Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

Greetings Friends,

December is a great month! There is no other time of year in which you can openly celebrate the birth of our God and savior like we can in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Walking through Wal-Mart last week, I heard both “The First Noel” and “Away in a Manger” played over the loud speakers. In a culture, that is systematically taking God and prayer out of the public eye, we still have carols that remind us what is truly important in both Christmas and in life. Unfortunately, in less than a week those reminders of Christ’s incarnation are going to be replaced by the sounds of elevator music and Lady Gaga. But, we should not let the reminder of Christmas disappear with the passing of the holidays. There is a reason why an entire genre of music has been written about Christmas. Jesus’ birth is a big deal! Just as Christmas music & carols are a response to the joy of Jesus birth, our lives need to be a living response to Christmas. Jesus has redeemed us from our sin; let us respond with how we live! Every day is Christmas day! As Christians we shouldn’t let Christmas be a "once a year" event. Remembering God's gift to us should be a way of life.

December also provides us with an opportunity to reflect and look back on the past year. This is the season where all that has happened over a 365 day period becomes crystallized in our memories as the ‘year that was’. From this point on, when we think of 2010 we will be reminded of joys & sorrows, the accomplishments that we have been a part of, the struggles we have come through, the loved ones that have passed on, and all of the other major events that have left their mark on our memories. We go through a lot in a year. Take time to acknowledge all that you have been through. Take time to remember what others have done for you. Take time to celebrate the blessings that God has given to you. Think back through your struggles, and you will be amazed at the number of examples of God's provision that we fail to recognize in the moment. God is always working, but sometimes in the heat of the moment we fail to see Him. Use December as an excuse to reflect and discover the ways that God has been blessing you.

Finally, I love December because we get our first snow that "sticks." Now, I don't like shoveling or driving in it, but snow itself is peaceful. There is nothing more calming than pulling on a jacket & stepping out onto the front porch with a cup of coffee to watch giant flakes fall from the sky on a quiet, snowy night. Then, once that snow has fallen, it covers everything. Gone is the browning, splotchy grass. Gone are the leaves that never were raked up. It even hides the sidewalk that cuts through the lawn. We are left with a blanket of white perfection. I always imagine that this is how God sees us after we have accepted Christ as our savior. Just like the messy grass and leaves, our sin and what keeps us from God is still there, but it is a non issue. Christ covers it. We don't have to be perfect because Christ is perfect and clothes our imperfection with Grace.

So as December draws to a close, remember that every day is a Christmas Day, remember how God saw you through the year, and remember, like snow that sticks, God’s grace covers us.

Merry Christmas,

Ben