Keeping my focus

So this Christmas was an unusual one. It wasn't like other Christmases where life has been great and gone smoothly and I get lots of stuff. No, it wasn't like that at all. But even then, it came to my mind that Christmas isn't really for me, its for Jesus. Yeah, it's nice to get presents and I love everything I get and am probably going to enjoy it for a while, but that's not everything Christmas is about. It's about Jesus being born and everything that went along with that.

Christmas

It is almost one week until Christmas and on Sunday night our church is having our annual Christmas play. This year our Christmas play is very basic and we are having people say parts of Mary, Joseph, Shepherds and such. Well, I am Mary and it has got me thinking. Mary was my age when she got married and had Jesus. Besides that, her marriage was most likely arranged and so she probably didn't even know Joseph that well. To top that off, after they were betrothed - or engaged - she was told by Gabriel that she was pregnant with the Son of God. Imagine telling that to your parents, let alone your fiance. The law that people who got pregnant before marriage could be stoned was like a cherry on top of a sundae.

This whole thing just gets me to wondering if I could've been that faithful and withstood everything that happened before Jesus' birth and after it too. Imagine, holding Jesus in your arms, and then thinking that He is the Saviour of the whole world! But then, after looking at him as a baby, you'd remember the prophecy in the Old Testament that Jesus would end up dying for our sins. I'm glad that I wasn't in Mary's position. It'd be so difficult for me to raise a child, and love him with all my heart, knowing that he would end up dying for ME! I know I'm saying "imagine" a lot, but seriously think about it. You have a baby and then when He's 33 He'd die for you. I've heard people say how if I was the only one on earth that Jesus would've still come just for me, and I begin to wonder how difficult that must've been for Mary to watch - her firstborn son being crucified for the whole world's sin, knowing that He was dying for her sin as well.

I guess that I'm just trying to put things in perspective becasue I know that a lot of churches have Christmas programs involving the nativity scene and characters. All in all, Mary must have been strong in her life with God the Father, and strong emotionally to go through everything that she had to.

Lastly, I just have to say that it must've been humbling for Mary to hold baby Jesus in her arms. I would feel so unworthy.

Merry Christmas!!!!

It's Christmas time again!!!

I love Christmas time! It's so much fun to put up decorations and set up the Christmas tree and buy gifts. The best part is reading the Christmas story from the Bible about Jesus being born as a baby in a stable. I live on a farm with beef cows, and it's just humbling, I guess, to think that Jesus was born where the cows, pigs, horses, and other farm animals would be laying. It just goes to show that Jesus didn't need to have material royalty to prove His kingship! I also love Christmas music and all of the carols and songs that are reserved for this time of year. This movie is a really funny rendition of "The 12 Days of Christmas." They play it on FLN a lot, and I always laugh every time I hear it! :)

It's been a while since I've posted. A lot has been going on! I got a new horse, his name is Preacher. He is about 15 hands high and he is a bay. He is very well trained and I love him! My brother-in-law returned home from Afghanistan after a year long tour of duty. We are so excited that he is home! My brother is also home from college for the holidays. Although sometimes I'm not happy about him being home, it is nice that the whole family is home for at least a little while. I've gotten a job and I love what I do! I work at my dad's personal care home. I love being around people! Sometimes it can get gross up there, but I want to go to nursing school after highschool so I'd better get used to it. Our family Thanksgiving was really fun. But because my bro in law got home we are having a big Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow at my sister's double wide, and we are going to fit like 17 people in there! It's crazy! I don't think it is going to work, but I'll have to post afterwards to let you know if we all fit or not!