“O Holy Night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!…”

As we journey through Advent, we continue our devotional series featuring various friends from our congregation, pondering their star’s unique name. Each thoughtful reflection points us towards our Savior and fills us with a thrill of hope. Enjoy!

Today’s reflection is from David Hughes:

Memory

Many of my favorite memories in life are related to Christmas. I remember great times spent with friends and family during the holiday season. I loved going to church on Christmas Eve; hearing the good news about the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

When it came to gifts, it brought me much joy when I would give a gift to someone that they truly appreciated. In fact, I have much better memories of giving gifts rather than receiving them. As an adult, Janet (my wife) and I host a holiday open house to benefit the Salvation Army, an event that brings us much joy. All of this reminds me of Acts 20:35- “In all this I have given you an example that by such work, we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give that to receive.’ ”

Lord God, please fill all of us with joy this Advent season as we focus most on giving rather that receiving.

Amen.