Author: iandthoureflections

The Gift of Prayer

The Season of Gift-Giving: Gifts That Nourish

Gift Idea #2: A Prayer Scroll

What better gift to give than a prayer?

Let’s bless someone with a prayer.
Let’s pray for one another.
Let’s lift someone up in prayer.
Let’s offer a handwritten prayer on a scroll – a whisper of kindness, faith in humanity, and a sacred belonging.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’— Isaiah 30:21

Prayers are sacred. They anchor us in grace. They speak to the soul. And a prayer scroll carries a certain reverence.
It invites unrolling.
Slowly.
With care.

Prayers remind us all that:

We are loved.
We belong.
We are not alone.

Materials:

  • Strip of parchment, kraft paper, or cardstock (approx. 3–4 inches wide, 8–12 inches long)
  • Pen or printed prayer
  • Ribbon, twine, or wax seal
  • Optional: pressed flower, small charm, or sprig of rosemary/lavender

Instructions:

  1. Write or print a short prayer (see example below).
  2. Roll the paper gently into a scroll.
  3. Tie with ribbon or twine.
  4. Add a tag: “A prayer for you. Unroll when you need peace.”

Sample Prayer

Creator God,

Bless (name of person) as they walk through this season. Help them to feel your presence.
Be their rest.
Be their guide.
Be their comfort.
Be their hope.
You are with them.
You are for them.
Let (name of person) know they are enough.
And their presence is Your gift to the world.

Amen.

Let this gift be a blessing.
A balm.
A sacred whisper that says, “You are loved.”

This gift is more than paper. It soothes the soul and breathes life back into us. A sacred whisper for the road ahead.

Let’s Offer the Gift of Prayer
to Ourselves & to Others

Image Credit: “scrolls” by Hc_07 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. 

#Prayer #GiftsThatNourish #Faith #SacredGifts #GiftsThatMatter #Gifts OfHope #PresenceInThePrsents #MeaningfulGifts #SoulGifts #Holidays

The Gift of Affirmation

The Season of Gift-Giving: Gifts That Nourish


Gift Idea #1: Blessing Envelope with Affirmations

Let’s bless someone this holiday season with affirmations.
Let’s offer encouragement with handwritten affirmations – each one a whisper of kindness, faith in humanity, and sacred belonging.

Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ — Joel 3:10

Affirmations are sacred. They refresh us. They remind us of what is true when we forget. They anchor us in grace. They speak gently to the soul. Affirmations soothe the soul and breathe life back into us.

Affirmations remind us all that:

We are loved.
We belong.
We are not alone.

Materials:

  • Small envelope or pouch
  • 5–10 slips of paper or cardstock
  • Pen or marker
  • Optional: ribbon, sticker, or pressed flower

Instructions:

  1. Write one affirmation per slip of paper.
  2. Place them in the envelope and seal with care.
  3. Add a note: “These are truths to hold onto. Pull one when you need a reminder of who you are. A child deeply loved by the Almighty God.”

Sample Affirmations:

  • I am deeply loved and never alone.
  • God’s grace is enough for me today.
  • I am held, even when I feel uncertain.
  • My presence matters.
  • My story matters.
  • I am being gently led, one step at a time.
  • I am allowed to rest.
  • I am safe in God’s care.
  • I carry light, even in the darkness.
  • I belong—fully, freely, and forever.
  • I am not broken.
  • I am becoming.
  • I am a vessel of peace and compassion.

Let this gift be a blessing.
A balm.
A sacred whisper that says, “You matter.”

Let’s Offer the Gift of Affirmations
to Ourselves & to Others.

“women’s day affirmations” by fatty crafter is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

#Affirmation #GiftsThatNourish #Faith #SacredGifts #GiftsThatMatter #GiftsOfHope #PresenceInThePresents #MeaningfulGifts #SoulGifts #Holidays

The Gift of Creativity

The Season of Gift-Giving: Gifts That Nourish

Gift Idea Example in Action: Soap in a Dish with Note

This series is about simple gifts—made with care.
Each one, uniquely made with stuff already hiding in your home.

What can you give that nourishes?
Who might need a gift of comfort this season?
How can your creativity become compassion?

When we think of the holiday season, we naturally think about presents. This year, the challenge is to think about presence in the presents. Think of what you can make if you had ten or fifteen minutes.

Before we begin our gift ideas with instructions, let’s prepare our hearts for the season of giving.

To offer what we have.
To share what we create.
To nourish others with love.

If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry…
— Isaiah 58:10

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have…
— Hebrews 13:16

Freely you have received; freely give.
— Matthew 10:8

So you see, Jesus wants us to give. To give our time and our talents to those we wish to bless. Let’s invite God to prepare our hearts to create, to share, and to love.

I’ll go first.

As I have been thinking about this series, I decided to make December a GIVING month.

