(Editor’s note: Alex and Claudia Avila, former BCF members who now live in the Denver, Colorado, area, have contributed the following article of joyful anticipation.)

Celebrating the birth of Jesus is so joyous! It is the celebration of life and hope given by our Lord and Savior, and as it comes at the conclusion of each year, it is also a time of hope and anticipation of new opportunities with the arrival of yet another new year. The end of the year, as well as the beginning of a new one, is a time to behold. Families gather together, fond memories are created, and with nostalgia, people remember the milestones in their lives.

For our household, the end of this year is a time we’ve been looking forward to for a while—and not only for the turkey, cookies, and eggnog (although Claudia will happily take seconds…and thirds). As we look forward to the usual year-end celebrations, fond memories, and even nostalgia, we behold this season with joy and hope for the arrival of our first baby. The year 2008 is closing with an extraspecial gift for us at this time when we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Throughout the year, we have made countless preparations for this special moment. After a number of doctor’s appointments and childbirth classes, hours of book reading and baby-product research, and visits to daycare facilities and potential pediatricians—the list goes on and on—we often wonder how parents-to-be can keep a full-time work schedule! Although Mary and Joseph probably didn’t have to worry about half the activities of modern-day life, they probably experienced the same emotions as us during their preparation to behold the Son of God—Jesus.

As this special time for us draws near, three words enter our minds: joy, protection, and sacrifice. We anticipate the unspeakable joy we will feel when this new life arrives. We consider the protection we must provide for this vulnerable baby. And we think realistically of the sacrifice we will make. In all this, we are blessed to thankfully remember the abundant joy, the unfailing protection, and the ultimate sacrifice our Lord has provided for us.

God knows we are all imperfect. Yet, just as He trusted Joseph and Mary to be the parents of Jesus, He also trusts His followers to bring their children up for Him.

When we consider the youth in the church today, we are excited to see how God is raising up a new generation of passionate believers! We have been blessed to have already witnessed the transformation of the youth in our own family. Further, we feel blessed that God has chosen us to bring up son through whom we can leave a faith legacy.

As we consider the commitment and responsibility of caring for and guiding another human being, we occasionally think of the what-ifs and the unknowns that come along with new experiences. Certainly, real human fears arise when we anticipate these future parental roles. However, in approaching the unknowns in any situation, we have learned to focus on faith rather than fear—thanks to Pastor Jim’s clear, practical messages on that subject.

Finally, as we recall the 2001 BCF theme, “A Year to Behold,” we are reminded of how special that year was for us. We started going to Bethel in 2001, and that led to Alex’s accepting the Lord. That was also the year we first began to experience the true presence of God and to meet the compassionate, God-fearing believers of BCF.

In Isaiah 42:9 God says, “See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare.” And Isaiah 43: 19 remind us, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” As we enter a new season to behold and welcome 2009, we pray that God’s “new things,” life, and hope will reign in each of our hearts and homes.