Black Friday madness, or is it?

This past weekend was the busiest in the shopping calendar for the year. Retailers had been meticulously planning for it since the beginning of the year or even before that! Amidst the barrage of emails and pop-up ads I got in the lead up to Black Friday, all I could feel brewing on the inside of me was the near-delirium at the thought of the fast-approaching Christmas season. My daughter and I are 'Christmas bunnies', you see. We spent much of our weekend putting up the Christmas tree and decorations, and spreading some Christmas cheer in the form of Advent calendar gifts.

Now don't blame me, I've always been enamoured of Christmas. I have memory after memory of beautiful Christmastimes, going back to my childhood. I remember feeling cute as I went to church in my brand-new outfit on each Christmas Day, and round-the-clock feasting in dusty-red Benin City, where I grew up. More recently, my Christmas memories include going to see the Christmas lights in the West End, listening to carols and Christmas songs blaring across the Tannoy in shops as I do my Saturday shopping, and candlelight carol singing in church the week before Christmas.

For me, Christmastime is a beautiful time of year - a time of increased generosity, of showing others that you care and of good cheer.  If the scramble for last-minute Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals is anything to go by, I would say that many people share this same sentiment. People acquire presents for loved ones (and themselves!) in time for Christmas. If you've done all your Christmas shopping, well done, you! If not, don't despair, you still have a couple of weeks to get and wrap your presents. But remember, not all gifts have to be bought! In fact, some of the best gifts are those that money can't buy, like spending some quality time together with your gran doing some of the things she loves or phoning your friend to whom you haven't been able to speak to since she said those really unkind things about you last year to tell her that you forgive her.  Consider giving a different type of gift this Christmas season. 

Christmas is indeed about gifts. Yes, it is about giving gifts but it is also very much about receiving gifts. Now, who doesn't like getting presents?! Most of us know the nativity story but have you ever really considered its true relevance? The most special gift that we have or will ever receive is the gift of Christmas - God's special envoy to the world, in the person of His one and only son, Jesus.

Jesus Christ is offering you His free gift of COFFEE. Yes, free coffee! But no, not the Starbucks or Costa type of coffee. It's on offer this Christmas and every Christmas, and in fact, every single day! "What's she on about?", I hear you say.

C.O.F.F.E.E.   
Christ Offers Forgiveness For Everyone Everywhere



John 3 verse 16 of the Bible says that because God loves the world so much, He gave His one and only son (Jesus Christ) so that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have everlasting life. 

That offer of forgiveness and eternal life is still very much on the table for you today. Do you realise that God Almighty, the Creator of the Universe, longs to have a relationship with you?  If you want to know more, get in touch.

Christmas is a time to love and be loved.