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3 Questions

December 29th, 2010 - Uncategorized - 59 Comments »

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1. What is the best Christmas gift you received this year?

2. What is the worst gift you’ve ever received (Christmas, wedding, birthday, etc)?

3. What book(s) are you currently reading?

I’ll go first in the comments.

  • http://www.jcwert.com JasonWert

    1. A ticket to see Rush in Nashville this April.

    2. A pair of sweatpants when I was 15. It was a gift exchange our family had on Christmas eve. My aunt bought them for four dollars on a bargain rack (the tag was still attached.) Everyone else had great gifts and I had the crappy sweatpants. She even tried to defend her present saying that everyone can use sweatpants. My dad popped off at her "the kid doesn't even own a pair of sweatpants and has never worn them. Why the hell would he want them for Christmas?" I volunteered to work on Christmas Day every year after that partially to avoid being around that aunt and her family.

    3. Re-reading "The Me I Want To Be" by John Ortberg

  • http://Tylerstanton.com Tyler

    1. Cash (aka, the ability to get whatever I want, whenever I want it)
    2. Ceramic bowl of apples
    3. The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss and Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

  • http://www.dadlife.net kevindeshazo

    1. Tickets to an Oklahoma City Thunder game (honorable mention: Chick Fil A and Chipotle gift cards)
    2. A remote control Dodge Ram. I was 16, obsessed with Dodge Ram's, and convinced I was getting one for Christmas. My mom had this elaborate plan where I opened an envelope, talking about how my "big gift" was waiting outside. I opened the door and tripped over the remote control car. Then I drop-kicked it across the street and thanked my mom for ruining Christmas
    3. Slave by John MacArthur

    • http://www.davepettengill.net DavePettengill

      That is a serious mom "burn" on you on Christmas day! She had to expect that coming after she said your "big gift" was outside.

    • …adam

      My parents did the same thing for my 16th birthday. Gave me a box with keyes in it, then when I ran out to the driveway there was a matchbox car with a bow on it. Hilarious now. Ruined birthdays until I was 25.

  • http://Alifeaboutme.com Andrea

    1. Mini theater popcorn maker. It makes good popcorn.

    2. Mini theater popcorn maker. It’s huge and I don’t eat that much popcorn.

    (last year this person gave us over $200 dollars worth of camping equipment, and the year before that a 42″ LCD tv. Next year we are expecting socks…)

    3. Just finished Jon Acuffs book 37 Things Dave Ramsey taught me about debt. Pretty funny.

  • James

    1. A Kindle. Still discovering all the cool things it does and about to make Everyday Absurdities my first purchase for it (have a couple free books already, but nothing actually costing money).

    2. My first year of marriage, almost everyone from her side of the family got me a flashlight. We ended up with about 6 of them after everything was done. I guess that technically isn't a gift, but a set of gifts.

    3. Just finished Gazelles, Baby Steps, and 37 other things Dave Ramsey taught me about debt by Jon Acuff. Next book will be Everyday Absurdities and probably will start reading 100 things Every Cardinals fan should know about the St Louis Cardinals.

    • Tyler Stanton

      awesome! thanks in advance.here's a question: do you know where each of your flashlights are right now? i swear we have 37, but i have no clue where any of them are………………..tyler stanton

      • James

        I know where 2 of them. One in my car and one in on my night stand. Other than that, they have just disappeared. Though in their defense (like they have chosen to leave us), we have moved twice since getting them and as we all know, moving means that you lose the knowledge of where half your stuff is.

  • http://www.jessiwhitt.wordpress.com Jessi

    1. An xbox 360 w/ kinect. Now I can zumba in the comfort of my own home.
    2. For a wedding gift, I received this really cheesy embroidered pillow that had a plastic slot to put a photo. What do you do with something like that? You can't lie on it for fear that the plastic will jab into your face.
    3. Inside Steve's Brain by Leander Kahney

    • Tyler Stanton

      i think i got that same pillow.is inside steve's brain good?……………….tyler stanton

  • http://considerthedandelion.blogspot.com/ Mandie

    1. A wallet that doesn't fall apart when I go to use it.

    2. A black purse shaped like a torso/corset thing. It had boobs. Oh wait, this year my Grandma gave me smelly old lady hand cream and a tiny package of no-name kleenex. That was pretty special, too.

    3. Room by Emma Donoghue – it's disturbingly beautiful

  • Kyle

    1. Tie between power tools and a TV.
    2. A red and purple driver. I used it all the time… But it was a driver, that was red and purple. I could never golf with friends without being ridiculed.
    3. The Four Hour Body. I saw that preview on the blog and fell for it. But, so far, it’s 2lgt2quit.

