Have I Passed A Milestone??

The Christmas exchange of presents has already happened for me as Wanda & I exchanged last week and my family exchanged this morning (the 24th) in Kamloops (where I am writing from).

I readily admit to being a recovering selfish person. So for all y'all this probably is old hat. But this year I really felt was more excited about giving than receiving (Acts 20:35). Partially it was because we had made a lot more of our gifts this year and many of them had to do with pictures and memories. We felt a little like we were giving gifts that would last.

This thought brings to mind the following Scripture:
1 Corinthians 9:19-27
19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.


I hope all my gifts last. My gifts of time. My gifts of money. My gifts of talents. I hope you can say of Wanda & I that our gifts to you will last in your life. We don't want to be flashbangs. We want to be people pf authenticity AND character (see my uprising post).

Merry Christmas. We're heading on to Alberta to Wanda's family's place on the 27th and we'll be back in Van city on January 4th, 2006 (wierd, 2006). I'll probably post from Alberta, if for no other reason than to show you a few pictures of the frozen north.