Merry CHRISTmas Everyone!!!

"To give meaning to Christmas, give Christ first place."

"He who is mighty has done great things for me." Luke 1:49

"Jesus came---and came for me!
Simple words, and yet expressing
Depths of holy mystery,
Depths of wondrous love and blessing." ---Havergal

Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with Him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendour.


Gold amidst the glitter by John Fischer

In the little town of Bethlehem, the most important birth in all of human history took place on what we now consider the first Christmas. It was sparsely attended by some bleating farm animals and a handful of shepherds who wouldn't have been there had not the sky lit up with a multitude of heavenly hosts only minutes before, praising God and inviting the shepherds to the stable. What an invitation! With the exception of that outburst, however, no one else knew. Oh yes, there were some astrologers from the East who figured out what was going on by studying the stars and some ancient manuscripts, but they didn't make it to town until at least a year or two later when the baby was a child. Why such an uneventful welcome for such an auspicious event?
It's God's way. He's always been quiet about his work on earth. "How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift was given/So God imparts to human hearts, the blessings of his heaven." He's even pretty quiet about the way he works in our lives. Silently, he came into the world; silently, he comes into our hearts. No fanfare. No welcoming committee. God has never been into self-promotion. He lets his work speak for itself.
And that would be you and me. Believers are the result of Christ's coming. It is all about good news and glad tidings for all people. A Savior has been born and he has been born for us. Or as the angel announced it: "The Savior -- yes, the Messiah, the Lord -- has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David!" (Luke 2:11 NLT)

It occurs to me there are two ways to take all the fanfare and glitter of this season. We can see it as the over-commercialism of Christmas, or we can take all the lights, and gifts, and decorations, and parties, and bells, and carols, and Christmas specials on TV -- even Santa and reindeer in the front yard -- and bank them all as celebrations of the birth of Christ. We can even take the conversion of old Scrooge as the joy of new life and forgiveness of sins.

There's no law against sanctifying the secularization of Christmas in your own heart and mind. It's what we make of these things that count, anyway. Every single light can represent another soul secured in eternity as the result of what Christ has accomplished.

There was no room available for the Son of God when he came the first time. Let's make sure there's room in our hearts this Christmas, and don't let anyone take away what is good about the glad tidings of Christ's birth!

Christmas Letter

Now is the time of year I always write our families Christmas letter, and take a family picture. This year, I am seriously slacking in that department, I don't know if I am avoiding the family picture due to my oh-so-gourgeous hair (NOT), or what. I need to hurry up and get on the ball though, because I only have a few weeks until Christmas will be here!!
We are all doing fine, the children are getting bigger and smarter everyday, actually my oldest, Katie is at a Jr. High event right now, I can't believe my little girl is in Jr. High!!!!
Not much to say, nothing specifically exciting is going on in our lives right now, God is taking GREAT care of us though, and I know his blessings won't stop to keep us going :) :)>
Thanks for reading, have a blessed day!! Love, in CHRIST, Shanda