Christmas in July

I painted this pail of candy canes for fun last Christmas.

Christmas is my favorite time of year. Every where you go things are bright, shiny, and festive. This year I'm starting to think about it a bit earlier than I usually do for a very special reason. I'm talking about Operation Christmas Child! I have actively participated in operation Christmas child for almost 10 years. A couple of years ago we felt we called to leave the church I grew up in (Beech Street First Baptist- Mike Huckabee used to be the minister there, and he is the one who baptized me when I was almost 9). We are now members of Trinity Presbyterian which is a much smaller church, but last year I was able to help introduce Operation Christmas Child and we were astounded by the response. Everyone I know has gotten involved. Next Sunday our church is going to be having Happy Meal lunches so we can all put the toys into our collection pile to get it all kicked off. Operation Christmas Child is an awesome ministry. If you aren't familiar with it, you pack shoe boxes with toys, toiletries, and school supplies. Each shoe box is delivered to a child living in the poorest parts of the world, and they are given a book in their own language that shares the story of Jesus. For most of these children it is the only gift they've ever received. I've heard stories about children whose entire families get excited about a bar of soap and a tooth brush. Operation Christmas Child has been able to go places that no one else can go. Even North Korea has allowed this ministry to enter their country. If you've never been apart of Operation Christmas Child I encourage you to. It is such a blessing to be able to reach out and make a difference in someone's life with a simple gift!