A Christmas Reflection -- Experiencing The J.O.Y. Of Christmas All Year.pdf

A Yuletide Reflection On:
Making Christmas Last All Year, Through
GIFTs & TRANSFORMATIONs

Faith Is
Living
In J.O.Y.
Year-Round
Have A Very
Merry Christmas
…All Year!!!
Jesus…
Others…
You!!!
Every Day
And Exchanging JOYful Gifts
Of Life-Transforming Love…
Prioritizing:

Considering Jesus Is The Greatest GIFT, Are We, The Body of Christ (God’s Church),
Ablaze With The Fervency Jesus Came To Affect; United, As Jesus
Prayed We Would Be; Humbly Receiving, Reciprocating And Re-GIFTing
The Greatest GIFT; And Using Our GIFTs To Transform Our World?
…Including more humbly receiving and appreciating both God’s awesome
creation and His provision of eternal life that will bring us joy forever more
…Including reciprocating back to God by allowing Him to transform our minds and lives; so
we’ll seek to understand the needs facing our brothers and sisters -- all of whom are gifts
to humanity from God, our common Father -- and regift our gifts to help address their
needs, Spiritually and materially, manifesting Christ’s transformative love through our lives
…Including through our sharing God’s incredible, selfless love with those
who don’t yet know Him and don’t yet have a relationship with Him
…Including our thinking big about ways we might regift our gifts in
community with others to help transform as many lives of those struggling
as possible, Spiritually and materially, here and around the world
It’s all about having J.O.Y.ful “GIFT exchanges” all year with our brothers and sisters here
and abroad, who are true GIFTs from God, to TRANSFORM their lives with the love of Christ.
Jesus, Through Whom
All Things Were Made,
Died For Our Sins, To
Give Us Eternal Life.
Today, He’s Alive And
Present With Us.
Jesus Is The Greatest GIFT Ever

The Christmas Secret:
It’s About More Humbly And
Appreciatively Receiving,
Reciprocating And
ReGIFTING God’s GIFTs
Of TRANSFORMATIONAL
Love All Year!
How Can We Do This? Perhaps We Can
Start By Replicating What Is Already
Working, And By Working Together To
Share New Gifts Of Love. Here Are
Examples OF What’s Working Now:
Movable Solar Irrigation For Sharing
Training On The Trades
Training In Sewing
Farmer Training On Growing Nutritious Orange
Flesh Sweet Potato (OFSP) & Their Edible Leaves
Water
Filtration
Training In
Soap Making
OFSP Farming
Can We Re-present The Image And GIFT Of Christ And His
TRANSFORMational, Selfless Love To Others Every Day?
Sharing Fellowship, Fun & Faith With
Scripture, Testimonies, Prayer & Actions

This Article Was Published By The Vatican In Its Ecumenical Laudato Si Action Platform
GIFT’s Christmas Message About Keeping The J.O.Y., GIFTs
And TRANSFORMATIONs Going All Year Can Change Lives

Making The J.O.Y. Of Christmas Last All Year Starts
With Our Appreciating All The Love
And Provisions We Receive From God.
Check Out The Following
Encouraging Scripture Verses:

GiveCredit
WhereCredit
Is Due
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...
Though the world was made through Him (Jesus),
the world did not recognize Him…
Yet to all who received Him,
to those who believed in His name,
He gave the right to become children of God.
John 1: 1, 10, 12 NIV®
© Global Institute For Transformation® 402-212-7973 www.institutefortransformation.org

What A Gift!
For God so loved the world,
that He gave His one and only Son,
that whosoever believes in Him
shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3: 16 NIV®
© Global Institute For Transformation® 402-212-7973 www.institutefortransformation.org+

God is Love. Sin And Love Just
Don’t Go Together. My Sins
-- Including Any Lack Of True Love
For Our Brothers And Sisters --
Nailed Jesus To The Cross
Yet, The Dying-To-Self Love And
Forgiveness That Jesus Offered On
The Cross Saves Us From Our Sins,
And Is A Model For Us To Follow
Jesus Was Victorious Over Death.
And We Have Hope That He’s Coming
Back For Us, So We’ll Enjoy An Eternal
Life Full Of Joy With Our Loving God!!!
The Wonder Of Christianity Is Love, Forgiveness, Hope And Everlasting Joy
(The Scripture Verses Below Articulate Just Some Of The Many Transformative Gifts Of God
God demonstrates his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. For God so loved the world that
he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world… And I, when I am lifted
up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame,
and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope
on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.
Then the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples:
‘He has risen from the dead…’”
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the
trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet theLordin the air.And so,we will be with the Lord forever…‘What no eye has
seen, no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’--the things God has prepared for those who lovehim.
Romans 5:8; John 3:16; John 16:33; John 12: 32, 33; Hebrews 12:2; 1 Peter 1:13; Matthew 28: 5-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 2:8-10. All verses use NIV® text.
© Global Institute For Transformation® (GIFT) www.institutefortransformation.org

