Day 5 of 12 Days of Christmas! (with Nicki Koziarz)
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It’s Day 5 of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways! If you’re just joining in, be sure to start at Day 1 by clicking here.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Although all you need to do to enter is comment here, I will also be snooping around on social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, looking for people who are promoting the giveaway by sharing an image along with the hashtag #12daysofchristmasgiveaways When you do so, you will be entered a second time for the giveaway that day!
Additionally, there is a grand prize for one person who comments on all 12 days, so set a daily alarm on your phone phone for now until December 18th and join the fun!
This year our Grand Prize is worth over $225!! It includes:
- A leader kit of my What Matters Most Lifeway study of Philippians, including the teaching DVD’s and one Bible study guide.
- A Wheatfield Woman ESV journaling Bible from Wheat and Honey Co.
- A pink cable knit throw (other color options available)
- A pour-over coffee dripper
- A half pound of Fortress coffee, a company started by two fellow alumni from Spring Arbor University
- An insulated pink shimmer mug (or color of your choice)
Day 5: The Most Thoughtful Gift Ever
For day five, our guest is my close friend and Proverbs 31 Ministries partner Nicki Koziarz. Nicki is a wife, mom, best-selling author, and speaker. Her family resides at a small farm just outside of Charlotte, NC they affectionately call The Fixer Upper Farm. She is also one of the first people I text when I need to process a life situation or want to celebrate something.
And now…here is Nicki!
The year my mom died was one of the hardest Christmases I’d ever had.
I remember tears flooding my eyes as my dad pulled up to our farmhouse on Christmas morning, alone. They had always joined us for breakfast, prayer and then watched our three daughters dig into their gifts under the tree. As his car door closed and he walked towards the steps of our house, alone, the ache of this new reality hit hard.
It had only been six weeks since she died, how would we get through this?
But my husband had something planned. Something he knew wouldn’t take the ache of her being gone away, but would remind me of the hope to come.
After the breakfast dishes were cleaned up, we sat in our living room feeling the emptiness of her not being there. The girls tried to have as much joy and excitement as possible as they opened all their gifts but we all felt her absence.
And then my husband, Kris, handed me one oddly shaped gift. It looked like pieces of paper. I had no idea what it was and thought it was strange. But as soon as I unfolded the paper, my heart fluttered. It was a printed picture of two baby girl highland cows.
We had talked about getting cows for our farm but because of my mom’s long and hard passing from a brain tumor, like most other things, we had put this little dream on hold. I wasn’t sure when we would ever pick it back up because looking forward felt hard after such a hard season.
But that Christmas day, the dream came back and the reality of our fixer upper farm turning back into an actual farm became a reality as he told me, those were mine. I cried. But this time, it wasn’t tears of sadness, they were tears of joy. Because this dream that had felt so far from becoming a reality, the rebuilding of our farm, was a little closer to coming true.
Today, when I look at Autumn and Paisley, those two baby highlands now turned into full grown cows, I’m still grateful for that gift. Because it was one that brought joy and hope for the future after a season of so much loss.
It’s been a hard year for most of us. But today, through this Christmas series Karen Ehman is offering us may we also find a little more joy and a lot more hope. The future is still full of dreams yet to be fulfilled.
Now, for today’s quick question of the day: What is the most thoughtful gift or gesture you have ever been given or that you have ever heard of?
Day 5 Giveaway
For day five, Nicki is giving away a $50 Anthropologie gift card. You can use it to buy clothing, accessories, home and furniture items, or beauty and wellness products.
Be sure to answer today’s question in the comments below!
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Nicki Koziarz is a wife, mom, speaker and two-time best-selling author with Proverbs 31 Ministries. She and her husband own a small farm just outside of Charlotte, NC they affectionately call The Fixer Upper Farm. Nicki’s new book and study guide, Flooded, releases March 2021 and is available on Amazon for preorder now.
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Day 5 Giveaway Question
NOTE: Affiliate links may be included. We only recommend products we know our readers will love!
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAYS RULES
- U.S. Addresses only please.
- You can comment on all 12 days (once per person) up until midnight Pacific time, Sunday, December 20. Each day will be linked below for easy reference.
- One daily winner will be chosen from each day’s comments.
- To enter to win the Grand Prize (worth over $225 and includes: A leader kit of my What Matters Most Lifeway study of Philippians, including the teaching DVD’s and one Bible study guide; a Wheatfield Woman ESV journaling Bible from Wheat and Honey Co.; a pink cable knit throw (other color options available); a pour-over coffee dripper ; a half pound of Fortress coffee, a company started by two fellow alumni from Spring Arbor University; an insulated pink shimmer mug–or color of your choice), comment on and share all 12 posts. You can use the share buttons below or repost and share on Instagram (my fave!) and tag me @karenehman.
