Each year the full and part-time staff of ABCNJ meet at Camp Lebanon to celebrate Christmas...Lebanon style!  The entire group is treated to a wonderful meal prepared by Rev. Chaz Hutchison, Pastor of Scotch Plains Baptist Church. This year each person had a chance to share a joy, or two, as well as a prayer concern for the year.  Two hours later, after some tears and some cheers we moved to our traditional gag gift exchange game.  Each person selects a number and we pick from a pile of gifts with folks having the opportunity to select a gift that somone has already chosen or to select from the unopend gift pile.  Things were going along smoothly, much to all of our surprise, with everyone selecting an unopened gift. ...Then it happened... the ice was broken and the quietest gift exchange to that point was snapped!  Two gifts, in particular, were in hot demand.  A gift card for a popular coffee store and a gift card for music downloads were quickly whisked away from one person after another!  It is hard for me to believe that the rubber chicken stayed with it's origional selector!   Finally after all of the laughing died down we were able to end with another of our ABCNJ staff traditions shared at each and every team meeting.  We celebrated communion together!

My prayer this Christmas season is that your life will be filled with the peace and love of Jesus Christ.  I would also pray that some of your traditions bring you as much joy and happiness as ABCNJ's gag gift exchange brings the entire staff.