The Mistletoe Hung Where You Can See

Nothing sums up the meaning of Christmas better than John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he sent his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." It's easy to focus on the miraculous birth of Jesus, the wise men and the shepherds while never really focusing on the fact that Jesus' birth was a gift of love from God to us.

God loves us so much that he doesn't want us to spend eternity separated from him. His love is so great that he was willing to send his son to die as a sacrifice for our sins. God gives us a free gift borne out of His great love.

In the next few days before Christmas, don't forget to help your kids understand that the gift of Jesus comes from God's love for us. As a simple reminder of this, hang some mistletoe in your house. Mistletoe has traditionally been a symbol of love. You hang it in your house, and whoever is standing under it gets a kiss.

Hang some in your house and every time you kiss your child remind her that you love her and God does, too. Tell her that you're giving her a kiss to remind her that Jesus is God's gift of love.

In the busyness of the next few days, among all the baking, family events, church services, and gift-giving, give a kiss to remind everyone that Christmas is the season of love.