Making The J.O.Y. Of Christmas Last All Year
Involves Our Loving Response
To God’s Incredible Love For Us.
Check Out The Following
Encouraging Scripture Verses:

Jesus said, “I have come to spread fire on the Earth,
and how I wish it were already blazing!” Luke 12: 49, NCB®
… Question: Does our world look ablaze today; and are we truly
“on-fire,” actively sharing God’s gift of His life-transforming love?
Let’s Fan The Flame Of Faith
© Global Institute For Transformation® (GIFT) www.institutefortransformation.org
Is Jesus’Goal
Your Goal?...

Scriptural Solution:
We Can’t Be Lukewarm;
We Need To Fan Into
Flame The Gift(s) Of
God We We’ve Been
Given!
I am reminded of your sincere faith,
which first lived in your grandmother
Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am
persuaded, now lives in you also. For
this reason I remind you to fan into
flame the gift of God, which is in you...
2 Timothy 1: 5-6
QUESTION: Are We
Too Lukewarm?

Let Your
Love Grow
“A new command I give you:
Love one another.
As I have loved you,
so you must love one another.
By this all men will know
that you are my disciples,
if you love one another.”-- Jesus
John 13: 34-35 NIV®

The Fragrance
Of Love
Be imitators of God, therefore,
as dearly loved children,
and live a life of love,
just as Christ loved us
and gave himself up for us
as a fragrant offering
and sacrifice
to God.
Ephesians 5: 1, 2 NIV®

The Secret To Being
A Happy Camper
Now that you have
purified yourselves
by obeying the truth
so that you have
sincere love
for your brothers… love one another
deeply,
from the heart.
1 Peter 1: 22 NIV®
Go Deep!

Life’s
Only Measure
Of Success
The only thing that counts
is faith
expressing itself through love.
Galatians 5: 6 NIV®

Choose Your Love Boat
Do not love the world or anything in the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man,
the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does
— comes not from the Father but from the world.
The world and its desires pass away
but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2: 15 – 17 NIV®

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.
Now remain in my love.
If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love…
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this,
that he lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command.” -- Jesus
John 15: 9-14 NIV®
There’s No Such Thing As A
Fair Weather Christian

“This is to my Father’s glory,
that you bear much fruit,
showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
- Jesus
John 15:8 NIV®
Be A
Fruit
Gusher

Do nothing out of selfish ambition
or vain conceit,
but in humility
consider others better
than yourselves.
Each of you should look
not only to your own interests,
but also to the interests of others.
Philippians 2: 3-4 NIV®
Other-wise:

Make Sure
Your Evidence
Results
In Conviction
“By this all men will know
that you are my disciples,
if you love one another.” Jesus
John 13:35 NIV®

May the Lord
direct your hearts
into God’s love and
Christ’s perseverance.
2 Thessalonians 3: 5 NIV®
Clear!

Making Service Transformational | USCCB
Act (on an issue/need)
Reflect (prayerfully, on the root cause)
Transform (the root cause/the world)
Microsoft Word - Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus Act-Reflect-
Transform essay.docx

Jesus Prayed For A United Body Of Christ To Best Show God’s Love To This World – So We Need To Unite In Love
Amid The Discord In Society-- Even Within The Church -- And In A Culture Where
So Many Have Left The Faith, God’s Church Needs Ambassadors Of A Unified
Community To Collaboratively Share His Gifts Of Love In Transformative Ways
Historyvalidates Jesus’concern thatadividedChurch Body would thwart sharing God’s love,
as was affirmed by the Chief of Nez Perce Reservation. Scripture says our loving God actually
'hates' those who foster disunity: “…things the Lord hates...one who sows discord among
brethren."(Proverbs 6:19, NKJV) So, it would begreattobe united asthe loving BodyofChrist
and to not risk impeding His love being spread or being on the wrong side of God.

GIFT’S Pursuit Of The Unity Our Lord Desires Can Bring People Comfort
-- Including In Engaging With A Community That Is Not In Conflict --
So We Can Bring Christ’s Gift Of Transformative Love To Our World

O
A Payer For Fervor
(All Year Long – Not Just During Christmas

A Christmas Reflection -- Experiencing The J.O.Y. Of Christmas All Year.pdf

More Related Content

Similar to A Christmas Reflection -- Experiencing The J.O.Y. Of Christmas All Year.pdf

More from TMaurer1

Recently uploaded

A Christmas Reflection -- Experiencing The J.O.Y. Of Christmas All Year.pdf