  • http://hottublizzy.blogspot.com/ Lizzy

    1. Diamond Earrings from my boyfriend. I've never had anything that "special" before and wearing them makes me feel like a princess.

    2. My step mom (whom I love to DEATH) made me a quilted vest when I was a sophomore in college. It was about 6 sizes too small and… quilted. I know it was made with love but… oh boy….

    3. Reading… nothing at the moment…. thinking about downloading Mary Beth Chapman's book ….

  • http://www.davepettengill.net DavePettengill

    1. I love the NY Giants so probably the vintage Giants T-shirt with Simms 11 on the back.
    2. I have had many brutal Christmas gifts but one that comes to mind is I remember getting a doily as a present….yeah one of those crotched patterns…now granted I was married at the time so it was a joint gift to us but yeah I am a dude and got a doily.
    3. Radical by David Platt

  • Casey

    1. A new duvet cover & sheets for my bed
    2. An expensive poker set from my boyfriend at the time. I had only played poker once.
    3. Bring Me My Machine Gun by Alec Russell (book on modern S. Africa) I'm also working on Plan B by Pete Wilson & The End of Poverty by Jeffery Sachs AND When Helping Hurts

  • http://auntmeggie.blogspot.com Megan

    1. went on a trip to puerto vallarta with my family. I did not hate it.
    2. once I got a t-shirt with a moose embroidered on it from my cousin who I have never met. I think that was the last year of the cousin name exchange
    3. reading: a tree grows in brooklyn and also life of the beloved by nouwen

    • Tyler Stanton

      do you still have that shirt? i think it would make a great giveaway prize here on the blog………………..tyler stanton

  • http://www.thedailywalk.net adam

    1. My wife took me to see the Transiberian Orchestra.

    2. No comment!

    3. Radical by David Platt and Jon Acuff's new one.

  • Tyler Stanton

    For some reason my comment didn't show up. Here they are:

    1. Cash (aka, the ability to get whatever I want, whenever I want it)
    2. Ceramic bowl of apples
    3. The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss and Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

  • http://www.wesdraws.com THEWesMolebash

    1. I got a copy of "The Voice" New Testament, and it's a pretty neat paraphrase translation. Started a NT reading plan on YouVersion to motivate myself to read through it.

    2. Socks. Seriously – who gets excited about socks?

    3. Getting ready to read Pete Wilson's "Plan B" for our small group.

    • http://www.jcwert.com JasonWert

      Plan B ROCKS. No way you can go through that book and not be changed by it.

      • http://www.wesdraws.com THEWesMolebash

        I read the first 20 or so pages last night. I'm hooked. :)

  • Rodney

    1. Electric Guitar when I wasn't expecting it.
    2. I wanted a parrot so bad when I was a kid. Early in December I found a bird cage in the barn. I was so excited for Christmas. Mom and Dad got me a stuffed animal parrot. Nice mom and dad, nice.
    3. Grace of God – Andy Stanley

  • http://movethemountains.blogspot.com ChadJ

    1. A Barnes & Noble gift card

    2. My grandma, God rest her soul, used to stand in line for hours in the Pennsylvania cold to get government cheese (think Velveeta here), which she would then package and send to me in Arizona (God knows why–I wasn’t starving).

    3. Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson (book 13 of the Wheel of Time series).

  • Adam

    1. A Nikon d3100 DSLR…sweet gift from my wife.
    2. Some cologne for my college graduation that gave me a rash; never using that brand again.
    3. The Magicians by Lev Grossman, Thriving in Change by Pastor Charles Jenkins, and Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons.

  • Lacey C.

    1. I’m not ashamed to say I like getting money the best :) We got enough as a family to pool together and get a TV to replace our broken one.

    2. A used butter dish. Slightly tarnished, slightly dirty, no lie. It was from an very old person, though, so maybe it looked good to her.

    3. The Gazelle book by Acuff.

  • http://breakingthrough.tumblr.com Jeremy Keegan

    1. Inkleaf Leather hand-made journal cover for my moleskine
    2. Bakugan Battle Balls, when I was 29.
    3. Reading "War on Words" by Paul David Tripp; Listening to "The Autobiography of Teddy Roosevelt"

  • Walt

    1. A big check.
    2. my wife got me an ear and nose hair trimmer for my birthday this year. She thought it was a great practical gift, even checked reviews on amazon and for special features.
    3. A Christian Manifesto by Francis Schaeffer.

  • http://www.rickyanderson.me/ Ricky Anderson

    1. Gift cards. I'm a sucker for those. Doesn't really matter where. If I get one to a place I don't like, then I've a got something for your birthday ahead of time.

    2. My grandmother got me one of those free calendars from the bank. It was good for one week, since it was that year's calendar.

