> IT'S A GREAT

OPPORTUNITY TO TELL

PEOPLE THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT

JESUS.

THE COMING OF GOD TO

TRANSFORM OUR

WORLD AND TO TRANSFORM ALL

OUR LIVES.

GETTING BACK TO THE REAL

MEANING

OF CHRISTMAS AND HOW THEY

ARE USING

THEIR TALENT TO POINT PEOPLE

TO

CHRIST DURING THIS HOLIDAY

SEASON.

PLUS, JESUS HAS A PURPOSE

FOR A

SOUL, BUT I NEVER THOUGHT IT

HAD A

PURPOSE FOR ME.

SEE HOW A LIFE WITH NO

MEANING HAD

A PURPOSE.

AND WHAT IS CHANGING IN

INDIA.

THE ONLY THING YOU HAVE

CONTROL

OVER IS YOUR REACTION.

FAMILY TIES AND HOLIDAYS

GO HAND

IN HAND.

WE HAVE WHAT TIPS YOU NEED

TO DEAL

WITH DIFFICULT RELATIVES.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US

FOR THIS

HOLIDAY SPECIAL, I'M FREM

GRAHAM.

THE TIME IS TO CELEBRATE OUR

TIME

WITH OUR FAMILY BUT A LOT OF

PEOPLE

ARE FEELING STRESS. IT'S

TIME TO TAKE

HEART BECAUSE THERE IS

INDEED HOPE

FOR THE HOPELESS THIS

HOLIDAY SEASON.

DURING THE CHRISTMAS

SEASON,

COMMERCIALS LIKE THIS SEEM

TO BE

EVERYWHERE.

OUR CHRISTMAS IS NEVER AS

GOOD AS

A PEPSI COLA COMMERCIAL.

WE CREATE SUCH ACHIEVEMENT

THAT IT

BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO

REACH.

STILL WE TRY TO SHOP

UNTIL WE DROP.

42% OF AMERICANS SAY

CHRISTMAS IS

STRESSFUL, NEARLY 60% CARRY

CHRISTMAS

DEBT INTO THE NEXT YEAR AND

45% SAY

THE FINANCIAL STRAIN MAKES

THEM WANT

TO SKIP CHRISTMAS

ALTOGETHER.

THE HIGHER EXPECTATION,

THE GREAT

EXPECTATIONS WE CREATE.

HERE WE FIND SOMEONE WHO

CALLS

CHRISTMAS, SHOPPER PHOBIA.

IT'S WHEN IT BECOMES A

BUSY TIME

AND CREATES ISOLATION AND

LONELINESS.

IN THE PUBLICATION, WHY

CHRISTMAS,

IT BECOMES A TRUE HOME WITH

THE LORD.

IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY

TO TELL

PEOPLE THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT

JESUS.

THE COMING OF GOD TO THIS

EARTH TO

TRANSFORM OUR WORLD AND OUR

LIVES.

A FORMER ATHEIST, HE

MARVELS AT

THE EVEN OF JESUS' BIRTH.

IT'S FAR MORE BEAUTIFUL

THAT YOU

CAN IMAGINE BECAUSE IT'S THE

HUMAN

RACE RECEIVED WITH GRACE.

MATTHEW POINTS TO THE

SHEPHERDS

REGARDED THAT TIME AS FILTHY

THIEVES.

THE LORD FINDS THE

SHEPHERD IN A

PET, LEAVE THEM THERE.

THEY WERE THE ONES TO FIND

THEM.

THAT'S MAKING A STATEMENT

THAT JESUS

INVITES THE OUTSIDER IN

IMMEDIATELY

INTO HIS PRESENCE.

McFEE BELIEVES IT'S READY

TO HEAR

THE GOOD NEWS.

GOD LOVES THEM, GOD WANTS

TO SHARE

A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.

THAT JESUS GAVE UP HIS LIFE

FOR HIM.

IT'S A WONDERFUL POSITIVE

MESSAGE.

JOHN JESSUP.

CBN NEWS, LONDON.

TO HAVE A LITTLE TIME

WITH

GRANDMOTHER AND AMERICA AND

SAY I

WILL TAKE MY FRAIL HANDS AND

CREATE

SOMETHING FOR YOU THAT IS A

PRACTICAL

NEED.

COMING UP, A CHRISTMAS

STORY THAT

WILL WARM YOUR HEART. SEE

HOW THIS

WOMAN FOUND HER PURPOSE AND

IMPROVED

THE LIVES OF CHILDREN HALF

WAY AROUND

THE WORLD AT THE SAME TIME.

