Christmas is really NOT about the presents, the breaks from work and school, or eating so much food that we need to nap afterwards. While good, they miss the mark. Christmas is REALLY about celebrating Christ, always, and I am thrilled to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior during this Advent season.
I do enjoy the fact that my family is heading our way this Christmas. Michelle and her family will be traveling from Tennessee to Virginia, and David and his family will be coming over too. Our Christmas traditions when we gather are quite special, and I know that we will continue them for our family’s full enjoyment. I plan to make fruit crepes on Christmas Day. My favorite kinds to create and consume are of the fruit kind, with blueberries, strawberries, or bananas. A good crepe will also be loaded with plenty of maple syrup all around and whip cream on top!
One tradition our family cherishes is hanging and filling up our stockings. Each of us in the family has one, so 14 stockings are lined-up and will be packed with one orange, one apple, and some nuts. We continue this tradition that my dad practiced years ago. In fact, those items, one orange, one apple, and some nuts, help my family and me remember that these gifts were sometimes the only gifts that my father got while growing up.
As you celebrate with your family, do not let the commercialism of this season drown out the fact that Jesus Christ descended from Heaven and became a human like us. He is a Savior for you, for me, and for everyone around the world. From baby to man, Jesus lived His life faithfully pursuing God’s Will, from the cradle to the cross, to rise into Heaven only three days later!
I invite you to celebrate Jesus on a daily basis, beyond Christmas 2016, and seek God’s Will for your life by listening to Him through prayer, reading His Word, and seeking a great church community. Invite God to transform you into the man or woman of God you are meant to be. Then, walk with God every day, trusting and following Him faithfully every step of the way!
