December 2004

Hello All,
It seems like just yesterday that I put "Next up, Thanksgiving. I can already taste the turkey, and the sweet potatoes." in the November newsletter and now it is already past Thanksgiving and closing quickly on Christmas. I still do not know why, but it is during Christmas more than any other holiday that we seem to get closer to our families.
What is Christmas to you? I know some parents that would say that it is their least favorite holiday because of how crazy the stores get when shopping for presents. Now I do not know about you, but I would probably not stand in line for hours just to buy one gift. Yet, on the day after Thanksgiving, millions of shoppers are up at 3 or 4 AM getting ready for the stores to start opening at 5 AM. Then there is the mad dash to this years "must have" toy, reminds me of the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie "Jingle all the Way." The movie is about a man who has neglected his family and Christmas is rapidly approaching. He is determined to get a Turbo Man figure for his son as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve he discovers that the toy is sold out and another parent is after it as well. The man now has only a few hours to obtain the toy so his son will be happy on Christmas. The movie follows the two around as they frantically search for the toy.
That is definitely not what Christmas is about. Christmas is the time of year that we celebrate the birth of Jesus. For it is written in Matthew 1:18-25 (NLT):
"Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly. As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All of this happened to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us)." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded. He brought Mary home to be his wife, but she remained a virgin until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus."
God sent Jesus to save us from our sins. It is in John 3:16-17 (NLT) that we are told why this is such a wonderful gift:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it." (bold added)
I don't know about you, but that is the best present I have every received. No one knew it at the time, but His birth would be the best present a parent could give. Now I do not remember how much that Turbo Man cost to buy, but this gift from God is free. All we have to do is accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The story of Jesus' birth is much better than this movie. If you want to see a movie that is shows what Christmas should be I would suggest "The Christmas Shoes." It is the story of a man whose marriage is not going well and of a little boy who just wants to buy his dying mother shoes for her to where in heaven. Their paths will cross and their lives will be changed forever. CBS has aired this movie the past 2 years and they should be airing it again this year on December 21st at 8 PM (per the CBS website). For more information about this movie go to http://www.cbs.com/specials/christmas_shoes/index.shtml. Take time during the Christmas holiday to tell those around you how thankful you are that they are a part of your life. And thank God for the wonderful gift that he gave us that has changed our lives eternity.

Because of Him,

Terry and Diane

Praise Be To God
"Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!" Amen. (Psalms 66:16-20 NLT)

"That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior--yes, the Messiah, the Lord--has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David!" (Luke 2:8-11 NLT)