Christmas: Jesus didn't come to condemn

What the world needs more than anything is hope: hope that there is an opportunity, hope that not everything is lost, hope that the past won't determine the future, hope that the dreams can come true.

Sadly, many people don't have that hope and live condemned by their errors and sins, or condemned to believe that everything will be the same for the things that happened to them. But Jesus came to change that.

Jesus was born to bring them hope. Many people think that God wants to give them what they deserve, that He is focused on their bad actions so He may punish them, that He is far away and is indifferent to their pain. But the truth is quite the opposite: our Father wants to give you what you don't deserve because Jesus already received what you deserved. He is focused on you as a good, loving and caring Father, and He does it to help and bless you. Your Father is close to your pain, He identifies to it, cries with you and gets happy with you.

If your Father wanted to condemned you, He would've sent a condemner. But He wanted to save you, so He sent a Savior. If He wanted to punish you, why hasn't He done it already? But He loves you so much that He wanted Jesus to receive the punishment you deserved, and now He is patient so that all may come to know Him.

Christmas is the birth of hope. Christmas is the beginning of the end of condemnation. Christmas is God drawing close to humanity. Christmas is to know that you can decide for a better future because you know that your Heavenly Father is with you. That's why Christmas is the best season of the year.

"For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved"

(John 3:17)

I, my Ceci and my Juanes wish you a very merry little Christmas!

A little teaching from the Drummer Boy

I love the lyrics of the known Christmas song The Little Drummer Boy. When I was a boy, I cried imagining the scene that it described (I'm still being touched by it).

This song is about a poor boy that watches some shepherds preparing gifts to give to the newborn Jesus as birth presents. This boy also wanted to give something to Jesus, but he didn't have the money to buy something that's fit to give a King; his only possession was a old drum. Even so, he decided to give Him the only thing he had, so he started his journey to the manger, once he got there he played his best in tribute to the newborn King. The part of the song that touches me even to the point of crying is the one that says that Jesus turned when He heard the sound of the drum, looked at the drummer boy and smiled at him.

I can imagine what the little drummer boy could feel in that moment. I imagine him sure that Jesus was happy with him, that he knew that God joyfully received the only thing that he had to give, because that showed the sincere heart of wanting to do something for Him. And God saw that.

You know something, your Heavenly Father won't be touched by the great amounts of money that you may be able to give (remember that He created everything!), but He will be touched by the sincere desire of doing something for Him.

How can you do something for Him? The Bible says that everything you do, you can do it as to the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24). So, do not let that the lack of resources for doing great things become the excuse for not doing little things. Your Heavenly Father isn't waiting for you to give Him what you don't have, but what you do have. He is able to much with less. Be confident that when you do something to Him out of love, He is smiling at you.

Are you a Grinch? Try the GRINCHMETER!

1. Somebody invites you to play Secret Santa, and you...
    - Not only accept, but also want to organize it (3 POINTS).
    - You just accept it (2 POINTS).
    - You decline (1 POINT).
    - Not only decline, but also think that it's a waste of time and money (0 POINTS).

2. You begin to decorate for Christmas on...
    - Beginning of November or before (3 POINTS).
    - Beginning of December (2 POINTS).
    - A few days before Christmas (1 POINT).
    - Yo don't decorate at all (0 POINTS).

3. You start thinking on ideas on how you'll be decorating for Christmas since...
    - Last Christmas (3 POINTS).
    - December (2 POINTS).
    - You don't think about that, but you let someone else to do it (1 POINT).
    - Thinking about that causes you headache (0 POINT).

4. When decorating...
    - You are so excited that you cry (3 POINTS).
    - You like to help (2 POINTS).
    - You don't like to decorate, but you let someone else to do it (1 POINT).
    - You not only don't decorate, but also can't stand the Christmas decoration (0 POINT).

5. About the presents...
    - You like to personalize them and give them to as many people as you're able to (3 POINTS).
    - You want to give presents, but just to a few people (2 POINTS).
    - You don't give presents at all (1 POINT).
    - You don't give presents to anyone and really don't care if you don't receive any present (0 POINTS).

6. About the clothing...
    - You love wearing Christmas antlers or hats, T-shirts and also Christmas pajamas. Even your car wear Christmas antlers! (3 POINTS).
    - You don't mind to wear Christmas theme clothing (2 POINTS).
    - You'd wear it just because everybody is doing it (1 POINT).
    - Wearing Christmas stuff is for fools, you wouldn't do it even if you got paid for (0 POINTS).

7. About the Christmas Eve dinner...
    - You wait for that special moment the whole year (3 POINTS),
    - You just enjoy the moment (2 POINTS).
    - It's just one more meal for you; you don't feel anything special (1 POINT).
    - You wouldn't spend for anything special even if you had the money (0 POINTS).

8. People think about you...
    - That you have a great Christmas spirit (3 POINTS).
    - That you have a moderate Christmas spirit (2 POINTS).
    - That you'd be part of a Christmas gathering just because of the food and presents (1 POINT).
    - Everybody avoids you around Christmas time (0 POINTS).

9. About Christmas music...
    - You absolutely love singing and listening to it, to the point that you might even tear up a little (3 POINTS).
    - You like it (2 POINTS).
    - You don't like it (1 POINT).
    - You can't stand it (0 POINTS).

10. On December 26...
    - You become very nostalgic, you still feel butterflies in your belly and you are already thinking about next Christmas (3 POINTS).
    - You're kind of sad because Christmas is over, but you're not thinking about that the whole day (2 POINTS).
    - You are only thinking of the arduos work of putting everything away (1 POINT).
    - You say: "Finally, Christmas is over!" (0 POINTS).


SCORE:

- From 25 - 30 points:
You don't have an ounce of Grinch, on the contrary, you easily could be Santa Claus or at least an Elf.

- From 18 - 24 points:
You have Christmas spirit, but that's all.

- From 12 -17 points:
You like Christmas. That's it. If you aren't careful, you may become into a Grinch.

- From 6 -11 points:
You should be ashamed to be such a party pooper. You are very close to become a Grinch.

- From 0 - 5 points:
You have Grinch blood running through your veins, your last name is Scrooge and kids run away from you.

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