Countdown to Christmas...

My dad drew this on the chalkboard last year for Christmas. SIMPLY amazing.

It seems to sneak up on me every year, no matter how early I pull out the decorations, glitter the house, do the shopping, wrap the gifts and plan the menu. There never seems to be quite enough time to get it all done. Is it because there really isn't adequate time or is it because we try to do too much, expect too much or perhaps we make it about what it's really not. Is He receiving our praise through our efforts?  

Seems funny to me that there is so much emphasis on decorating and making things looks beautiful and sparkly when the event we are celebrating actually took place in polar opposite conditions- a stable, dark, dirty and about as primitive as conditions get. I struggled with this for years- the conflict between wanting things to feel lovely and festive and then coming to reality about the real conditions and meaning of Christmas. I guess the great thing about this struggle is that it challenged me to seek Him for wisdom re: what the season really suggests and how to glorify Him through it all.

One of my favorite parts in the story of the birth of Jesus is when  the  angel comes to the shepherds and scripture  says the glory of the Lord  was shining around them and the shepherds were afraid. But then the angel says, 
"Do not be afraid. I bring good news of great joy that will be for all people."
And then it goes on to say that suddenly a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the hightest,

and on Earth peace to men on

whom his favor rests." 

How awesome would that have been to witness the sky singing praises with these humble shepherds to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Oh so awesome!

And then this precious part of the story about how the shepherds decide to go look for the baby that they have just been told about. They hurry! They can't wait to find this amazing family.  Then after they see them they are filled with an overwhelming excitement about what they have seen and what has been told to them about this baby. They must have shown great enthusiasm because the scripture says that all who heard their story were amazed. 

And then this is the part that gets me every time.. .
It says Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. She takes it all in -savors every moment. Everything about that evening and what led up to it was a treasure that bubbled up inside of her. Can you even imagine what was going on inside of her heart? Take a second and think... really think about it.  I think about how I feel when my boys have accomplished something that means everything to him. Or when I've been blessed with a great evening together as a family, or when God answers a prayer, or seeing my children awarded for something they did well. The joy inside and the awe of God's power to do what he wills in and through us is simply stated...         
a miracle.
I want my heart to know and my actions to speak that  everything I do this Christmas is done for the glory of God so that I can experience the supernatural gratification that Mary had, knowing that is was ALL about Jesus. 

So now when I decorate, I do it in honor of Jesus. 
I ILLUMINATE the house to represent the glory of the Lord. 
I GLITTER to remind myself of the humble means by which Jesus came into this world.
 I SHOP to be reminded of the gift we have in Jesus.
 I WRAP pretty packages and place them under the tree to remember that Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed into a manger.
 I PLAN my menu to prepare for the time we will have as a family to go humbly before God together in prayer and thank him for his wonderful gift.
 And I DECORATE to tell the world that, 

"On this day a Saviour has been born to us, 

he is Christ the Lord!."

Much love and Merry Christmas...ALL for his glory.