Today in Denver the temperature hardly got above fifty-five degrees F! I guess it's trying to tell us that the holiday season is upon us - less than 100 days! Now that's a scary thought and I'm not talking about halloween either. Year after year lately, we have been telling our loved ones that this year is, "going to be a little light on the gift side". Now we have this year with all it's headline problems, unemployment and homelessness. I wonder what we should be saying about this year's holiday season. We didn't realize just how good things were in years past, compared to now. That statement make me feel very afraid and lonely as another having the same troubles with the holidays just around the corner. Do you want to know just how scary things have gotten? Things are so bad for this year that what's up with next year doesn't even matter to us anymore! We just need to make it through this year! That's how bad things have gotten for many many families this year.

As I started to roll around this and that, this emotion and that well deserved but ungiven expression of appreciation, I came up with a way for us to 'get us by', just for this year, for now! We all know its not the price tag that makes a gift valuable~right? So why do we always under-value and under-appreciate gifts, high in thoughtfulness and in the 'hand tailored skill's category', as they are in the 'low in cost column'? We all truly appreciate gifts that someone took time on and either hand made them themselves or were able to convey what was in mind to a craftsperson to craft it for them. With conditions as bleak as they are and will be for most the remainder of this holiday season for so many of us, we all need to return to a truly magical time, that existed once a-long-time ago, where thoughtfullness, concern and love for another was all there really was! It's truly within the 'season of giving' to not find the highest priced present possible but rather to come up with the most thoughtful, meaningful physical or acted out gift of love for another!

The very first Christmas wasn't about fancy clothes and all the expensive trimmings, but rather the ultimate gift of oneself completely emptying themself of any and all pride to become a defenseless little child, and to live a life that many others would categorized as, 'JUST a handy man'!

When we think of all our Savior did for us, we can only understand just a little of how big it really was for God to become a human child, to allow others to treat Him as a child, to have all the secrets of the universe at hand-first hand, yet to live a humble life of prayer and sacrifice for others; to then end it all as the lowly being in the hands of His creation, allowing for them to totally destroy Him, their Creator, as payment for their sin!

Many of us go around and will often convey some of this and that religious message to others, however, we can tend to leave them with a whole different story, based on how we act. This year we probably won't have that option, we will all have to live the true meaning, without being too overly low or depressed so others don't get mixed messages about our religion. This year with all those out of work, those who's hours have been cut, those who had other plans that now have been dashed, Those who won't have a shelter over their head, yes this year is the most worthy year for us to stand up and declare, and to declare as early as possible, this year is a 'no gift holiday' for me and my family! Just for clarity and no loss of the meaning, you will and we will be exchanging , homemade and low cost gifts to each other. Not the big ones that take all year to pay for. Nice hand made traditional Christmas gifts that some turn their nose up to because of being affordable!

I actually got an e-mail from a lady this week asking for more help with gift-giving an e-product (e-book set). I was all excited about the chance to explain some cool ideas, when she on the other hand was depressed and angry sounding. When I asked what the problem was, she said she was angry with her husband that she didn't have enough money this holiday to give a 'real' book and had to give an 'e-book' instead! Well, I guessed I shouldn't have asked if I didn't want to hear HER verison of the true. I'm sure you can see where she is headed this holiday season. However, it truly doesn't need to be this sad and oppressed feeling. If let's say this year we are going to return to the true spirit of Christmas and we are going to enjoy all of the season, even if we can't give great big gifts or physical gifts at all. Go ahead and declare that this year is a'no gift holiday', or a return to the more simplier religious meaning of the holidys. If we all began to declare it early enough, heck we wouldn't have anything to worry about this holiday! If we do it correctly and use it as a reason to explain the true meaning of Christmas, others won't even think of making us feel awkwardly, over a religious expression! Sure they will mumble to themselves, as they always do anyways, 'it must have been, some good sermon that really hit them hard this year'! They all will be laughing and saying something to the effect of what is listed above as the husband leans over and suggests, that they should attempt to do the same next year!

I believe its true, you can make a true return to a simpler 'real traditional christmas', just by declaring out loudly, 'no gifts this holiday for me and my family'! If you threw away all those pent-up, nastsy, inadequate feelings just this once, then you could go and spend time, with the kids, doing things, you've always complained of not having enough time for. Just think of all the wonderful hand made cards, crafts and gifts you will be able to exchange this year. I will bet you one thing for sure, you will value those, crafts and hand made gifts above any gold watch or diamond tennis bracelet! Just think of all the happiness and irreplaceable true holiday meaning you and your family would get out of the season if for once the 'gift' issue was canned right from the beginning!

I truly must admit, that I never intended this article to go in this direction, however it truly does make more sense, that this year, of all the years, be the 'no gift holiday'! It will be the most relaxed and welcomed holiday ever! Once all the dopey emotions are put aside, we can enjoy a 'REAL', homemade traditional Christmas, and begin to truly attempt to embrace all that our Savior did for us, starting a long time ago on that first Christmas morning!

Maybe, just maybe if enough of us declared proudly that this year is a 'no gift holiday', maybe we will start a wildfire of pent-up and released emotions just waiting for us to be so bold as to declare it before anyone else jumped in! No gift holiday' this year for me and my family!

Lastly, I should give a plug for us and for those who will be giving, inexpensive, top quality e-products, such as the one's found in OLIN'S Online Christian Family e-Bookstore . OLIN will help make your holiday budget spread real far!

I hope that makes you smile and I hope you continue to smile as well as continue to feel better and better by just declaring, and for good reasons I might add, that this holiday is a 'no gift holiday for me and my family'~period!

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Roy Twogood Jr is Managing Director of OLIN e-Publishing Company and OLINeBooks, Denver Colorado- http://olin.tk . Please pass this article along to another in need, it might just be the very first 'No Gift Holiday', gift another receives this holiday season! God bless!

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