Merry Christmas!!!

Ah, Christmas. 

Christmas Eve always seems like the longest day of the year.

Christmas Day always seems like the shortest!

Christmas is such a wonderful time. Families gather from near and far to celebrate the birth of our Savior. We make the best meal of the entire year, exchange gifts, play games, watch Christmas shows, and maybe even sing some carols. It's so fun. 

But it's very easy to get caught up in the things that this world has to offer. The presents, food, shows etc, they are all great fun, and if used properly, can help make the celebration greater, and bring us closer to God. But thy can easily get out of control, and push the manger scene out and steal the center of attention. 

We have to always remember to keep Jesus as the center of our festivities. We need to be sure to thank God for bringing our families together, for giving us an abundance of wonderful food, and for giving us many different traditions and activities to celebrate he Birth of His only begotten Son! 

I wonder what Mary and Joseph were thinking when they were turned away from that inn, and tole they hey could stay in the stable. I wonder if they knew at that time that it would be an important part of His Coming. I don't know what went theoughthier  heads that  night. Maybe they were a little scared, a Little nervous, perhaps a little confused. But i know they Trusted Him anyways. 

Over and over in the Bible, God expresses His love and compassion for the poor, helpless and otherwise needy. If Jesus had been born in an Inn, how would all those poor shepherds have gotten there? Theres only so much room in an Inn Room. But they were privileged to be among the First to welcome the new born King. He came as one of us. A commoner, not born in a palace, but in a dirty old stable. He didn't appear from Heaven in all his Glory that night, he just quietly cams as a little baby. A humble little baby. He didn't have a soft bed to lie on, or a nice warm house to stay in. No fancy garments, no fancy rooms. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes. He was laid in a manger. (In case you don't know, a manger is like a food trough filled with hay for animals!) 

Wow. God loves us, the normal people who don't have anything extraordinary so much, that He chose to come as one of us. Just a seemingly normal little poor baby. That's not to say He doesn't love extraordinary people, or wealthy people either. God loves all of us very much. But the poor often feel lonely and abandoned by God. He want us to know that he loves each of us for who we are; His Children, not for what we have, what we've done or what we will do. He just loves us. 

I know it might be a little late to remember this throughout your Christmas Day, but I'm sure there will still be a few more festivities or merry greetings here and there. After all, we still have 12 more days of Christmas to go. 

Take a few moments this week to ponder Hid love for you, read John 3:16, one of the most famous verses fine Bible. Why? Because it helps us realize how much God really does love us. Read it over and over. Savor each word. Write it on your Heart and keep it always close in mind. That's what Christmas is all about. That God loves us soooooooo sooooooooooooo much that He sent his only Son down to save us. And we celabrate the Birth of His son. And we celebrate that depth of His Love. 

I hope you all have a Wonderful Christmas Season, and  i hope God blesses you abundantly.