Dianne Neal Matthews here, hoping to encourage you with a Christmas-related message—even though it’s the second week of January. About a month ago, I heard a story at church that has stuck in my mind.

Our youth pastor, who is known as J.C. (not kidding), paid a visit to a church member in the hospital. As J.C. neared the patient’s room, another door at the end of the hallway opened and a man rushed out. The man ran down the hall shouting at the top of his lungs, “She’s alright! She’s alright!” He stopped in front of J.C., grabbed his shoulders, and repeated his message. Then he continued running until he reached the nurses’ station, shouting “She’s alright!” all the way.

J.C. never learned the details of this stranger’s situation. But it was obvious that the man had heard good news that excited him and made him want to share it with everyone around him. How appropriate that this scenario played out just before Christmas, a season when we celebrate the wonderful news that God came to the earth as a baby so that he could live among us for a while and die to pay the penalty for our sins. Then He rose again and sent the Holy Spirit so that He could live in us.

No matter what type of writing we do, our main goal is to share the good news that we’ve heard: news of God’s love and forgiveness; the possibility of a redeemed life and restored relationships with God and people; the path to an earthly life of peace, purpose, and fulfillment; the hope of a glorious future when we’ll live forever with our Heavenly Father. Whenever we share God’s truth, we’re sharing something that is newsworthy and capable of changing lives. As we write this year, may we all catch some of that same excitement displayed by the man in the hospital who had such good news to share.