Now I love Christmas.  I’ve always loved Christmas. I love the smells, the food, the time with family & friends, buying stuff for other people, watching children get into it. I even love the music. And, yes, I get into the reason for Christmas (sorry, I’m tired of “The reason for the season” phrase).

I also love learning something new about Christmas – the birth of the Christ. Each year I ask God to show me something new about the Christmas story – something I haven’t noticed before, something He would like me to learn.  I get into reading the prophets and the gospels’ telling of the birth of a baby. . .a special baby. I love reading and hearing how a dad gave his only son for me. . .how a king came to be like me in order to die for me.

I also love to celebrate Christmas.  I love to sing Christmas songs.  One of my favorites is O Come, O Come Emmanuel.  I can’t tell you why, but I love that song.  I think it is because the song is itself the core of the gospel:  Emmanuel, God with us, rescuing us from the captivity of sin and giving us victory over Satan.  There are others I love to sing; those with an upbeat tempo bringing a feeling of celebration to my heart.

But Christmas can also be a source of challenge.  For us guys, it poses a special challenge:  How do we maintain our feeling of celebration without getting caught up in the commercialization of it all?  It’s easy to do, you know?  This toy for this child, that toy or game for the other one, something special for your bride and before you know it you’re looking at bills and debt out the wazoo!  Then comes “How do we afford them?”  And before you know it, your celebration has turned into a challenge.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love buying for other people.  I especially love watching their eyes when they open one of my gifts and they have that look of surprise and joy all at once.  I can’t help it, but I just love that feeling.  So, it’s easy for me to get caught up in it as well.  It’s really easy for me to give in and get that extra gift or to spend a few extra bucks for the “better” gift.  I have to watch myself.

So how do avoid Christmas turning from a celebration to a challenge?  Join me in spending some extra time in God’s Word and in prayer this Christmas season.  Read the stories of the coming of the Christ.  Share them with your children and/or your wife.  Spend some time with God in prayer.  Ask Him to give you the strength and wisdom to make the right decisions and to say “No” when you need to say “No” and “Yes” when you need to say “Yes.”  Ask God to give you a heart of celebration.  Ask Him to constantly remind you of what this season is all about.

Christmas can be a very special time of the year for us all.  Don’t let our culture and the marketing gurus tell you that in order for you to have a “Merry Christmas” you have  to buy this toy ,or this gadget, or this game, or this diamond.  I honestly believe your children and your wife will still love you.

So make this year a time of celebration for you and your family.  Don’t let that ol’ Grinch, Satan, tell you different.

Enjoy!!

Mike

So. . .here we have this young man and this very young woman in a legally binding relationship and he finds out she’s pregnant. I don’t know about you, but someone would be coming up with some answers pretty quick. And a divorce decree would be the least of anyone’s worries. Needless to say, I would be a bit emotional about the whole situation. Given their situation there would be disgrace, shame, guilt, and a whole host of emotions and perspectives placed upon the two families, especially Mary’s family.
What does Joseph do? He first decides to quietly divorce her. He was going to do the “right” thing according to the law, but he was going to respect her and do it quietly. He wasn’t going to make a big stink about it. He wasn’t going embarrass her anymore than she and her family had already been embarrassed. Then he’s visited by an angel of the Lord in a dream who tells him everything and tells him to take her as his wife. So what does this young man of God do? He wakes from his nap and immediately goes to Mary’s house. He receives her as his wife and takes her to their home – to love her, care for her, lead her, and treat her as his own. Not only that, but he doesn’t have sex with her until after Jesus is born. OK – I can see the caring, leading, loving part, but the no sex until after the baby’s born? Come on!! This guy is way more man than I am. Part of the reason I got married was to have sex!! Anyone out there with me? Or am I the only sap who will admit that the whole ” ’till death do you part” went in one ear and out the other because I was thinking, “let’s get on with it and get to the wedding night festivities!”? Any man denying they weren’t thinking about their wedding night is either so spiritual I can’t relate to him or lying.

Anyway. . .let’s give it up for Joseph! Not only did he display incredible manhood for taking Mary to be his wife and treating her as his own, but for respecting what God was doing in and through her that he waited until Jesus was born to consummate their marriage.

Joseph. . here’s to you!