Three years ago, my husband and I got in on our first Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt with our daughter, son-in-law, and their three children. This was our third year – so now it’s a December tradition. We love it! You can find the scavenger hunt at familyfriendlyfrugality.com

The first two years we found everything on our list except for the lighted word NOEL. Yea for us! We found it this year! Even more exciting – it showed up on their street. We got 100% this year!

Lily, our 7 year-old granddaughter asked me what Noel means. Even though I sing the Christmas carol, The First Noel, I didn’t know the origin of Noel. After researching I found that it’s a French word which means Christmas season. The French word is nael and it is derived from the Latin word natalis which means birth. The birth of Christ was truly the beginning of the greatest event in the world’s history – the death and resurrection of Christ. The birth of Christ is not complete without rejoicing in the fact that Jesus’ death and resurrection is what truly turned things around in a sick and dark world. His resurrection continues to be the catalyst for turning things around on my messy days.

Here are truths that turn things around for me:

• I always hope when I am troubled. I have the hope of heaven and the hope of abundant life every day and right now. This hope is there for all who will humble themselves before the One who gave His all for them.
• I am perfectly loved.
• I am accepted just as I am.
• I have a friend who never lets me down. All I have to do is cry “help”. He is there regardless of the time of day.
• I can be free of any bondage because of the perfect One who has limitless power that he wants to make available to me, if I choose to do things his way.
• I can have peace because Jesus is peace.
• I do not lack, because Jesus is enough.
• I can find strength in exhaustion because he is strength and gives strength to the weary.
• I can take care of “me” in a way that is right and good because he guides and directs in a way that is best.
• I can depend on him to give me the aid I need to trust and obey.

Let us not allow ourselves to focus on any “I can’t” declarations for 2016, but add more and more “I cans”, and there are many.