1. As you stand at the check-out counter at the grocery store, pay the bill for the person in front of you. If you have an extra $50, don't make such an offer if they have a $150 total. Or you may decide to pay for someone's gas at the service station. You'll be dispensing unmerited grace. That's what God did for us in sending Jesus. It will make you feel good all under.

2. Plan to attend a Christmas Eve Service somewhere. This is a time I suggest to you to dress up and make the rest of the family dress up; usually I don't. But Christmas Eve is so very special. It's the birthday bash of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We'd dress up for Queen Elizabeth's birthday party, wouldn't we? Plus, Christmas Eve is a time when people are not looking at what you wear. Not enough illumination with candlelight, you know. So, your coat and pants don't have to match. Plus, you'll get to wear that tie given to you last year.

3. Before you begin eating your Christmas ham or Christmas turkey, dust off the family Bible and read Luke 2: 1-20. That's right, right in front of your carnal, unchurched family members. They don't have to be spiritual for you to be spiritual. Plan it ahead and do it. I promise you most of the people at your Christmas table will be happy you did it. They'll feel good

all over.

4. Determine how much you spent on your biggest gift this Christmas and then give an equal amount to your church or a nearby church. This will be a muchly appreciated gift. At the end of the year churches are struggling to pay all the bills (including the Christmas Eve expenses) and be faithful to all their mission causes. Your church will be there for you in 1999 (whether through sickness, death, divorce, whatever), so why not be there for the church at the end of the 1998. The Lord himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." And what better place to give than to your local church. My address is ....

5. Now if you really want to get serious about redeeming your Christmas with a measure of spirituality, give God all your sin load. That is, give over to God all your sins, knowing that He has given you the free gift of eternal life and a forever cancellation of all your sins and mistakes and failures. But you have to give them to God. It's called confession. Then, look toward 1999 with a clean slate and a new resolution of righteousness.

So, from me and my family Mary Ann and Anna - we wish all my merry readers a Spirit-filled Christmas. May this one be the best one yet!

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