December 16

Happy Monday friends! I hope everyone is doing wonderful and enjoying these past days leading up to Christmas. This weekend my family took our annual trip to pick out and cut down our Christmas tree. It is always an eventful experience with my mother, sister and I cracking up and telling jokes about the year before, my father trying to keep track of my two special needs brothers who are always wandering every which way, and of course the infamous train ride Marty always looks forward to. The McRae Christmas tree is always an interesting sight, as it is usually covered with our elementary school art and projects rather than your typical holiday ornaments. It looks a little odd, but honestly it fits our family perfectly.  Picking out our tree and then coming home to cover it in hand made “decorations” got me thinking about why this tradition came about. I thought I would do a little research and fill you guys in! This is what I found…

“By the early Middle Ages, the legend had grown that when Christ was born in the dead of winter, every tree throughout the world miraculously shook off its ice and snow and produced new shoots of green. The evergreen tree was an ancient symbol of life in the midst of winter. Romans decorated their houses with evergreen branches during the New Year, and ancient inhabitants of northern Europe cut evergreen trees and planted them in boxes inside their houses in wintertime.”

It is easy to get wrapped up in our own family’s holiday traditions, but let us not forget the real “reason for the season”. We have the opportunity to celebrate and gather in thanks during this season for the birth of our lord and savior Jesus Christ! Without him we would all be lost; and while Christmas gifts are wonderful and exciting, the greatest gift of all is a God who loves us and offers us eternal life through his only son. I hope everyone has a blest Monday! Hugs, Hugs, Hugs!

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.  But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." (Matthew 1:18-24)

Daily Thanks: Today I am thankful for my wonderful sister Meagan! We celebrated her 23^rd birthday tonight, and I am so blessed to have her in my life!