I looked down and saw a small, chubby hand reaching out to me with a paper poinsettia. He had attached a sparkly green pipe cleaner on the back side to make the flower into a ring. “This is for you.”

It was my first time to volunteer at the school where my son was teaching, and I had never met the little boy before. “Are you sure that you want me to have it?” I asked. He grinned and nodded.

“Thank you so much! It’s beautiful,” I said as I placed the ring on my finger.

My heart was touched. I had no relationship with this little boy who had come to class ready to offer me his sweet gift. I had shown him no affection or done anything to deserve this act of love.

At the end of the day, I got to talk with this little boy and get to know him better as he waited for his dad to pick him up after school. He was precious.

My son’s school was over 1000 miles from home, but I was able to go back to volunteer for a week each semester until my son took a position at a different school. Each time I went, my little friend was waiting anxiously to see me again. He will always have a special place in my heart.

His gesture reminds me of God’s unconditional love for me as well. Even before I had a relationship with God, He was reaching out to me with a beautiful gift He had prepared. Before I was even born, He had this grand plan to send His Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for me.

I had shown God no affection or done anything to deserve this act of love. Yet, He was ready to offer me this amazing gift and initiate a relationship with me.

You see, God is my Creator. He created absolutely everything, including the human race. He is pure and holy, and He created us in His image.

God had a wonderful relationship with the first man and woman He created until the perfectly made couple disobeyed God’s command. At that point, their relationship was broken.

Since God is pure and holy, the man, the woman and all future generations were separated from God because of their sin. But, “God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

So, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Jesus became “God in the flesh” when He came down from heaven to be born of a virgin.

Jesus spent His life teaching about what it means to be a part of the Kingdom of God. He also performed many miracles that only God could do. However, His greatest purpose in coming to earth was to sacrifice His life to pay the price for our sin.

God has won my heart and blessed me with an intimate relationship with Him through Jesus. He loves you as well. If you do not have a relationship with Him but recognize the gift that He is offering to you, accept His overwhelming gift of love. He’s reaching out and waiting for you.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

It’s all about the love. It’s not about the wrapping paper or if the gift gets wrapped at all. It’s not about what’s inside the box. It’s about the love that prompts the giver to search for a meaningful gift that would make the recipient feel special and loved.

Love comes from our Father and enables us to love like Him. Let us love each other with the same love that was manifested when Jesus died on the cross for our sin. It is a love that isn’t dependent on whether or not the recipient is lovable or worthy. It is a selfless love that comes from our obedience to God’s commands. May we love with the love of Christ regardless of how we are being loved.

I am ever thankful for a God who loved me enough to die for me. I am thankful that when I gave my life to Him, He sent His Spirit to live in me. I am thankful that His Spirit enables me to love others with the same love in which He loves me. I am ever thankful to know and experience His love which is the greatest most perfect love there is. I am thankful that my life is forever changed because of Him.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.” ~1 John 4:7-12

Today we light the fourth Advent candle, the “Angel’s Candle” or “Candle of Love.” It reminds us of the angels announcing the birth of our Savior, Christ the Lord, and of God’s greatest gift of love.

Remember this week as you are finishing up your shopping, wrapping, baking and cleaning, that the most important thing that you can do is to love. It’s all about the love we have because of God’s love for us and about sharing that love with everyone.

Oh, to be truly thankful! I will never forget the sweet little face that showed me what it looks like to be truly thankful.

I spent the week before Christmas volunteering in my daughter-in-law’s 2^nd grade classroom. We ended our busy week with “pajama day,” hot chocolate, a movie and gifts.

The children were excited when it was finally “present time.” I watched as a few of the students presented small gifts to their classmates. As I glanced from child to child, one little boy stole my attention. Tommy (name changed) was so excited that his friends had brought something for him. His smile stretched from ear to ear as he was given a card, a pencil and candy.

Next, it was my turn to distribute the gifts that I had brought. I handed each child a small gift bag with a few inexpensive toys and a couple pieces of candy. Tommy was overjoyed when he peeked inside the bag. He raced across the room to give me a hug. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” he exclaimed. “Now I will have more toys at home!” He sat at his desk looking like he had won the lottery.

My daughter-in-law, Cassie, saved her presents for last. One of the gifts that she gave the children was a box of colored pencils. This was just too much for Tommy. Tears started welling up in his eyes. “These are really for me?!” he asked in amazement. His little lips began to quiver.

