Christian Family inspired Articles
Joyce Meyer got it right when she advised, "Instead of piling on complaints, thank [others] for what they do. Overwhelm them with encouragement and appreciation!"
Joyce Meyer got it right when she advised, "Instead of piling on complaints, thank [others] for what they do. Overwhelm them with encouragement and appreciation!" Not only does appreciation instill value in others, but it also serves to energize and motivate. Expressing appreciation is a vital skill to be exercised at home and in the workplace. The Apostle Paul even offers a word in the subject: "You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well" (1 Corinthians 16:18, NLT).
Employers seeking to invest into their employees while building a culture of appreciation, loyalty, and teamwork can experience those benefits through the giving of engraved gifts. Such gifts let an employee know that he or she is valued within the business, while simultaneously helping to build the brand and identity of the business itself. When looking for gifts to express appreciation or to mark milestones within your company, consider the following gifts:
1. Awards and Plaques. Recognize valued employees with the presentation of an award or plaque commemorating their achievements. Such gifts--available in a variety of shapes and sizes--can be used to celebrate the accomplishment of specific goals or the longevity of terms of service. They can even be used as prizes for the winner of the annual office golf tournament or other team-building activities.
2. Desk clocks. Popular as retirement gifts, an engraved desk clock provides a decorative way to express appreciation while adding to the decor of the recipient's home. Rather than being stuffed in a drawer or packed away in a box, such a gift is sure to be placed on display and enjoyed for years to come.
3. Travel mugs. As the name suggests, travel mugs are meant to be used on-the-go. As they can be obtained relatively inexpensively, travel mugs engraved with your company information, logo, or slogan is a practical gift for any employee. For the employee, a travel mug can be a practical gift that reinforces his or her value to the company. Travel mugs also make popular gifts for valued customers or clients.
4. Toys and gadgets. From yo-yos and digital frames to USB key chains and computer mice, engraved toys and gadgets are unique gifts that provide both enjoyment and practicality. Engraved iPhone covers and styluses offer a unique option for the particularly tech-savvy recipient.
5. Name bars. A perfect gift to present to an employee receiving a promotion, a name bar can be proudly displayed on his or her desk can help mark the occasion. Engraved name bars are practical gifts by themselves, but may also be combined with a business card holder, a desk clock, a letter opener, or a pen set. Name bars are also available in traditional or more contemporary designs.
6. Decorative paperweights. Silver, crystal, and gold paperweights of all shapes and sizes can be engraved with your message and given as an expression of appreciation to employees and/or clients. Such gifts are likely to find a home on a bookshelf of a desk where it can serve as a reminder of your appreciation while reinforcing the identify of your company.
7. Pens. The traditional gift of a high quality pen engraved with your company name can help build the professional reputation of your business. To expand beyond a single pen, consider a pen and pencil set, a pen stand, or a pen combined with a stylus. You may even find a novelty pen set that adds a little character to the gift.
These gifts and more can be obtained from engravers. Check out the items available to see what best fits the identity of your company and conveys the message you want to deliver through your gift.
Spiritual Prayer
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.
They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”