Merry Christmas!

Life lately has been full of buying, sorting, planning, and organizing Christmas presents and festivities, which is no easy task when you're buying for 50 kids! However, we're coming along and enjoying ourselves along the way. Today we took most of our kids from the home to the street ministry in Nsawam that Pastor Sammy leads every Sunday afternoon. He had a great message today that I'd like to share with you-- hoping it will cause you to think about the true meaning of Christmas. I know it made me think. He made up a song (It's sung to the tune of "Angels We Have Heard on High".), which goes like this:

"Have you ever had a birthday,

Where all of the friends you know,
Just gave presents to each other,
But they brought not one for you?

This is what we do to Jesus,

Sent to save us from our sins.

As we celebrate this Christmas,

Don't forget to give to Him!"

So true...it's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas...buying gifts, making cookies, singing songs, having parties, etc. that we forget that we're actually celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. What could be more wonderful or more important than this? It's often said that the true meaning of the holiday is giving selflessly to others. While this is good and modeled after God's selfless act of giving us His Son, it's still not really the true meaning of Christmas. The pure purpose of Christmas is to celebrate our Savior, who came and lived a flawless, selfless life, suffered, died, and rose again because He loves US! That's the true meaning of Christmas and something worth celebrating! :)

So, as you finish up your Christmas shopping and holiday parties, baking, and celebrating, what will you give to Jesus for his 2009th birthday?!

Here's a few pictures from our time at the street ministry today. We had about 30 kids gathered at the train station praising God and listening to the Christmas message. At the end we gave them each a bag of goodies-- candies, a pencil, eraser, whistle, and cookies-- and a beanie baby. It brought tears to my eyes to see them so excited over this gift. There smiles were wide and there was lots of laughing and jumping...to God be the glory!

I wish you all a wonderful Christmas, filled with all the best things of the Christmas season (including fudge!)! May His love, joy, and peace be yours this Christmas and always!