I don’t remember ‘Giving Tuesday’ from last year, but if your ‘inbox’-radio-television is anything like mine, you can’t miss it this year. If there is nothing in your inbox with ‘Giving Tuesday’ you must either be Scrooge or have the best email filtering system ever!

For those wondering…this is not a ‘backdoor’ giving appeal. Quite the opposite, in fact. I want to give those who are still reading gifts this second day of December.

The first gift was one of many given to me during Main Street’s 10 Year Thanksgiving Celebration. I asked people to write down what they were Thankful2God4 in their lives. Here are a few entries from hundreds I received (more to come):

Lord, thank you for bringing me through the trials I’ve had in my life. I didn’t understand while it was happening, but it made me who I am today & who I’m with. I’m truly blessed.

Thank you God for getting me back into your loving arms after I fought you so hard for the past six years. My life has drastically changed for the better.

(husband) Thank you for saving our marriage. (wife) For saving my marriage and continuing to give me strength through illness.

I am thankful to God for giving me people in my life who keep me accountable on a daily basis.

For healing my broken marriage. I truly believed I was headed for divorce. Now I’m looking forward to spending my day with a Godly partner.

Thanks for saving me from China and blessing me with an amazing family.

For those who used to be served who are now those who serve…

Do  you feel encouraged? I do! God is amazing and is doing amazing, outstanding, imaginative, awesome things. I love celebrating what only He can do. The ‘score’ is always 2 to 4!

The second gift is one I received from a software vendor (churchteams.com) this morning. It is a bit late, but it is a good gift. I am looking forward to spending some devotional time with my wife, Michelle, and daughter, Emily (when she returns from college for Christmas break) using this free resource. Really great stuff.

Here are a few quotes to entice you to download your own FREE copy:

You know what the Bible never commands us to do? Celebrate Christmas. We were commanded by Jesus to remember his death, burial and resurrection, but not his birth…

To make this ‘The Best Christmas Ever,’ take a breath this week. In fact, take a few. Find God’s peace in the middle of the chaos by being still. I know what you are thinking, “I have too much to do. I can’t even slow down, let alone be still, because there is not enough time!”…Each of us has the same amount of time as everyone else. The difference between those who are “rich in time” and those who are “poor in time” is only…

Curious? I hope so, because it is my deepest desire each reader experience deep joy during this season. I love you because I am loved.

The manger, cross, grave of the resurrected Lord tell me so.

Click on this link to begin the download: The Best Christmas Ever