My Christmas gift for a fan, inspired by St. Nick

I’m giving out something especially fun this Christmas, but first, I  want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, and hope that 2010 will be a blessing for you.

Bishop Nicolas giving treats

When I started this blog in February 2009, I didn’t know what would happen. I couldn’t imagine the outpouring of kindness and devotion that would come. I started with about 10 hits/visitors a week, and now I get that many by 6 a.m. Thank you all for coming along with me this year. I will be working on this blog, writing almost every day to engage the heart and mind, and injecting fun and humor as well. Plus, in February, I like to give gifts, because it’s my birthday month, so stay tuned for that too, if you like getting amusing, or helpful goodies in the mail.

I thank you so much for your friendship and support. Technology can produce wonderful connections, growth, healing, and joy. It has for me, and I hope you find it here too. I encourage you, if you haven’t in a while, to check the blog categories, and archives to see what you’ve missed.

This is the time of year when my family and I celebrate the advent (arrival) and the most gracious gift of Jesus, the Incarnation. In the spirit of generosity, inspired also by St Nicholas, and many other spiritual giants, I’d like to extend an opportunity to all of you, by way of a contest for a special and very fun Christmas gift. I wish I had the resources to give each one of you this funky gift, I found while cruising around the “interweb,” but alas, the joy of giving will still be there, and I’m SO excited to send it out!

This handmade wallet is quite the neat treat. Made from genuine legos, it’s a snazzy gear for holding plastic cards, bill money, keys, tissues, mints, coins, chap stick, receipts for Christmas gifts you have to return, or other small objects. It’s a fun conversation starter, or a unique gift for a lego lover, (especially a “boy,” ages 5-55). It will also be enjoyed by anyone (male or female) with a taste for fun, or a penchant for innovative, and creative design.

It will be given to the 100th responder that does one of the following:

1. Follow Life As Prayer on Facebook and Twitter http://LifeAsPrayer.twitter.com, and send out a message about it.

2. Retweet this: < @LifeAsPrayer has a funky Lego Wallet Christmas gift for the 100th RT > *(Please include 1 reason why you like Life As Prayer, or how you found out about it.)

3. Send 2 friends (new visitors) to view the LifeAsPrayer blog, and have them leave a comment containing your name.

That’s it!

Have fun.

~MERRY CHRISTMAS~

 

Secret Giving as a Spiritual Practice, courtesy of Santa Claus

 

Bishop St. Nicholas of Myra

Giving in secret is a valuable spiritual practice. Why? Because it gives us the benefit of showing charity, love, and kindness without a public benefit, or selfish personal advantage. Giving in secret allows us to give graciously for the sake of generosity alone; and exercising this activity can help us realize that giving–even as a private practice–is a gift in itself for everyone involved. It is a practice and modeling of grace.

The tradition of giving in secret, especially to the needy, spread worldwide among Christians becasue of the influence St. Nicholas. That is, Nicholas of Myra, a saint, and Bishop of Myra(Demre, in Lycia, part of modern-day Turkey). c. 270 AD-December 6, 347 AD. 

This video was created and sent as a Christmas greeting from a business associate, Ed Redding (of R&D Communications) and I just had to share it with you. It’s a wonderful 5 minute video that makes Santa Claus, and the spirit of Christmas come alive, for people of all ages. Please pass it along.