Christmas Joy

Grandpa Santa has delivered all his presents. Sounds from youngsters filled with excitement echoed throughout the house. Gifts to loved ones previously concealed with packaging and bows are now revealed. Bellys are filled from homemade treats. It was a joyous Christmas day in our house indeed!

My sweet husband knows me well. Packages with "Emily" on the gift tags contained... new arrows, a leather gun holster, and snow tracks. He told me after unwrapping my gifts, that the guys at the firehouse shared with each other what they bought for their wives. The remark he received after listing my items off was... "man you are in trouble!" Quite honestly, I would have to disagree 100%. You see, when you know someone well, you know what they will love. My man knows me well, and I LOVE my gifts.

Which brings us back to the reason we celebrate this joyous holiday. Our heavenly father knows and loves us well. So much that the Eternal One, knowing our need for a savior, stepped down into the confinement of time in order to save us from our sin. The great I Am who spoke creation into existence become part of his creation. The God who fashioned a universe and hung each star in it's place became a Jewish carpenter by trade and held a simple hammer in his hand.

Do you want to know what I think the best part of presents is? Anticipation. It's not knowing what is on the inside of the gift. There were a lot of guessing games going on around here - especially by the youngsters. One of my favorite conversations went something like this...

Niece: Auntie Em I got you something REALlllly nice. It's gold. The color gold.

Auntie Em: I'm sure that I'm going to love it!

Niece: Yep. It's sparkly.

Auntie Em: Do I wear it around my neck?

Niece: Nope. You put them in your ears, but I'm NOT going
to tell you what it is because it's a surprise. You are going to

love them though!

We all had a good laugh about that one! There were many more conversations that centered around the gifts under the tree. Everyone was excited to see what their loved ones gave them. That's the point. When you know that a gift is from someone that loves you, it is going to be good. It is the same way with our heavenly father. We celebrate because of the gift he gave us in the form of a baby some 2,000+ years ago. And because of that gift, we have the anticipation of something even better. A promise from someone who loves us so much...

As it is written (1 Cor 2:9):

"What no eye has seen,

what no ear has heard,

and what no human mind has conceived"-
the things God has prepared for those who love him-"

Amen to that! My heart is filled with Christmas Joy.

So what are some of the fun presents you gave or received this year?