... gift wrap...

"Gift-mas" 


The packages were wrapped with care... tied with metallic bows. We have had many get togethers to "undo" the gift wrap.


We had our own family-of-four Christmas Day 8 days before Jesus' birthday.  The Hubs and I wanted to have a day at home with our boys, filled with the traditions we started last year for our Indiana Christmas:  monkey bread & brown sugared lil' sausages... seafood dinner: crab legs, lobster tails, salmon ... afternoon filled with Lego-ing... evening playing boardgames.  It was also way to leave some loot at the homestead.


We headed to our second family get together the day before Christmas Eve, driving the 13+ hours to Grandpa and Grandma McKenna's.  We were joined by Uncle Brett, Aunt Tracey and Aunt Amy.  More gifting ensued.... Lego-ing, Nerf sword fighting following. We enjoyed "robber gift exchanging" with the extended McKenna clan at Aunt Shelley& Uncle Pat's; and sharing a Christmas meal with the Sauvage's.


The holiday sojourn continued as we headed back east to Granny & Grandad's.  Aunt Leslie, Uncle Brandy, Liam & Lanie joined us.  More gifting with the Petersons induced Lego pirate ship building, and Kinect sporting.


The great thing about our Christmases is that they were not just abundant in "things" ... they were filled with fellowship with family.


The Hubs and I have joked, 'tis the season for Gift-mas.  We meant absolutely no disrespect to Jesus Christ, for whom Christmas is named.  We are both followers of Christ, and found ourselves caught up in the other aspects of our Christmas traditions.


This has me thinking about the first Christmas gift.  A church sign I drove past last week read, 
"Mary wrapped the first Christmas gift."


How truly prophetic.  In our culture and society we have become a target for the marketing campaign of the season without possibly reflecting on why we give gifts.


My father-in-law read to the grandkids from Luke 2 on the night of the family gift giving, asking his grands why we give presents.  Our niece replied, "To celebrate Jesus' birthday."  Grandad explained that in the following reading we will read about God's gift to us.


Luke 2:6-12

^6-7While they were there (Bethlehem, the City of David), the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

 ^8-12There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."

Mary and Joseph wrapped the Messiah in a blanket & laid him in a feed trough.  The angels professed where the shepherds could find their Savior, their gift from God.

Jesus is our gift from the Lord, gift wrapped by decendents of King David.  So dear readers, have you opened the gift and accepted Jesus as your Savior?  It brings the gift of eternal life.

It is as simple as praying a sort prayer, "Lord thank you for sending Jesus Christ to earth, to wash our sins away.  I accept Jesus as my Savior."


P.S. (Post Script): Our 1st grader has decided he wants to go to work for Lego and design "Bible Times" Lego sets .... out of the imaginations of babes.

..."donkey tale..."

... a donkey tale?

My 1st grader checked a book out of the library about the first Christmas in Bethlehem. Each page was narrated by a different character in the nativity story. The cattle telling of loaning Jesus their hay trough to use as his bed. The angle who first sang of birth of the Savior. The shepherd's  who followed the star and angelic chorus to discover the new born king.  What a fun bedtime tale it was, beautiful illustrations too.

This has my mind thinking of all the creatures present at the birth of Jesus...

My thoughts are focused in on one barnyard animal, the donkey.  The one who walked the 80-some miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The one who bore the weight of Mary and the gift in her womb. The one who carried our Messiah.  Did this barnyard creature know the importance of the cargo it transported? Was it clip-clopping along, trying to reach the destination; longing for a bite to eat and a place to rest?

I think the donkey knew... he was God's creation.  Created quite possibly for such a job as this.

He carried our Savior to the city of David. This was professed in Zachariah 9:9

"Rejoice o people of Jerusalem.... Your King is coming humbly to you... riding on a donkey." (NLT paraphrased)

I picture that donkey walking with his head held high, proudly delivering it's cargo to the stable of the Inn.  This Christmas season, how will you walk? Proud of your Savior as you celebrate His birthday? Or will you just be goofing through the motions of the season, forgetting the reason for celebrating?

Ironically, that same King rode into Jerusalem on a donkey again... Some 33 years later, to celebrate Passover .... But dear readers that may be a spring time tale...