I love Christmas

I personally love Christmas! I love Christmas music, Christmas cookies, reading Christmas letters, watching Christmas movies and the list goes on. I don't even mind the Christmas crowds, but my favorite celebration of Christmas has to be hands down, going to the Christmas Eve service. I can pretty much mark every year of my life by Christmas Eve Services. I remember very humble services in tiny churches as well as beautiful glorious services in larger churches, all celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

My very first visit to Johnson Ferry was to attend the Christmas Eve service in 2002. George Wright happened to preach that night and he brought in live animals!  That was a first and I haven't seen them since.  I can only imagine why. It was our first time to the church and we came in the wrong entrance to encounter a very crowded service. We sat in the very last row in the balcony but each one of us lighting a candle while singing Silent Night and I was hooked. We have come every year since. The following year we sat on the last row on the main floor behind a big burly man who I'm positive was a bounty hunter! I couldn't help but notice his huge arms and huge neck, but he had come to worship Jesus Christ.

Another memorable  Christmas Eve service at Johnson Ferry was the first year we had our little kids. Our youngest wasn't feeling well so I came close to missing one. I remember praying for her to feel better so she could stay in childcare and we could stay in the service and she did. They sent her home with a craft, a sweet treat and feeling very loved. I also remember our now middle school aged child sitting right beside Bryant that night as he recounted the Children's story. Bryant would never know the road that she had traveled to be there, but God knew, amazing. The following summer she made the decision to trust Christ as her savior at Vacation Bible School and was baptized in the Children's Footsteps program.

No wonder we celebrate Him at Christmas! He is amazing and wonderful and He sent his son into the world for you and me to have a relationship with Him. Like I said, I love Christmas!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6