December 1

It’s easy to find ourselves going through Christmas without experiencing it to the full. Even while enjoying the holiday spirit and festivities, it’s possible to let the deeper meaning of the season pass us by.

Unbeknownst to most of Bethlehem’s inhabitants on the night of the first Christmas, something marvelous was happening in their midst, and something wonderful can happen this season in each of our lives as well if we open our hearts to it. It may not be something flashy or huge, and if we’re not careful we might miss it, but I believe that Christmas is a magical time, and I’m looking forward to what it has in store. I hope you are too. — Samuel Keating

December 2

At Christmas, we are reminded about Jesus’ birth, and it’s a wonderful time of year to think about Him and all that He has done for us, which goes way beyond the Christmas season. He is an integral part of our lives and wants to be part of all we do—and He can be, as much as we’ll let Him.

December 3

As we sing Christmas carols this year, it’s a great time to reflect on what they mean, what Jesus did, and how deeply He loves each one of us and each one of our fellow human beings.—And to carry those thoughts and that love throughout the year ahead. Love Him, love His creations, and be grateful for all He’s done.

December 4

This year, as you enjoy your Christmas celebrations, as you open gifts, sing carols, and eat good food, let those things remind you of Jesus’ deep love for you. Regardless of where these traditions originated, you can let them point you back to the great gift Jesus gave each of us by coming to earth, living, and dying for us.

December 5

I once read about a small child who accompanied his grandmother to the shopping mall at Christmas and was awestruck by all the decorations, the toys, and the replica of Santa’s shed. Slowly taking the sight in, the child looked up at his grandmother and innocently asked, “Where’s Baby Jesus?”

That child’s question has a deep meaning. Amidst the glitz and glamour of modern Christmas, are we forgetting the true reason for the season? How many of us remember that Christmas is Someone’s birthday and stop to think what He would like us to do for it? —Sukanya Kumar-Sinha

December 6

Jesus is touched by the time and effort we put into decorations and buying gifts for our earthly loved ones, but how happy He would be if we also gave Him a birthday present! If you’re looking for ideas for a birthday present for Jesus, consider these:

Tell Him how much you love Him. You can never do this enough.

Express your love to family and friends. You never know who might need to hear just that.

Give to the poor. Reach out to them in His name and invite them to share in the Christmas spirit.

Make amends with those you’re holding grudges against.

This year, let’s do something for the Birthday Boy!

December 7

The Christmas story reminds us once again it was not man’s idea that the Son of God should be born in a stable. And so the first thing we learn from Jesus’ birth is that the Lord will not always be found where we expect to find Him.
—James F. Colaianni (b. 1922)

December 8

The world is filled with the sounds of Christmas. If you listen with your outer ears, you will hear carols, bells, and laughter, and now and then a sob of loneliness. If you listen with the inner ear, you will hear the sound of angels' wings, the hush of inner expectation, and the sacred sound of the deepest silence, the vibrant whisper of the eternal Word.

The world is filled with the sights of Christmas. If you look with your outer eyes, you will see brightly decorated trees, tinseled stars, flaming candles, and a crèche. If you look with the inner eye, you will see the star of Bethlehem in your own heart.
—Adapted from Anna May Nielson

December 9

Can you imagine being given a Christmas gift and not opening it for 20 years? Well, that's exactly what I did. I don't know why I never got around to opening that one gift. When I was small, my other gifts all looked more fun, I suppose, and as I grew older, I thought I knew what was inside and wasn't interested. Most years I didn't even notice it.

Then one July evening I bumped into an old friend on the street and he handed me, of all things, that Christmas gift I'd ignored all those years. To my astonishment, this gift was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I can only describe it as love—love in its richest, deepest, truest sense, overwhelming and boundless love, unconditional and unending. And it was mine!

