Good News!

A Blessed Christmas morn to everyone! The joy that the Lord impressed me with early in this Christmas season, though interrupted and challenged by the news of Newtown, is still springing up. It is like the Sweet Lord to guide His children through the troubled waters to the wellspring that His joy is in the heart of His children.

Mine swelled this morning as my second son gathered the family into the living room, quieted the children and began to read the precious story of Christmas. Good news. Great Joy. It is as good and great this morning in this room as it was that holy night, that moment of glory as praise burst from the stars with the angels’ song.

Little Lily, the youngest, sat in her daddy’s lap; Great Grandma sat across the room in the rocker, wrapped in a warm fuzzy Christmas fleece; Jordan, our young adult daughter held Elijah, the boy in the bunch. Makenzie, the oldest grandchild is curled up next to her Nana (maternal grandmother) and Babbu (maternal grandpa) held Faith. Together as several generations, we listened intently and then bowed in prayer together worshipping Him whom we celebrate today.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Memories to be cherished. Christmas joys.

JOY!

The celebrating is in full swing…tree trimming, stocking stuffing, gift shopping, gift wrapping, parties, programs, banquets, caroling, lights, candy canes, sugar cookies, peppermint mocha coffee and wassel …you get the idea! The excitement builds by the day. Some people call it Christmas magic. Some call it sappy sentimentality. Rog and I call it Christmas joy. And we pray you have it too! It starts down deep inside at the thought of a loving Creator God sending His beloved Son to earth to die for the likes of sinful man. Consider the words to the following song:

I think about the baby and the man at Christmastime,
the mothers, sons, and fathers, and children just like mine;
about the power in unselfishness, love and sacrifice,
the Gift that we were given, and the price.

Roger reminded us in his message from Isaiah 12 on the first Sunday in December, that giving and getting and spending and debt is all often associated with Christmas. And even when we are trying to “keep Christ in Christmas”, we can get lost in it all if we’re not careful. Christmas cost God everything, and that means we have a reason to celebrate.

You can have a joy-filled Christmas this year. In spite of your situations, your circumstances, determine that the sacrifice Christ made for us is reason enough to have joy, especially this time of year. Pray one for another, especially for those so obviously hurting or alone. Love sacrificially. Give until it hurts. Keep reaching out! Get involved in your church or community, maybe in a way you never have before. Life is so full and God is so good. We don’t plan or ask for pain, disappointment, financial ups and downs, turbulent teens, parents battling aging and all its challenges, loved ones with serious illnesses, or precious little time with friends we love and miss. But we still joy in Him who by His mercy graces us with these many ways to trust Him, honor Him, praise Him. His love never fails.



O Lord, I will praise you!
Sing to the Lord, for He has done excellent things!
Cry out and shout… for great is the Holy One…in your midst. from Isaiah 12

The Star

There was a star in the Eastern sky
That shone down on Bethlehem,
A few had recognized the sign
A King was born to them
Drew them to a manger
To a virgin mother's son
Who would draw us to salvation
God's gift to everyone

And the star still shines
After all this time
As a light for me and you
It beckons us to seek him
Wise men still do
Wise men still do

In these crazy troubled times
The world seems so out of tune
Sometime's it's like we're living
Without a flame to light the room
If you're feeling faithless
And you think you've lost your way
O there is a hope that's bright enough
To turn your night to day

Diamond Rio, The Star Still Shines, 10.9.2007


I was going through Christmas decorations, sorting them by what to keep and what was way past time to throw out. My son Aaron was across the room at the desk on the computer doing some homework. I had been sitting for a few moments, holding ‘the star’, a cardboard cutout stapled to a toilet paper roll and covered in aluminum foil. I couldn’t bring myself to toss it in the throw away pile. We could afford better now, and I had looked for another tree topper, but nothing seemed suitable. Should I keep looking? Maybe I would use a bow this year instead. Even if I replaced “the star”, I’d hang on to it. As I sat there thinking about the Christmas I made that star and how tough that year had been, Aaron spoke:

“I love that star!” I looked up. “You’re not going to get rid of it, are you?”
“Of course not!” I replied. He smiled and went back to work. That was years ago, and that star tops our tree to this day. It represents a precious, though difficult memory of less fortunate times but of a faithful God. Aaron was only two the year that star was made. It’s the only topper he ever remembered seeing. So when I heard him say, “I love that star,” well, tossing it out would have been like tossing out part of what God had used to reveal himself to him.

That star is more than just cardboard and aluminum foil. It is part of Christmas and the reason we celebrate. It has been re-wrapped quite a few times, but oh does it shine! It represents hope, and a God who lights our way. Because of Him we don’t walk in darkness or confusion. Sometimes we must wait for direction, but He is always there letting us know we can trust Him for our every step.

The wise men followed the Star, and as the song says, “Wise men still do."