Gifts to Enrich

Coming up with thoughtful, purposeful gift ideas can be hard.  Here are some of our favorite (spiritually enriching) books and music.  We think they would make lovely, encouraging and worthwhile gifts.  Click the images to find out more.

Praying the Scriptures for your Children  The author does a masterful job at looking at the different ways we can pray for our children (for their salvation, for their future spouse, for their friendships, etc).  She divides each prayer topic into a short chapter with specific verses that can be prayed . The verses contain a blank for a child's name to be inserted making them wonderfully personal and specific. There is power in the Word! This would be a wonderful gift for someone in any stage of parenting or for youth workers.

  Seeds Family Worship CDs   There is a whole series of these CDs that put scripture to music- Seeds of Faith, Seeds of Character, Seeds of Praise, etc.  Before you know it, you've memorized Bible verses with little to no effort because these catchy songs have become part of you.  This is no cheesy kids' praise music either- everything about these impresses us- the verses chosen, the vocalists (adults and children) and the music.

  Morning and Evening  My dear blogger friend, Camille, introduced me to this devotional and I cannot say enough about it.  Charles Spurgeon was a well-known pastor and author from London in the 1800's.  His meditations for morning and evening are POWERFUL.  He has a way of calling me out and encouraging me at the same time.  The topics and verses stick with me because they are meat, not fluff and his writing style treats me as an intelligent, thoughtful Christian- not one who needs to be entertained to get through a half-page devotion.  It's the best devotional I've ever read (and I'm buying my father a copy for Christmas and he knows it ;-)).

 The Odes Project CD  These lyrics set to music are like no other and here's why..."The Odes of Solomon, which some scholars have called “The First Christian Hymnal,” is in fact a worship anthology from one of the earliest Christian communities. The poems it contains were composed sometime before 125 C.E., and may have been used as chants in a church or synagogue.  The anonymous Odist’s vivid imagery and eloquent metaphors are timeless expressions of Christian devotion and worship; they also distill biblical truths that offer comfort, strength and guidance to the people of God.  Now, after centuries of silence, the Odes of Solomon have found their voice again.  Newly adapted and exquisitely set to music, they are both treasures from the past and a legacy of worship for today’s believers and for generations to come." (taken from the Odes Project website) I get overwhelmed every time I listen to it.

 Then Sings My Soul Do you know someone who loves traditional hymns?  This book takes an in-depth look at some of the most popular hymns, revealing the history behind the writing and composing.  These rich and powerful stories will give you a whole new perspective on your favorite hymns.


 Faithfully Fit  This last suggestion might be something you put on your own Christmas list instead of giving to someone else (unless you know for sure that this is an area they want encouragement). I could write a whole post on this book but for now I'll just say that last January I bought this book and worked my way through the 40 devotions.  I had decided it was time to take better care of myself and was impressed with the reviews on Amazon.  Between this very honest and encouraging book and regular exercise, 2013 has been a good year for me- I see new value in my physical body and don't feel guilty anymore for taking time for myself to keep myself healthy.  This is NOT a diet or exercise book.  It helps you work on your relationship with God and food in a very healthy and spiritual way.  It has blessed me immensely and I thank God for the authors and for His grace as I (and, dare I say, "we") need encouragement when it comes to accepting and caring for our physical selves. Pin It