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As followers of Jesus, we’re called to live a life of love and forgiveness toward all people, including our enemies. It can be challenging to love those who have hurt us or treated us unfairly, but Jesus taught us to love and pray for our enemies.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:43-45).This is a radical statement, and it challenges our natural inclination to seek revenge or hold a grudge. But Jesus asks us to rise above and not to become a slave to our emotions, but rather to respond with love instead.

When we choose to love our enemies, we are reflecting the character of God, who loves all people, regardless of their actions or beliefs (even when some may not love him in return). Jesus himself washed the feet of Judas, fed him, and taught him as he did his other disciples even though he knew Judas would one day betray him. As we follow Jesus' example, we become more like Him and are able to show His love to others, even to those we may not feel deserve it.

Loving our enemies also has practical benefits. It can lead to reconciliation and healing, both for ourselves and for those we have conflicts with. It can also break down barriers and promote understanding, creating opportunities for dialogue and peaceful resolution.But loving our enemies doesn’t mean condoning their actions or excusing their behavior. It means recognizing their humanity, that they were made in the image of God, and choosing to respond with compassion and forgiveness, even in the face of injustice or harm.

At GiveSendGo, we understand that learning to love our enemies isn’t an easy journey. As a faith-based freedom-loving crowdfunding platform, we’ve faced our fair share of criticism and opposition over the years. However, we choose to respond with kindness and respect, seeking to understand and address concerns in a positive manner. Our commitment to love and forgiveness is rooted in our faith in Jesus, and we strive to reflect His character in all that we do. We remain steadfast in our mission to help people come together in times of need and share the love and hope of Jesus with all who come our way.

So let’s obey and practice Jesus' call to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Let’s trust in His grace and mercy to guide us as we seek to follow His example of love and forgiveness in our daily lives.

8 Creative Christmas Activities to do with your Kids! 

From children's ministries to being creative with our own kids, the GiveSendGo creative team has come up with a few ideas for your family to spend some quality time in a creative way 

Make a popcorn garland 
A Christmas family favorite in our house! It’s simple, all you need is 2 day old popcorn, fishing wire, and a needle ( you can buy plastic ones for the kids! ) This will be an hour or so of the little people stringin’, maybe a little bit of singin’, and of course eating way too much stale popcorn!

Write a letter to santa and ‘send it’
Your kids may have written to Santa already, but here is an idea to make memories out of it! Once your kids have written a letter to the big man in red, place the letter in your mailbox. Later before the mail comes to be picked up, grab the letters and put them in a box somewhere you won't lose them. When your kids are older, maybe even when they have their own kids, you can pull out these timecaples and share with your grandkids what their parents wanted when they were younger!

Decorate their room with paper snowflakes!
This time of year, the common areas of your house will usually have Christmas decorations, but why stop there! I remember decorating my room as a kid was THE BEST feeling!  Grab a pair of scissors a white piece of paper and, of course, the tried and true, watch a ‘how to’ video on YouTube. 

Create, with salt dough
When I first saw this idea, I was amazed how simple, yet creative it was! You can create playdough using only 3 ingredients: water, salt and flour! With this you can build the nativity scene with the animals, a manger, baby Jesus, and so much more! You can also create ornaments with the playdoh, just poke a hole through the top, bake at 225F for 90 minutes, wait to cool down and hang-up!

Go see christmas lights 
Going to see the houses and cities participating in putting up Christmas lights to spread holiday cheer is the perfect recipe for memories in the making! The stunning and creative Christmas light displays are a special treat for all ages. Add 1 cup of hot chocolate to make the night even more special!

Bake Christmas cookies
There are tons of quick and easy cookie recipes to help you with this one! To make them more festive you can add red and green sprinkles! Gingerbread men cookies are fun to bake and decorate too! 

Gingerbread houses
If you made gingerbread men, might as well give them a good place to live! A fun, festive and sweet way to get your kids creativity flowing! 

Be generous
We might be biased, but here at GiveSendGo we think giving is a GREAT activity to do as a family. Take a look at our campaigns on GiveSendGo with your family and choose someone in need who could use your families help. 

May this season be filled with so many special memories for your family that will be remembered for a lifetime! Lastly, remember, the reason for the season! Our King, the Saviour of the world was born!

Remembering The Best Teacher 

Think back to when you were growing up. Do you remember your favorite teacher? Was it a patient teacher who listened when you had something to say? Or maybe it was a teacher who was so genuinely invested in you that you felt like you could do anything. Did a name pop into your head? (The name might be one of a family member if you were homeschooled!)

Whoever the name belongs to, looking back they were probably just like you now. A person who has burdens, stress, and all the “fun” adult responsibilities that come with having a job, like teaching, but then chooses to leave the weight of it all outside the classroom for the sake of the students. Why? Because those teachers knew how to love people well even when being a teacher was hard!

Our biggest teacher here at GiveSendGo has taught us that time and time again, even in the midst of nasty messages and emails, pressure from the media, and other factors. That teacher's name is Jesus. We want to love people regardless of who they are, what they look like, or who they voted for...just like Jesus did. 

As Christians, we want to grow more like Jesus every day. Having the profession of a teacher is an honor that goes unnoticed and unappreciated most of the time, but can make such a great difference in the life of a student. We see that in the gospels when Jesus is teaching the crowds, his disciples, or even an outcast. Jesus explained things in a way that made it easier for all different kinds of people to understand, just like teachers do! He knew one style of teaching wasn't fit for all, he understood having patience in the midst of being asked a million questions all at once, and he fostered people’s gifts and helped them grow in skill and understanding! We see this in everyday teaching and schooling. It’s never one size fits all! 

If you’re a teacher or you know a teacher, encourage and pray for them this upcoming school season. Start a GiveSendGo campaign for them to help with purchasing back-to-school supplies!
 
Whether it’s in your home or at a classroom, teachers are hardworking people who know how to love so well, like Jesus did, and we appreciate you!