Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! A Blessed Christmas to all! It is truly wonderful to be able to share with all of you the greetings of this most holy of seasons, which instead of ending this day, begins anew in our hearts. This day our Savior was born to us, and has granted us the ability to enter into eternal life with Him. The Christ-child born to us is a miraculous gift of God to His people, just at a time when they felt abandoned, and their faith was waning. Jesus, born of a virgin, fulfilled every prophesy handed down through the ages, and his very birth whispered encouragement for patience and peace. We wait every day for something wonderful to happen to us. Whether it be in our family or work, school or the ordinariness of our daily living, we cherish when good surprises come our way. We are startled each time our life changes for the better, and even the most difficult of circumstances take on the appearance of light breaking over the horizon. We look around us and we see the difficulties this world deals with everyday, and the way in which so many people with whom we share this planet, fall deeper into despair. Life is lessened in value, and our thoughts turn to our own protection and survival. “Others” become less those whom I wish to help, and more those who I need to avoid. But something wonderful has taken place in human history, and no ongoing strife or list of disappointments can diminish the worth of such an event. Our God heard the prayers of His people, and His plan for all of humanity called for his own Son to be sent into the world. To become one like us, so that we could become one like Him. Again. As it was supposed to be in the beginning. Christ is in our midst. He is here. In you, and in me. In neighbor and stranger. Friend, and yes, even in foe. Christ is in front of us everyday, and we remain blinded by the human outcry of our own spirits and of those around us. Christmas is the time of reminding all that we meet, that God has already done all he needs to do to save us ... to save the world. It is now up to us to carry that Gift with us everyday, and open it for all we meet. We cannot continue to let fear stop us from offering words of encouragement to others. We cannot continue to allow others ignorance of God’s plan put a damper on our own enthusiasm toward the Kingdom. We cannot continue to smile silently to others, knowing that salvation brings us new life. We can no longer keep waiting for something that is already here, and waits for us to see it. We must open the Gift of Christmas, accepting Christ as our own, and giving Him freely away! Blessings and Peace,

© 2005 Peter J. Andrews