Give Thanks 2013

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of Jesus with your loved ones. Christmas truly is a special time isn’t it? Growing up in Taiwan I don’t recall much Christmas traditions or events, so I never was a person who celebrated Christmas much. But as I matured in my faith and as I became a father, I have come to appreciate Christmas a whole lot more. No matter how you teach your kids about the existence of Santa Claus, there really is something magical when you watch your kids open each presents and see their facial expressions. Afterwards you probably take the time to explain to them, “well, kids, Christmas is not just about presents…but about Jesus…”

I don’t know if you have ever struggled connecting Jesus with presents during Christmas. I think we struggled because we don’t want kids to think just all about themselves during Christmas. We want them to think about what Jesus did for them, and to think about others and share their blessings with them. As adults we remind ourselves the same and that’s why we are having a testimony Sunday today. We are going to be hearing from each other how God has blessed us this year. But today, I don’t want you to just be a passive listener. I want you to start to recall the many blessings you experienced this year as you listen, so that at the end of the service you too will have a chance to express your thanksgiving to God as we close the year 2013.

Moving Forward

As we recall the expected and the unexpected happenings in 2013, take the time to reflect on God’s faithfulness and give thanks to Him for both the expected and the unexpected.