Here is wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas filled with blessings and fellowship with family and friends!

Once again we are ready to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ during this Holy Season.  And for many it will be a joyous celebration surrounded by those we love.  Yet for others, the holiday may be a bittersweet time of remembrance of those who are no longer with us or it may be spent in quiet solitude, void of celebration.   Holidays do remind us of those who are no longer with us which can be painful and sad.  And we often get so caught up in the “Hollywood” version of what Christmas should look like that we wish for “celebrations” which are not always real or authentic.  I think that is why Hallmark Christmas movies have become so popular.  People want that picture perfect celebration with happily ever after endings.  I call it escapism from the stress of this every day life.

This has yet again been a year of division and unsettledness in our country and right now there are many uncertainties in so many areas.  Fear seems to be the driving factor in so many responses to change and to moving forward.   There seems to be so much anger in response to everything around us.  Fear seems to drive our emotions, decisions and responses to almost everything.  There is much pain and suffering and we have become almost numbed by the frequency and the degree.   Yet threaded throughout is a remnant of goodness and kindness that touches the heart when it is seen and experienced.  We hold onto the “feel good” stories that we hear and see on social media, or if we are lucky, are able to witness first hand.

In all of this, we must remember that we all have a choice.  God cannot work if we give into fear.  If we celebrate Christmas, we must believe what we are celebrating….truly.

Isaiah 7:14 states:  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Immanuel means “God with us”.  That is what Christmas is.  It is God’s gift of his presence to us with salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.  We must accept this gift and choose to live more wisely.  We must use the choice of giving our day over to him, not just in desire, but in action. 

We must choose love, joy, hope, kindness and faith!  

I am going to close as I did in last year’s post because it is still my prayer.   My prayer for you is that you will experience the joy of knowing Christ as your personal Savior beginning this holiday season as well as throughout the year. As I continue to age, the one thing I am most content about is knowing that I serve a wonderful God. Whatever the circumstances that I experience in life, I know He is faithful and is always there. Please take a moment to reflect on His Love, His Joy and His Peace. Tell someone you know about your blessings. Spread His love as you go about your daily walk! The world needs light in this darkness.  That light comes from the Son.  The light was given to us, not to covet and to keep hidden, but to share with others.  Share the light this Season!

With much love and blessings to you,  from my family to yours.  Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward All Men!