Gracepoint Berkeley – Koinonia Christian Fellowship – Gracepoint Berkeley Ministries

Christmas…a time of selfless giving! So what’s been going on the past couple of weeks, you ask?

In the midst of finals, the junior and senior girls baked some delicious, glisten-y choco chip cookies…not for themselves! But for the freshmen girls who are undergoing their first EVER round of finals in college! I’m sure the care packages were greatly appreciated in the midst of papers and all-nighters.

Last Thursday, our homegroup had our annual Christmas gift exchange! The highlight gift of the night was an awesome leopard-print Snuggie. Dan, our emcee, made us do wacky things to earn, snatch, and retain our gifts from other covetous people.

John and Andy…Nutcracker ballerinas. Wynn…Ferrero Rocher chocolate / sushi lunchbox salesman. Unknown people…Bollywood dancers.

We all had a great time laughing at ourselves! Here we are, with our gifts! Notice Jason was the privileged one to get the leopard-print Snuggie. He really wanted it.

We also had the privilege of participating in the Angel Tree program, in which we were able to buy gifts for children of parents who are in prison and hosted their families for dinner at Willard!

Right after that, we watched the Joyland Christmas Celebration, in which our Joyland and Impact children performed skits, recited verses, and sang songs to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, which often gets lost in the hustle and bustle of the season.

Whew. A lot happened! Pretty soon, people will be back at home for winter break. There is a lot of precious time that you will have on your hands! Let’s take advantage of it. There is so much we can do: read good Christian books, volunteer, or just have some great devotion time! Let us remember together how much we have to be thankful for during this season – thankful for our salvations, thankful for the fact that God loved us so much that He sent His precious son Jesus to us as a vulnerable baby.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Here’s something I read many many years ago that I think nicely captures the true meaning of Christmas:

God has blessed us forever; that is what Christmas is all about.
The nature of Christmas is giving, because it all began with a gift.
A gift that can only be received; a gift that brought joy to the world.
A gift that came special delivery.
As promised, God sent his best;
and the sky and the stars gave the world’s first baby shower.
(God knew that they couldnt afford announcements
So he lent them a star; the only nightlight with a lifetime guarantee).
Christmas has a radiance all its own, and even unplugged could illuminate the world.
(Two thousand years later, God leaves the light on still)
God revealed a glimpse of Heaven that night in the manger;
The setting was humble and the cast was divine.
Then through a tiny door every creature saw it, the enormous gift of eternal love,
and all who entered knew they stood upon the very door of Heaven.
This was the touch of Christmas, the simple became the sacred.
Even the world’s first masterpiece was only framed in straw.
Who but God would think of sending a message and wrapping it in swaddling clothes;
Who but God knew it would take the heart of a child to reach the soul of the world?
God is love; Christmas is proof.
For only from the heart of God could such a one as Jesus come.
Such a tiny little son, who would grow to comfort all the world,
a Savior to look up to who would never look down on us.
Peace on earth began in a manger, the Christmas presence asleep in the hay.
May the simple beauty of Christmas take your breath away.
May you taste the love in every Christmas cookie
Hear joy in every Christmas song,
Feel warmth in every Christmas present;
And in the midst of all the celebration, may you make room for peace.