My grade six students always exchanged a chocolate bar (so that the cost of the gift could be well controlled), but they could wrap their "gift" however they chose. Some would come in the traditionally small packaging, simply wrapped; others would add an air of mystery by wrapping their bar in a variety of different-shaped containers, odd-sized packages, or even in large boxes. Anyone looking under the classroom tree would see an assortment of gifts that would take their breath away. What a delicious mystery lay ahead when each recipient, according to number, would receive their gift! Even as these gifts were opened, the guessing would begin on the kind of bar inside. Everyone received a gift and no one felt left out or cheated in any way. Most would carefully rewrap their gift to take home and keep the mystery going there.

That first Christmas morning so long ago also created an air of anticipation and mystery at such a gift, so simply wrapped and presented: God's own Son was wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. His presentation was as simple as one could ever imagine, surrounded by the animals in a stable, wrapped in simple cloths and placed in a wooden manger that did not come from Ikea or Sears! No fanfare welcomed Him to the world, and yet, there was anticipation among so many as they concerned themselves with wondering just what this tiny baby would become or how He would affect their world. Little did they really know!

Why was this gift given to mankind?

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (NKJV)

That first Christmas morning, the greatest gift, however simply presented, was a gift of pure love from God's own heart to our hearts. This year, as we both give and receive gifts, no matter how elegantly or how simply they are wrapped and presented, may they be given in love from our hearts. May we also remember that first Christmas morning and the best gift ever given to the world in the form of a tiny baby who has impacted our world for over 2000 years. He continues to make His presence felt and known among those who seek a miracle or need a blessing or know that God loves them so much that He gave His one and only Son — to us! Let's look at the tiny Babe in the manger with fresh eyes and an open heart. May we all receive the real meaning of that first Christmas: unconditional love and forgiveness for all who seek Him and accept Him as our Saviour.

Now that is a gift of anticipation as we walk along with Him! What blessings and miracles of love await!

Prayer: Dear and loving God, thank You for Your gift of love so freely given so many years ago. Thank You that we may still feel the impact of that gift as we accept Your forgiveness and allow You to create in us the anticipation of Christmas every day. May we give ourselves to You as our own gift of love and allow You to use us as You choose — to help others realize the wondrous gift of love You gave, and continue to give, to everyone and anyone who seeks You this day! In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen.

Summer: a time when there is always the chance that people will drop by and share a "cuppa" and whatever treats we have ready. The conversation is filled with laughter, and yesterday's problems are, for the time being, forgotten. Some visits are more formal and others more casual, but all of them warm, welcomed, and memorable. My husband always wants a couple of loaves in the freezer just in case someone comes. (Mama would be proud of him, were she still alive!)

Can we even imagine the possibility of having a "party" all the time? Can we even try to imagine that summertime freedom to share, laugh, and celebrate every day? Well, God has promised us just that! One day, all of us who trust in Jesus will be allowed to sit in the parlour, and we will be the guests who are awaited, prepared for, and welcomed! Jesus promised us:

John 14:2 – In My Father's house are many mansions … I go to prepare a place for you. (NKJV)

One day, we will be escorted into the mansions of heaven by Jesus Himself, as honoured guests of the Father. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:3 NKJV)

We will know the laughter, joy, and blessings of never having another health issue, never shedding another tear, and never having to leave! What a precious promise of hope and assurance the Bible gives us — on God's own authority.

Mama has been gone to her heavenly home for almost twenty-nine years, and although we miss her, we know that she is enjoying her parlour, and her kitchen apron has been replaced with her Sunday dress. She is an honoured guest in God's mansion, and she can relax and enjoy the laughter and stories. She has no more health issues, and she can walk, even run. "They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31b NKJV)

On this journey of life, we may find that some days are harder than others, and some days, our bodies and minds are just too weary for words. "But God" (isn't that a wonderful expression!) is preparing His mansions for our arrival! He is walking along with us, wiping our tears and holding our hand! Trust Him to know what is best for us — here and hereafter!