Efrem: WELCOME BACK. SAID,

IF YOU

CAN'T FIGURE OUT YOUR WAY,

FIGURE OUT

YOUR PASSION.

THEY ARE GETTING

SOMETHING SPECIAL

FOR CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR.

COMING FROM SOMEONE THEY

HAVE

NEVER MET. HALF A WORLD AWAY

IN

VIRGINIA.

95-YEAR-OLD CONNIE HAS SPENT

THE PAST

YEAR MAKING BLANKETS FOR

CHILDREN ONE

STITCH AT A TIME.

HOW MUCH BLANKETS HAVE

YOU

CROCHET?

MANY.

I PRAY FOR EACH ONE OF THEM.

I PRAY

TO JESUS AND THANK HIM

EVERYDAY. I

SAY DON'T LET ME DIE BEFORE

I FINISH

MY BLANKET.

NOT ALONG AGO, SHE DIDN'T

CARE

WHETHER SHE LIVED OR DIED.

AFTER A BAD FALL, SHE HAD TO

LEAVE

HER HOME AND MOVE IN WITH

HER

DAUGHTER IN VIRGINIA. BEFORE

LONG,

DEPRESSION SET IN.

I WISH JESUS WOULD CALL

ME HOME,

BUT MY DAUGHTER SAID, NO, HE

DON'T

WANT YOU YET.

I PRAYED.

LORD, I'M TRUSTING THAT YOU

ARE GOING

TO MAKE A WAY FOR HER TO

FIND HER

PURPOSE HERE AND HE DID.

ANN SAW AN AD ON A

BULLETIN BOARD

THAT ITEMS WERE NEEDED FOR

ORPHANS IN

INDIA.

SHE FOUND HER PURPOSE.

HE HAS A LOT OF JOY IN

DOING THIS.

SHE CAN DO THIS ALL DAY LONG

AND SHE

DOESN'T GET TIRED.

IT'S AMAZING BECAUSE IT

BRINGS TO

A LIFE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY.

HE KNOWS WHAT IT'S LIKE

TO GROW UP

WITHOUT A PURPOSE.

HE WAS A CHILD OF A PASTOR

OF INDIA

WHO HAD 17 ORPHANAGES.

I DIDN'T WANT TO DO THIS.

WHEN YOU BECOME A PASTOR,

YOU COME TO

THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN.

HE WAS PURSUING A

GRADUATE DEGREE

AT REGENT UNIVERSITY WHEN A

PARTNERSHIP EMERGED.

THERE IS ONE THAT I DON'T

NECESSARILY GET ALONG WITH

BEING AN

AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN FROM

NEW YORK

CITY WITH A STRONG

PERSONALITY AND HE

BEING AN INDIAN MALE FROM A

VERY

CHAUVINISTIC COUNTRY, BUT WE

GOT

ALONG.

THEY CALL IT

GLOBALIZATION,

ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO COME

TOGETHER

AT A GLOBAL LEVEL FOR GLOBAL

IMPACT.

HE RETURNED TO INDIA AND

THEY

RETURNED TO PROVIDE MORE

THAN BASIC

NEEDS LIKE PLAYING WITH

CHILDREN WHO

NEVER HAD TOYS OR BLANKETS

TO COVER

THEM WITH WARMTH AND LOVE.

THEY SEE HER ASSISTANCE AS A

PERFECT

EXAMPLE FOR A GLOBAL

ASSISTANCE.

TO HAVE A GRANDMOTHER

FROM AMERICA

TO SAY I WILL TAKE MY FRAIL

HANDS AND

CREATE SOMETHING FOR YOU

THAT IS OF

PRACTICAL NEED.

MAN LOOKS AT THE OUTWARD

APPEARANCE BUT GOD LOOKS AT

YOUR

HEART.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHEN

SHE MAKES

PERFECT SENSE.

1 YEAR LATER, HE RETURNS

TO THE

UNITED STATES.

THIS TIME HE MADE A NEW

FRIEND.

HELLO.

YES.

HOW ARE YOU?

I'M FINE.

OH MY GOSH.

LOOK AT YOU.

YOU WANT ME TO SHOW YOU

SOME

PICTURES OF THE KIDS THAT

ARE GOING

TO GET THIS?

YES.

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM.

THAT'S THEM. THEY COME

FROM THE

STREETS.

THEY DON'T HAVE A PARENT.

THEY DON'T HAVE A MOTHER OR

FATHER.

