Christmas has arrived!  This, by far is one of my favorite times of the year and always has been since I can remember.  I fondly remember the years growing up and the anticipation of this day.  Waking up in the pre-dawn hours to sneak down stairs and see what the jolly ole’ elf had brought us.  As a father, that that joy has continued with the joy of their faces on Christmas morning and the wonderful traditions we have established over the last 15 years as a family.  Through all of that, the one that has remained a constant and I strive to ensure my children never forget, is why we celebrate this season.  It is a celebration of the day that God stepped into this world to deliver his promise of salvation through Jesus Christ.  Celebrating the birth of Jesus is near and dear to Christian faith.  It is also a celebration of the peace that is possible in our lives through Jesus and developing that personal relationship with him as your savior.

Often times, people get so worked up and stressed out, especially this time of year trying to find those right gifts, or stressed that they may not be able to afford much for Christmas if anything at all.  Many times, this can cause strife in the home between couples who get more stressed out about finances.  I have been there.  But one thing I have learned through the struggle is that building that personal relationship with Christ and turning back to God is the best way to get through any of those struggles.

I was up early Sunday morning, and watched a sermon from Dr. Charles Stanley from First Baptist Church Atlanta, while the family was still sleeping.  He spoke of Jesus, The Prince of Peace and how peace in our own lives, real peace, was only possible through our relationship with Christ.  Many times in our lives we encounter situations that we just wonder why would God allow this kind of struggle, or why would He allow suffering such as in Newtown, CT.  Dr. Stanley mentioned one thing that was very real and caught my attention.  He mentioned that we do find God when things are great and we have plenty of money.  No, the struggles are when people turn to Him.  These struggles are  wake-up to turn back to Him.  No matter what kind of struggle may be in front of you, whether it is finances at Christmas time or whatever it may be, by turning back to God and to prayer, you will build the foundation to pull from those struggles.  Let Him take over.  He can bring you through any struggle in life and His promise for salvation and peace is so real.

I will approach this much more as we move forward, but with all of that said, I would like to wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas from my family to yours.  May the Lord’s blessings shine down on each of you and your families.

Take care and God Bless!