This Christmas, let's be thankful for how much we have and how little we need to truly celebrate Jesus' gift.

Joy in Christ can permeate the darkest of days and supersede the greatest of times. I pray that we would come to deeply know and experience this joy today and in the days to come.

And yet, in the midst of a year filled with much hate, division, tragedy and death – the hope, peace, joy and love of Christ are so apparent and real to me. The name Immanuel means "God with us." Psalm 23 says: "even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are WITH me." This is why God sent His son Jesus to earth – so that even in our darkest days, we would truly know and experience the hope, peace, joy and love of Immanuel, God with us.