What can I do to make the holidays more spiriutal and loving and meaningful being this is the last holiday I will be with my husbands and I families as we are moving? I really want to make our blessed holidays more beautiful and special.
Also my husband and I have a relative who is very critical, cutting and fresh with how he says things and I just wanted to know of godly creative ways to deal with this person. I dont want to tell him off and be nasty because that is not what Jesus would do. He feels uncomfortable around us because we are simple people who like simple things See Psalm 131 and we serve the Lord.
He has helped us a lot and we care and we are not asking God to make our lives easier by him being nice. We are living close to eacother now and I just want to along with my husband see this realtive happy and filled with joy. He does not have God in his life,
I just dont want to be immature and nastry as I have been in past.
2006-11-27 03:53:49 · 6 answers · asked by encourager4God 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I would buy some very nice paper and write something straight from the heart for each relative in your best hand writing. Roll it up and tie it with nice cord or ribbon. (You both could include a message or if you have children maybe each one of you could write a little message.)
Then maybe have a family bake night at your house where you all make cookies for gifts. Create or purchase nice boxes to put the cookies into and then fix the corded or ribboned scroll to the top of the box with a matching name tag. Do that for every person.
I think that would be a very nice gift, one that treats each member equally, but yet has a personal message for each one.
May God bless you and your family. He will show you the way.
2006-11-27 04:03:15 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Without knowing you all I couldn't advise on the first question (some people with a lot of creativity probably could give you some good ideas).
On the second question: It is very possible the relative will respect you and actually appreciate it if you confront him: "I really appreciate so many things you have done for us. However I find you have difficulty accepting that we have chosen a lifestyle that is different from yours. I want to respect you in your lifestyle, and I would like it if you were to show respect for our lifestyle. Believe me, I appreciate you, and I would like it if we could have a better relationship, it is important to me, that is why I am saying this... " well, something along that line. Pray about it first, I have found that the few times I have worked up the courage to have that kind of confrontation, if I prayed first, and asked someone else to pray, God prepared the person's heart. You will really be doing him a lot of good by talking to him like that. Because it is obvious you want a good relationship.
EDIT:
If you feel that in the past you have been immature and nasty, tell him that too. In fact start out with that.
2006-11-27 12:00:41 · answer #2 · answered by Mr Ed 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe you could read the Christmas story in Luke and single some Christmas carols with a Christ focus. Talk to this person tell that you are sorry for how you have behaved and that you love him and want him to know the same joy and love and peace that you have. Tell him the conscequences of his rebellion and do it all lovingly. If you had a cure for cancer and he ad cancer wouldn't you be desperate to give it him. Even more so what greater love than to share the "cure" for hell.
2006-11-27 12:01:28 · answer #3 · answered by icthyus05 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ignore him, respond to every insult with a compassionate statement... etc...
As for him being uncomfortable b/c you are simple people with simple things, I tend to doubt that. Being an atheist myself, your sprinkling of every sentence with "godly" or "blessed" would prompt me to question some things about your life as well. i would hope I would be polite, but I would question.
If you sprinkle your speech with so much talk of god, then I think you have to be ready for some people to disagree with you.
2006-11-27 12:00:06 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the answer to both is found in one word. LOVE! Love can move mountains.
2006-11-27 11:56:46 · answer #5 · answered by JesusFreak 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
pray for him and ask god to help him
2006-11-27 11:57:32 · answer #6 · answered by blonderosey 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