My Christmas List

The web site was entitled, “Top Five Christmas Gifts 2010.” Being a sucker for top ten and top five type lists, I quickly opened the site only to discover that it listed sixteen items and then asked me to vote on which five I wanted. I quickly ruled out the wedding dress, women’s jewelry, the hair straightener, and lingerie. The other twelve really contained nothing I needed or wanted. So I decided to make my own list – of gifts I’d like to give to my faithful readers this Christmas. Obviously I wish for you the greatest gift of all and join Paul in thanking God for the “indescribable gift” of Jesus (2 Cor. 9:15). Beyond that, I wish for you a hot breakfast that you don’t have to prepare, an unexpected E-mail, Facebook post, Text Message, or phone call from a long-ago friend, being able to get in a drive-thru lane without the person in front of you needing to transact business or place an order for a small army, surviving all 35 TV football bowl games and then remembering who played in the first five, finding a guest in your favorite seat at church and having the grace to greet them rather than glare at them from your new seat, and finally, showing gratitude for all your Christmas gifts even if you don’t know why you received it or what exactly it is. Merry Christmas and thanks for reading Dr. Dan’s Monday Morning Memo.

Join me in praying for the following global concerns this week:
• Pray for Andrew, a church planter in Orillia, Ontario, Canada, who had a heart attack last Saturday evening.
• Pray for the Christian witness of U.S. families who host International students over the Christmas holidays.
• Pray for a new church start in the Prague, Czech Republic area.
• Pray for Christmas celebrations around the world that proclaim the Messiah’s birth and for Christians who host these celebrations.