Merry Christmas

To all my friends and family who made today a wonderful day: thank you.

To my Sunday school class, thank you for the insights that have made the class a highlight of my week. Our exploration of the Bible and search for truth have been such blessings to me. The frank discussions of Christ, God, the Bible, and our experiences in so many different walks of life have made for a rich and fertile environment in which to grow in our understanding of, and walk with, Jesus.

Thank you also for the friendships that have grown from our fellowship. Getting to know, and love, one another is one of the highest callings we have as Christians.

Thank you to the "doers" who make things happen, like the potluck dinner today. Thank you to the encouragers, who take the time to listen and understand when others have things we need to say. Thank you to the mature Christians, who have walked with Christ for many seasons, and help keep us younger Christians on track in our search for the truth.

Thank you to my family, both nuclear and extended, for being the wonderful people they are. The kindness and acceptance I've experienced over my lifetime is an unrepayable gift I've been given. I'm blessed beyond anything I deserve.

Most of all, though, I give glory and thanks to God, who, in his infinite wisdom, because of His love, grace, and mercy, saw fit to intervene in history, and present Himself to us as a little baby. He trusted that those who loved Him would care for that baby, and raise that child up to be a man; that through the man Jesus, his death and resurrection, God would provide for me a plan for being reconciled to Him.

A plan for being made whole.

A plan for being healed and renewed.

A plan for being made new.

A plan for true eternal life.

It's not just Jesus' birth that is the reason for the season. It's who Jesus was that makes the season special.

God incarnate, The Word made real, and the LORD of my life. May we remember this together, celebrating the joy and peace and love brought by Jesus, and then freely given to us as a gift from God.

John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world so that He might condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

Merry Christmas, everyone!