Many years ago in a far off land......
Well it is true!
It was over 25 years ago,and it was in America which is a long way from Northern Ireland.
Many years ago in a far off land a young father was shopping in a really large shopping mall when he got lost......
No sorry that's another story!
Many years ago in a far off land a young father was shopping in a really large shopping mall when he saw something that he just could not resist buying for his 3 young children.
It was December and so it was getting close to Christmas time and in that shopping mall there was a stall where someone was selling Santa hats.
Now these were not just ordinary Santa hats, they were personalised Santa hats.
This father thought his children would love to have Santa hats with their names in glitter so he (probably spending more money than he should) bought three hats:
one for Jonathan, one for Daniel and one for Linda.
If you look closely at the picture above you will see a school photo of the 3 kids at roughly the ages they were when these hats were bought.
The hats come out each Christmas and it just would not feel the same without them we have got so used to propping them up together each year and always think back to when they actually fitted on the kids heads.
In our family, Christmas would just not be the same without remembering something else too.
Yes we give and receive presents, eat a large turkey dinner and gather together to enjoy each other's company but the most important thing is:
Thinking back to the marvellous event of over 2,000 years ago when Jesus was born.
We know just how much difference it made in our family as each of our 3 children were born and the family grew, but in this new family in Bethlehem there was the biggest difference there could ever be to a family.
They had just welcomed God Incarnate into their lives.
The Son of God became a man and dwelt on earth, He truly was Immanuel - God with us!
Yes, they had just welcomed God Incarnate into their lives and into the world and this was to make the biggest difference the world would ever know.
Today I would love you to look back to those well-known passages of the Bible that tell us the Christmas story and acknowledge that it is actually Christ's story, the telling of Jesus Christ becoming man and joining the people of the world so that at a later time He could give His life to be the Saviour of the world.
Our family know the difference that Christ has made in our lives and we pray that you have allowed Him to make that difference in your lives too.
My God truly be with you.
If you would like to know more about the difference He can make in your life please click on the 3 2 1 video in my sidebar.
My God truly be with you.
If you would like to know more about the difference He can make in your life please click on the 3 2 1 video in my sidebar.
