despicable Me (That's from Cailyn.  It looks like a cartoon, so I will have to struggle to stay awake), Batman Returns, and The Black Knight.  Chris gave me another one called Letters to God.  It looks like it will be similar to another one I have been wanting to see called Conversations with God.  This morning when we did some returning of duplicate items, I did pick up a copy of Inception.  I have been wanting to see that one since it came out.  It was well worth the wait.  Very strange.    Clothes made their appearance.  Chris got me a new "preaching" shirt.  That just means it's a short sleeved shirt with three buttons on the front – the style I usually wear on Sunday mornings when I dress up.  She also gave me some dress shorts (hey, it's Galveston.  That's how we dress up) and blue jeans one size less than I'm used to.  I thought it might be good motivation.  The waist actually was perfect, but the hips were too tight.  Got those switched out today.  The sweater from my brother Jay and his wife looks very nice.  If it ever gets cold again I'll try it out.  The proverbial underwear from Mom turned out to be too big and the wrong style, but the t-shirts were great.  2 black and 1 white.  I don't remember ever having an all black t-shirt with white stitching.    On the practical side I need to do some more work in the garage to make use of the socket racks from Chris.  They were metric, so I may need to trade some out for good old USA measurements.  We have a preponderance of sockets that I salvaged from Hurricane Ike.   Great gifts.  Great people.  Great God.   2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 says, "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."   Father, thank you for the little gifts, the ones that are so easy to overlook.  Amen.