And it gets better. This gift is for everybody. If you haven't unwrapped yours yet, let this be the Christmas you do. It's the one that bears this note: "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." — Keith Phillips

December 10

From live reenactments to miniature models in an endless array of styles and materials, the figures of the Nativity are a visual reminder of the central characters of the Christmas story. Joseph stands tall and steadfast. Mary's head is bowed in humility as she reflects on the Christ Child she has delivered. Shepherds kneel in adoration. Three kings in fine robes approach with gifts in hand. The donkey that Mary rode to Bethlehem stands alongside sheep and perhaps a cow. All attention is directed toward the tiny baby lying in a manger. He is at the center of Christmas, yet the scene would not be complete without each of those other figures.

Each of us also has a role to fulfill in the scene of life. With Christ at the center, the picture is complete.

December 11

One of the most universal Christmas decorations is the wreath, a circle of evergreen that is often adorned with ribbons, baubles, candles, or other trimmings. The circular shape reminds us that God's love, which He sent to us in Jesus, knows no end. The evergreen reminds us that Christ lives forever.

December 12

Gingerbread was possibly the first treat to be associated with Christmas. It was first baked in Germany during the Middle Ages, and over the years other sweets have become traditional Christmas favorites in various countries around the world: marzipan and colorful Christmas cookies throughout Europe and North America; fruitcake and trifle in English-speaking countries; panettone(sweet bread) in Italy, Latin America, and with a slight variation in Romania, where it is known ascozonac; pan de Pascua(sponge cake) in Chile; stolen (fruitcake with marzipan) in Germany; almond cakes in Spain; and ponche crema, a sweet hot Christmas drink in Venezuela—to name just a few. All can serve as reminders of the sweetness of God's presence through Christ in our lives.

December 13

Twinkling lights, red ribbons, and shiny tinsel adorn homes and public places, announcing the arrival of the festive season. Candles, representing the light that Jesus brought to our world, are rarely missing among the decorations. They symbolize God's light entering the world at Jesus' birth.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.—Isaiah 9:2

December 14

Christmas shopping starts earlier every year. Although we may not enjoy the shopping process, there's a special pleasure in tracking down something that will be a happy surprise for our family members and friends. While wrapping presents or arranging them under the tree, take a moment to remember the One who came to give His life for us.

Dear Jesus, it is Your birth I am celebrating this Christmas. The shepherds brought their wonder and worship; the wise men brought their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to honor You. I bring love and gratitude.

December 15

From Jesus with love

What can you give Me this Christmas? A thankful heart is one gift I love to receive anytime. You make Me happy when you are appreciative of My blessings, great and small, because I love to see you happy. I love to see you smile, and that makes Me smile in return. I love to see you laugh, and I love to laugh with you. Each smile or laugh tells Me that you love and appreciate Me.

December 16

Can you remember a time when you wanted something so badly that it seemed that special something would never come?—And then when it finally did come, it wasn't what you had expected at all, but something far better? That's what our heavenly Father did with Christmas.

Since the beginning of time, people had longed for a special something to make their lives truly happy and complete. Who would have ever thought that all of that would come in the form of a tiny baby born in a barn in some faraway land? But that's exactly what happened.

God looked at every human heart He had created and every heart to come, and He knew just what each one needed. So He took a part of His own heart and fashioned the perfect answer. Then He sent the answer into the world. And He called the answer "Jesus."—Keith Phillips

December 17

From Jesus with love

You know how it is about birthdays—everyone likes to feel special on their special day. Well, I'm no different, and Christmas is My birthday.

What do I want most?—You! At this special time when everyone likes to get together with those who mean the most to them, I want to get together with you.

It doesn't have to be a big, elaborate thing. We can do whatever you'd like. We can sit and chat, or we can read something meaningful together and stop and reflect on it. Or we can tell each other what we love and appreciate about each other. These are some ideas of ways you can show that you love Me and haven't forgotten whose birthday it is.

