I Love Christmas

Good morning,

I love Christmas! It is such a wonderful time of decorating, parties, Christmas shows on TV, church, great Christmas songs… It also brings with it stress, difficult relationships, expenses, sadness of loss… How come everything seems to have a great side and a hard side?? Max Lucado’s teaching today is called, “God with Us.” He wrote: “In Matthew 1:23, God called himself, ‘Immanuel’—which means, God with us! Not just God made us; not just God thinks about us; not just God above us; but God with us. God–where we are! He breathed our air and walked this earth. God. . .with. . .us!”

The struggle with wonderful and not so wonderful is what makes a journey interesting and worth it. Christmas mess of decorating, climbing ladders, stringing lights, hanging ornaments is the laughing, cursing, and aching muscles before the first morning you wake up and see the finished product and just letting your eyes delight in the cozy, beautiful feelings it provokes. Everyone you share your house with will enjoy it, but the ones who helped, the ones who were with while decorating, have an even deeper experience!

Beau, our one-year-old grandson, was at church on Sunday and he was so engaged in the music. It captured his attention and he clapped and smiled through every song. We were at a baptism for our wonderful friends’ third adorable little girl and they told us she does not like to sleep! But there she was, peacefully sleeping through the whole thing in her pretty long lace gown.  Kids can feel the presence of God! I believe they understand Immanuel, God with us! Not just God made us; not just God thinks about us; not just God above us; but God with us. God–where we are! He breathed our air and walked this earth. God. . .with. . .us!

I think we focus our attention on God when we enter a church. We quiet down and let the music and minister speak to our spirit. Kids are so open to God’s spirit and they do a better job sometimes of recognizing that God is with us! God is with us always, everywhere we go. He gives us good and bad to grow us, shape us, change us!! He gives us a church to join with other believers and Praise His Son, God with us!

Bethlehem was just the beginning. Jesus has promised a repeat performance: Bethlehem, Act 2. No silent night this time, however. The skies will open, trumpets will blast, and a new kingdom will begin. He will empty the tombs and melt the winter of death. Death, you die! Life, you reign! The manger dares us to believe the best is yet to be. I love Christmas because it reminds us how God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him!

Love you, Teri