Merry Christmas!

IT HAS ARRIVED.
My favorite day.
Merry Christmas, loves!

People often ask me why I love Christmas so much, and if I've always been this way.
Well... my name means "Christmas Child". That's not why I love Christmas, but I think it's a pretty fitting name for someone who loves Christmas season as much as I do.

Now... have I always been this way? Yes and no.
I've always loved Christmas season. The kindness that people usually seem to have [except in mall parking lots... those bring out the worst in humanity...], Christmas carols, the baking parties, looking out for the needs of others, Christmas movies, colder weather, football season... All those things make Christmas season really fun & enjoyable. They're not the focus or purpose of Christmas, but they're really fun byproducts of this holiday.

So, why do I love Christmas so much?

#1: It's super fun to countdown to anything exciting. I like anticipation.
#2: Friend time, family time, and the best excuse to come to California for a 10 day visit.
#3: Most importantly, it is the perfect reminder of the gift of life, the purpose of life, and the reason why life is beautiful& enjoyable, even in the midst of hard times & tragedy: JESUS.

Now.. I know Jesus wasn't born on December 25th.
I know Christmas technically began as a pagan holiday.

However, those things don't matter. To me, Christmas is simply the representation & reminder of the birth of Christ. People say He was probably born in the spring. Whatever. That's awesome. Although it's really cute thinking of little 8 pound, 6 ounce, newborn infant Jesus, the date of His birth doesn't really matter. What matters is that Jesus was BORN.

He was born specifically with the purpose that He would live a perfect life, keeping Himself free of sin& failure, no matter what it took. He left heaven to be born in our imperfect world so that He could live perfectly and die for us. He was born so that He could later redeem us.
He was born to show us the relationship that God the Father wants with us. He came to be the perfect, tangible example of God's love and sacrifice. He came to bring abundant life, to redeem& to restore.
He came to show that we can overcome sin& death-- IF we look to Him for strength & fall on Him with our weakness-- because He overcame sin & death.

Everything He has done is for the glory of God, for the furthering of His kingdom& the exaltation of His name, and for our restoration.

Christmas is not great simply because people give gifts, or sing Christmas carols, or drink entirely too many Starbucks holiday drinks [...guilty...].
As I said before, those are enjoyable byproducts, but they're not the point.

Christmas is great, because it reminds me of the love, sacrifice, and deep compassion of Christ. It reminds me that God did the unthinkable--- He gave His only Son to come to this imperfect world. To enter a world full of tragedy & death; a world of people that would seek our own embetterment, without realizing that He is the giver of all good things. A world who would depend on our own strength& resources, and forget that He is the giver of life, and that in Christ we live, move, and have our being.

God knew all that. Yet, He knew that WITHOUT Christ, we would have no future; no hope. We would never be able to give enough or do enough to deserve eternal life. So He offered up His Son for us. And Christ was willing to leave heaven in order to be born as a baby, to a humble family with very little means. He was willing to live in a less-than-perfect place, and to give His life for us, because of LOVE.

Jesus loves us enough that He was willing to suffer for us. Now He lives to make intercession for us. That's why I love Christmas. I love Christmas because it points to everything I live, love, and believe. I love Jesus every day, not just on Christmas. But with the busyness of life, and the responsibilities and demands on my time& attention, it can be easy to forget ,to just sit rest, focus, and simply THANK Him. Not just listing off things I'm thankful for... but expressing my thanks to Him... FOR Him. This day--- this entire season, really--- is just a reminder of whom I love& live for, and why He is deserving of my life. Jesus is the Messiah. The man who came to this world to redeem it, to lay His life down for us, since He knew we couldn't. It is a reminder that I follow a Savior who is full of love, kindness, patience, and forgiveness. All the stupid crap I've done, all the terrible mistakes I've made, all the selfishness& harshness in my heart--- He lived His life simply so He could die for those things. He gave Himself so that, by His holiness, He could redeem me by erasing those things & giving me a fresh start.

HE is the one who gives the most... not simply on Christmas, but every day. He has perfectly orchestrated my life& planned my steps.

How can I NOT love Him? How can I not be implicitly thankful for Him? Thankful to Him? How can I not be humbled to the dust, realizing how great& mighty He is, and realizing how slight& insufficient I am? How can I not be overcome with praise& thankfulness to realize that although I am nothing, and have nothing to offer--- He places His worth& identity in me, and makes me someone worth dying for and worth saving? And not just "me" but all people who ever lived or who ever will live...

I will never stop being ridiculous& giddy over Christmas, because it is the reminder that Jesus died for all of mankind-- including people like me who do straight up stupid things-- and that He sees us as being worth the sacrifice.

Merry Christmas, friends. In the midst of all the fun, busyness, family/friend time, gift exchanging, food, and festivities.... remember that Jesus is the one who is most deserving of our love& appreciation.
He doesn't just give love; He is the very definition of it.
He is so worthy of praise.


Bon Nadal!
Feliz Navidad!
Merry Christmas!