The Christmas season means different things to different people. Some see it simply as a time of shopping, spending time with loved ones or even seeing beautifully curated illuminations and decorations. While these are all a part of the festivities of this time, let's not forget the real reason we celebrate: that Jesus, the Hope of the World, came to be the perfect Sacrifice for our sins. In short, He was born to die in our place for our sins and because of this, we have hope for eternity but also for our lives here and now. What a gift! It's easy to spend time thinking about what we don't have, what we can't do...all our problems without realizing the countless blessings that God has given us. I'd like to challenge us, in this season, to remember daily how incredibly blessed we are. Let's do a Scavenger Hunt of Joy this month. (A Scavenger Hunt is a game where one is given a list of objects to find). This hunt is simple: For the next 20 days (until Christmas Eve), take time to reflect each day on something that brought you joy that day; time spent with God that helped you, an answered prayer, something that you saw that made you smile, an encouraging scripture you read or conversation you had, an unexpected miracle, a joke, a meal, etc. Anything that reminds you of how good God really is to you. Be intentional. Look for those things and give God thanks. Finally, share it with someone. We never know what others are going through but when we share the goodness of God to them, it can be a lifeline in their darkness....the spark of hope they need to draw them to Jesus. Lastly, this isn't a requirement, you don't have to do it. It's just an encouragement to remember why we celebrate this season instead of being swept away by the commercialization of it all especially with hearts filled with discouragement and discontentment. Let's remember Jesus
