It's the most wonderful time of the year.....

Christmas time is here. I was driving to work yesterday, and my children requested for me to put in our Charlie Brown Christmas cd. They love hearing track 4. I however love track 6. It brings back memories of my childhood, and gives me such a warm feeling inside when I hear it, and yesterday it even brought tears to my eyes. As I am typing this post I am still overwhelmed with this emotion, not because of the cd , but because of the feeling Christmas brings. (It was a good cry) As we were listening, the Lord brought to my mind a question. "What am I instilling in my children about Christmas?" When they are older and become parents, what will give them that warm fuzzy feeling inside when they think of home? I pray that when my children are grown, they will not think that Christmas is about receiving gifts under the tree. I pray that they remember that the Lord Jesus came to this Earth to give us eternal life, and that their parents loved the Lord Jesus with all of their hearts. That this little baby changed everything when He was born so long ago, and He is still changing this today in their life. When we have children they do change everything. Our world is forever different. Our thoughts and actions change, and things we hold as important, change. I am so thankful at this time of year for the gift that God sent to us, Jesus. It is the greatest gift we could ever receive. He is in the business of changing everything in our life if we let Him. He wants us to walk with Him and talk with him. To have a personal relationship with Him and to receive the gifts He has to offer us, and be forever changed. As I look around at all of the people in my community alone, I see people who need Him. I see an emptiness in their life that only He can fill. I pray that as the new year approaches, that I would continue to remember those around me, and not get so caught up in my own life, that I miss an opportunity to share the most precious gift I have. David just walked in to kiss me goodbye and head off to work, and he asked why I had tears in my eyes. I said, "I guess I just feel so blessed." I love watching my children get so excited about Christmas. I myself get so excited for what this season brings. It is a season of giving, and loving. It's the most wonderful time of the year, not because of the gifts we give, but because of the gift we received so long ago, JESUS.