Christmas awe.

New Year's Resolution #1- update blog more often. Ergh- I tell you what- I have the best of intentions to sit down and update, but sometimes I have the worst time management skills. Maybe that should be resolution #2, haha, I think if I keep going at this rate I'll be overwhelmed with resolutions before January even gets here! Do you ever feel like that? Like you sit down to make a list so that you feel more organized and you walk away feeling completely overwhelmed and less productive than you did before you even started? *sigh*...such is life lately. Regardless, I do hope to update more often (i know i've said that way too many times before!).

I LOVE CHRISTMAS TIME. For so many reasons. I love getting Christmas cards and letters in the mail. I love Christmas parties with work, friends, family. I love seeing lights on houses when we drive by. I love anticipation and excitement that seems to linger in the air. I love buying gifts for others & I love opening gifts too :). I love baking/eating all sorts of wonderful things that you can only get by with at this time of year. I love decorating our home. I love Christmas music (as long as it's not overplayed and redundant). I love the memories that this time of year always brings. I love the way families seem to get along so well this time of year (even though every one is human and still has spats), I love watching Christmas movies and shows. I love drinking hot chocolate and sitting by the fire (yes, I know that sounds like a Christmas song, but I love it anyways). I love the smell of Christmas...(for some reason there is a smell that is Christmas). I love snow (I'm still a midwest girl even though I live in the south now & i'm hooooooping for a white Christmas in Illinois!). I love the warm, cozy feeling this time of year. I love so many things about this time of year.

Mostly, though, I love what Christmas is. I love that Christmas is a celebration, a time to remember what is really important, above all else. Yes all those things I listed are great and wonderful and make us feel so good, but they don't matter an ounce compared to the miracle that occurred when Jesus came down from Heaven and was born in a manger to live a life on earth that we might be saved for eternity. I can't comprehend the love that must have taken to leave the most perfect place in every sense to come here- to a place with lots of hurts, crime, brokenness, bad attitudes, unthankfulness, selfishness- and be born in a manger and basically live to die. What a holy and pure love is this! We can't comprehend that kind of love. I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be Mary or to be Joseph or the Wise-men or the Shepherd - to witness this incredible miracle. Can you imagine...this tiny baby that had just been born is the one who will grow up and save you? Maybe they felt caught between wanting to cuddle and hold this precious, adorable, new baby and wanting to fall down and worship this baby, knowing that this baby was their King.

I love these songs- I feel like they can help me to understand some of what these people might have been thinking:
"Mary's Prayer" (Bebo Norman) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMyTRy6MshE
"Born to Die" (Bebo Norman) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S5cQhx2nZA
"Joseph's Lullaby" (MercyMe) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgcGmgrNuLM&feature=related

I just can't express how thankful I am for Jesus. I can't comprehend the love that must have taken for the Father to send His son to an earth that would reject  Him. This is something to be in awe and amazement of- a miracle, a celebration, a gift. Sometimes I just need a re-focus-er this time of year...I don't ever want to get too busy or too distracted by all these wonderful things that come as part of this time of year to forget to just stand in awe of what happened on Christmas. To worship Jesus. 

I hope ya'll (like that? :)) have a wonderful and awesome Christmas in everyway. I hope that the hope and joy of Jesus can fill your hearts more than any present, party, etc could ever begin to do.

p.s. I am hoping to do a photo update soon of life here :)