"It wasn't so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back.
But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in,
He saved us from all that.
It was all His doing; we had nothing to do with it.
He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by The Holy Spirit.
Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously.
God's gift has restored our relationship with Him and given us back our lives.
And there's more life to come - an eternity of life!
You can count on this."(3:3-8)
How easily we can get distracted from what Christmas is really all about. How easily we become caught up in the commercialism, the busyness, the "keeping up with the Jones".
Years ago, when the boys were little, we decided to cut back on the gifts from the world and focus on the gift of Christ. Each of us received three gifts, using the number of gifts Christ received from the Wise Men. As far as I can tell, the boys survived this practice we embraced long ago and continue to carry on, without any life threatening scars. Our Christmas morning's begin in a prayer circle and then listening to Curt read the account of our Savior's birth from Scripture.
We began the traditions of centering our lives on and around Him. These are traditions I pray will continue in the homes of our future generations each of their mornings.
How thankful I am He has transformed my heart from trying to celebrate, or rather endure, the way the world wants us to spend this season. How blessed I am in the "not having everything perfect" from robbing me of the joy in having all of our family home, together, celebrating Him.
I love how He is keeping me focused on the most important gift.
The Gift of our Savior.
"God's gift has restored our relationship with Him and given us back our lives.
And there's more life to come - an eternity of life!
You can count on this."
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