Christmas Present. Thankful.

Yesterday I wrote about Christmases past. It was my intent to write today about Christmas Present.  To write about how we're celebrating this year. Less decorations, less food, less of everything....probably not unlike other empty-nesters whose families are elsewhere this Christmas.


Instead, I'm writing today about something different. About Christmas Present in a different sense of the word. Christmas Present for us this year will be a quiet celebration. But quiet celebrations can be good times for pondering. The Scripture tells us that Mary "pondered these things in her heart."


This Christmas, I'm pondering all the reasons I love Christmas. All the reasons I have for being thankful. Certainly that includes the fact that my health is greatly improved since last hear at this time. I'm thankful for all the family and friends who are part of my life. Having lived in as many places as we have, we have friends near and far, all of whom have had an impact on my life. At Christmastime, particularly, I think about them, and I am so thankful for the gift of all these presents in my life.


This morning, as I'm pondering, I'm thanking God for the gift of Christmas. For the music of Christmas. For this season when we focus on giving gifts to those we love and sharing with those we don't know who have need. For the reason we celebrate this season.

I'm thankful for Jesus. Thankful that "though He was in the form of God, [He] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, He humbled Himself in becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."  (Philippians 2:6-8 ESV)

I'm thankful for Christmas. Thankful for THE Christmas Present! Because without Christmas, we would have no reason to celebrate Easter!

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons."  (Galatians 4:4-5 NASB)


"And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  And from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."  (John 1:14, 16-17 ESV)