I post this image nearly every year. It is a ceramic ornament that my wife made years ago…many years ago. He is one of my favorite ornaments, not because he is Santa Claus, but because of who made him and the work required to make this special decoration. There are those who believe that St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus, is the spirit of Christmas because he represents the spirit of giving that surrounds the season. It truth Christ is the spirit of Christmas because God is love and God gave us His Son so that we might possess the greatest gift of all, eternal life through Jesus Christ. Have a blessed day.

Considering all of the things that surround our Christmas celebrations today, it is impossible to imagine all that happened on the night that Christ was born. What was celebrated by the heavenly hosts on that night can be celebrated in our hearts and the gift that was given of all of mankind can still be shared with those who don’t know Him. Let the celebration begin in your heart. Have a blessed week

The grand kids have always been a source of joy to my wife and me. Each birth brought a new addition to the family and the promise of wonderful adventures ahead. Those promises have been fulfilled a multitude of times. On a night, in a stable in Bethlehem a new addition to the family was born and the promise of salvation for all was fulfilled. Christ was born and the angels rejoiced. Not all of the world was aware of the significance of his birth. Some probably just thought…there’s a new kid in town. Little did they know that He would be the sweetest gift ever given to mankind. Have a blessed day.

 

“…and you shall know that I, the Lord am your Savior and your Redeemer…” (Isaiah 60:16) To those who sincerely look for the answers, God makes it very clear that He is the Creator of all creation and that there is no salvation of the soul beyond the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ. At Christmas we celebrate and honor the birth of Christ. On Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. These two events are inseparable in the life of the believer. John 3:16 tells us why God sent Christ to this world. God was motivated by love. He loved us so much that He would not allow sin to keep us from having a personal relationship and daily fellowship with Him. Christ tells us, in John 3:17 that His purpose in coming was not to condemn this world, but to save it. He is that hope that lives in us. The birth of Christ may seem to some like a strange way to to save the world, but it was a labor of love. Have a blessed day.

Last week the family celebrated my wife’s birthday with dinner and then a visit to the local town square, that has been lit up for Christmas. The square is a very popular place during the holiday season for friends and families to gather and take photos. I am sure that some people will turn their photo into Christmas cards for the season.

It’s not all that often that I can get these two together for a photo. Even when they are together there seems to be an activity or event that is keeping them busy and away from the camera.

Nana and two of the grand kids. Yes, my wife has officially become the shortest member of the family and the grandson has surpassed me as the second tallest member of the group. He is pushing six feet. The two older grandchildren will be home for Christmas and I hope to get everyone back on the square for another photo shoot.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Baking cookies and making treats has long been a tradition in this family. This image is from 2012. The young lady on the far left is now married while the young lady on the far right is now a freshman in college. While photos bring back fond memories, they are also a vivid reminder of just how quickly time flies.

On the evening of Christ’s birth, angels appeared to shepherds and declared the event. Among their first words were “Glory to God in the hightest…” because Glory had descended from heaven and was sleeping in a stable in Bethlehem. Glory indeed.

Christmas is all about life. The birth of Christ gave the hope of eternal life to this world. While his arrival in Bethlehem did not cause a great stir here on earth, the heavens rejoice and called the earth to join in the worship of an eternal king.

As we enter the first full week of December the fact that Christmas is fast approaching has set in for most of us. There is a rush to get the traditional things done like putting up the tree, decorating the house, and putting up the lights on the outside. Christmas lists are made and mailing lists are compiled. There is a lot of activity that goes into just another Christmas. The purpose of this music marathon is to allow you to stop and give a few moments of time to ponder the true meaning of the season and experience the joy that surrounds the celebration of the birth of our Savior. Have a blessed day.

It seems that most small communities have a Christmas parade and ours is no different. Ten years ago the grandkids were young and we drove the short distance downtown to see the parade. In 2008 it was a particularly chilly morning. The two younger granddaughters bundled up and took their front row seats to wait for the floats and festivities.

Meanwhile, their little brother had been invited to ride on one of the floats. He was one of several “Elf on a Shelf” characters. He loved every minute of the ride. As you can see, he spotted me with the camera very quickly.

This year one of these granddaughters is in college, the other a junior in high school and their little brother will be 6 feet tall. Only photos can preserve the moments and inspire the memories.