Merry Christmas!

I pray you have a wonderful day tomorrow and that you remember the Best Gift of all, Jesus coming down from His place in Heaven and becoming a mere man to ransom us. 

I realized that although Christmas we spend it with family and eating dinner, it is really the preparation of the time before that we focus on Jesus the most.  And it should be, we spend more time that way!  Just as we are preparing our gifts for the ones we love, so God was preparing a gift for those He Loves.  What a precious gift it was, too!!!!!

Here are a couple of things I want to share....

1) the Mark Hamby devotional that came today.  Amazing how twisted things can become over time!  Much like gossip we twist things around until they aren't true!  Although we can't know for sure, I believe Mr. Hamby has it pretty close...

Away in a Manger 

It's amazing the assumptions we make through the years--so much so that, in our minds, fiction becomes fact. Here are a few myth busters that will surprise you:

Myth #1: Mary rode to Bethlehem on a donkey. Nowhere to be found in the Scriptures.

Myth #2: The innkeeper sent Mary and Joseph out to the stable because there was no room in the inn. Nowhere in the Scriptures is an innkeeper mentioned!

Myth #3: Mary and Joseph tried to check in at an inn. The word INN is better translated guest room. Most families had a guest room attached to their homes.

Considering that generous hospitality was part of the culture, and that a few hundred people that would have comprised this Bethlehem village, it would have been most unlikely that Mary and Joseph would have been turned away.

Not sold yet? Picture this. A typical home back then consisted of one large living room, a separate but attached guest room (the inn), and one additional room, open to the living area, situated about three feet below the living quarters, like a split level. The peasants used this room to house their animals at night in order to avoid theft. A trough or manger was dug into the living room floor, which allowed the larger animals to stick their heads over the partial wall to drink and eat. Can you picture this? Jesus was born in the living room!

To turn away a pregnant woman would have been unthinkable in Middle Eastern culture. The baby Jesus was not turned away--He was welcomed into someone's home because there was no room in the guest room where Joseph had originally planned on staying!

What really happened? May we become like the Bereans of Acts 17 who received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Pretty interesting, eh?

2)  I have fallen in love with this song!  It is so beautiful!!!  I love how the song is NOT in a minor that makes you want to cry or something.  This one just makes my soul sing.

"Was anyone able to look past the stable, and not see a child but a King"

~Rebecca

Connected Holidays- Mark Hamby

I get these from a wonderful, Godly man through his company.  They are pretty good little devotional type e-mails.  I have had lots of eye-openers to Scripture and life. I thought I would share this one with you- especially with Christmas coming up! 

Recently I received a letter from a listener who shared about her family connectedness during Thanksgiving. She hadn't seen some members of her family for over six years and couldn't wait to hear all about God's blessings over the years. Hugs and kisses abounded as family arrived from across the country.

As the great reunion began, she shut down her laptop and phone, as there were only a few precious days to be shared. Sadly, even before coats were removed, all sorts of buzzing and beeping went off. Instantly mom, dad, and their two children tuned in to their iPhones. Every conversation was interrupted. At the Thanksgiving dinner--a gathering that had not been shared together for over twenty years--some family members continually received text messages from friends during the mealtime celebration. Led by example, one of the children came to the table with her phone and iPod, thinking nothing of it. 

This situation is heartbreaking for some, but seemingly normal for others. Should we raise the white flag of surrender? No, we need not be controlled by new technology. What we need is to prioritize our lives and our relationships, and have the discipline to turn our phones off--particularly when we are eating or conversing. It is a matter of good manners and consideration. There are times, of course, when you might be expecting an important call or text; if that is the case, simply let your guest know in advance that you may need to take a call during your conversation.

As we reestablish rules of courtesy and consideration in our own lives, then hopefully our children will follow.

"Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous" (1 Peter 3:8).

Love,

Rebecca

Jesus Humbled Himself

Jesus humbled Himself.

He went from commanding angels...

To sleeping in the straw.

From holding stars...

To clutching Mary’s finger.

The palm that held the universe...

took the nail of a soldier.

Why?

Because that’s what love does.

The Gift of God.

The birth of Christ.

This is Christmas.

This is Love.

“This is how we know what Love is:

Jesus Christ laid down His life for us….”

1 John 3:16

Merry CHRISTmas! 

May you enjoy the celebration of the

Birth of the King's Son.

~Rebecca
P.S. I did not write this myself.  It was an e-mail I recieved that I added pictures to.  I thought it was very fitting for Christmas. RLH

Christmas

Christmas.  You think of Lights, Snow, Hot Chocolate, Evenings with Family, Family time, shopping, Giggles as you hide gifts, Bows, Happiness, Joy, Singing, Baking, Smiles, Trees, “White Christmas”, and “A Christmas Carol”. It’s Christmas time!!

If there is one thing I love, it is Christmas and December.  I am finally allowed to play Christmas songs all I want!  (Hahaha)  I love decorating and getting the Christmas tree up!!  We make it a big family event.  Mom passes out ornaments that we get to put on the tree, Dad string lights around the room with one of ussens helping.  Yeah, I really enjoy it. 

One of the things I have always appreciated that Mom and Dad do is make Jesus our focus, and others next.   One year Caleb was so excited- excited for everyone to open the presents HE made!!!  We all loved that!!  Our focus is on others, not ourselves.  We have never done Santa Claus and I think that is part of the reason we focus more on others. 

^Daddy reading The Birth story^

On Christmas morning our thing we do before opening presents is read Jesus’ birth story.  We start out first thing with that as our focus.  Then we open our presents one at a time so that we can see everyone’s reactions.  “Oh, wonder what you got!!”  “Mom, mom, look!  Here is your present I made; you’re going to love it!”  We celebrate Christmas as a big party for Jesus.  As His Holy and God-sent birth.  As His wonderful gift to us! 

Another fun family tradition that we do is a treasure hunt.  J Mom and Dad make one for us kiddos.  Ha-ha, the first one started years ago, when Josh was little.  Well, they put the first clue in a bunch of fabric and wrapped it and put it under the Christmas tree to us.  I opened it up and it said “Go Bush Your Teeth”.  Well, I started crying because it was Christmas, we just finished opening our presents and I didn’t want to leave everyone and go brush my teeth!!!  Hahaha!!  Mom finally convinced me that I needed to go, and had fun at my surprised face when what I found the next clue!!!  I think I just about had Sarah crying from “having to go brush our teeth….”   :D

Here are some pictures from last years treasure hunt.....

   ^Caleb isn't sure what the clue meant.... ^

                                        

                                                 

 

                             

Merry Christmas!!!!

Love in Christ,

Rebecca