The Best Gifts

Without a doubt, the best gift I ever received was given to me on February 18th, 1990. That's when Jesus called me by name and saved me. He took me out of a life of darkness and put me on a path of life, redemption, and of a saving grace. I am forever thankful for that gift. Especially since it came at so great a cost. This Christmas, I am thankful for the gift that Jesus died to give me.

The other best gift I ever received came to me on July 31, 1999. That's when Joi Stoffels became Joi Copeland and changed my life forever. She is am amazing woman. I am constantly amazed at how wonderful she is. She is an excellent Mom to our boys. She home-schools them and attends to their every need. She stays up with them when they have the flu and then super-cleans and sanitizes the house so that no one else gets sick. When I left this morning, she was doing exactly that with wipes and Lysol in hand. She is an excellent wife. She is indeed my best friend, my support, my helpmate, my biggest fan, and the most amazing woman I have ever met. Besides everything she does around the house, she is now a published author. Her first book is available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com and just recently a Kindle version has been released. Her second book is already picked up and is at the publisher. How does she do it? I am amazed. Plus, she's good looking to boot. How did I get so lucky? This is another of the best gifts I have ever received.

Three other of the best gifts I ever received came to me on 02/02/02, 09/24/03, and 10/15/04. Thanks to the gift of my wife, I was blessed with three sons from her womb. Every day they amaze me with their intelligence, creativity, athletic ability, thoughtfulness, and love for others. I am awestruck when I see little nuances of their appearance or behavior that are similar to mine or my wife's. I love them dearly and I couldn't imagine loving anyone more. I am blessed. I love being a Dad. I think being a Dad has solidified my faith in God because I can understand more about how God interacts with us and how he watches us make mistakes and rejoices with our triumphs. I can understand a little fraction of the love God must have for us. My boys are among my best gifts.

This year, as you unwrap your presents, remember the gifts that already sit around you. The gifts that we have already been given. You may not get the new car, new house, the iPad 2, or the new laptop that you wanted, but you are surrounded by gifts. The gift of love. The gift of having loved ones around you. The gift of salvation. The gift of a warm home. The gift of food in the fridge. The gift of a job. The gift of money to pay your bills. These gifts are something to be truly thankful for. Remember these gifts this Christmas and then thank the giver of every good and perfect gift....God.