And what is Christmas again?

This year Christmas has looked different to me than ever before. Up until last year Christmas has consisted of a two week long break with no responsibilities, tons of presents and tons of fun. Christmas was always a break and full of activities and sleep. But this year for the first time ever I will work Christmas Eve and I will work the day after Christmas. This year we did almost no present buying or gift exchanging. And although at times leading up to Christmas it was hard to get excited about Christmas and it was disappointing that it wasn't going to be exactly the way I wanted it to be I am thankful that it ended up the way it did. It has forced me to make Christmas not about an emotional feeling of excitement or about the gifts but instead I have had to search for what really is Christmas. I learned that first and foremost it is not about me and what I want it to be. It has been hard to fight against what the world has made Christmas to be. I said last night that sometimes it seems like it would be nice to celebrate Christmas on a day different than rest of the world in order to be able to focus on Jesus's birth. All the celebrations and presents and music and decorations can sometimes just feel like static that gets in the way of a very special day. Does Satan use all of these things that feel so innocent and fun to distract us from worshiping and celebrating the day our God came to earth to save us? I think so.

Christmas Eve has always been my favorite part of Christmas and Silent night has always been my favorite Christmas song. Why? Because on Christmas Eve the world actually stops. Suddenly things are quiet, suddenly people have quit there busy lives and everyone goes home from work, people quit shopping and reside in the comfort of there own homes with the families they love. No other day of the year do we as a nation STOP. No other day of the year is the world quieter. No other day of the year in there a Silent Night for our Savior. It is a holy night, one when our God Immanuel (God with us) came to Earth to be WITH US, to SAVE US! It is so much more than Jesuses birthday and so much more than presents, cookies, and decorations. Without that Silent and Holy night we could not have been saved. Without that night we would not be able to call upon Jesus to save us from our sins. We would not have a God who understands all that we go through here on Earth because he never would have walked the Earth WITH US! So tonight enjoy the quietness and peacefulness of the world around you more than you enjoy the presents and good food. Take a night to be still and KNOW THAT HE IS GOD!

Because this is what Christmas is...

The night that Mary, "gave birth to a son, and gave him the name Jesus, because he saves his people from their sins. The virgin was with child and gave birth to a son, and they called him Immanuel- which means 'God with us'" Matthew 1:21-23