Time for Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, & Happy New Year!
It’s that time of the year again! Do these things sound familiar?
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving brings us family, friends, fellowship, parades, turkey with cornbread dressing, football, pies and cookies of the season, visiting, serving, and giving time for others.
Christmas
Next comes lights and decorations on the Christmas tree and around the house, putting the stockings on the fireplace, hanging up the exterior lights and decorations, sounds of Christmas music, parties with co-workers, friends, and family, shopping for those special gifts for others and Hallmark Christmas movies.
There are family gatherings together with kids and grandkids coming home for Christmas from all over the country or traveling to see them.
Going to Christmas Eve church services together with all those you love, celebrating Jesus and how He came to earth to save us from our sins. Going to Christmas plays and musicals, giving time and gifts to those that are less fortunate.
Christmas to New Year’s
The week between Christmas and New Year’s can include many things: going to the mountains for skiing and sleigh rides or to a tropical beach, or just staying home to enjoy the traditional familiar surroundings. There’s more family gatherings around meals, ball games, a fire pit for s’mores and singing, and driving around as a family to see all the Christmas lights in town.
New Year’s
New Year’s Eve parties and New Year’s Day usually equals more food and parades, ball games and fellowship, and celebrating you made it another year while looking ahead to the new one.
We wish for your Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s to be a time of thankfulness for what God has given you, the celebration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and a time to reflect and anticipate what more God may have for you to do on this earth.
Our prayers go out to those that have lost a loved one this last year, as well as those that are going through pain, suffering and sickness. While this time may be a wonderful time of year for the majority of us, let us not forget about those all around us that may not be so fortunate.
If you know someone who is going to be alone during this Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s season, invite them over to your home for some food and fellowship and share God’s love with them. Or, go see someone who can’t get out of their home, or is in the hospital or a nursing home, and take them some gifts and food of the season.
Matthew 22:37-39
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
