What a gift

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  We've had a great time with John's family in Kansas. It's been so good to just be together... eating yummy food, playing games, watching movies.  I always miss being with my family (we were with them for Thanksgiving), but I'm so thankful for this additional family that I now belong to.  What a blessing!  

For some reason this year, I've been more in awe of the significance of this holiday.  I've always loved Christmas... and it really isn't because of getting gifts!  I love giving them away though - shopping for them, wrapping them.  I love the baking, the parties, the memories... the Christmas music and movies that I have to wait all year to enjoy.  And then of course there's the true reason we celebrate - Jesus' birth.  I've always stopped to recognize and appreciate the birth of Jesus.  And yet this year, I feel like I have new insight into what an amazing event Christmas is.  Christmas celebrates Jesus Christ, who was fully God - holy, pure and righteous... becoming fully man.  Becoming fully man for ME.  He came as fully God to give us new life - and in the process, became fully man, identifying completely with us.  I don't ever have to feel alone or misunderstood in this life.  My precious Jesus chose to intimately identify with me, through His life as a man and ultimately chose to give Himself so I could have eternal life.  Wow.  What a truly incredible gift.  

My prayer for my loved ones in this new year is that God would reveal Himself to you in a new, intimate way.  Reminding you of His love that not only came to SAVE you, but also to KNOW you.  

Merry Christmas everyone!