Merry Christmas to all of our Body & Soul® Friends! Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, Krismasi Njema, Boldog Karácsonyt!
As this greeting is translated into different languages the meaning is slightly different, yet very much the same. In English the word merry means cheerful or happy. I love wishing people cheerfulness and happiness at Christmastime. As I traveled in France, I learned that the word joyeux means joyful, so wishing someone Joyeux Noel means that you are wishing them a joyful Christmas. I like that. I taught Spanish along with French when I first got out of college so I learned that Feliz Navidad, which literally means happy nativity (the birth of the Christ-child) was the way to greet friends at Christmas. Krismasi Njema is Merry Christmas in Swahili which makes my heart remember all of our Body & Soul® classes in Africa and Boldog Karácsonyt is Merry Christmas in Hungary—a Body & Soul® class I have actually visited!
So when all of us at Body & Soul® wish you a Merry Christmas, please know that we are wishing you a joyful, cheerful, happy Christmas wherever you live around the world! We pray that on this day you will remember the truth that Jesus was born in human flesh on the first “…the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Christmas started with good news of great joy; it is still good news which brings joy today.
As we count our blessings, we are thinking of each of you who has joined us in Body & Soul® this year. Thank you for joining us in our fitness classes, Body & Soul® FitTV™, at events, participating in challenges and by following us, reading blogs and posts. Thank you for praying for our ministry all around the world as we continue to build Body & Soul® communities wherever God opens a door, fulfilling the call of this ministry since 1981.
We are praying for you, too. We pray for your life to be filled with God’s deep joy on Christmas and every day of the year because you belong to Jesus.
Christmas blessings from Body & Soul® !
by Jeannie Blocher
Jeannie and her husband Roy Blocher founded Body & Soul® in 1981 and she currently serves as the Director of Spiritual Impact, leading a dedicated team of Instructors in creating spiritual resources for the ministry. Jeannie loves spending time with family, which now includes 9 grandchildren, spread over three states. She loves encouraging both family and Body & Soul® friends to grow in faith & fitness!
