Merry Christmas!

It is Saturday night (almost midnight) and I’m winding down. We had our Christmas Eve Service today - which was a come-and-go reflection and communion time. And then we were invited to dinner by some friends of ours. It was a nice time and I’m thankful to them, for including us :)

All the boys are in bed and we are ready for Christmas morning. I finished up the last of the wrapping, stuffed the stockings, and watched Nik put together 2 items that are “Santa” gifts. I am really excited for Jaxen tomorrow. I hope that he has great memories and loves the gifts he is given. Zane too…but honestly, Jaxen’s age is a little more fun at Christmas - haha! But I also was praying tonight that no matter how much fun Jaxen has, or how many memories are made, that he will grow to know and love Jesus more than the gifts or traditions. Those are great and I want him to have that…but I want him to have Jesus more. I want him to know what Christmas is all about and why we do the things we do.

Tomorrow morning we will open stockings and a few gifts and then we will get ready for the day and head to church to celebrate Jesus’ Birthday! We are having a Happy Birthday Jesus church service. Complete with cake and balloons. We will tell the story of the birth of Christ and celebrate and worship because of that day long ago.

The past four weeks we have been doing a church-wide advent study. I have had the opportunity to lead a small group in our home each week and have so much enjoyed it, the study, and the people. The study this past week focused on the promise of Christmas. I loved what the book had to say about it... “Christmas is the assurance that no matter how far we have strayed, how low we have fallen, how deeply we hurt or how others may see us, God has not come to judge or condemn but to be with us.” I’m so thankful for that.

I pray you have a Merry Christmas!

P.S. no pictures tonight. I’m pretty sure I will overload you in the coming days :)