I love Christmas! I love the music, the lights, the cookie baking, and especially the reminder of Jesus being born as a baby to spend 33 years on this earth in the flesh among us... I can only imagine this sweet sweet baby boy with such a big task ahead of Him as fully God and fully man.
John 1:14 says "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Hebrews 4:15 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet without sin."
During this most special time of the year the enemy is right there so ready to distract us with greed, selfishness, self-pity and loneliness...there is something about it...seeing those around you who are surrounded by loved ones when you are not, or lavished with things you just cannot afford, or whatever it may be...we must be on guard to not fall into the this scheme of the enemy to take away the joy of celebrating our most treasured GIFT of Jesus Christ, our unfailing Joy, our Peace, our salvation, our everything! :o)
A friend of mine posted a most beautiful reminder for us all:
"To put it in perspective, about 2,000 years ago, a young virgin girl went into labor with her first child. Never had labor pains, no mommy there, no sister, no family except for her husband, giving birth for the first time in a barn. How scary! It costs to carry Jesus. Thank God for tough women (and men) who risk all to carry Jesus."
While we are lavished with warm houses, fine china, friends and family in and out of the house, may we take a moment to remember that our most precious Gift did not have these things when He came into this world. God's divine plan had Him to be born in a manger, God's divine plan had Him to later in life ride a donkey instead of a fine stallion and to ultimately die on a cross. There was nothing "glorious" in the natural about this Man, Jesus...
Isaiah 53
Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut offf from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deciet in his mouth.
Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Thank you, Precious Jesus, for coming to this earth as a baby for us!!!
Notice the red tool in Liliana's hand... it is a tape measure... they each got one the night before ($1 from Home Depot!)... they love measuring tapes and were measuring everything they could and they even slept with them..........and........
We seriously have the SWEETEST HEARTED kids in the whole wide world... look at what they were doing to their presents first thing on Christmas morning!!!
Heart-melting SWEET!!!
Daddy couldn't believe it when he saw Mommy hand the kids each a cookie for a breakfast appetizer!
Our kitchen walls really are NOT watered down split pea soup colored!
The tiny Christmas tree craft we made on Christmas Eve.
I put Elia in the sweater, hat and blanket Mary from church made her. Mary is 90+ years old and is amazing! She is fashionable and does not seem her age at all! She is so inspiring and as sweet as sugar, vigorous and full of life! I want to be like her when I am 90! :o) We are so blessed to have something handmade by her. Yes, I did get a tad carried away here on the photos... hehe...
We were so much looking forward to having our neighbors over for Christmas dinner and fun (we are so blessed to have so many wonderful neighbors), but had to cancel due to the pink-eye outbreak in our home... we had a wonderful time nonetheless...
Polar Express
An attempt at a Christmas 2010 finale photo before bed...
