We had our annual Christmas function at the church. After the regular Sunday morning service, we had a pot-luck dinner and exchanged gifts. The men brought a man’s gift, and the women brought a woman’s gift, and the children did the same for each other, and, we had extra gifts for visitors. It was good to observe lots of people being delighted with and enjoying their gift. Afterwards some young ones and adults got on the mike and sang Christmas carols and other songs with piano accompaniment. My wife, Barbara, plays by just hearing music, so she can just pick up a tune and go with it in the key the people are singing. We all had just a good ole’ time. Concerning gifts, one of the gifts that I ended up with was a tin of butter cookies. I’ve never seen any butter cookies like these before, and boy are they good! They are kind of soft, and they crumble in your mouth with a good buttery flavor. It’s hard to quit eating them! But I’ve got to if I’m going to finish this article! We all enjoy lots of good things in life. God has purposed give us gifts to help us enjoy life. Jesus plainly said the thief (the devil) has come to steal, kill and destroy, but He said “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Life in this world brings its challenges and “bad things.” God does not bring them, but you can know that when we face the challenges and go through the “bad things,” He is right there to help us and teach us how to overcome. It all started in the garden of Eden. “Eden” comes from a word meaning “pleasure.” God originally put man in a garden of pleasure. God’s intention was for man to enjoy life, so God’s gift to man was a garden filled with good things. Sin messed it up, but Jesus came and fixed it up. He gave Himself as the gift so we can have life. Life is being connected to Him in spirit. That is being born again. We are born again when we really see that our connection with God is by the righteous sacrifice that Jesus became for us. When we see that what Jesus did for us is what makes us right with God, we are connected to God by the Holy Spirit. With that connection of God’s life, we can yield our life to Him and be filled with His Spirit with that life more abundantly. In the Spirit there are good gifts that God wants to share with us to enable us to overcome all things. God’s season of gifts is year-round—the gift of Jesus, the gift of life in Christ and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. God’s peace on earth and good will toward men are year-round gifts to all who will believe and receive Jesus.