December 18

From Jesus with love

Christmas is a time of giving. It's when My Father gave His only begotten Son, Me, to the world. It's when I came to earth that I might lay down My life in order to give eternal life to all who would receive it. It's when people give gifts to others in commemoration of the gifts that My Father and I gave them. This Christmas, I ask you to give Me the gift of giving. Give to others, as you would give to Me.

Christmas celebrates God's "goodwill to men," but I want it to also be a time of man's "goodwill to men." Take a moment to ask Me what you could do for someone else. Return My Father's goodwill by sharing some of your own.

December 19

From Jesus with love

Christmas is a wonderful time of year to make things right. And making things right often starts with you taking the step to forgive someone, even if you feel that the other person is the one who should be seeking forgiveness. Has someone said or done something that has hurt you? Forgive. Are you harboring bitterness in your heart toward someone? Forgive.

December 20

From Jesus with love

I would have gladly come to earth to live and die for you alone, but I also love everyone else in the world just as much. I want nothing more than for everyone to have a chance to experience that love, but many don't even know such love exists. They need someone to tell them and show them.

It has been rightly said that I have no hands but your hands, no feet but your feet, no eyes but your eyes, and no mouth but yours. If you want to give Me a truly wonderful gift this Christmas, lend Me the use of you. Let Me fill you with My love, and then let that love flow through you to others.

December 21

None of us can really grasp how great God our Father is. He's so beyond our comprehension that He had to make Someone who could show us His love, Someone who was within our realm, Someone we could see, Someone we could feel, Someone we could experience, Someone who would bring God down to the level of our comprehension, one Man who was like Himself, whom He called His Son.

This is why Jesus came that first Christmas Day, so you could know His Father's love. This is the reason for it all!

December 22

Late on a sleepy, star-spangled night, angels peeled back the sky just like you would tear open a sparkling Christmas present. Then, with light and joy pouring out of Heaven like water through a broken dam, they began to shout and sing the message that baby Jesus had been born. The world had a Savior! The angels called it "Good News," and it was.—Larry Libby

December 23

Even though I've known Jesus all my life, lately I've found myself getting more caught up in the buzz and activity surrounding the holiday and less on the reason for it. The Bible doesn't give any specific instruction on this; however, there's a verse that might provide some clues. In this passage, Nehemiah is giving advice on how to throw a party: "Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks," he says, "and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared."

I think that Jesus—who when He was on earth turned water into wine at a wedding feast—would want us to have fun and enjoy ourselves. And just as He set aside His own weariness to reach out, I think He'd also be concerned for those who are lonely, elderly, sick, or struggling today, and He'd want us to share His compassion with those we can. If we do our best with both aspects of this advice, I think the result will be pretty close to what the Birthday Boy is hoping for. — Samuel Keating

December 24

If God is all-powerful and truly loves us, as the Bible says, why doesn't He do something to relieve our pain and suffering?

He did. He sent Jesus.

God feels our pain. He understands our heartaches and sympathizes with our losses. He longs to draw us close, to soothe, to heal, to comfort, to reassure. He wanted so badly to help us that He sent His Son in human form, to live among us; to experience our hardships, to be His hands, to reveal His heart, and to put us in direct, personal contact with His love and power. God didn't send Jesus to remove all of our problems, but to equip us to get through them and become better for them.

And that is why we have reason to hope this Christmas.

December 25

Many people fantasize about Santa Claus and elves because they find it hard to believe the Christmas story.  Why would God choose to reveal Himself to us in human form? That seems irrational, illogical, but that's exactly what God did. When God wanted to manifest His infinite love for us, He sent it in a tiny baby, who in manhood would teach us God's ways and lead us back to Him. That is a deep and wonderful truth—and something we can really celebrate.

The heart of Christmas

Give Jesus a gift this Christmas by opening your heart to Him. Simply say, “Thank You, Jesus, for coming into this world to save me. I welcome You into my life. Please stay by my side now and forever.”

Compiled by www.freekidstories.org

Text courtesy of Activated magazine. Used by permission.

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All other art copyright The Family International. Used by permission.