“What’s the matter, Tommy?” Cassie asked.

Tommy was so overwhelmed that he was unable to verbally communicate his feelings. He ran across the room and threw his arms around his beloved teacher. Tears began to stream down his little cheeks. He was smiling and crying at the same time.

“Are you crying tears of joy?” Cassie asked Tommy. He nodded his head and hugged her again.

At this point, other children began to notice that he was crying. Uncertain how to respond, they began to talk amongst each other, “Look, Tommy is crying!”

“He is crying tears of joy,” Cassie explained. “He’s happy.”

“They are Christmas tears,” I added. “Those are the best kind of tears.”

Cassie and I had a difficult time holding back our own tears. We were both humbled by this sweet and grateful little boy. At that moment, I knew what it looked like to be truly thankful.

I thought about his tears of joy… his “Christmas tears.” This is how we all should feel at Christmas. Oh, to be truly thankful like Tommy.

If like Tommy, we are surrounded by people who love us, we have reason to be thankful. We should be thankful for the small acts of thoughtfulness and the little things that we are given. Most of all, we should truly be thankful for Jesus.

Christmas is the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus, and we must remember the whole reason He was born. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His One and Only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

God is holy and He created man in His image. Their relationship with each other was wonderful. However, man sinned when he decided to do things his own way. The wages of sin is death, separation from God. So, God sent His Son, Jesus to save us.

Jesus was born of a virgin as was prophesied hundreds of years before His birth. He became God in the flesh. He was tempted in every way just like we are. Yet, He never sinned by giving into His temptations.

Because Jesus was able to live a perfect life, He was able to become a sacrifice for us. He took our punishment by dying on the cross in our place. He shed His blood to pay the wages for our sin and to satisfy God’s wrath.

Jesus who was sinless, took the blame for every single sin ever committed and every single sin that was yet to be committed. He died in my place! He died in your place! He died to save us! For that we should be truly thankful.

May we cry tears of sorrow because of what we have done and tears of joy because of what Jesus has done. Like Tommy, let us exclaim, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Let us find ourselves humbled and in awe that God would sacrifice His One and Only Son to save us from our sins. May our hearts be so moved that we cry tears of joy, “Christmas tears,” when we realize the gift of eternal life that we have received through Jesus. Oh, to be truly thankful.

Who is God to you? As you read through the Bible, you will find many different names for God. These names describe God’s character and nature as He revealed Himself personally to individuals. When He revealed himself, the people came to know Him in a real and personal way, and their relationship with Him grew deeper.

Just a few of the names for God that are recorded in the Bible as He revealed Himself to his people are Abba Father (Daddy), El Shaddai (God Almighty), Jehovah-Jireh (the Lord Will Provide), Jehovah-Nissi (the Lord is my Banner), my Hiding Place, my Refuge in times of trouble, the God Who Saves Me, the God Who Sees Me, a Forgiving God, Creator of heaven and earth, God my Maker, the Rock of our Salvation, our Redeemer, God of Peace, God of Truth, Most High, Holy One, Eternal God…. The list of His names and all that He is goes on and on! You have probably experienced Him in some of those ways and know Him personally by some of those names.

My favorite name for Him is “I AM WHO I AM.” He exists! He is, He always was and He always will be. There is no one like Him and no one who can compare to how Mighty, Perfect and Awesome He is. He is Holy, Faithful, Mighty, Sovereign, All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Righteous, Merciful, Ever-Present, Omnipresent, Unchanging…. He is Truth, Wisdom, Light and Love.…. He depends on nothing and no one, yet absolutely everything depends on Him. Whatever we need, we find in Him.

I have experienced God in many ways. He is my Hiding Place, my Comfort, my Wisdom, my Confidence, my Strength, my Guidance, my Light, my Hope, my Peace, my Deliverer, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Lord, my Life… HE IS MY EVERYTHING! He is always there when I need Him and the Only One I can always truly depend on. He is the One who loved me even when there was nothing to love about me and He is the One who sent His One and Only Son to die so that I can live. He is God. He is all I need. He is enough.

Who is God to you? Think today on all that God is and reflect on how He has been personal with you. Let all that He is draw you into worshiping the Great I AM and living a life that brings glory to Him. I pray that each of us continues to know Him more intimately not only through this Advent season but forever.

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14).

What are the treasures on your Christmas List? I remember writing my Christmas list as a child and continuing to add to that list. I could hardly wait until Christmas morning to see what was inside all of the beautifully wrapped boxes!