Isaiah 40:31a – But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. (NKJV)

Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank You for Your Word that assures us who trust in You of our home with You one day. Thank You for walking this journey of faith and life with us, holding us up and strengthening our footsteps as we walk closer to You! Amen.

Malachi 3:3b – That they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. (NKJV)

I was told that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. However, as a young girl, I was not very domesticated, and the kitchen was an unexplored terrain that I did not desire to explore. That left me severely lacking when it came to winning my man though his "stomach". Now, my mother was most skilled in the art of wonderful meals, so really, she won my man's heart for me!

He had heard that if the girl's mother could cook, then he could rightly assume the girl to be a good cook too! Well, that myth was soon expelled when I presented many "burnt offerings" that were supposed to be dinners. That was over forty years ago, and I am happy to announce that my kitchen skills have vastly improved. But there are still some meals that my patient and gentle husband will eat, then remark, "Boy, your mother was some good cook, wasn't she? Maybe next time you could try to make that [stew/steak/roast] like she did." (One would think that after forty-plus years, he would know that isn't going to happen, but as I said, he is a patient and gentle man!) In spite of this, our relationship is strong and full of love.

My relationship with God has also matured over the years. Some days, I give Him my best, and some days, I give Him only what is left after I've struggled through the day trying to make things right for everyone. One would think that after being on this journey of faith for such a long time, I would be getting better each day, but not so! I forget to follow the directions in His Word:

Psalm 27:6b – I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle. (NKJV)
Psalm 116:17a – I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving. (NKJV)
Psalm 27:6c – I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. (NKJV)

We can all become too busy with the daily struggle to remember that only when we allow God to walk with us will we learn to love Him more today than yesterday. He patiently encourages us to walk in love, leaning on His strength. Today's verse from Malachi 3:3 tells us to walk our journey of faith with God day by day so "that [we] may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness." What will this do for us? "The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever." (Isaiah 32:17 NKJV)

God desires that on our journey of faith, we live in peace with a gentle confidence that we are not alone — ever!

Prayer: Dear Father, thank You for Your gentle patience with each one of us. Help us daily to allow You to guide us on our journey of faith. Fill us with Your love and peace so that we may shine for You. Amen.

My husband and I often visit flea markets, yard sales, and "junk" shops, just looking to find something of special interest that someone else has discarded. The old saying, "One man's junk is another man's treasure", takes on a new meaning as we encounter many people on the same treasure hunt.

On one of our trips home from New Brunswick, Canada, we happened on an old junk shop in the middle of nowhere, and the shop was literally spewing its contents out onto the driveway. Of course, we had to stop to take a quick peek! This shop had everything you never knew you wanted, and more! As we slowly made our way to the back of the shop, we had to go through a maze, in and around loads of tables laden with all kinds of jewellery and knick-knacks, as well as furniture placed haphazardly in the aisles. The light grew dimmer as we proceeded inside the depths of that large shop. Then I saw "it" from the corner of my eye! Now I was on a mission to get to that particular spot and actually see "it" up close. Nestled away up in a far corner was a teddy bear exactly like the one I had had when I was a child! It was beautiful — oh yes, it had tears and stains and one ear was missing where some child had chewed on it! But to me it was beautiful! The memories it brought back were wonderful and spoke of a time when life was predictable and carefree. After a somewhat precarious climb to the top of a pile of everything thrown in that corner and forgotten, I held my treasure in my hands, clutching it to my heart, and made my way to the cashier at the front of the store to pay for my bear. Not even my husband's remark, "You're buying that old thing? It's all worn and used", could dampen my special connection to that old bear tossed aside and forgotten.

God looks for His treasures too — us! He may find us in dark corners of life where everyone else has forgotten us. He may have to uncover a lot of rubble and clutter in the path to us, but He still searches for us. We may be used, worn, and tired-looking, and we may even feel utterly useless, but when He looks at us, He sees us as He knows we can be!

