What is the best gift to give this year?

It's coming down to the wire and even the procrastinators like myself are starting to get nervous about what to give to our loved ones. I was just talking with the 9 year old son of some friends of mine and he was going through the list of what he was getting for his whole family. It made him smile just to talk about it. It can be such a joy to give those we love gifts that they will enjoy. In the words of Bryan Haynes, "the best gift a parent can give their child is a deep, life altering faith in Jesus Christ."
All through history there have been leaders because, for whatever reason, people require a physical example. Early in the old testament the Israelites requested a king to lead them. More like they screamed and kicked like a little child at Christmas. They wanted a king, someone that could help them, give them rules and standards, and someone that would tell them what the minimal effort should be. I believe we have been created to be dependant; dependant on one being, God. We have been created with a dependant nature so that we will turn to Him to figure out how to make it in this life. He's given us different avenues of which to access that information; prayer, Holy Spirit, and His Word. But those avenues are difficult. Those avenues require faith, undestanding, discernement, and time. Some of which we have little of. But living as a Christian has never been promised to be simple, or even hinted at it. Christ said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Two actions in there make being a follower of Christ very difficult. "Deny himself" and "take up his cross daily." Denying ourselves is not what we are being taught. Quite the opposite actually. Denying ourselves would mean to put others before us and they are holding up the line and are going to make me late, or they handed me a latte when I ordered a mocha. Taking up our cross daily means that it is not going to be easy. It means there are going to be rough spots and you are going to want to give up. I recently watched a show about how one goes about getting into the elite forces of our millitary. Some of those soldiers felt like giving up before the day was over. Others, however, made it through till the end and were awarded the patch, or the pin, they had always dreamed of. Living for Christ as a lifestyle is not always as glamorous as being an Army Ranger, or a Marine Recon, but God tells us those who do will receive their reward.
Deuteronomy 6 says "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
That is the reason for this blog titled Dear Parents of Teens. I want parents to see and understand what matters most in this life. And that's passing on their faith to their children.