When does a gift given become a gift received?
If a gift is not accepted, is it a gift indeed?
If a gift is left unopened is the gifting actually achieved?

(Is a gift not a gift if it is rejected?
Does it lose its giftedness when refused or neglected?)

Does the gift itself retain some kinetic gifted energy?
Or does it need the active catalyst of reception
to truly be the gift that its giver intends it to be?

This Christmas be sure to accept your full responsibility
to receive with a fully open heart as well as open hands
this gift I give to you from me.

(I've left the receipt in the bag.)

Not joy in a bottle, but Joy in a manger.
Not tied with a bow, but wrapped a lot tighter.

Not dependant on snow, the turkey or gifts.
But Joy that out-lasts the toys and the myths.

Not under a tree or mistletoe sprig.
But Joy that stays longer and seeps down deep.

Not dependent on feeling or temporary cheer.
But Joy from a Saviour who will always stay near.

He's the Joy who outlasts.  
Joy who gifts meaning.
Joy gifted from Heaven.  
The true Joy of the season.

Arrival of fall, rustling of leaves
Strangers walking down the alley
Far reaches from the city grounds
A girl, a charmer arrived in the fall
The planet on its tiptoes danced 16 times
To welcome new chapters in her life
In the trouvaille, I found a friend in a stranger
A friend I never knew I needed,
In my journey to love myself
The courage flowed like river from her words
Her aura that outshines moonlight
In longing of someone, she counts the stars
A hidden sadness behind the beaming smile
A hidden pain behind those eyes
In her happiness, the gunnen rises on me
Went through ups and down
She always fought the demons in her mind
A figure who loves “tea”, to be debutante in her prime
Have friends like poison ivy
But she knows how to live life

I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes to see
How many great things you are doing in me
The sign of faith, the sign of peace, the sign of the cross
They all point me to a final destination
Like guideposts to give me direction
You are a sign for you have Christ within you
The work that you do, the success that you have
Jesus is the source of your many blessings
The one who gives and takes away
Be a sign for others and point the way to Him
Let your transformation be witness to the love
All the God given gifts that he meant for us to use
But whether you exercise the is for you to choose
I pray that my gifts would not so much reflect me
Not I, but Christ that lives within me
That these writings would point to God
To his love, his mercy, his goodness
You are a gift God gave to the whole human race
You have the chance to make this world a better place
"Do what is necessary, then do what is possible
And before long you will find you are doing the impossible"
Do your best let God do the rest and then don't stress it
Even in the smallest things do it with love and humility
And I promise it is something that even the blind can see
You and I are signs of God's love and faithfulness
Let them see his light reflected in your eyes
And to all who see you, bear no false disguise
You may be a miracle someone desperately needs
Be the blessed sign that points to the divine
The seeds of faith and grace
Have now been sown
Their one and only encounter with God
May have been you, with God, alone

May your lives be the Star; constant and bright
Leading others to Christ in the darkest night
May your lives be the Sign; pointing the way
Every hour, every minute, every second of the day

Amen

Sing me a melody of sunset hues,

paint me the colours of its symphony.

Kiss me as if you have nothing to lose.

And in return, I’ll gift you all of me.

Using the power of brain cells
whilst wordsmithing…
researching,
making notes
and of course,
drinking buckets of tea.

I feel that advanced technology
is going to break our art,
as AI will scour the internet,
ripping it apart
to reassemble information
into some Frankenstein monster
in nano seconds, rather than hours
and that actually kind of makes me sad.

Will AI take over everything?
Will we battle with the machine?
What a crazy lazy world
we would live in!
shudders at the thought

©️Lizzie Bevis