Merry Christmas 2011 - Happy Birthday Jesus!

Merry Christmas Everyone! I pray your Christmas started with joyful memories yesterday. With the exception of my husband having to work yesterday, the day was near perfect. My daughter enjoyed two hours at church rehearsing for last night’s service, cleaned her room, and helped with “wrapping” up the loose ends, literally. Five loads of laundry, five batches of cookies, the finishing touch on my Dad’s gift, and Christmas movies on the television. A great day to say the least.

Once we were all home a pizza was ordered for dinner, delivered to my parent’s house and we enjoyed some time with them too before heading to church. The Christmas Eve service was beautiful, the girls did an amazing job with their songs and readings. (AMAZING! I’ll say it again) Pastor read to us with the illustrations on the big screen. There is something powerful listening to a read aloud, even when we are adults. He read the legend of the candy cane, shared from his heart with tears in his eyes and then gifted each of us with a candy cane to share the legend with our friends and family this Christmas Season.

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Following our service we visited friends for a couple hours before joining my in-laws for the annual Christmas Eve Party, after their Midnight Mass. Good food, fellowship, and family into the wee hours of the morning. Christmas hugs, hope, and memories were shared over the traditional oyster soup. Me? I fell asleep on the couch this time until my husband gently woke me up to say, “It’s time to go home.” More hugs and Christmas wishes and we were off.

“Can we open our gifts when we get home?” my daughter chimes. “But of course.” The majority of our gifts are waiting for us at my parents yet the special ones between only the three of us were tucked near the tree in our living room. With tears and thanksgiving in our hearts we closed our eyes till morning.

This morning started with freshly ground Dunkin Donuts coffee and hazelnut creamer (Thanks honey!) before joining our church family for Sunday worship. To attend or skip was the question for an ever-so brief moment – would we skip church because Christmas fell on a Sunday in order to keep tradition? Although I didn’t like my answer, we know in our heart we need to be in church. Jesus gave his life for me, the least I can do is set aside Christmas traditions for one year and celebrate His birth in worship and celebration this Sunday morning.

I’m anxious to be at my parents for our traditional Christmas breakfast, which is now a brunch and spending the entire day with them. Jesus is the greatest gift but my Mom, Dad, Ed, and Mary are next in line. MERRY CHIRSTMAS EVERYONE!

I found a reading of this same story, with illustrations on YouTube (below) for your enjoyment. I pray you open your heart to receive the greatest gift ever given…Jesus. May you not only enjoy the sweetness of a relationship with Jesus but also share it with all you meet. Merry Christmas!