My goal is to create gifts from the heart for the people I will be encountering this month. Nothing grandiose. Just a simple gift from something I already have in my home.

Lord,
Help me come up with a gift idea for the healthcare professional I’ll be seeing today. Give me the words to write a meaningful note. Fill my heart with gratitude.
Amen

Gift Idea Example: Soap

Materials:

  • Soap
  • Glass dish or plate
  • Card or note paper
  • Cellophane, tissue paper, or wrapping paper
  • Optional: gift bag

Instructions:

  1. Place soap on or in a glass dish or plate.
  2. Wrap
  3. Place in a gift bag.
  4. Write a note that will be meaningful for the recipient. Use AI to generate ideas for you.

Gift Idea in Action:

Yesterday, I had a medical appointment.

I took a small bar of soap, placed it in a small glass dish, and wrapped it in cellophane with a gold elastic string. I found a Christmas Card and wrote a note describing how the glass represents transparency and integrity, and the soap represents the healing her hands do each day. I placed it in a small gift bag and left it on the counter. I didn’t sign the card.

Why? It was my way of saying “Thank You.” How will she receive the gift? Well, let’s just say that is up to God!

December is about presence. And to me, that means to extend a gesture to those who least expect it. And the rest is up to God.

Let’s give differently this year. Let’s give from the heart.

Let’s Offer the Gift of Creativity
to Ourselves & to Others.

Image Credit: “Being creative with wax crayons…”
by netsnake is licensed under CC BY 2.0. 

#Creativity #Transparency #GiftsThatNourish #Faith #SacredGifts #GiftsThatMatter #GiftsOfHope #PresenceInThePresents #MeaningfulGifts #SoulGifts #Holidays

Gifts That Nourish

The Season of Gift-Giving

December marks the season of gift-giving.
Yet, sometimes, it can quickly overwhelm us.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. — 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Let’s encourage each other.
Let’s build one another up.
Let’s create gifts together.

For your partner, family, friends, neighbor, coworker, or a service provider.

Over the next few weeks, easy-to-make gift ideas will nourish our souls as we make and give them away.

In a world that is so chaotic right now, these ideas are simple, yet tangible ways to remind us all that:

We are loved.
We belong.
We are not alone.

Let’s pause this year-long enough to weave a little bit of our souls into easy-to-do, make-from-home gifts to put a smile on someone’s face.

As you follow along this December, may these gifts inspire you to create, to bless, and to nourish. May they remind you that giving is not about what we place in someone’s hands—it’s about what we put in their heart.

Let’s Offer the
Gift of Inspiration
to ourselves & to others.

Image Credit: “Gourmet Taste of Italy Basket” by SherryCreates
is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

#GiftsThatNourish #Faith #SacredGifts #GiftsThatMatter #GiftsOfHope #PresenceInThePresents #MeaningfulGifts #SoulGifts #Holidays

When We Prepare Our Heart

A Series of Sacred Belonging

Scripture for Today:

   Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.

— Luke 3:4

Questions to Ponder:

How might you prepare your heart for the Holidays?

Reflection:

Thanksgiving invited us to gather.
To remember.
To give thanks.

Now, we must prepare our hearts for what is to come.

A time to wait.
To wonder.
To give.
To receive.

We must enter this season with a new perspective.
One that is kind.
Full of compassion.
One willing to honor the wishes of others.

Let’s turn inward this holiday season.
Inward to our hearts.
And the hearts of others.
Because that is where love is.

Let’s not get sucked into the secular world.
The world of ostentatious decorations.
Outlandish gifts that soon fall apart.

Let’s do it differently.
Let’s make something this year.
Cook a meal.
Put together a soup jar.
Knit a scarf.
Write a poem.
Whatever it is, create gifts from the heart.

When Christmas arrives,
it’s not about the presents.
It’s about the presence.
Of our loved ones.
In our homes with us or in our hearts.
Because home is where the heart is.

When we prepare our hearts,
We make room for the light that breaks through the darkness.
We pour our love into others.
We find hope that meets us right where we are.

As we close out this series of sacred belonging, we reflect on the past few weeks.
We created space
We welcomed the stranger.
We received grace—and now offer it more freely.
We rose.
We gathered.
We gave thanks.

And now, we prepare.
Not just for a holiday, but for a holy arrival.

One that is of Sacred Belonging.

Image Source: Unknown

#SacredBelonging #Faith #SpiritualJourney #Grace #Thanksgiving #ThankfulHeart #Spirituality

When We Rise

A Series of Sacred Belonging

Scripture for Today:

You are no longer strangers and foreigners – Ephesians 2:19

Reflection:

Have you ever felt you were a stranger in a foreign land? And, I don’t mean traveling to another country, state, or down the block.

