(to read the entire post click on the above title “22 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS”)

Part 1 What

Yesterday I had lunch with some precious ladies.  They pray every Monday at our church. I gave them “Christmas Symbolism” and “To:You  From:God” handouts. 

The “Christmas Symbolism” explains what I believe different Christmas decorations mean or represent. And the “To: You  From: God” explains all the gifts that God gives to us and where they can be found in scripture.

Part 2 Why

I gave my dear friends these two handouts because I “deck the halls, walls, and every other available space” in my home at Christmas.  I love both decorating and explaining why I do what I do.  To me Christmas is a great time to share my faith with anyone who comes into my home.  Although I share my faith all year round, when my Christmas decorations get noticed a special conversation happens that might not come at any other time of the year.

Prayer

Lord thank You for loving us so much that You sent us Your Son, Christ Jesus to save us, to rescue us (Galatians 1:4 NIV).    Lord thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit to guide us (Acts 2:38 NIV).  Lord thank You for giving us faith to believe and profess our trust in Your Son (Romans 12:3 NIV; Romans 10:10 NIV).  Lord thank You for giving us eternal encouragement and good hope (II Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIV). Thank You Christ Jesus for loving us and giving Yourself to us (Galatians 2:20 NIV). Thank You for salvation through Your sacrifice on the cross (Acts 4:12 NIV; I Thessalonians 5:9 NIV).  Lord thank You for giving us wisdom (Proverbs 2:6 NIV; James 1:5 NIV).  Lord thank You for giving us joy (I Thessalonians 1:6 NIV).  Lord thank You for giving us eternal life with You (Romans 6:23 NIV).  Lord thank You for Your indescribable gift of grace (II Corinthians 9:14-15 NIV). Lord thank You for Your great and precious promises (II Peter 1:3-4 NIV).  Lord thank You for giving us life (John 6:33, 35 NIV).  Lord thank You for giving us Living Water (John 4:10 NIV).  Lord thank You for giving us peace (John 14:27 NIV). Lord thank You for the ministry of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18 NIV).  Lord thank You for giving us strength to serve You (I Timothy 1:12 NIV). Lord thank You for the gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17 NIV).  Lord thank You for giving us understanding, so that we may know You who are the true God (I John 5:20 NIV).  Lord thank You for giving us everything we need for a godly life.  (II Peter 1:3 NIV).  In Christ Jesus’ name I pray.  AMEN. 

Scripture prayed in the above prayer are listed later in this post.

Part 3 How

I’m including the contents of each handout so you can make your own.  First the “Christmas Symbolism.”  Copy and paste in a blank document the following information. 

Angels – proclaimed the Good News (Luke 2:13-14 AMP).

Bow/ribbons – represent the bonds of brotherly love.  We are all God’s children. (II Peter 1:7 AMP).

Candles – represent Jesus, the Light of the world (Luke 1:79 AMP; John 8:12 AMP).

Candy canes – represent the Shepherd’s staff; Jesus was called the Good Shepherd (Luke 2:8 AMP).

Christmas bells – represent the call to mankind to worship the Lord (Luke 19:10 AMP).

Christmas cards – represent the sending of the Word of God to all the world (Mark 16:15 AMP).

Christmas music – remind us angels sang to welcome Jesus into the world (Luke 2:13-14 AMP).

Christmas trees – represent eternal life (Proverbs 11:30 AMP).

Christmas cookies – remind us Jesus created us each one of a kind, special and unique. (I Corinthians 7:17 AMP).

Crown/wreath – a circle with no beginning or end to remind us of God (Revelation 19:12 AMP); also represents the crown of thorns Jesus wore when He was crucified (John 19:2 AMP).

Dove – represents the Holy Spirit and peace

Evergreen trees – represent eternal life (John 3:16 AMP).

Gifts – represent a precious gift from our Heavenly Father, He gave us His only begotten Son, our Savior, Christ Jesus (Romans 6:23 AMP).

Gifts – represent the gifts given to Jesus: gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:1, 11 AMP). Gold – represents our temporal needs (II Corin. 5:1 AMP); Frankincense – represents our spiritual needs (I Corinthians 1:5 AMP); Myrrh – represents the importance of taking care of our body (Mark 15:23 AMP).

Holly Berries – represent the blood Christ Jesus shed for us (Matthew 26:28 AMP).

Nativity Scene – represents where Jesus was born (Luke 2:7 AMP).

Poinsettia – The shape of the poinsettia flower and leaves are sometimes thought to be a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem which led the wise men to Jesus. The red leaves symbolize the blood of Christ.  The white leaves represent His purity.

