GIFTS GIFTS GIFTS

It's the time for giving....actually and unfortunately many think that this is the only time for giving...well maybe you should include a Birthday Gift, or Anniversary gift into the mix also. But giving works a lot better if we have an attitude for giving all the time. It sounds idealistic, and it probably is for the normal human being...but it works.
Genuine giving reaps so many other gifts. The gift of friendship, the gift of trust, the gift of love...for everyone loves a gift, whether the think they deserve it or not.

I was at a Women's Bible Study Christmas get-together yesterday and all 8 of us were to bring a food to share and a gift(or gifts) to share. We had such a great time of sharing, laughing, fellowship and prayer. I went there quite insecure, because my gifts are never very great...not only that, for whatever reason, my huge box of Christmas wrapping paper had somehow disappeared. I had managed to have purchased Dollar Tree gift bags so a least they could be brought in a lovely container...but the numerous small presents inside were colorful sheets of tissue paper. We played a game where we  passed the presents around from the right to the left, depending on the story the narrator was giving. When the word LEFT was mentioned we moved left and RIGHT mentioned, we moved right, moving continuously. My presents were quite heavy and I was actually worried that the "cheap" Christmas bag would break! I had brought gifts of, 4 wonderful Salvation Army Thrift shop books(my favorite book store!), quite a large can of Double Mocha Cappuccino, 2 small boxes of Dollar Tree chocolate Raspberry thin mints, a lovely winter scent white candle, and two pewter finished fancy photo frames.It WAS heavy! So when the game stopped, whoever had another person's gift in front of them, that was their gift.We proceeded to open the gifts, one person at a time and it was astounding to see how many times people said..."that was JUST FOR YOU"! ..The gal that received mine just loved her things, especially the double mocha Cappuccino! I was relieved, for many gifts had been opened before mine, and I knew I had selected mine with love, but I also knew that they were less than what the others had given. Why should I care? Well if would be worse if I didn't care! It's funny that even at my age, I get concerned about image when it comes to gifts and such. It isn't that anyone puts me down...I just need to remember to be happy that I am able to give ANYTHING! When I compare it to the rest of the world...I am so blessed! I NEED TO REMEMBER THAT! And not just financially, that's for sure! Our freedom that our ancestor's fought for, under Christian principles, is our number one blessing. What a GIFT THAT IS!

I had shared two pictures earlier of my Christmas village from 2009 and I want to share one more pic. This is sort of an overview of the dining room and how The Village managed to invade it! Good thing we celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving at my sister's in the Twin Cities! I would love to hear from others if you enjoy Christmas villages as much as I do..I would love to have a room set up with it all year long! I just love the Architecture and all the scenarios portraying numerous stories in the village setting.

Speaking of GIFTS..I received a really neat note from a fellow hybridizer today, who has inspired me for a number of years. About 5 years ago I had written to her about her introduction ALIQUIPPA. she was in her seventies at the time and that alone inspired me to think I had the possibility of many more years ahead for breeding those beautiful Daylilies! What a GIFT! 

Then, just this summer, I saw a first bloom out of a seed that had ALIQUIPPA as it's pollen parent and I almost "fell apart" it was so beautiful! I had purchased the seeds through the infamous Lily Auction and the seller was selling a set of seeds from various pollen parents..they were all good parents, how could I resist!! I guess others resisted, because my bid was only $6.50 for 50 seeds!! I have NEVER gotten that good of a deal before or since! What a GIFT! Truthfully, the Lily Auction is a real betting game, and with the seed purchases, one can always justify it for the good genetics you will have to work with, at a minimal cost. Unfortunately the gambling can bring a lot of losses also, so one has to really convince oneself that it is something you "need"! I am anxious to see what other treats will be showing themselves out of the seeds  from that seller. Miss Priss was out of only 4 seeds! Please check "her" out towards the bottom of the page. 

Being that it is Christmas time, I thought I would share one more Auction delight....out of 5 seeds: only one made it through our harsh Wiconsin winters..the cross was (CRITICAL MASS X BEAR CLAWS) and I really wanted the BEAR CLAWS genetics because I couldn't afford BEAR CLAWS, the plant. So now I share with you what we have garden-named Cub Scout for obvious reasons.  I have never seen a fluorescent red( I have seen fluorescent green and orange etc. but never red) Well, this one is fluorescent! Unfortunately the pic doesn't truly capture it...Like all daylilies, they are much prettier, up close and personal! This was another true GIFT and I share it with you all now! It is going on it's forth year and and has given us some beautiful vivid red seedlings last summer. 

Miss Priss (PREMIER SURPRISE X JERRY NETTLES sdlg) X ALIQUIPPA

 Miss Priss ( a real pristine clear pink tone). Because I was sending the hybridizer this pic today, I noticed that one of the pics was taken on my  Birthday-ANOTHER GIFT! So I am going to share that pic with you today, also:

When one really stops to think about it, each day is a NEW GIFT, and how we approach it makes all the difference in the world. If we approach it with Thankfulness and Faith, Believing that with God ALL things are possible, enabling us to get through every crisis and calamity that is dealt us, we will make it and come through it, wiser and gentler, willing and wanting to give good gifts to others, wanting to Bless them as we have been Blessed by the Father Himself...Who Gives us a brand new day to enjoy the GIFT of life, and to use it correctly.
You can probably guess by now that I wouldn't neglect mentioning the greatest GIFT ever, Jesus Christ, the Savior, ..born to us this day in the City of David...who is alive and well and sits at the right hand of God the Father, desiring us to receive Him as a free GIFT a GIFT of life eternal IF we only Believe. The Amplified Bible expands the "Believe" in the Hebrew : to rely on, to stick to like glue..in short, if we depend on , rely on and love Him enough to have a true relationship with Him and obey Him, instead of doing it "our way" , He is Faithful and Just to forgive us our sins, so that we may live with Him forever! THAT'S A GIFT!! NONE BETTER!!!