Merry Christmas everyone. Today we celebrate God's gift to us. We do that in a variety of ways. We give each other gifts. We enjoy watching the excitement and anticipation of our children and grandchildren as they do their programs and open their presents.
We all have our different traditions. Earlier this week we were invited for lunch at Pablo and Paula's house made by Paula's mother visiting from Jamaica. We started with a Christmas drink made from flower pedals. The main course was ox tail, curry chicken, and scampi. It was spicy enough to make you perspire. It was tasty. You just had to remember to take little bites. We finished with dessert and coffee with rum and brown sugar added.
Harmony among family and friends is one gift I am so thankful for. Working and playing together with each other's interest in mind is priceless.
This past Friday evening we celebrated Christmas as a family. Jan had an unbelievable meal. Mike made a video of the past year in review. Kristin helped me with a gift for Jan. The girls made a photo book for Jan and I and also gave us each monogrammed jackets. As a dad, to be able to be friends with a daughter and five daughter-in-laws is a gift I will always cherish.
Of course Christmas gettogethers wouldn't be complete without watching the excitement of grandkids opening presents.
And then there is the annual pajama picture where all the kids show off their new Pj's given by Grandma Jan every year. I'm thinking this tradition might be about over for some of the older boys
Jan and I along with friends, Jay and Diane, attended Christmas Eve services at The Bridge, a church plant in Ottumwa. Wow, It was packed. As I observed the audience and listened to the message I was reminded not everyone has the gift of family and all of us experience difficult situations from time to time.
The Gift we celebrate today is the help and comfort to our difficult situations. That Gift changes everything. How are we to respond to that Gift? I think the first thing we do is to accept the Gift and ask Christ of Christmas to help us with the difficult whys and what ifs. I think the next thing we do is to say thank you by sharing the Gift by word and example. That is the true spirit to our holiday tradition.
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