Friend of Dial Hope, it is a fact of life - we will never be happy living apart from the One who made us.  Just as fish were made to live in water rather than on a beach, we were made to live in close fellowship with God, and nothing can take the place of that.  This Christmas you can give a child a polo shirt, or a cashmere sweater, or a Mercedes automobile, or a ski trip to Colorado if you want to... but let me tell you something with all the feeling I have in my heart.  The best gift you can give a child is Jesus Christ.  If you want to do something good for the children in your life, if you want to give them the gift that keeps on giving, introduce them to the friendship and love of Jesus Christ.  Get them completely involved in his church.  Show them how important your faith is to you.  Give them the real gift of Christmas, the gift of the Christ child who is the reason for the season.  Help them discover the power of the Christian faith.  Faith - it's one of the best things you can give them.  It's one of the best things in life.

As you make today a masterpiece, remember...  God has blessed you to be a blessing to others.

Let us pray: Loving God, we are reminded during these December days that in the one who was born in Bethlehem we see huamn life as it is meant to be lived.  We find light that pierces the gloom and enables us to cope and overcome even the most difficult circumstances that come our way.  We pray that Christmas for us will be not just a day, but a spirit that we will keep alive throughout the year because we continually invite the babe of Bethlehem to be born anew in our lives.  Our hearts go out to the chaplains and the men and women serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan.  May they feel our love and prayers.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.