December club is always one to remember and this one was no exception. 

It started with a line formed in the hallway at Refuge Church in Huntington Beach with the teen parents getting their pink and yellow raffle tickets and all the info for the night. 

The room was decorated so beautifully with string lights and snowflakes from the ceiling and the table was set up banquet style with beautiful table settings, thanks to Tracy and her skilled team. Also, there was a professional photographer from Chloe Atnip Photography who had a line formed and was doing everything she could to get all the kids to smile big. There was so much joy in the room, from the moment I entered and I was so thrilled to see what the night would entail! 

A yummy dinner of turkey, cranberries, crispy corn bread and veggies was served to each person at the table by a selfless life group that has volunteered for four years now. The kids even received their own special kids plate and they were served too. 

After everyone ate dinner we all gathered together for a group picture. It was quite the task because there was so many people, but it will be great having that photo to remember all the faces that showed up that night.

Once the group photo was finished all the babies went to childcare and the adults got to sing some Christmas songs; my personal favorite being silent night. 

Myrna gave a perfectly thememd Christmas message with the importance of looking off of our phones and looking more to Christ, following that bright star like the shepherds did, not the advice of others or social media. 

Myrna opened her message by offering a Beginners Bible, the same thing Colleen had done 4 years ago when she shared at Christmas Club. Myrna wanted to carry on this tradition and several moms and some dads had their hands raised to receive a bible for their child. Myrna read the Christmas story exactly from the Children’s Bible the same way she reads to her own son at home. 

Myrna reminded us that Christmas is not just about warm fuzzy feelings from chocolate advent calendars, hot cocoa, shopping, Christmas lights or even family traditions but that it comes from Christ in us and we must follow God’s gps for our life, just as the wise men followed that bright star to get to baby Jesus; who would one day die for the sins of all mankind.

After the message, the teen moms and dads got to “shop” in the two rooms; one was full of baby clothes and the other with adult sized clothes. They had 15 minutes then they switched to the next one. It was a delight to watch the girls fill up their bags with goodies for themselves and then even as they shopped for their babies clothes they all had smiles on their faces. 

The last item on the agenda, aside from grabbing yummy desserts, was a raffle for larger items, such as strollers, gift cards, bouncers and much more. Many girls were so blessed when they heard their names called because they got to go inside the room and select any item that they wanted or really needed for their baby. As I observed the moms and dads coming in and then out with their prized item from the raffle room many of their faces were ecstatic because they just received so many tangible items but through those items they felt love…so much love from all the volunteers. Young Lives is an amazing ministry and it’s such a blessing to be apart of it and watch lives being transformed by Christ through his servants in these small tangible ways.