What Child is This?

I created this brief slide show using pictures borrowed from the Internet. I hope you enjoy it and will be inspired by it. Be sure your sound is turned up so you can hear the music.

If You Look for Me at Christmas

I don't know about you, but I'm having trouble this year getting into the spirit of decorating and shopping and all the countless (and stressful) things that, sadly, have become part of the Christmas holidays.

I've been Christmas shopping twice this week and have come home frustrated and, for the most part, empty-handed. The parking lots are full and the shops are full of people, which is a good thing for the economy, I guess, but all I want to do is be at home doing the fun things — like decorating the house, and thinking about menus for the holidays, and projects I want to do with our granddaughter Avery Grace.

I woke up around 2:30 this morning, wide awake, and worrying about all the things I have to do. After tossing and turning for a while, I got up to work on a post for today. While browsing through my pictures on my computer, I came across this poem from last year, and it inspired me to let go of all the "nitty-gritty-things-to-do" stuff. After all, it's only the 2nd day of December, and I'm sure it will all get done, with plenty of time to spare before Christmas Day. In the meantime, I'm going to slow down and do a little bit at a time and take time to enjoy it along the way.

If you've been feeling stressed, perhaps this beautiful poem will inspire you, too.

If You Look for Me at Christmas —

You won't need a special star.

I'm no longer just in Bethlehem,
I'm right there where you are.

You may not be aware of Me
Amid the celebrations —

You'll have to look beyond the stores,
And all the decorations.

But if you take a moment,
From your list of things to do ...

And listen to your heart, you'll find ...
I'm waiting there for you.

You're the one I want to be with,
You're the reason that I came,

And you'll find Me in the stillness
As I'm whispering your name.

Love,
Jesus

[Author unknown]
Photos borrowed from the Internet

A Christmas Message

I'd like to share an excerpt from a beautiful and inspiring Christmas message I came across early this Christmas Eve morning which was featured in Fosters Daily Democrat, a New Hampshire newspaper. It was a nice way to begin my Christmas Eve and I hope you will enjoy it, too.

Beginning tonight, we celebrate the precious gift of Christmas. Christians will gather with their families and friends tonight and Friday to observe their holiest of holidays and to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ more than 2,000 years ago. We celebrate the wonderful Christmas story about Jesus' arrival on Earth, His miraculous birth in a stable among the creatures who lived there and the humble shepherds with their flocks. On this day, the swirl of world events slows, and we interrupt our workaday routines to create a time that allows us to remember the joy of the Savior's coming and how He changed humankind. We give the telling of the Christmas story to our children. We dress them as angels and shepherds during pageants at churches, where they recreate for us the message of a story that is simple, yet repeatedly full of wonder. By now, we have finished the preparations that go into the holiday. The joys and the stress of shopping in crowded malls, gift wrapping, decorating, and baking are memories of another season about to pass. So now it is time to relax and enjoy these days and become mindful of the meaning behind all our preparations. If we look around us as we gather with our families at the tree on Christmas and hear what is in our hearts, we will understand that we already have the most precious gift that life has to offer. Christmas is a time for us to be mindful that love is the greatest gift of all .... It is time for us to be thankful for all the blessings in our lives. And we use this day to renew our faith in Christ and to carry His message with us into a new year. We take this time to remember those who are less fortunate than ourselves and to realize that for some people, the holidays can be a very difficult time — particularly difficult as additional tens of thousands of Americans pursue the cause of peace in far off Afghanistan and other troubled corners of the world, a peace humankind has sought since the earliest days of civilization. And here at home, millions of American struggle in the second year of a terrible recession. We see Christmas as an opportunity and a hope for people of all faiths to make a difference in someone's life, perhaps that of a needy stranger or family otherwise overlooked as we rush to manage our own hectic lives. Christmas is a wonderful time. It is a season to warm our hearts and our very being. Christmas reminds us of the goodness in the human spirit. We create Christmas memories and follow our family traditions. The holidays help us mark the time as it passes. We remember our children's faces when special gifts were opened with their small hands. We remember the gaiety of family members around holiday table settings and the practical jokes we played on each other. We revel in our togetherness and talk about old times. And we remember the family members who have passed on — and how the traditions they brought to our holidays continue to live within us.

May the spirit of this special season fill your hearts and homes.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

The Season of Christmas

To everything there is a season,
And the season of Christmas is upon us.

It is a time for Traditions,
passed lovingly from one generation to the next;

A time for Reflection,
as another year ends and a new one begins;

A time of Joy and Adoration,
as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord;

A time for the Music of Christmas,
that warms our hearts and stirs our souls;

A time for Gathering -- of families, friends, and loved ones;

And a time to Remember those who are no longer with us,
but who will always live in our hearts and in our memories;

A time for Hope and a time for Peace ... and a time for remembering
with sincere gratitude our servicemen and women who risk their lives
every day so that we may continue to have Hope and Peace.

May God protect them as they protect us, and bless them and their families for the sacrifices they make for us, especially at this time of year.

The Season of Christmas is a time for Prayer and Thanksgiving, and I'd like to share this Christmas Prayer, which, I think, says it all ...

"A Christmas Prayer"

Lord, we welcome You into our hearts and homes.

Bless us with Your peace,
Fill us with Your joy, and
Surround us with Your love.

We celebrate You and thank You for coming. Amen.

Christmas is ...

Christmas is ...

A time to remember
how far we've traveled,
and to appreciate
those who shared
the journey with us.

Thank you for sharing
my journey with me this year.