Jesus' Birthday Wish - A Children's Book

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

The greatest gift ever given to the world is often left unopened on Christmas morning. It sits humbly wrapped, no fancy wrapping or bows. Just plain brown paper and twine.

Every other gift - toys, jewels, clothes, gift cards, and money hurriedly torn open to enjoy. Soon everyone walks away, while the Father who loving placed the gift on the tree for His children to receive is left unopened.

Brokenhearted the Father wonders why His children cannot see that under the plain wrapping lies a incomparable treasure beneath. A treasure beyond all worldly treasures. A treasure that unlocks the gates of heaven where peace, joy, and love abound.

Soon, a little boy returns to take one last look at that tree. His heart quickens as he curiously picks up the humble little box and wonders, "Could this gift be for me?"
He softly hears a whisper, "Yes, my son, open it up and you will see My heart longs for thee."

Often in the hustle and bustle of Christmas, we forget WHO we are celebrating. As parents, we want to give our children the perfect Christmas morning filled with presents underneath the tree. However, as every parent knows, every gift eagerly expected from their Santa list is soon forgotten and broken. Those gifts are temporary. Enjoyed for a season. The greatest gift we can give our children is an understanding and appreciation of who's birthday we are celebrating - Jesus' birthday. The gift of Jesus is eternal.

Some dismiss the true reason for the season by saying, "Well, we don't know if Jesus was even born on December 25th." No we don't. But it's a day that has been set apart to remember the gift of eternal life given to us by God, the Father, who sacrificed His own Son for us. Just like we take communion to remember Jesus' death on the cross, we celebrate Christmas to remember that God stepped out of heaven, put on flesh, and became Emmanuel - God with us.

This children's book, Jesus' Birthday Wish, takes your imagination on a journey into the heart and mind of Jesus. If Jesus could have one birthday wish, what would He wish for? Beautifully illustrated by my friend, Deborah Delaney, her  illustrations capture the wonder of Christmas on every page.

What does Jesus wish for Christmas? To be invited into our Christmas celebrations. His heart for all - yes the naughty and the nice - is that we would seek Him, receive Him, love Him as He loves us.

Deborah's and my wish for this Christmas book is that it is gifted to family and friends who need to know Jesus. We have included the salvation message and prayer. Give the eternal gift of the Gospel this Christmas. God has promised that His Word will never come back void. His Word will do what He wants it to do and accomplish what He intends. (Isaiah 55:11) Our job is to send it out. God takes it from there.

May you have a blessed Christmas this year.
Love,
Yolanda

Book Available on Amazon

Invest in the Kingdom

So, this morning I woke up pretty depressed about the election results.
I was truly expecting a miracle for my beloved California.
I’d seen a miracle in 2016 and I expected that same type of miracle on November 6th.
California workers are burdened by excess taxes and now it seems as if more taxes are coming our way. Yay!
Our economy is one of the worst in the nation, and businesses and families are fleeing the state in search of better work opportunities. Crime will increase as we become a sanctuary state with open borders. I could go on and on but I will just get more depressed.

Now you know why I was really praying for a miracle turnaround for California.
I found myself asking God, “Did I not pray enough? Should I have fasted? Did Christians pray more in 2016?”

Logically, I know there is nothing more I could have done.
I prayed. I voted. And, I prayed some more.
God is in control. He rules over nations and over every leader in the government. Nothing is done outside of His plan and purposes. Now I have to trust in one of my favorite scripture verses, “God works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

As I got into my car to go to work, I felt the LORD impress upon my heart, “Invest in the Kingdom. Don’t worry about anything else.” 

What does that mean?

It means that in the time I have left on this side of heaven, I’m to invest in the Kingdom of God. My time, finances, hopes, dreams, efforts, and purpose in life have got to be kingdom driven. Everything else in this life is temporary. The only thing eternal is what we do for God.

I love the way the Message Bible says it:
Matthew 6:19-21 (MSG)
Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or – worse! –stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.
6:34 (MSG)
Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up then the time comes.

And therein lies my hope. The fate of California is out of my control. California is in God’s hands. I’m commanded by God in the Bible to pray for my government leaders, whether I voted for them or not, so I will continue to pray for California. And, I will continue to vote for Biblical principles.
But, God's instruction for me are clear, "Yolanda, give your attention to what God is doing right now! Don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever comes your way."

I feel better now. Like my good friend likes to sing, "God is on the move, on the move, on the move." So, my brothers and sisters in Christ, it's time to buckle up because where God moves is where we want to be.

Love,
Yolanda