Passion City Church You Are Taking Jesus To The Children Of Atlanta With "CHRISTMAS SMILE A BOOK FOR EVERY CHILD."

An invite was extended to me the other day to attend a church service at Passion City Church. I went and felt the love of Jesus in this church. They have an abundance of greeters as you approach the church entrance and even as you walk down the corridor. Smiling, sincere faces there to greet you with a warm smile and welcoming words of kindness also. They also have greeters that are there outside as you leave the church thanking you for attending the service and wishing you well for the week ahead. I like that concept, to not just greet people attending the church service as you walk through the doors of the church but there encouraging you as you leave the church also. That is a thoughtful church that is reaching out to those that attend the church. I really do like that concept, not to just greet as they enter the church but a final greeting of encouragement as you leave the doors of the church.
The worship is amazing. I think I shared with you that I sense the presence of Jesus during worship at times and I did experience that when I visited this church. It was not until the last worship song was sung before the preaching of the word of God. It happened to be a hymn that just brought a few tears to my eyes, the sweet presence of Jesus in the church. Oh how I love to worship. That is in my heart, that is a portion of what God created me to do. Thank God He did create me like this for that is what we will do in heaven for all eternity, worhsip God. Just the mere thought of that sets any chains that are holding me back in my life to be released that I will finally be who I was created to be in the presence of God. Imagine this too I will have this amazing freedom for all eternity. It truly does make one want Jesus to come today so we can be what we were initially created to be before the sin of man entered the world through Adam and Eve.
During the service they showed a video clip of what "Christmas Smile A Book For Every Child" is all about. Just by hearing about it it touched my heart and Holy Spirit spoke to my heart to purchase a book in the name of each of my children. Reading is such a big think in my life and one of my children has always been an avid reader since they were a child and still enjoys reading as an adult. I look at reading a book as an adventure. By picking up a good book it allows you to go on a journey through the words penned by the author. You may never have the opportunity in your lifetime to travel outside of the city of where you were raised but through reading a book it can take you to destinies around the world by just sitting in your home and reading about it through the experiences of another. After the service I let one of my children know I was going to purchase a book for them and their sibling. Their response to me was that they were going to purchase their own book so I then purchased a book for a child from my other child and one from me. I think I did a good job on picking out the books. Remember, my children are now grown so I do not have a good pulse point on current books that children may love to read currently. My child pointed out to me a book that I think they read when they were little so that is the one I selected to buy on behalf of my child. The book I selected to purchase from me was "Giraffes Can't Dance." It looked so inviting by the cover and flipping through the pages. They then provide bookmarks with an encouraging saying on them and you are allowed to personalize a message for the child that will receive the book to encourage them. The church will then wrap all of the books and they will then distribute them to the children the week of 12/16-12/20. The book titles I selected, one will go to a first grade student and one to a third grade student.
If you should feel compelled to share the gift of reading with a child in the Metro Atlanta region I would contact the church for further details. Remember in the bible when they were trying to push back the children from Jesus and He corrected them? He told them to bring unto Him the little children and He also reminds us to come to Him with the faith like a child. Jesus loves children. Remember, as an adult we were a child at one time in our lives so even though we may be grown adults I still believe in my heart that God still sees us as His child so continue to have that child like faith which pleases God. If you never operated in child like faith it is still not too late to do so starting now in your life. What is child like faith? It is the simple faith that a child has. Remember when someone promised to do something with you as a child and you would not let them forget it? That is child like faith. You hang onto those very words of that promise spoken to you and you do not let go of it until it is fulfilled because a child believes someone when they tell them they are going to do something. Parents be cautious of what you tell your children you are going to do for them for they will hold you accountable until it comes to pass. I am going to be honest with you, there probably have been things when my children were little that I said we would do or get or things of that nature and I most likely did let them down. As a more mature adult and when I look back at myself as a younger parent I see things that I may have done differently now as being a bit more wise and mature. I did the best I could back then but I wonder why it is not reversed that one has great knowledge as a young parent and that they have to wait until their children are grown to get that really good wisdom/knowledge. Maybe it is, so we can then share with grandchildren or even our children when they become parents. I guess that is part of the maturing process.
I fondly remember that relatives and friends would bless my children throughout their lives with books. They would write endearing words in the inside jacket of the book along with a date or year the book was being given to them. I just loved the great books they were blessed to receive as gifts too. I have done this also for my children when they were young. Just a gentle suggestion, if you know anyone that has a little child why not take time out of your busy schedule to go on an adventure to a book store and purchase a book for them to read. There is one thing I do like that a fast food establishment practices. They will put a book in their "kids meal" as the treat/toy/prize.