Do you have a special prayer you ask the Lord for each Christmas? Have you waited for a present for years only to get it when you stop asking?

Can you imagine waiting over 42 generations for a something to be fulfilled? Christmas was a long-awaited promise fulfilled at the perfect moment in time.

My brother and I had Santa come to our house for a quick and special visit every Christmas Eve. He’d bring us a couple of gifts before heading out on his big trip around the world. This one Christmas proved to be an extra special surprise my parents didn’t even know about. This little gift created quite the ‘experience’ for our wee family.

As the shepherds approached the baby, they couldn’t help but fall on their knees in worship. The very cry of this little child held great authority. The shepherds hearts were filled with amazement. This truly was the Messiah. They could feel it down to the very marrow of their bones. “The King has come to dwell among us,” they whispered to one another.

Being a grade 3 teacher is a humbling experience. Yes, it’s a joy. Yes, it’s a privilege. But, boy is it edifying! If you’re a parent, a grandparent, an aunt, an uncle, a Sunday school teacher, or if you’ve ever just been around kids, you might know what I’m talking about. Kids have a special way of pushing us to our limits and causing us to see our own shortcomings.

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas this year, I want to take time to look at the life of Jesus Christ. What child is this? What is special about this child compared to any other? Could He really come from a virgin? Was He actually both God and man?

Who’s excited for Christmas this year?? I know I am! I can enjoy everything when I give myself more time to plan, rather than scrambling last minute to figure every event out. By doing this, it gives me greater room to be creative with meals and gifts, as well as reduce and/or spread out the expenses.  Plus, it helps extend the fun because I can think of things to do to make the holiday last rather than cramming everything into a few days.

Sometimes it’s in the least expected moments that God teaches and uses you.

Remembrance Day is a day of somber reflection with grateful hearts. We have so much freedom in this country. May we never forget where it came from.

One of the greatest things we can hear as believers in Jesus is that it’s not up to us to fix ourselves. We only need to be aware of our brokenness and sin, acknowledge it to the King of kings, and accept His redemptive forgiveness. Then, as His Holy Spirit takes up eternal residence within us, He begins to make room for more of Jesus in our lives. He shapes and molds us to be more like Him. Our job at this point is to surrender ourselves to His leading, to bask in the wonder of His word, and to worship Him all the days of our lives. The more we submit to this, the greater the impact He will have.