Christmas, Yay!

Merry Christmas my Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Wow!  I love this time of the year.  I am a Christmas fanatic.  I start with Christmas music in the early fall much to my wife's chagrin.  I have already watched White Christmas with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye twice or was it three times?  I have seen the Grinch in animation and with Jim Carrey.  I have Hallmark running through my veins because it is hard for me to see a movie on there that I have not already seen.  Most of our gift buying is done although not wrapped.  Bonnie's gifts are bought and wrapped.  This is the earliest that I have ever gotten that done.  At least 6 dozen cookies have been baked and frozen.  The house is decorated inside and out.  I have to go home today and repair a couple of strings of lights that are not lit.  "What fun!", said noone ever.  Sure, the directions said not to put together more than 5 strings of lights, but we all know those are just guidelines, right?  Number 7 did me in or rather it did the lights in.  So I replaced some fuses in the light string, little things, and they worked again until yesterday.  Sigh:(  Plans have been made for our Christmas party which the family holds at our place every year.  There will be about 32 people there and we will eat, play games, exchange gifts, eat some more and pray.  The church schedule is pretty full and we have done some outreach that makes the season seem more Christmasy.  We handed out gifts to motorists passing the church on the first Sunday of Advent and we are ringing the bell all day for the Salvation Army and then we have a Giveaway here on Saturday the 16th.  We did the Angel Tree, food baskets, special music, and decorated the church just to name a few more Christmas activities.  Fun, fun, fun.  Of course we have to ask, "where is Jesus?" in all this.

​Jesus is the reason for the season.  Without Him there would be no Christmas, no feelings of great joy, great peace and great love among family and even among strangers. and most importantly there would be no salvation.  We would live in fear of the future without Jesus.  Well, praise the Lord, Jesus was born and is called Emmanuel which means 'God with us'.  So we have a reason for all of those Christmas activities and that reason is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who was born in a manger for me and you.  There may not have been room for Him in the inn, but is there room for Him in your heart?  Ask Jesus into your heart right now.  Don't worry about your lifestyle.  God will do the rest by the power of His Holy Spirit in your life.  

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

God loves you and so do I,

Pastor Bruce

ptl