Happy Christmas Eve! Has your day been as busy as mine? We made two trips to Wal-Mart. I finished the cooking and am ready to place it into ice chests and take it to Mom and Dad’s tomorrow. All the packages are wrapped and under the tree and placed in the stockings. I must admit that looking over at the mantle and seeing four stockings hanging makes me sad, sad, only because there are not five. But I give thanks that there are four. I am remembering to count my blessings. Bruce, Geni and Travis are my blessings. The stocking that are hanging are the ones we used in Casey’s room in Houston last Christmas.

We went to 8:00 worship tonight at Advent. Bruce played handbells at the end of the service and Geni and Travis were with us. It was a wonderful service. Lots of families and very excited children begging to go home and get to bed “uncharacteristically early” to await Santa’s arrival.

The opening song was O Come, All Ye Faithful. That song always gives me lump in my throat, but tonight it brought me to tears as we sang the third verse. I have sung that song a gozillion times, but tonight the third verse rang out; “Sing choirs of angels, sing in exultation, Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above.” Casey is singing in heaven tonight as one of its newest citizens. He is singing gory to God, glory in the highest. Geni with tears in her eyes whispered to me, “Mom, we are singing to Casey because He is in heaven with Jesus having Christmas.” Casey is in the highest place there is. He sings at the feet of the Father with that voice that was so excellent here on earth and now that voice is heavenly.

The story from Luke the second chapter is the traditional Christmas story we have all grown up hearing. I love hearing it every year. In case you need to look up the verses, it is Luke 2:1-20. Tonight Pastor Joel preached tonight on miracles. The birth of Jesus was a miracle. Mary was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and became pregnant with the Son of God. Angels spoke with Joseph and told him to stay with Mary for the child she was carrying was one so special that not only was Mary chosen to bear and mother this child, God had chosen him, Joseph to be the earthly father of Jesus. But then a revelation came to me. (Realizing I am probably the last one to think about this.) Jesus was born of a miracle and He also died and resurrected as a miracle. Jesus came into this world the natural way babies are delivered, but He was not conceived in a natural way. Jesus, when it came time to die, died a horrible death. His body took all of the punishment this world could dole out until His body could no longer take the punishment, but then a miracle happened. He was resurrected by the will of His heavenly Father. Jesus came into this world by the will of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit and left this world in the same fashion. In Spirit He came and in Spirit He returned.

The best miracle of all is how much God loves us. He loves us so much, that after Jesus went to heaven to spend eternity with the Father, God sent back the love of Jesus to all of us in the transforming, loving power of the Holy Spirit so we can have the love of Jesus with us forever. I find it totally miraculous that it all started with a tiny baby in a manger and a God who loves us to much that He wants to live with us always. I wish you all Merry Christmas. May the babe of Bethlehem be born once again in our hearts this Christmas.

Take joy in the journey friends. Love you, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.