First, Christmas.
During Christmas, there's always a lot of talk about having "the Christmas spirit". But when you take God out of Christmas, there isn't much of a good spirit to have. Christmas, of course, is the time of year that is set aside to celebrate Jesus' birth. But why is it so important to celebrate His birth? Because Christ didn't just come to be born of a virgin. He came to save the world from their sins. He came to shine light into the darkness, to "seek and to save that which was lost". That means that He came to die on the cross. But that wasn't the end. Christ ultimately came to defeat death and sin. His resurrection from the dead was just that. So, first, he was born of a virgin. Then, after his ministry, he took on the burden of all of mankind's sins on the cross. And finally, He rose again in victory over that death and sin! And that is where the true Christmas spirit comes from - the ultimate gift, God's own Son!
The first thing my family did for Christmas was go to Sight and Sound's play "Jonah" with our grandparents. It was really amazing! I don't really know how to describe it... it had a really good - and strong - theme, too. It was about being freed from chains of your own making. And for a book of the Bible that ends with the main character being so selfish, they wrapped up the play really well. If you can possibly go see it, I definitely recommend.
Also for Christmas, my family stayed at my Grandmother's. We were planning on having a big party at her house, but that party was pretty much cut in half because of the snow. But I didn't mind so much. I was so thrilled that the snow came just in time for Christmas! For the whole week before Christmas, I wasn't too sure it would snow. And I absolutely hate so-called "green" Christmases. I don't know how they are in places, like, say, Florida. But in Pennsylvania, a "green" Christmas is really a grey Christmas. So when the snow fell, my sisters and I all went outside - some of us even in our bare feet - to enjoy it. Some of us made snow angels, and we all just plain "romped" in it.
Other than snow, we also went bowling, decorated, and, of course, wrapped and opened gifts. One thing every member of my family received was gift cards to Barnes and Noble. So, on New Years Day...
Second, New Years Day.
My family spent New Years Day in going to Barnes and Noble. Since I recently got my permit on my 16th birthday, Dad let me drive. Mom wasn't too impressed, but I think she is a little more settled about it all after my older sister's turn at learning to drive.
So, we got to spend a few hours at Barnes and Noble. At first I was a little discouraged because the books that I was really looking for weren't in stock. But then I found Johnny Tremain. And then all of a sudden, all of these books I've wanted to read started popping in my head :D. After a bit of searching, I ended up leaving with "Johnny Tremain", three books by Elizabeth Gaskell, "King Solomon's Mines", "Boy Meets Girl" by Joshua Harris, "Oliver Twist", "When God Writes Your Life Story" by Eric and Leslie Ludy, and Monumental (the DVD).
When we got home, we played a game that Dad had got (Would You Rather...), and then had dinner and watched...
Thirdly and Lastly, Monumental.
So, after going to Barnes and Noble, we all watched Kirk Cameron's Monumental. It was really good. Growing up with a Dad who's really into history, especially American, I have had access to a lot of good history books and other things. But I still learned from Monumental. For instance, I did not know that when the Pilgrims left for Holland, the men were separated from their wives and children. I didn't know about the storm the men were caught in, or about its miraculous stop. And the monument they went to see in Plymouth that Congress built... it was all amazing. It was sobering, encouraging, and challenging. It was sobering to see how far from the principles of our founding America has come, and where other nations in history - such as Rome - have ended up after becoming much the same as our own society has. But it was encouraging that we have such rich history that we can point to, and that our God is a God of mercy. If we will only look back, perhaps we will move forward. That's the challenging part. To not just sit back or be involved in the blame game. To instead see how this country was made, realize the Providence of God in our history, and then move forward with that knowledge. And then, to cry out with the Pilgrims "You can save us even now!"
If you haven't seen it already, I recommend this to you, too. It was just incredible.
So, I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
In Christ Alone,
