“Ever since my first year at DL (when I gave my life to Christ) this has been a very special place to me.”

The following came to mind in the context of this quote from a note to me when we retired from DL.

At DL, the actual time spent in the verbal expression of the nature of God and the Christian faith/life is a small proportion of five days: Quiet time of 15 minutes before breakfast, 10 minutes of singing and 12 minutes of After Breakfast Bible Study, and perhaps 15 minutes for cabin devotionals. Less than 1 hour out of 16.

A key reason Deerfoot Lodge has such a huge impact upon the lives of campers and staff is that during the other 15 hours of the day the staff seeks to live lives that are pleasing to God.

The greatest gift you can give those around you is to live your life pleasing to God; to work at doing what is right every time! This includes being honest every time.

Keep this in mind when dealing with everyone you meet. Everyone. Those you live with, ride with, work with, play with, those you work for, and those who work for you, those with a need, your teachers or students, those you do business with, those on your church staff.

As you seek to do what is right, please remember that God knows we cannot be sinless. This is why Christ came to earth! “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His Word has no place in our lives.´ I John 1:8-10

Back to your Christmas present. When we live lives pleasing to God – lives where we work at doing what is right every time – those around us will benefit (“love your neighbor”) and we will benefit (“as yourself”) and God will be pleased and lifted up! When we live self-centered, selfish lives, our lives that do not show love or the fruit of The Spirit, and those around us are hurt – and we are hurt.

Christmas Gift? Focus on living the way Jesus Christ lived – including forgiving 70 X 7.

When you do – you will be loving your neighbor (your closest neighbor is your family)….and yourself.

When you do – you will be living In Partnership With God…and this will encourage others who have given their lives to Christ.

If you wonder how God would have you live, begin with reading your Bible – and work at doing what it says in the context of this period of history. Read I Corinthians 13:4-7 and Galatians 5:22.