As an adult, I have invested hours of my time searching for just the right gifts for family and friends. I’m always anxious to watch the recipient open their gift. I feel great when I chose a gift that the recipient loves.

However, even the very best gifts that I wrap up and put under the tree won’t last forever. Some of those gifts will break or wear out over time. New clothes may not fit after all of the great holiday food, and if they do, they probably won’t be in style for too long. “Must have” toys, video games and movies will become boring after a while. Newer versions of electronic devices will be on the market before the user can totally master the ones they receive at Christmas.

How many gifts of Christmas past are simply gathering dust or taking up space in a cluttered closet? Maybe some of our “must-have” items aren’t really as important as we think. After all, we can’t take any of our belongings with us when our earthly bodies die, and our belongings can’t buy our way into heaven. In the end, Jesus is all that matters.

Giving gifts can be a reflection of God’s love and all that he blesses us with. He has given us so much, and it is only natural for us to want to give to others as well. The problem is when our gifts or possessions become more important to us than Jesus.

In Luke 18:18-29, a man asked Jesus how he could inherit eternal life; he had kept God’s commands. Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” The man became sad; wealth was the one thing that kept him from following Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t ask all of us to sell our belongings, but He does want to be our greatest treasure. He doesn’t want anything to get in our way of following Him. He wants our hearts to be set on eternal life with Him in heaven and on sharing that message with others. How many precious souls will gain eternal life because you told them the Good News of the Gospel?

Jesus says in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

As you finish making the final purchases on your Christmas list, remember the greatest treasure is Jesus. He is the reason we celebrate. Share the Good News!

I started crying tears of joy when I opened Messenger on Thanksgiving Day, 2016. “Hello Paula. I’m Karina the girl of Panama. You remind me. God bless you.” The translation from Spanish to English was a little off, but I immediately recognized the beautiful name.

Along with the message were pictures of a rag doll and a letter in my handwriting. She had kept them all these years.

God brought the two of us together in January of 2004 when I was given the opportunity to deliver shoe box gifts to Panama with Operation Christmas Child. The purpose of the trip of course was to share the Gospel while showing the recipients God’s love in a tangible way. I was being sent to give, but I found myself to be a recipient.

Our family had packed several shoe box gifts that year. However, one of the boxes I packed was more special to me than all of the others I had packed. I had poured a lot of love into that box and really wanted to know where it would go. In fact, the desire to see who received my box was so strong that I bought special wrapping paper. That way, I could recognize it if by some miracle it showed up in the next year’s promotional video. It was a long shot, but it was worth a try.

I had never contemplated getting to deliver the box. In fact, there was no way to sign up for a trip. Even if there was, I wouldn’t have done it. First of all, I was afraid of flying. I always said that I wouldn’t get on an airplane unless God asked me to. I also had some health issues. Another big reason I wouldn’t have signed up is that I was a stay-at-home mom with four young children. I had never traveled alone for more than a couple of hours away. Furthermore, we didn’t have money for the trip, and I never would have used the money just for me if we had it.

I was totally caught off guard when our regional representative for Operation Christmas Child called me to invite me. She told me that she was allowed to choose just one person in her five-state area to go with her to Panama for a distribution. She wanted me to go. I couldn’t believe I was being offered this rare opportunity.

I thought of the many reasons why I couldn’t go, but I also thought about that special box I had packed. If I went on this distribution trip, I could deliver that shoe box myself!

I talked things over with my husband. I prayed a lot. It was a big leap of faith for me during that season of life, but I decided to go.

We had several scheduled distribution points once we arrived in Panama. I prayed that God would show me exactly who to give that shoe box to. It was very clear when a young girl came to a distribution late, and there were no boxes left at that site for a girl her age.

I still remember getting to open the box with her and seeing her eyes as she lifted the lid on the musical jewelry box and saw the dancing ballerina. I told her that I chose the little rag doll because it was similar to my favorite childhood rag doll that also had orange hair. I got to share with her in person how much Jesus means to me.

It was a brief encounter, and I was sad because I didn’t think I would ever hear from her again. There was no postal system there, and technology wasn’t near what it is today.

It is amazing that she found me again because the address and e-mail address that I wrote on her card have changed. Thankfully, she found me on Facebook.

I cried tears of joy that she found me and that she still had the rag doll and letter. She too cried tears of joy when I sent her a picture of our photo that I keep on the shelf in my “little sanctuary” on my porch.