Psalm 51:12 – Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. (NKJV)

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and what God sees in us is not what we or those around us may see. Isn't that amazing? God looks at our hearts and knows what we really want to become, what we can become with His help!

No matter what life has dealt us or how it has shaped us to this point, we are to Him a treasure worth loving and restoring. That teddy bear was just a worthless old childhood bear tossed away when it was no longer needed, but I saw the comfort and joy, the constant friend it had been at one time, and I loved it, tatters and all. God knows what our journey has been, and though we may be tattered, torn, and unappealing to ourselves or to many others, He loves us and longs to draw us to His heart and give us new hope and new direction.

Isaiah 40:31 – But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (NKJV)

Let's treasure God's Word and believe it! Let Him treasure us!

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for seeing us as we can be in You. You know our struggles and our dreams. You know the longings of our hearts. Help us today to allow You to hold us, help us, and walk with us on our journey through life. Thank You for allowing us to be the treasure You seek. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Similarly, the cross reminds Christians just how much our heavenly Father loves us, and how He longs to welcome us into His loving, safe embrace and hold us close. God knows how we struggle, and many times fail, in our efforts to allow Him to love us. But He loves us anyway, all the time, and with an everlasting love that is hard to imagine.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV)

"Eternal" means forever-and-ever, on-to-infinity love! Wow! It is mind-boggling how we can be loved so much!

While in Orlando, Florida, USA, we went to The Holy Land Experience. We were ushered back in time to the days when Jesus was living on earth. Even the fountains responded to the hymns of praise, rising in glorious colours to lift up the name of Jesus. Then came the Passion Play, and the whole tone changed to one of uncertainty and pain: the soldiers' cruelty, the mocking crowds, and Mary, mother of Jesus, watching as God's one and only Son was nailed to a cross for the sins of mankind. The silence screamed in agony as He was crucified, His outstretched arms proclaiming loudly to the world, "I love you this much — and even more!" The crowd departed from that scene most subdued and reflecting on how deep, how strong, and how personal that portrayal of love was for each one of us.

John 3:14b-15 – The Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. (NIV)

Thankfully, the next scene replaced our feeling of inexplicable loss with rejoicing that Jesus defied death and triumphantly rose again to intercede on our behalf — and keep on loving us! Satan and death were defeated, assuring us of our hope of heaven and eternity. Many people that day responded to the call to follow Him and accept His love, grace, and forgiveness. Our exit from the park was on the wings of prayer! What an amazing experience it was, and its impact on me personally was the assurance that no matter what, my God loves me "this much — and even more"!

Paul's prayer for the Ephesians is still important for us today: "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." (Ephesians 3:17b-18 NIV)

This Easter, there will be many who will hear again how God sent His one and only Son and how He conquered death, and longs to love us richly and deeply with a love that we don't deserve and can never fully comprehend. How we receive or reject that love will impact us for the rest of our lives. Life's journey can be mind-boggling at times and bombard us with challenges that we may not have the resources to endure on our own. Let's remember that, in spite of our limitations and past wounds, God gave His one and only Son, Jesus, to love us "this much — and even more" for all eternity. May this be the start of the real meaning of Easter — wrapping us in the warm and secure embrace of His love!

Prayer: Dear God, we are thankful that You sent Your Son to us to show just how much You love us. Help us to open our hearts and minds so that we can accept Your love with confidence and joy! Then help us to share Your love with all we meet so that they, too, can be assured that You love each one of us this much and even more! In and through the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Some children are fearless when it comes to trying new challenges. They have the attitude, "I can do it!" We learn fear as we grow and realize that some things are more difficult than others, and we come to understand that failure is not pleasant.

The outdoor skating rink in the centre of town is one place where people of all abilities and ages congregate for some outdoor fun. Some glide gracefully across the glassy surface of the ice, while others are slowly striding around. The wee ones, buffered by their parents or family, fearlessly try to walk across the surface without falling down. But when they do fall, they readily reach up a hand for someone to help them to their feet so that they can try again. The smiles and laughter echoing from everyone there reveal how much they are just enjoying an afternoon of pure fun — no fear and no pressure. I purposely drive that way just to see this wonderful winter scene!

