I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to you. Because of my thankfulness, I wanted to share something with you that is very important to me. Happiness . . . we long for it; we work for it. But every time we think we have it, it's gone--like a soap bubble in a child's eager grasp. Happiness is more than a great vacation, a new job, a healthy family, or even our "dream come true." Ultimate joy is a quality of life that comes from God alone. Only Jesus Christ, the Son of God, can promise: "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). It's hard to understand how great that invitation from Jesus truly is without first understanding how dire our situation is without him. The Bible tells us that in the beginning God created a perfect world, and humans were in a perfect relationship with him. But the first humans, Adam and Eve, did not follow God's rule and sin entered the world. Because God is holy and without sin, the relationship that once existed between God and people was broken. And this broken relationship had far-reaching effects--death, sickness, hardship, and sadness to name a few. But God would not leave things this way. Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, became a man and lived the perfect life that we could not, and died on a cross to pay the penalty our sins had earned. But he did not stay in the grave. Three days later, God brought Jesus back from the dead, and he is now seated at the right hand of God in heaven. What's more, God has sent the Holy Spirit to live within his people, filling them with unshakable joy and a deep sense of contentment as they live not for themselves, but for the God who has redeemed them. The curse of sin that we feel so deeply in our own broken relationships and sickness and sorrow does not have to be the defining factor of our lives any longer. "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved" (Romans 10:9-10). Forgiveness is freely offered to restore our relationship with God--our ultimate source of peace and hope and joy. Christ's offer is no false hope of a life of ease. Instead, he offers us something better--his power to remove your burden of sin and his presence to share the joys and trials of each day. By his