She thanked me when she sent me her message, but I too am thankful for her. She is the reason that I experienced this life-changing trip. God used that extra special shoe box to draw me out of my comfort zone and teach me to trust Him more.

My relationship with God deepened on that trip as God took care of every single fear and obstacle I faced. He took care of the money, my health, my family, the drive on a 100% ice covered interstate to the airport, my navigating through two airports alone, the plane ride, my accommodations…many tiny little details as well as the big ones.

It was a time in which God taught me that I can fully rely on Him. He opened my eyes to many different things that gave me a desire to share His love and message with others even more.

This Christmas, I hope you find yourself more blessed to give than to receive and that you remember that the greatest gift that you can share is to tell others how much Jesus means to you.

“…remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” ~Acts 20:35

“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” ~Luke 2:17-18

The third Advent candle is the “Shepherd Candle” or the“Candle of Joy.” The pink color represents joy or rejoicing and reveals a shift from repentance toward celebration.

This candle reminds us that God sent the angels to announce the birth of Jesus first to the lowly shepherds. Just as God chose to spread the Good News about Jesus through these ordinary men, He still spreads the Good News through ordinary people today.

I once saw two men standing by a tall wooden cross on a beach. One of the men was a retired Marine. The other was retired from the Army. They were asking people to pray for our country and our troops and also handing out papers declaring that Jesus is America’s only hope.

The men were striking up conversations with passersby and asking if they were Christians. If the answer was, “yes,” the gentlemen asked a second question. “What would your answer be if you were to stand before God today, and He asked why He should let you into heaven?” they inquired.

One of the men told me that they were saddened by the number of people who called themselves Christians but thought they would get to heaven just because they go to church or because they are good people. They wanted to make sure people know that our hope of eternal life comes only through our faith in Jesus. The men explained that they believe the end times are near and that we need to share the Gospel with as many people as we can.

God wants all of us to share the Good News about Jesus with others. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar, the pastor of a church or a Sunday school teacher. You just have to find your way of sharing God’s message of love, salvation and hope with those who need to hear.

The Advent and Christmas season is an easy time to share this message as we talk about the reason we celebrate. How will you spread the word this week?

Pray that you recognize the opportunities that God gives you, an ordinary person, to spread the word. I pray that you experience the joy that comes from sharing this message that is able to impact lives for eternity.

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” ~Isaiah 52:7

I’d been working hard to prepare for a trip to visit my son and daughter-in-law in Florida. I needed to get things done in the office and make sure things were covered the next week. I had a class final to complete, and I struggled with brain fog. I also had a long to-do list at home, “laundry, cleaning, bill paying, grocery shopping, Christmas shopping, wrapping gifts, packing….” I did my best, but several things had to be left for my family to complete for me.

Then there were the mental preparations that needed taken care of. I don’t like to fly. At all. It just feels wrong to be up that high. I also had a lot of “what ifs” about the trip that I had to let go of.

After much physical and mental preparation, there I sat. I took a deep breath and looked at the airplane wing out my window. No turning back now. Nothing to do but sit and trust. I had to trust that I packed everything I need, trust that the things I didn’t get finished before leaving would get taken care of if they were truly necessary, trust that I’d arrive safely to my destination and trust that God would take care of all the other “what ifs.”

I thought about how much work it took to get to this point and also how jealous I was of the people who boarded the plane carrying nothing. I had crammed as much as I could into my checked bag and the bag I chose for my personal item.

As we prepared for take-off, I thought about how much easier it is to prepare for our eternal destination in heaven. Sometimes we make it difficult by all the “don’ts” and by all of the “do’s” that we put on ourselves when it’s really so simple.

Jesus took care of all of the preparations for us when He died for our sins. All we have to do is believe and put our trust in Jesus. Believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that He died and rose again. Trust in Him as Lord by turning away from our sin and following Him. In doing so, we will be saved for eternity.

The Advent season is a time when we are reminded of God’s people awaiting the birth of the Messiah and our own anticipation of Christ’s return. As we prepare to celebrate our Savior’s birth at Christmas, make sure we are prepared for His return. Share the Good News with others so that they too can be prepared.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” ~Ephesians 2:8-9

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”~Romans 10:9-10

“Everyone who calls onthe name of the Lord will be saved.” ~Romans 10:13

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” ~Matthew 11:28-30