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Christmas Memories & Feeling Special // Friday E-Devotion

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 (NASB)

We love Christmas memories. There are things in my memory banks that I will never forget that stick out and remind me of my great family growing up and our Christmases together and the special events at church and the like. We must continue to make Christmas memories.

Much of time at present is spent in praying and planning as we move forward with the new church (check out our website as it is newly updated and more to come). Our leaders want to make sure and plan to make an impact on the lives of people who walk through our doors or those who just walk by or run into one of our church family. Making people feel special is something we often do at Christmas, and the church must do all the time.

John Maxwell in his most recent newsletter of Leadership Wired shared some ways we make people feel special: let people know you need them, create memories and visit them often, build the reputation of others, share a secret or something you are passionate about, do for others what they cannot do for themselves, find the key their heart, say something encouraging in every conversation, and write a note of encouragement. Simple ideas that will make a great deal of difference in the lives of people you interact with.

What must it have been like for the Shepherds when they met Jesus? What a Christmas memory!

What must it have been like for the wise men in spending time with Jesus? Another awesome Christmas memory.

What about the people who met Jesus in those early years? Time after time, big Christmas or Jesus memories.

By making Christmas memories and making people feel special we may just give a person the best Christmas present of all time. Giving Jesus is the best gift of all. Giving something that makes people think of Jesus is pretty good as well. But best and most important is making a memory or a feeling that sticks that has Jesus tied to it. For years they will revisit that day or that moment only to see Jesus once again.

“God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again…A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” John 3:17,10:10 (MSG)

I was recently talking with a lady who attends our church. Our first meeting was in a difficult situation in her life, and I had the opportunity to share and to be honest. To this day she will remind me of our visit and let me know that one simple thought and question made a huge difference in the way she sees God and knows His love for her. It is not because of something I did. It was because I allowed God to live through me.

We made a Christmas memory and it wasn’t even Christmas. Make someone feel special this season as you make memories together!

“So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.” John 1:14 (NLT)

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