Our Favorite Gifts

As a child, I loved to gaze into the night sky. I was awestruck by the beauty of the stars, and the vastness of God's universe. The first time I saw the famous stained glass "Space Window" in Washington National Cathedral--dedicated by the crew of Apollo 11, and featuring an actual moon rock at the center--I remembered that sense of wonder. Now, a postcard of the window hangs by my desk, where I am still drawn into the deep blues, the radiant solar spheres, distant stars, and the trajectory of a manned space ship depicting the spiritual side of science. The inscription reads "Is not God in the height of heaven?" (Job 22:12) If you have a scientist or a stargazer on your gift list, consider this

13-inch stained glass reproduction

of the Space Window.

--Martha Ainsworth

Cost:

$70

Where to Buy It:

Washington National Cathedral Museum Store

If you're like me, while you're shopping for your sister and your gal pals during the holidays you end up shopping for yourself, too. She must have those fabulous earrings (and so must I!). She must have that great sweater (I'll take one in turquoise!). For this and (we hope) purer reasons, you'll love the J.Jill

'Compassion' T-Shirt

: It comes in hip colors, such as "aruba" and "sprout." It has one of those nice satin bands around the neckline. It even comes in petite and women's sizes. But the best thing is, when you buy your sister and best friend one of these shirts (and then you buy two for yourself!), you'll be donating $1 per shirt to the

J.Jill Compassion Fund

, which provides financial assistance to community organizations that help needy women and children.

--Deborah Caldwell

Cost:

$20

Where to Buy It:

J.Jill

When I was growing up, every Jewish home had a blue metal box where we put our pennies. Known as a pushke (Yiddish) or Tzedakah (Hebrew) box, it was a place to collect spare change to give to the poor. These days, the mass-produced tin cans have given way to aesthetically pleasing, hand-crafted versions, such as the beautifully hand-painted

Tzedakah boxes

from The Bariff Shop of the Spertus Museum in Chicago. "Tzedakah"--which comes from the same Hebrew root as

"tzedek"

, the word for righteousness--is more than discretionary "charity" in Jewish tradition. It's an obligation all Jews share to care for the least fortunate among us. These colorful, charming boxes make lovely gifts that foster the act of giving all year long.

--Alice Chasan

Cost:

$18

Where to Buy It:

The Bariff Shop

Who can resist chocolate that satisfies both your palette and your

metrospiritual

well-being? Belgian chocolate-makers NewTree have made a set of

6 chocolate (4 dark, 2 milk) bars

infused with natural fruits and herbs, each paired with an inspirational mood to "fuel your body" and "nourish your senses." Wrapped in sleek white packaging, the four dark flavors are Pleasure (pure dark), Renew (blackcurrant and grape), Vigor (coffee), and Forgiveness (lemon); the milk flavors are Tranquility (lavender) and Rejoice (orange). Having tasted Tranquility at a recent

chocolate show

, I can imagine how further indulgence could help me "relax and reduce stress." Be wary of the Forgiveness bar, which, however ironically, has an unfortunate bitter taste. Overall, a delicious gift for chocolate connoisseurs as well as friends and family interested in spiritual renewal with just the right dash of chocolate.

--Sherry Huang

Cost:

$3 - $5

Where to Buy It:

Amazon.com

The holiday season offers a plethora of family photo ops, colorful celebrations, and meaningful memories that are ideal fodder for documenting and preserving in scrapbooks. Fortunately, dozens of companies offer stamps, stickers, ribbons, and everything else the spiritual scrapbooker on your gift list could want. True Faith, a division of the popular Jolee's Boutique line of scrapbook supplies, offers several ornate Christmas stickers, including

this beautiful nativity scene

. Reminders of Faith, a Christian scrapbooking company, offers a set of "

Peace tags

" to decorate scrapbook pages with this important message of the season. And Biblical Impressions, which calls itself a rubber stamping ministry, offers a large variety of

rubber stamps featuring Christmas-appropriate Bible verses

. If your favorite scrapper isn't Christian, don't fear: Adherents of several other faiths have paved their own way in the country's scrapbooking craze.

Ruth's Jewish Stamps

offers a wide variety of unique Hanukkah-themed and other Judaic stamps. And

Silver Envelope

offers a beautiful selection of Islamic scrapbook supplies, including stickers, specialty papers, and this

masjid rubber stamp

.

--Rebecca Phillips

Cost:

$3 and up

Where to Buy Them:

scrapbook.com

,

Reminders of Faith

,

Biblical Impressions

,

Ruth's Jewish Stamps

,

Silver Envelope

Because of the meditative principles of sushi-making, some consider it a kind of spiritual practice. In fact, both the

Omega Institute

and

Kripalu

are offering courses in sushi-making these days to teach sushi lovers the calm concentration necessary to create carefully arranged raw fish and rice meals. Giving a sushi-making kit to a loved one who shares your affection for healthy Japanese cuisine is a great idea.

This kit

includes a small sushi cookbook, rice, nori, pickled ginger, paddle, and rolling mat, among other items that will guarantee a good start until you can get to an Asian market or health food store for refills.

--Amy Cunningham

Cost:

$40

Where to Buy It:

Peaceful Company

You will feel transported straight to heaven with

"La Bele Marie,"

one of the last CDs made by the Anonymous 4--Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer, Jaqueline Horner (who replaced Ruth Cunningham in 1998), and Johanna Maria Rose--who recorded medieval and Renaissance songs for 10 years before splitting up in 2004. The quartet combined crisp, lilting harmonies that have been described as "celestial" with a scholarly knowledge of the techniques of medieval music, sacred and secular. "La Bele Marie" is a collection of 13th-century hymns to the Virgin Mary ("bele" was how they spelled "belle" back then), mostly in Latin but a few in Old French. It's perfect Christmas music honoring Mary, the mother of Jesus, but it can be enjoyed all year round, especially in May, Mary's month.

--Charlotte Allen

Cost:

$14.99

Where to Buy It:

Amazon

Shield of Faith, Mayan Kippot, Clean Water, & More >>

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