Our journey of faith should be a reflection of such pure fun, without the pressure. We are fearless and so confident when we start out; we, too, have the attitude, "I can do it!" Then, we may become like Peter: "But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, 'Lord, save me!'" (Matthew 14:30 NKJV) Like Peter, we take our eyes off Jesus and allow fear to consume us, and we fall! It is then that we should remember the wee skaters who reached up a hand for someone to help them get up and try again. We should remember Peter who called out to Jesus, "Lord, save me!" We may stumble, and we may indeed fall, and, yes, we may fail — our family, our friends, ourselves, and our Lord. We may even feel that we will never get it right, so we may as well just give up. But it is at that moment when we also need to remember that when Peter called out in fear for the Lord to save him, "immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him." (Matthew 14:31a NKJV)

Our God is never any further away from us than a sigh, a tear, or a breath. Trusting, we just need to allow Him to quell our fears and pick us up to try again. Life is a journey of faith, and as we learned to fear, we can also learn to trust that God is right there with us in all our circumstances. He never leaves us on our own, and He gives us the strength we need day by day. Let's give the pressures to Him to handle, and we will experience the real joy of our walk of faith!

John 15:9,11 – As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. (NKJV)

Prayer: Dear Lord, we know that we falter and sometimes slip, but we ask that this day You will help us up, set us on Your path of love and grace, and give us the strength to realize that in You, "We can do it!" Cover our hearts and minds and remove all fear. Thank You for being who You are and making us what You know we can be! In and through the name of Jesus, we ask and believe. Amen.

The fresh snow on the small hill behind our home was a magnet drawing a group of children, sleds in tow, for some winter coasting. The sleds were of varying sizes and styles, but the children's sole purpose was to have fun. They positioned their sleds one by one, some straight and some to go more on an incline, but all hoping to fly down that hill and go as far as possible before stopping in the pile of snow at the bottom. As is often the case, some were dumped off their sleds as soon as they pushed to go down the hill. Some made it halfway, and only one or two actually got to the bottom still on the sled. They all got up, laughed at their attempts, and tried again and again and again.

I was watching them, but my mind was going back in time to when I was a child and having just as much fun on the hill where I grew up. Dad would take all of us to the country for sledding on one of his rare Saturdays off work. Those were special times, and we would have fun, laugh, and try harder the next time down to reach the bottom of the hill still on the sled. Memories are wonderful!

But we get older, and life gets too serious. Sometimes, we forget that we can laugh at our mistakes and even dare to get up, dust ourselves off, and be willing to try again and again to achieve our goals. There is nothing sweeter than the true, spontaneous laughter of a child or adult who is enjoying life!

We are encouraged to share the joy of the Lord: "Enter into the joy of your lord" (Matthew 25:21b NKJV). He wants us to know that we have His permission to embrace all the happiness of life and share it with everyone we meet.

Now, I realize that as we get older, those snow-covered hills may call us, but we aren't all able to get down onto a sled, and then, having reached the bottom of the hill, to get back onto our feet — not easily anyway. But we can still enjoy the laughter of those who can. There are other things that we can do, and we can be ready to do all we are able with a cheerful spirit, knowing that we are honouring our God by our attitude of gratitude.

Colossians 3:23 – And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. (NKJV)

Smiles are sneaky — they may start deep inside, but they have to show on our faces! They will not stay hidden! As we journey on the road of faith this week, may we all remember that we have the privilege and responsibility to live life to the max and enjoy the ride! Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10b NKJV)

Prayer: Dear Lord, sometimes we get bogged down by life's pressures and forget that You have blessed us with the ability to laugh and learn and enjoy life. Give us a smile that will reflect Your joy in us to all we meet, and help us every day to be thankful that You love us so much! Bless us that we may be a blessing to others. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.