It’s that feeling that you wake up one day and feel that you don’t belong. You feel rejected. Abandoned. Like a failure.

It could be due to a job loss.
A home.
A friend.
A pet.
A partner.
A child.

Most of us have felt this way at some point.
Some many times over the years. And some just once or twice.

But once the feelings of loss begin to settle, we begin to get our footing.
We rise.
We overcome.

When we rise, it’s not always noticeable.
Sometimes it’s quiet.
Sometimes it’s radiant.
Sometimes it’s slow.
Sometimes it comes out of nowhere.

The strength.
The courage.
The grace.
The depth.

But it’s real.
It’s sacred.

When we rise, we gain clarity.
We begin to see differently.
We listen to the gentle nudge-
The Spirit within-
so we can move forward.

It is when we accept the circumstances for what they are,
and not what they aren’t,
that we can envision the purpose of it…
Which is to bring us into a new light of understanding.

One that is of Sacred Belonging.

Image Source: Unknown

#SacredBelonging #Faith #SpiritualJourney #Grace #Thanksgiving #ThankfulHeart #Spirituality

When We Give Thanks

A Series of Sacred Belonging

Scripture for Today:

Give thanks in all circumstances…

— 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Question to Ponder:

How do we give thanks when we don’t feel very thankful?

Reflection:

The season of thanksgiving calls us to stop and pause.
To reflect on what we have.
And when we do, sometimes it stirs up what we may have lost.

God did not promise us rainbows and puppy dogs.
Nor did He promise us a trouble-free life.

So, no matter where you are in life, you can be thankful.
Thankful for being alive.
Thankful for what you do have.
Even if it isn’t much.

Remember that God loves a cheerful giver.
A person who gives thanks.
Day after day.
Even when they don’t feel like it.

When we give thanks,
We are honoring God, others, and ourselves.
Being thankful draws us near to God.

Let’s be thankful for memories.
Let’s be thankful for what is good.
Let’s be thankful for the journey.
Let’s be thankful for where we may go next.

Thanksgiving is not just a day.
It’s a way of being.
A way of seeing.
A way of belonging.

One that is of Sacred Belonging.

Image Source: Unknown

#SacredBelonging #Faith #SpiritualJourney #Grace #Thanksgiving #ThankfulHeart #Spirituality

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

When We Gather

A Series of Sacred Belonging

Scripture for Today:

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people
live together in unity.

— Psalm 133:1

Questions to Ponder:

Who do you choose to gather with?
What extraordinary grace has come from it?

Reflection:

We gather in homes, in the workplace,
in places of worship, and at community events.

When we gather, extraordinary things happen.
We reminisce.
We share stories.
We learn new things.

We sing.
We dance.
We make music.
We celebrate—
milestones, traditions, and ordinary days.

We gather to belong.
To be seen. To be heard. To be valued.

Gathering is communion.
It is Sacred belonging.

But let’s be real.
Sometimes, when we gather, we hurt.
Unkind words are spoken. Personalities clash.
We feel sad.

Gathering is hard work.
But worth the time and energy—
because we become better.

We learn to give one another space.
To listen more than we speak.
To adjust. To filter our speech with grace.

Because gathering isn’t just about showing up—
it’s about showing up in love.

And God?
God shows up when we ask.

So if you need extra comfort as we gather for Thanksgiving,
ask God to lead you through it.
To meet you right where you are.
To carry you through.
To take you where you need to be—

A Place of Sacred Belonging.

Image Source: Unknown

#SacredBelonging #Faith #SpiritualJourney #Grace #Thanksgiving #ThankfulHeart #Spirituality

When We Give Grace

A Series of Sacred Belongings

Scripture for Today:

From His fullness we have all received,
grace upon grace.

— John 1:16

Questions to Ponder:

How often do you need a bit of grace?
And more importantly,
how often do you give grace to others and yourself?

Reflection:

Some might say that only God can give grace. Yet, I don’t think that.

When we receive God into our hearts and daily lives, we are given grace. And it is that grace, the grace from God, that we can choose to offer others.

Grace is a beautiful gift.
We give grace to those whose hearts may feel sad.
Those who feel empty inside.
Those who pour themselves into caring for others.
Those who grieve.
Those who are struggling.

When we give grace, we must follow God’s lead.
To give it freely.
Without expectation.

When we do that, we start to see the light.
It flickers from the soul.
A kind word.
A soft smile.
A quiet nod.

Grace fills us up.
It makes us whole.
It makes us seen.
Affirmed.
Valued.

Grace is abundant if we want it to be.

God wants us to receive his grace—
So we can pour it out to others.
For us to shine the light…
On the path where we were always meant to be.

One that is of Sacred Belonging.

Image Source: Unknown

#Grace #Faith #SpiritualJourney #ThankfulHeart #Thanksgiving #Spirituality