December 14th....

only 10 more days til Christmas Eve.

Christmas parties, Christmas plays, Christmas shopping.

The hustle and the bustle of the holiday season can easily get in the way of the true meaning of Christmas.

But there's nothing like a baby to slow things down.

Make you realize what's really important.

Cause your heart to stop and consider the miracle of new life.

Our family is experiencing the wonder of "new birth" firsthand this year,

and

there's something about this new little bundle of joy that causes all people in his presence to just "wonder" as they look upon his sweet little presence.

My prayer for each of you today is that you will take a few minutes to read the first Christmas story and "wonder" at the presence of our newborn king,

our Savior,

our Prince of Peace,

our Lord,

our Redeemer......

wrapped in swaddling clothes,

lying in a manger.

Mary understood as she treasured all the memories of this moment deep in her heart.

I'm praying we can all grasp the powerful meaning of His life today.

Thankful today for the story of Jesus' birth and for the birth of a new little member of our earthly family.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,  and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.