Pay it forward

There are many moments in life where we receive a gift--not really a present, not for a special occasion--but a gift that we could never begin to repay. The great thing about gifts like these is, not only are they useful and timely, but the giver expects nothing in return. The best way to show thanks and honor is to pass the gift along.

We are blessed in so many ways. Just the other day, Ben was saying that he is probably one of the luckiest people in the world. (Not his sentiment ALL of the time.) He understands that he has more love and more things than the average person on this planet could ever begin to expect. This is why it's a blessing when we are given a great opportunity to pass our abundance along.

Our church is one of many around the country (and world) that promotes Operation Christmas Child, an effort to send Christmas gifts to impoverished children, along with practical assistance and a message of hope. This year our kids were excited to participate, and to earn money to buy gifts themselves. In fact, they were actually the ones who took the initiative! So Christmas came to our house this week (complete with snow!). The kids went to work making cards, wrapping boxes and packing their treasures.  We are thrilled that they know that God is the giver of all good gifts, and that they can pass along the gift of the good news about Jesus to other kids.