    3. The Silver Hand by Stephen Lawhead.

  • http://www.katiehardeman.blogspot.com Katie

    1. A surprise Kindle. I got more presents than my siblings and as I opened it my mom said, "You get an extra present because you don't have a spouse." I was offended and then stoked. This thing is awesome.

    2. Cat paraphernalia. Pajamas, stationary, this year a calendar. My aunt thinks I'm obsessed with cats and I still don't know how to tell her that although I have a cat, I have not yet turned into the crazy single cat lady and I throw all her presents in the same place I put the tickets I got last year from a parent of a student to the Golden Globes FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. Expired tickets. I still don't know if it was an accident, a joke, or a bizarre "souvenir" I was supposed to frame.

    3. Bittersweet by Shauna Niequiest- highly recommend for any girls in their 20's or 30's.

    ps- the males in my family aren't what you'd call "readers" but I got all 4 of them copies of your book and it made for some great laughter on Christmas morning. They opened them all at once and all flipped to different parts of the book and started laughing for 4 different reasons. So thanks for bringing laughter and conversations about awkward moments into our living room on Christmas.

    • Tyler Stanton

      thanks katie! that's awesome. i hope they like them.

  • http://www.overdivulgent.blogspot.com Lauren

    1. A trip to Disney World/Universal with my family (youngest member being 26). Oh, and the freedom to completely geek out at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It was wonderful. I got a wand from Ollivander's and Gryffindor scarf, obvs.

    2. The Infamous Parade of Auburn Ornaments. 'Nuff said.

    3. Finally getting to The Help by Kathryn Stockett and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

    • Tyler Stanton

      so jealous of the wizarding world of harry potter trip.

    • kathryn

      Yeah I woul hav loved to have gone to the wizarding world of Harry Potter, too.

  • http://www.takingbacktiffany.com dtdorrin

    1. Beauty and the Beast on DVD to replace the copy that was stolen years ago when someone broke into our house. It's a small gift, but it's my favorite Disney movie, so I was excited.
    2. A pair of used shoes from my grandparents.
    3. Life of Pi by Yann Martel

  • http://Www.jaredaclifton.com Jared A Clifton

    1. Keyboard (music .not computer)
    2. My brother and I getting matching sweaters from our grandma. I was 21 and he was 29 at the time
    3 crazy love, messy spirituality. How to lose a guy in 10 d- nevermind

  • http://Www.jaredaclifton.com Jared A Clifton

    1. Keyboard (music .not computer)
    2. My brother and I getting matching sweaters from our grandma. I was 21 and he was 29 at the time
    3 crazy love, messy spirituality. How to lose a guy in 10 d- nevermind

  • Rick

    1. Best gift this year: a nice bonus which allowed me room to get gifts for others. Oh, and a getaway to a cabin in the mountains will be cool when I redeem it.

    2. I detailed 4 crappy gifts in this post: http://rickknowles.net/2010/12/10/crappy-gifts/ The worst one, unfortunately, is the one I gave rather than received (check out bullet point 4 in the post for my experience with dvddonkey.com)

    3. Current: Crazy Love – Francis Chan, The Me I Want To Be – John Ortberg. Want: The two '4 hour' books by Tim Ferriss, and two that make me sound crazy by Lt. Dave Grossman – 'On Combat, The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace' and 'On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society'

  • fireboy48

    1) Toss-up between new bedroom shoes and the latest Eric Clapton CD. The bedroom shoes are all warm and comfy, but Clapton is…well, Clapton.
    2) A sweater vest. It was well past the time when sweater vests were the thing and I never wore them anyway. Got from my (now ex) mother-in-law who put so much thought into gifts for me. That last part was sarcastic if you didn't get it.
    3) The Steel Wave by Jeff Shaara. About the Normandy Campaign in 1944. You know, D-Day and all that?

  • Vicki

    1) No family conflict, and no one died this year. (Had two uncles die; 1 right before Christmas one year and another the day after Christmas the next.)
    2) A ceramic plant holder that had two ceramic parakeets on the edge. Inside was a bamboo plant that died because the plant holder couldn't hold water. It made a great White Elephant gift though.
    3) Just finished Picking Dandelions by Sarah Cunningham and beginning unChristian by Kinnaman and Lyons.

  • http://iamlazarus2010.blogspot.com Lazarus

    1. one of those things that allows me to listen to my ipod in the car.

    2. An orange bath towel. I was 12.

    3. Sun Stand Still- Furtick

  • Andrea

    1) iPod alarm clock
    2) a frilly, Little House on the Prairie-inspired nightie from my grandmother. I returned it and got $5 back… thanks Grandma!
    3) I'm doing my masters and it's vacation time. That means getting as far away from books as possible.