THAT'S WHAT I WANT,

PEOPLE THAT

HAVE NOBODY.

IF THEY COME FROM THE COLD.

THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO.

JESUS HAS A PURPOSE FOR US

ALL, BUT I

NEVER THOUGHT HE HAD A

PURPOSE LIKE

THIS FOR ME. I'M VERY HAPPY,

HUMBLED

AND HONORED.

JESUS, I LOVE YOU, THANK YOU

AND I

PRAISE YOU ALL MY DAYS UNTIL

I COME

HOME TO YOU.

MRS. BARTOLO DIED THIS

YEAR AT THE

AGE OF 96.

FIRST OF ALL WHAT INSPIRED

YOU TO

TELL THIS STORY?

MY DAUGHTER WAS IN A

FASHION SHOW.

THEY WERE FUNDRAISING FOR

THEIR

ORPHANAGE AND THERE WAS A

WOMAN

TALKING ABOUT MAKING MEALS

THAT SHE

GIVES TO ORPHANAGES.

I'M A LIFELONG KNITTER AND I

STARTED

KNITTING AND PUT AN AD IN

THE

BULLETIN BOARD AND SHE SAID

SHE WAS

PRAYING FOR PURPOSE AND SHE

GOT

BLANKETS.

YOU KNOW, AS STORY

TELLERS WE KNOW

THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE MORE

THAT WE CAN

SHARE. WHAT ARE PARTS OF THE

PIECES

THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT IN?

WELL, SHE'S SPICY, AND

SOME COULD

SAY SALTY.

ANN WAS NERVOUS.

SHE LOVED GETTING IN THE

HAIR AND

MAKE-UP.

WHAT I FOUND AFTER IT AIRED,

HER

HEALTH STARTED TO DECLINE

VERY

RAPIDLY.

IT WAS ALMOST LIKE SHE WAS

WAITING TO

FULFILL HER PURPOSE AND FOR

THE NEXT

MONTH SHE WAS GOING UP AND

GOING DOWN.

THROUGHOUT THAT TIME SHE WAS

MAKING

BLANKETS.

SHE WAS IN HOSPICE AND

MAKING

BLANKETS.

IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.

ON HER CASKET THERE WAS A

BLANKET.

SHE SAID.

I NEVER THOUGHT HE HAD A

PURPOSE LIKE

THIS FOR ME.

MY GRANDMOTHER IS 97 YEARS

OLD. FOR

MANY WE THINK THEY DON'T

HAVE

ANYTHING, BUT THEY DO HAVE A

PURPOSE.

WHAT CAN WE DO FOR PEOPLE OF

THAT AGE

THAT FEEL THEY DON'T HAVE A

PURPOSE ?

I THINK THEY WILL NEED TO

KNOW

WHAT IS THEY THOUGHT OF AND

WHAT THEY

LIKE TO DO WHETHER IT'S

COOKING OR

SOMETHING ELSE.

WHAT KIND OF IMPACT DID

SHE HAVE

ON YOU?

I LOVED HER.

I LOVED HER SALTINESS. I

ADMIRED HER.

SHE WAS A GREAT MODEL FOR

ME. AS LONG

AS MY HANDS WORK, I'M GOING

TO KEEP

KNITTING AS WELL.

THAT'S RIGHT.

AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A

PURPOSE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IT'S GOING TO BE THE

DYSFUNCTION

FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN

THEY GO INTO

THAT FAMILY HOME. IF YOU CAN

BE THE

MODEL OF GRACE AND WALK IN

THERE WITH

THE ATTITUDE OF FORGIVENESS,

THAT IS

GOING A LONG WAY.

Efrem: WANT TO KEEP THE

HOLIDAYS

BRIGHT EVEN WHEN YOU ARE

DEALING WITH

DIFFICULT RELATIVES? THAT'S

NEXT.

Efrem: IT'S THE MOST

WONDERFUL TIME

OF THE YEAR.

THAT WAS MY LOVELY DAUGHTER.

AND HER LITTLE BROTHER

REFUSING TO

JOIN IN ON THE FESTIVITIES.

THAT IS FAMILY ESPECIALLY

THOSE WHO

DON'T WANT TO ENJOY THIS

SPECIAL TIME

OF THE YEAR.

WHEN DEALING WITH LOVED

ONES, IT CAN

BE THE MOST DIFFICULT TIME

OF YEAR.

HOW DO WE SHOW THE LOVE OF

OUR FAMILY

AND STAY SANE.

WE SPOKE WITH LINDA MITCHELL.

