My Christmas list

Well, another black Friday has come and gone. Retail sales for one day are around an estimated eight billion dollars. How's that for a jumpstart to a sluggishly growing economy? Perhaps instead of more tax cuts, Congress should just create more consumer minded holidays. By the way...that was a joke. On the plus side, I made it without doing one bit of shopping on Friday aside from buying a Diet Coke at Exxon.

My holiday was awesome. I spent it with family and friends. It was relaxing and encouraging in several respects. When do Christmas holidays start? Like everything else in my life, there were some random things that happened, and I would be glad to share them with you if you ask.

Now, with Thanksgiving out of the way, my family and friends have begun the task of asking me what I want for Christmas. Every year is the same answer: I don't need anything. Thank you, though. That is a very true statement, by the way. Most of us don't need anything. Then they begin by suggesting things and trying to read my reactions.

In the interest of saving time, energy and frustrations, I want to post a Christmas shopping list for all of you out there who want to get me a gift. The following is a suggested list and comes in no particular order. I spent a lot of thought on these since my number one present was bought for me last year: my two front teeth. Does that make me a redneck no longer???

1. World Peace
2. Luther DVD--available November 30th. Widescreen, of course. This was one of the best movies of last year--UPDATE: This has been brought to my attention that some great friend has bought this for me. (Thanks, Carlye) If you still feel obliged to give...Strongbad's DVD on homestarrunner.com is a good suggestion.
3. The Simpsons on DVD/CSI on DVD
4. New sandals--black. If I want to walk like Christ...
5. My Spring Tuition--this is only if you have an extra twenty-five hundred bones lying around.
6. A Laptop Computer. It doesn't have to be new, just so long as it works.
7. To better shed my legalistic tendencies and fully rely on the grace that I want to more fully understand.
8. To see Christ's church wholly surrendered to God and working towards His goals, not ours.
9. To be a disciple who is wholly surrendered to God and is working toward His goals, not mine.
10. To see Christians who are pursuing holiness in all their relationships.
11. To be a disciple who is pursuing holiness in all my relationships.
12. To know Christ more and more.
13. To lose myself in my relationship with God.
14. To realize the depth and greatness that is our God: Creator, Savior, Sustainer and Lord.

If you feel led to provide any of these gifts, I would be grateful. Looking back on my list, though, I realize that I lied earlier in this post. There are things on this list that we need and should desire more than any others.. Can you guess which ones?

until Christ is formed in us...

--mike

By the way...Gift Cards make great gifts!