“There are friends who bring ruin, but there are true friends more loyal than a brother.” - Proverbs 18:24
One of the very best gifts that God has given to us is friendship. The Bible reminds of the importance of friends over and over again: that our friends rub off on us (Proverbs 27:17), there is no greater love than to lay down your life for a friend (John 15:13), that Jesus himself loved his friends (John 15:15).
Do you have a friend or a few friends that feel like family? There’s probably one or two people in your life who you could turn to for anything: a hug, a stern warning about a stupid decision, a lookout sitting at another table when you’re on a blind date, an emergency contact for your HR paperwork. The friend who’s by your side through it all! What do they deserve this Christmas (apart from about a million favors you can never repay)?
1. A Board Game to Play Together ($35)
Spend some quality time with one of your favorite people and play a game together. Grab some delicious snacks and drinks and settle in for an hour or two of competitive playing (remember, though, that it’s just a game!).
2. A Botanical Rosary Print to Brighten Their Home ($27)
How beautiful are these prints? There are legendary connections between different plants and flowers and Mary and Jesus, and this artist has combined them into works of art. Beautify your friend’s dorm room, apartment, or house with one of these prints that help remind them to say their daily prayers (or even to just reflect on a mystery of the rosary).
3. Somewhere to Store Their Treasures ($14-40)
Give a home to all those small sentimental things that clutter their nightstand with a graphite catch-all, a pretty jewelry box to keep her favorite earrings safe, or a sturdy tray for him to drop his phone and wallet into at night.
4. Anything Handmade (Priceless)
If you’re crafty, consider making something for your friend. This could be as simple as a batch of chocolate chip cookies (look no further than recipe on the back of the Nestle chocolate chip bag), to a knotted rosary (you could use a kit or even follow these simple instructions), to a sweater or scarf if you know how to knit!
The time and love you spent making something for your friend is just as much of a gift as the thing itself.
5. A Catholic Subscription ($47)
It’s the gift that keeps on giving (thankfully, not the jelly of the month club, though). Consider buying a few months or year-long subscription to a Catholic subscription service and help your friend go deeper in his or her own prayer life. Does she like to read along at Mass? Magnificat is your answer. Does he like to listen to talks in his car? Check out Lighthouse Catholic Media. Are they on CatholicMatch too? Gift them a subscription!
6. Something They’ll Never Have to Buy Again (Prices vary!)
Is your friend someone who is very hard to buy for? Or maybe as soon as he wants something he simply buys it himself? Perhaps gift them with the ultimate upgrade of their favorite item, so they’ll never have to buy it again.
Think long-term, good quality. Instead of plastic water bottles, buy them a Hydro Flask. Are they a student and use a backpack? JanSport has a lifetime warranty on their products. If they love to cook, buy them a cast-iron pan which truly last forever. Does he like to tinker or work with his hands? Craftsman has a full lifetime warranty on all their hand tools.
7. A Letter Telling Them You Love Them
It’s Jesus’s most important teaching: love one another. This Christmas, with whatever gift you decide to give them, include even a short note and make sure to say, “I love you.” No one hears those simple, powerful words too many times and hearing them again will warm the heart more than anything else this Christmas.
Find Your Forever.
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