MERRY CHRISTMAS

Well...here it is. The one. After 30 some photos taken by self-timer on a home-made quad-pod (stacking together three 4 legged stools) This is the one.

Our photo experiences from year to year are maybe the most memorable part of the advent season...sad, I know...I am the last minute planner who is always behind on my own Christmas plans. The men in our home are the goofiest guys when it comes to picture taking. I used to think it was "fun with the photographer" but this year I learned differently......"DO SHARE", you are thinking...well, okay. A small sampling...

In his ever-expressive dramatic way...Ethan "smoking" my battery-operated candle with Dale holding his favorite CARS character. Then there is Dale...nearly never a normal face on the guy...he was born to laugh! Which makes life interesting here for this more serious gal.

So again I say, MERRY CHRISTMAS!! from our house to yours!

Luke 2
The Birth of Jesus In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Is it not profound that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Glorious, Majestic, Magnificent, Holy God was born to us in a barn? Then the angels appeared to the "riff-raff" of society first, the humble shepherds... That tells me something. He came as the most lowly to make the way for the most lowly to be holy. OOOH AAAH

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Be amazed by grace!