LINDA, THANK YOU FOR

SPENDING TIME

WITH US. WHY ARE SO MANY

PEOPLE

EXTREMELY UPSET ABOUT THIS,

THEY HAVE

A LOT OF ANXIETY ABOUT THE

HOLIDAYS,

SPENDING THE HOLIDAYS WITH

FAMILY?

IT'S ONE OF THE FEW TIMES

WHEN YOU

GET ALL THE FAMILY MEMBERS

TOGETHER

AND A LOT OF WHICH YOU HAVE

NOT HAD A

LOT OF CONTACT DURING THE

YEAR.

IF YOU HAVE UNFINISHED

BUSINESS WITH

A FAMILY MEMBER, IF THERE IS

ANGER

THAT NOBODY HAS TALKED

ABOUT, PUTTING

EVERYBODY TOGETHER CAN BE A

HOT TIME

WHERE THINGS CAN GET OUT OF

CONTROL.

DO MOST PEOPLE THINK

OTHER

PEOPLE'S FAMILIES ARE BETTER

THAN

OTHERS. I REMEMBER GROWING

UP

WATCHING THE "BRADY BUNCH"

AND I

WISHED IT WAS MY FAMILY. I

REALIZE

THERE AREN'T FAMILIES LIKE

THE "BRADY

BUNCH".

RIGHT.

DOES IT DO US GOOD TO THINK

THAT? NO.

WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT MY

FAMILY IS

WHAT IT IS.

I HAVE TO RESPOND TO MY

FAMILY IN THE

WAY THEY ARE INSTEAD OF

WISHING. HE

-- THIS IS WHERE IT GETS

STUCK IN

WISHING IT WOULD BE BETTER

INSTEAD OF

WORKING ON ISSUES. SO GOING

INTO IT

WITH A VERY REALISTIC VIEW

IS A GOOD

TIP.

DEALING WITH IT AS VERY

REAL.

LET'S SAY WE ARE HAVING A

NORMAL

CONVERSATION AND SOMEONE

SAYS, I HOPE

SOMETHING HAPPENS. IF THE

UNIVERSE

WANTS IT TO HAPPEN THEN IT

WILL.

DO YOU SPEAK UP AND SAY I

DON'T

BELIEVE THAT?

I DON'T THINK IT'S THE

TIME TO DO

THAT.

TIP NO. 2 WOULD BE TO PICK

YOUR

BATTLES.

THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO SAY

I'M TIRED

OF YOUR WORLD VIEW.

CHRISTMAS IS SUPPOSED TO BE

ABOUT

PEACE AND JOY AND LOVE.

I'M SAYING, LET THINGS GO.

IF YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THINGS

THAT ARE

NOT CONTENTIOUS AND NOT

RIPPED UP WE

MOTIONS, TEAR IT DOWN.

YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON YOUR

REACTION.

THE ONLY PART OF THIS THAT

YOU HAVE

CONTROL OF IS YOUR REACTION.

FOCUS ON YOUR REACTION AND

THEN

IDENTIFY THE STRESSES.

KNOW WHAT THE TRIGGERS ARE.

KNOW WHAT THAT UNIVERSE

THING IS

GOING TO SET YOU OFF AND

KNOW AHEAD

OF TIME YOU THINK HOW DO I

WANT TO

RESPOND.

HOW DO I WANT TO DEAL WITH

THIS

RATHER THAN GETTING ANGRY

AND YELLING

AT SOMETHING WHICH IS NOT A

GOOD

RESPONSE.

AND THE OTHER THING IS YOU

HAVE TO

SET LIMITS AND BOUNDARIES IN

TERMS OF

WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO PUT UP

WITH.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN STORMING

OUT.

IF UNCLE IS DRINKING AND

BEING VERY

INAPPROPRIATE, YOU DON'T

SAY, THAT'S

IT.

I'M WALKING OUT.

BUT INSTEAD WHEN YOU FEEL

THINGS ARE

OUT OF CONTROL, YOU ARE

GOING TO HAVE

AN EXIT STRATEGY. WE LOVE

YOU, BUT WE

ARE GOING TO BE LEAVING NOW.

YOU HAVE TO SET YOUR LIMITS.

WHEN IT GETS OUT OF HAND,

YOU CAN

EXCUSE YOURSELF TO ANOTHER

ROOM. YOU

CAN SAY, HEY, IT'S CHRISTMAS.

LET'S TRY TO BE KIND TO ONE

ANOTHER.

