Sous-potter Braum shares his Christmas toy.

Handmade gifts can express something more than an average store-bought gift.  A handmade present is one-of-a kind.  And, in our lives of homogeneous chain stores and generic gift cards, this is refreshing.

Handmade gifts made by you are even more special.  Perhaps because they represent a sacrifice of time and energy; or, perhaps because they are an intimate expression of how dear the recipient is to you.  Even children recognize this.  I really enjoy helping kids make things – pottery, cookies, ornaments, etc.  And, more often than not, as they are working on their craft, they are planning to give it away to some one special.  It seems that the desire to make something creative is intertwined with the desire to share that creation with a loved one.

This year, I have been so blessed as I watched the potters at the art center prepare for Christmas.  The theme of the pottery session was ‘Holiday Ceramics 2011’ – essentially, it was an independent study so everyone could have time to make the gifts on their lists.  Every night, class was a busy workshop.  The potters planned and made pots for the special people in their lives.  It was amazing to see how much care went into the each of the projects.  And to me, those pots epitomize the genuine spirit of gift giving.

But, nothing compares to the ultimate gift that the Lord gave when He sent His Son to earth to be a sacrifice for our sins.  Christ’s act of love is the true celebration of Christmas.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believed on Him should be saved.