- All winners (including Grand Prize) will be announced here on the blog on Monday, December 21, and contacted via email. Please allow 4-6 weeks to receive your prizes.
My husband has lately texting sweet messages and tells me he is praying for me to have a good day. This is huge because we have been really struggling and God is working.
,it’s a thoughtful gesture and feeling when my husband shows his appreciation in any way- truly shows he listens and cares :)
My Aunts made sure everyone who came to visit my grandfather in the hospital toward the end of his life got to spend some time alone with him to say goodbye.
When my youngest was born, one of the announcements I sent out had been a preschool teacher-turned-friend. When my youngest was at the age to go to preschool, I received an unsolicited invitation to signup and we would be given priority status as a returning family. For a long time, I was perplexed on how the preschool director knew just how we had a child ready to attend. At the first conference, I found out the teacher had put our family on the list after he was born.
I was given an eternity band from my husband and another one on our anniversary. I wore them on each side of my wedding ring. I told my daughters as they were growing up that when they each got married I would give one of the bands to each of them to wear as their wedding band. They are both married now and wear that special part of my life on their finger to know I’m with them for all eternity. On my 60th birthday they surprised me with an eternity band to wear with my wedding ring ! I was so touched. They told me that I had to have some bling too!!!!
A pair of really cute earrings I wasn’t expecting from my husband.
The most thoughtful gift I have been given is a heart necklace from my husband when we were dating. There are 2 hearts and he said the bigger heart represents him surrounding me and protecting me. And the smaller one respresents me because it has diamonds and I’m precious
My husband surprised me with diamond earrings. I had wanted some for years but there just wasn’t money for such a luxury raising two children and trying to make ends meet. He got a surprise Christmas bonus from his employer and kept it a secret. I had saved my stocking until the end of our gift exchange and they were.
Giving to others (whether that be a donation, paying ahead of someone in line, donating food, etc.) in some way and we have started that tradition with our girls.
Gifts that allow for time spent together.
They are all special!!
Most thoughtful gesture: A lovely older couple that attended the base chapel when I was stationed in Fort Worth, TX. These wonderful people, invited my son (7) & I to share Christmas with them & their family. They made us a part of all their family traditions and it meant so much to this lonely, single mom.
One of my brothers witnessed a customer hollering at a young girl with intellectual challenges who was bagging groceries. The girl ended up leaving her post and ran out of the grocery store in tears. My brother was dismayed and scolded the customer, then brought his own purchases out to his car. He turned around and went back into the store and purchased a bouquet of flowers for the girl. A store clerk led him outside to the place where the girl was still crying. He gave her a pep talk and the flowers and she gave him what he would probably describe as The Best Hug Ever. He never told me this himself- my mom relayed the story. It’s just one of several acts of kindness he has done over the years.
I can’t think of anything specific but the ones that have always meant the most to me were the ones that were handmade or required some extra thought or action.
A dear friend shared her goodies. She just called and said she had made them for my family.
I don’t have one in general but it’s an amazing feeling when my husband really tries to show me I’m appreciated. I don’t need gifts but when there is a lot of thought put into it it makes things extra special.
My mom just had 2 brian tumors removed the day before Thanksgiving, and is beginning the road of treatment this week. Your story speaks to me personally.
The most thoughtful gift I have received was one year when we were very broke and had nothing to decorate or gift to the boys, the local church gave us a tree, ornaments, lights and a $500 gift card so they would have a Christmas. We were not even members of the church. A friend mentioned something to the Pastor and within days we were blessed!
I think the best gifts are gifts of time and service – spending time with loved ones
The gift of presence… all time, every time especially as I get older.
We received Christmas presents for our boys one year when my husband has lost his job.
I love the story of the cows! So sweet! My most memorable gift was from my husband. It was our first Christmas married and he got us tickets to see The Fiddler on the Roof at a small church playhouse. It was a little ways away and we stayed at a hotel then we we visited a church of a pastor that we would listen to on the radio for years on Sunday morning. I think the fact that he put so much thought into it made it so special. That was 15 years ago!
Wow I have really missed the mark on my previous comments. I missed the subject line. :)
For me the birth of a person, not just any person, but a person that would die for my sins. Thank you Jesus.
The most thoughtful gift I ever received was a sleep number bed from my friend. It was wonderful and it has been a blessing.
My mom gave me Christmas dishes many years ago. I also donated them when we downsized a few years ago. We are in a new home now , and I’m so glad that I kept them. We have already used them this year. My parents loved Christmas, so it is a beautiful reminder!
The most memorable are the homemade gifts my kids occasionally created & gave me ( i.e. a wood-burning kit ornament, a recorded song, a handwritten note, coupon book to help with extra chores.) No one in our family is super creative, so the effort and time and attempt was very much appreciated .