By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

I’ve mentioned to you about the multi-state road trip that my wife and I took this past summer.  We made it a point to stop at every state’s welcome center, if they had one, or at least at a sign that represented that particular state.  As we entered Virginia and made one such stop, we spotted this sign — L – O – V – E.  In much smaller letters, it also says, “Virginia is for Lovers.”

We use that word “Love” entirely too loosely in our world.  We love fried chicken, we love our dog, we love sunny weather, we love it when our ball team wins, and we love our spouses and children.  True love was born many, many years ago.  His name is Jesus.  Emmanuel.  God with us.  He came as a tiny helpless baby, was laid in a dirty cattle feeding trough, and became our Savior of this world.
I realize that with the way things work, you may read this before Christmas, you may not see it until New Year’s, or even after that.  But my “thought” and the message of the season remains the same no matter when you read it.  God is Love.  The Scripture says so!

God is Love.  God is Jesus Christ.  You can’t spell “Christmas” without “Christ,” and if He is Love, then you can’t have Christmas without Love.

So from me and mine to you and yours, I love you and wish you the absolute most blessed CHRISTmas you could possibly have.  Share His love like you share the other gifts of Christmas!  There’s more than enough to go around as we end this year and begin a new one.

Just a thought.