  • http://www.twitter.com/tdgrant107 Tiffany

    1. New camera and diamond earrings!
    2. Socks. Solid color, nothing special socks. Not a 'necessity from your parents kind of gift' but a gift from someone else who was basically saying "I don't know what to get you and I don't really care enough to buy a gift card". Oh and on my 27th birthday I got a card that read "Happy 29th" I'm still not sure if it was a joke or if someone just screwed up.
    3. I'm finishing up "Gazelles" by Jon Acuff and "Plan B" by Pete Wilson.

    • Tiffany

      Please excuse my multiple postings! It didn't look like it went through. But i guess it did…. All three times! Or maybe I am just really excited about my camera and earrings. :)

  • Lauren Dean

    1. A little Canon point and shoot camera
    2. As a teacher, I’ve gotten some of the worst / funniest gifts ever …I think maybe the worst was a wooden rearing horse pen holder. My coworkers actually brought other teachers in to see it –that’s how bad it was.
    3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (for the second time).

  • Kim S.

    1. Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick

    2. a few years ago someone from our church gave my family American Idol's Christmas Album with a bonus of Kelly Clarkson's Christmas cd….we hardly do anything with it

    3. Asking me what books I'm reading is like asking me when was last time you took a breath, I read like all the time. Not literally.

    I'm about to finish up- A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren
    Starting on Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick
    Also starting Stuck! by Terry B. Walling
    And just got Live like a Jesus Freak by dcTalk

    By the way, I went to Barnes and Noble today and tried to look for your book, couldn't find it. :(

    • Tyler Stanton

      Sadly, I'm not big time enough to be in the noble. Or borders. Dollar store maybe? Amazon definitely.__________tyler stantonSent from my new Palm Pilot.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kurtboemler Kurt

    1. A donation in my name to both the The Kingdom House in St. Louis, MO and toward the United Methodist Committee on Relief for digging wells in Mozambique. Two years ago my wife and I started giving donations as gifts to family members and nearly all of them have started donating in our names.

    2. My dad is a horrible gift-giver. This year he got me a finger puppet, a butane lighter in the shape of a miniature flint-lock rifle, and scratcher lottery tickets (I agree with the United Methodist stance on gambling, that it is "a menace to society"). He hasn't yet caught on to the donation thing.

    3. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz on my Google Books app and "Three Treatises on the Divine Images" by St. John of Damascus.

  • http://joshlafayette.com/blogs Josh LaFayette

    1. Cash (definitely the best).

    2. One white chocolate Hershey's Nugget and a Bear Bryant pin from my grandfather. I was 13.

    3. The Rebel by Albert Camus

    • Tyler Stanton

      Wow. You can't make that up. A single nugget?! And if he'd only known how die hard war eagle you'd grow up to be.__________tyler stantonSent from my new Palm Pilot.

      • http://joshlafayette.com/blogs Josh LaFayette

        That's me, dude: "War Eagle of the Century"

  • realrkennedy

    1. iPod touch, cash, visa gift card

    2. Anything that people get me, just to get me something.

    3. I'm just here for the food- Alton Brown

  • Kathryn

    1. iphone4 from my sister sooo love the phone.

    2. althought my aunt means well some perfume I will never where.

    3. Reading through Hurt Healer by Tony Nolan, Plan B by Paul Wilson, and The Art of Spiritual Listenig by Aklice Fryling

  • wbd1023

    1) I got a Kindle this year which is awesome.

    2) When we got married we got a book called "The Act of Marriage"…from my mother-in-law. To quote my 5 year old daughter: "That's awkward."

    3) Just started Jesus: Mean and Wild by Mark Galli.

  • http://www.twitter.com/RotaryKat Kathie

    1) My very first ever gravy boat! It's Fiesta Ware! (I'm well into my gravy-boat-owning years)

    2) About 80% of the bunnies I've ever received. Yes, I collect bunnies, but that doesn't mean I want every piece of junk with long ears and a cotton tail.

    3) Just today finished Dragonfly in Amber by D. Gabaldon. Have read more books since getting my Kindle 3 months ago than I had in the previous 2 years.

  • Whit

    MacBook Pro! Finally. From my stepmom (best stepmom ever)

    "Castaway" …terribly boring movie. I was actually offended by a gift.

    Blue Like Jazz for the 17th time.

  • Emily

    1. New luggage–LOVE traveling.
    2. Jewelry. The church I attend is against the wearing of gold/etc. for ornament, but every year my family on my mother's side gets me some type of jewelry. It never fails.
    3. *blushes* I'm reading When the Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall.

  • yousaidso

    1) a pair of Toms. I gave them to myself. Also, a bunch of records.
    2) my great grandma once gave me a necklace that said #1. She had 15 great grandchildren. Apparently i was the favorite. And then the others hated me.
    3) Cross Centered Life- CJ Mahaney, Pride and Predjudice (for the 900th time)