Santa Claus – represents generosity and good will (II Corinthians 9:11 AMP).

Star – reminds us of the star over Bethlehem for the wise men to follow (Matthew 2:2).

Next change the font to “Times New Roman” and the size to “13.” Then click on to “PAGE LAYOUT” and click on the “Orientation” down arrow and choose “Landscape.” Click on the “Columns” down arrow and choose “Two.”  Then click on “Margins” and select “Custom Margins” at the bottom of the choices.   Set top and bottom margins at 0.8” and the left and right margins at 1.0”.   Next check (still under “PAGE LAYOUT”) the “Spacing” and make sure “Before” and “After” are set at 0 pt. 

Once this is all done your handout is ready for you to add a title.  Advance to the second page, second column and space it however you choose.  You can use my title “Christmas Symbolism” or come up with one of your own. 

When you’re ready to print click on “FILE” And select “Print.”   Then click on “Print One Sided” and select “Print on Both Sides Flip page on short edge.”  Then click on “Print” in the box in the top left corner.

Next the “TO: YOU  FROM: GOD” content is below.   Copy and paste in a blank document the following information. 

JESUS CHRIST

Galatians 1:4 NIV (Jesus Christ) gave (gifted us) Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father; John 3:16 For God so loved the world He gave us (gifted us with) His Only Begotten Son (Jesus Christ).

HOLY SPIRIT

Acts 2:38 NIV Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

FAITH

Romans 12:3 NIV For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed (gifted) to each of you. Romans 10:10 NIV For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

HOPE

II Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIV May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us (gifted us with) eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

LOVE

Galatians 2:20 NIV I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (gifted Himself to me).

SALVATION

 Acts 4:12 NIV Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given (gifted) to mankind by which we must be saved.” I Thessalonians 5:9 NIV For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive (be gifted with) salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

WISDOM

Proverbs 2:6 NIV For the Lord gives (gifts us with) wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. James 1:5 NIV If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given (gifted) to you.

JOY

I Thessalonians 1:6 NIV You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given (gifted to us) by the Holy Spirit.

ETERNAL LIFE

Romans 6:23 NIV For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

GRACE

II Corinthians 9:14-15 NIV … (It is) surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES

II Peter 1:3-4 NIV  His (God’s) divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given (gifted to) us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

LIFE

John 6:33, 35 NIV “For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives (gifts) life to the world.”… Then Jesus declared, “I Am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.” John 5:21 NIV For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives (gifts) life to whom He is pleased to give it.

LIVING WATER

John 4:10 NIV  Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you (gifted you with) Living Water.” Revelation 22:17 NIV The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, Come!” Let the one who  is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the Water of Life.

PEACE

John 14:27 NIV “Peace I (Jesus) leave with you; My peace I give (gift to) you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

RECONCILATION

II Corinthians 5:18 NIV All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us (gifted us with) the ministry of reconciliation:

STRENGTH

I Timothy 1:12 NIV  I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me (gifted me with) strength, that He considered me trustworthy, appointing me to His service.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

Romans 5:17 NIV  For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

UNDERSTANDING

I John 5:20 NIV We know also that the Son of God has come and has given (gifted to) us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true by being in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

EVERYTHING WE NEED

II Peter 1:3 NIV His divine power has given us (gifted to us) everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

To print this handout I had to set up my document differently. Change the font to “Time New Romans” and the size to “14.” Click “FILE” then “Print” then “Page Setup” at the bottom of selections. Change Multiple pages from “Normal” to “Book fold.” Then click “ok” at the bottom right. 

Examine layout of your document.  If any titles need to be advanced to be with their content go back by clicking on back arrow <- located at the top left of the page and correct document.

Then go to “FILE” again.  Click on “Print” and check all pages again.  Before you print your handout check “Print On Both Sides flip page on short edge” has been selected.

To make a cover for this handout go to a blank document.  Type the  title – TO: YOU  FROM: GOD or come up with one of your own.  Then click on “PAGE LAYOUT.”  Click on “Orientation” down arrow and select “Landscape.” Click on “Column” down arrow and select “Two.” Advance your title to the second column. Click on “HOME” and select Font and size. Center your title. Click on “FILE” and “Print.” 

Well I believe I’ve given you all the instructions, but if you find something is not working for you or if you find a mistake in anything I’ve posted please let me know.  At dona@scripturecrafts.com or awwjdseeker@bellsouth.net  In the subject space type scripturecrafts.com.  Thanks, Dona