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As we listen and sing Christmas carols, many point to the coming of the Messiah. And it is not just the announcement of his arrival, but of the reason that he came.

I have had great times through the years, as I would take a group of kids “oohing and ahing”. What is that you may ask? It is where you load up the van with a bunch of children, a hot chocolate filled thermos and a tin full of Christmas cookies. You ride around through neighborhoods and you “ooh and ah” as you look at all the wonderful Christmas decorations. A very exciting and fun activity!

The laughter, the caroling and the absolute joy is unbelievable. At times we would stop at strangers’ homes and awkwardly break out into Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. As we moved into Silent Night a peaceful hush embraced the moment. Many a tear would fall as the strangers could feel the love that we were sharing. And the Spirit of God would overwhelmingly minister to us. The joy of Christmas was with us and deep within our hearts. Everywhere we went God was with us and we were honored to celebrate Him in such a small way.

The Word says, … “There shall come the root of Jesse, And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, In Him shall the Gentiles hope.” Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:12-13)

To many, Christmas is overwhelming because people are so focused on the gifts instead of the Gift Giver. So, many things to do in such a very short time. I would encourage you to seize the opportunities that Christmas brings. Just as God sent his son – so does he send us. Our Hope as a Christ Follower is found in Jesus Christ. He fills us with joy and peace so that we make a godly impact on our family, our friends, our neighbors and even strangers. This week let us share our “ooh and ah” over Jesus Christ.

Yvette Perrin can be reached at theword2yvette@gmail.com.