Every year millions of Americans transform their homes into a festival of Christmas decorations. Reminders of the holiday seem to be everywhere. May we always be reminded of the true reason for the celebration. Scripture tells us in Luke 1:30-33 that the angel Gabriel revealed these things to Mary, the mother of Jesus, “…Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” The book of Daniel tells us of the coming of the Son of God, and the birth of Christ is the promise kept. There are many blessing that we can celebrate but there is no greater blessing than the love of God transforming the hearts of men. Merry Christmas to all.

School Christmas concerts are a part of our seasonal celebration. The grandson is a member of the advanced 9th grade men’s chorus at the high school. In this image, he is on the top row, center section, white shirt, next to the young man in the black shirt. Music is a great means of learning and telling the Christmas story in way that encourages, inspires, and transforms us into the holiday spirit.

In this image the grandson is on the first row center of image (yes, the tall one). Hanging around “The Big Guy” you would never know that choral music was an interest of his. It’s one thing we have in common. I sang in the school chorus from the seventh through the tenth grades. As you can probably tell, by this marathon, music is still an important part of my life.

The God of all creation has made the most wonderful gift of all available to us through the birth, death and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ. We can receive forgiveness for all of our sin and inherit eternal life and fellowship with God. Christmas is the celebration of that gift. The most precious gift that we can give God is our hearts. Have a blessed day.

Christmas is a birthday celebration. In fact, it the the birthday celebration of a King and that makes it a big deal. On the night Christ was born, the angels sang “Glory to God in the highest!” Not only had a king been born but God’s promise of a Savior had been delivered. Of all of the gifts we may receive in our lifetime, there is not greater gift than the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ and of all of the gifts we can give Him, there is no better gift than to give Him our heart. Happy Birthday Jesus.

Last year we added a new member to our family. Lucy will be two years old on December 24. Puppies are special gifts from our creator. They are inquisitive. They are busy exploring their world and best of all, they are filled with unconditional love for everyone. God has unconditional love for all of His creation. It is that unconditional love that caused God to provide a way for us to enjoy an eternal relationship with Him by giving His Son as the only acceptable sacrifice for the sins of all of mankind. Scripture tells us that it is impossible for man to imagine or comprehend all that God has in store for those who believe in Christ and have called on the Savior for forgiveness. A journey that ended on a cross, began in a manger. Glory to God in the highest. Have a blessed week.

One Christmas tradition that we don’t see often these days is caroling.  A group of friends, church choir members, or other organization would get together and go from house to house serenading the occupants with Christmas hymns. One of the favorite songs of the season was “O Come All Ye Faithful”. The call is to celebrate the birth of a Savior and worship the God of all creation. It is truly the most wonderful time of the year. Have a blessed day.

As children we made a Christmas list. Mine was never complete until I had worn out the pages of the Sears and Montgomery Wards Christmas catalogs. Once our list was complete the anxious anticipation of the arrival of St. Nick began. On Christmas morning, after a sleepless Christmas Eve, I would venture into the living room to see what had be left under the tree for me. As we grow older our list gets shorter, but often more expensive. At some point our list fades and giving to our children and grand children become most important. In this day and age, many would truly like to see a change in the hearts of the people.  We would like to see people give each other love, kindness, respect, and peace. There is only one true source for all of those gifts and that source is a Savior. Before we can truly give these gifts we must receive the gift of forgiveness and love from the One who loved us first and loves us most. Those who have experienced these gifts will spend an eternity with the creator and one day they will be able to sing Hallelujah!

This time of year churches of all denominations put aside their differences, throw open their doors and invite the entire world to celebrate the birth of Christ. Honestly, God intended for it to be that way all of the time. Every time that Christ calls people to worship Him, the invitation is to “Whosoever”! God places no barriers on those who may call Christ, “Savior”. Religious background doesn’t matter. Financial, social, racial, gender status doesn’t matter. God made the requirement for entrance into a relationship with Him and eternal life quite simple. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Believing in Christ is more than head knowledge about who He is. It is trusting the Savior enough to be willing to repent of sinful behavior and seek forgiveness, believing that He will indeed forgive us and restore us. The angels were overcome with joy when Christ was born and God allowed them to spread the good news to wealthy “wise men” and well as poor shepherds, proving that He was a Savior to all. Have a blessed day.

As I read the various parts of the Christmas Story a number of questions come to mind. The answers to some are found elsewhere in Scripture and some of the answers don’t seem to be found in God’s Word. We know what Joseph did with regards to not severing the relationship with Mary but what thoughts and questions were going through his mind during that time when Mary was expecting her first child. After all, it wasn’t his child.  There are just some things that God has chosen not to reveal to us at this time. There will come a day when all of God’s children will take up their eternal residence with Him in heaven and He will have all of eternity to teach us all that we don’t currently know. Thank you Lord for revealing your Son to this heart. Have a blessed day.

Christ was born in a stable in Bethlehem. While the world slept, angels rejoiced that God’s promised Savior had arrived and the journey from the manger to the cross had begun. The angel of the Lord appeared to Mary and gave her the news that she would be the mother of the Savior. Mary was probably between 13-16 years old when God chose her. The life expectancy of people was only about 40-45 years of age. One can only wonder all of the things that went through her mind during the pregnancy. Even after the birth of Christ one can only ponder all that Mary knew about her son. Did she really understand what God had done through her? Mary, did you know? Have a blessed day.