{ Too cluttered for Christ at Christmas?

It has been an incredibly crazy holiday season for our family!!! First, we were blessed with the birth of our lil' man Ryder at the end of October, then Jared ended up in the hospital with a ruptured appendix, and through all of the preparation for the holidays we are still chasing around a soon to be two year old. The other day I walked by our Nativity Scene and my heart was challenged with the thought... Am I too cluttered for Christ at Christmas? Many times my thoughts come out in photos and for me the mental picture that I saw was my beautiful nativity scene... the scene that is the reminder of the birth of our Lord was cluttered with crap.



It challenged me to think about my life, especially right now as we celebrate Jesus' birthday. Is my heart like my cluttered counter? So filled with things... that it distracts from Jesus and who He is in my life. I am choosing to take more than a few quiet moments and read about his birth in order to remember my savior, his birth and the gift that his life and death are to us!

God is so good... and his love endures!


Luke 2:1-20 (New International Version, ©2010)

The Birth of Jesus

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.