Advent (noun): the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given:" Isaiah 9:6a

There are various and sundry traditions when it comes to Christmas: decorating a tree, setting up a Nativity scene, hot cocoa and eggnog, caroling, making all kinds of sweets, and eating for days on end, just to name a few. Maybe most notably, though, is the tradition of gift giving.

As fun as it can be to anticipate the snow, the food, the family togetherness, and the gifts, wouldn't it be most gratifying to anticipate the greatest Gift of all? It can be easy to get so caught up in the material side of Christmas that we can quickly lose sight of the little fella that is at the center of our very Nativity scenes.

So our prayer for you, dear friend, is that your greatest anticipation this year is for God's Gift to us: Jesus. That's also our prayer for each of the kids, clients, and families that the ministry of Gateway Woods gets the honor of coming into contact with every day. If we don't point them to Jesus, our work is in vain. Merry Christmas!