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You know, sometimes we get visions of how we would do some things if we were in charge... and I've had quite a few of these for church. See, for a long time I have wanted to have some part in starting a church. One of the ideas I had along the way was since the "service" was called just that, every once in a while, instead of people just coming and sitting through a message and singing a few tunes, that there would be ways they could go out and find good deeds to be done for that hour.

The church I attend (Suncrest), did something almost exactly like that this past Sunday. Following the service, there were various things that one could find to do - clean up trash, drop off gifts for people at nursing homes, etc., etc. And I walked right past all of it, got in my car, and started driving home.

Then I realized that didn't make any sense. So I turned around and went back, got some little gift bags to take to the elderly in the nursing homes and THEN turned around and left.

My wife and I and are little baby Jacob visited the nursing home that day and gave a few people some gift bags. We met one lady - I believe her name was Rose - she turned 100. I can only imagine all the things one might have seen by having lived to a ripe old age of 100!

This year, instead of a typical gift exchange where we give someone - who you don't really know anything they need or even want - something that they don't really need or want; we and the rest of one of our families plan to combine our money together for things for a nearby orphanage.

My wife had the idea - I'm a little bit jealous I didn't think of it! :)

I wonder what this world would be like if more families did this for Christmas instead of spending a bunch of money on things nobody really needs.

I think that's more of what Christmas is all about.
I think God gave us something so that we could turn around and give it away so we could then turn around and see Him again through it all.