CAN WE CHANGE THE TOPIC?

YOU CAN

CHANGE THE BOUNDARIES.

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE HAD

AN ISSUE

WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT. I

WOULD SAY

DON'T STAY IN THE HOME OF

THAT

FAMILY. HAVE AN EXIT

STRATEGY WHERE

YOU CAN GO AND REGROUP IN

TERMS OF

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO TAKE

CARE OF

YOURSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF

THAT.

FINALLY, BE A MODEL OF GRACE

AND

FORGIVENESS.

THIS IS NOT EASY FOR A LOT

OF PEOPLE

THAT ARE GOING HOME. IT'S

GOING TO BE

THE TREK TO DYSFUNCTION FOR

A LOT OF

PEOPLE WHEN THEY GO INTO

THAT HOME.

BUT IF YOU CAN BE THE MODEL

OF GRACE

AND WALK IN WITH THE

ATTITUDE OF

FORGIVENESS, THAT IS GOING A

LONG WAY

TO SET THE STAGE. FINALLY I

WILL SAY

CHOOSE ONE THING THAT YOU

CAN DO

DIFFERENTLY THIS YEAR, ONE

AREA. IT'S

HARD TO CHANGE IT ALL TO TRY

TO WORK

ON ALL OF THESE CHANGES.

PICK ONE RELATIVE THAT IS

DIFFICULT,

PICK ONE THING TO SAY I'M

GOING TO

START HERE AND THAT WILL

MAKE THE

START.

I'M JUST REMINDED THAT

LOVE ISN'T

ALWAYS JUST A FEELING, BUT

AN ACTION.

THE FIRST THING IN LOVE IS

CORINTHIANS.

I WROTE A BLOG ON THIS

THAT IS

GOING TO BE ON THIS SITE.

THAT LOVE IS PATIENCE, IT'S

KIND.

IT DOESN'T KEEP TRACK OF

WRONGDOING'S.

IF WE CAN KEEP A SET OF WHAT

IS

WRONG, IT'S NOT RESENTFUL

AND BEAR OF

ALL THINGS.

IF YOU CAN HAVE THAT THIS

YEAR, YOU

ARE GOING TO MAKE AN IMPACT

ON THIS

FAMILY.

IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO GET

YOUR

INSIGHT.

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Efrem: INDEED, LET'S MAKE

THAT OUR

PRAYER THIS SEASON THAT WE

CAN CHOOSE

TO BE PATIENT EVEN WHEN

DEALING WITH

DIFFICULT AND STRESSFUL

RELATIVES.

STAY WITH US.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

Efrem: IT IS NOW TIME TO

PASS A BIT

OF HOLIDAY HOPE.

THINK ON THIS EVERYDAY EVEN

AS YOU

ENJOY THAT NEW GADGET OR

GIFT THAT

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO

WITH.

THERE IS NO PRESENCE THAN

THE

PRESENCE OF OUR ALMIGHTY

GOD. HE'S

NOT ONLY THE REASON FOR THE

SEASON,

HE IS INDEED THE GREATEST

GIFT OF

ALL. BEFORE WE GO, WE HAVE A

SPECIAL

MESSAGE FOR YOU FROM OUR

NEWS

DIRECTOR.

THANKS, EFREM. WE WANTED

TO TAKE A

MOMENT.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING CBN

NEWS MAKE A

DIFFERENCE.

YOU'VE WATCHED THE NEWSCAST

AND YOU

SEND IS US FEEDBACK. YOU ARE

OUR EYES

AND EARS IN OUR LOCAL

COMMUNITIES.

WE CONSIDER YOU PART OF THE

CBN NEWS

TEAM. AND WE COUNT ON YOU

EACH AND

EVERYDAY.

IF YOU EVER SEE SOMETHING

THAT YOU

LIKE OR YOU DON'T LIKE,

PLEASE LET US

KNOW BECAUSE WE ARE HERE TO

SERVE YOU.

NOW, WE JUST HOPE YOU AND

YOUR FAMILY

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND THAT

2016 WILL BRING YOU EVEN

MORE

BLESSINGS.

WE ARE HERE TO SERVE.

PLEASE STAY IN TOUCH.

Efrem: THAT'S IT FOR THIS

HOLIDAY

EDITION OF CBN NEWS.

YOU CAN FIND MORE ON NEWS

AND

COVERAGE ON CBNNEWS.COM. OUR

PRAYER

IS THAT YOU ARE ENJOYING

THIS

CHRISTMAS SEASON AND THAT

WHEREVER