This time of year is always busy! Thanksgiving and then the Christmas season! Our culture tells us it's all about GETTING presents, shopping, GIVING gifts. But as Christians, we view the world quite differently. We've received the best Christmas gift of all - the gift of Jesus Christ!

While many of us both give and receive gifts during the Christmas season, God gave us a gift we will never be able to repay. In exchange for our sins, God offered us eternal salvation by sending His son, Jesus Christ, to earth as our Savior.

What are we to do in return for this wonderful gift? We just need to accept this remarkable gift by pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ.

As you prepare to spend Christmas with your friends and family, we encourage you to share not only gifts, but also this Good News of undeserved salvation.

Years ago, Billy Graham was asked this questions, followed by this simple explanation of Christmas: "Yesterday, my 9-year-old son asked me why we celebrate Christmas, and I didn't know what to tell him, except that it marked Jesus' birthday. What more could I have said?

Yes, at Christmas we celebrate the birthday of Jesus more than 2,000 years ago. But who was Jesus? The Bible tells us Jesus was the Son of God, who came down from heaven to give us the greatest gift any person can ever receive - the gift of eternal life. By nature we are separated from God because of our sins, but Jesus came to take away our sins and make us part of God's family forever. The Bible says, "For the wages of sin is death, but  the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

This Christmas, your son will probably receive many gifts from you. You will have done everything possible to give them to him - choosing them, paying for them, wrapping them and offering them to him. But they won't really be his until he actually takes them and makes them his own.

The same is true with Jesus Christ. God has done everything possible to give us the gift of salvation, but we must accept it by reaching out and inviting Him to come into our lives. If you have never done so, accept God's Christmas gift to you by turning to Jesus and asking Him to come into your life. And encourage your son to do so, as well."

One final thought: give your loved ones the gift of prayer! Pray for their faith in Jesus Christ to grow and mature, for their joys AND concerns.

Everyone at the Pedersen house would like to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas season and the happiest of New Years!

Pastor Caryn, Ed & family