I feel sorry for adults who don’t have good childhood memories of Christmastime. For good or bad, I think we view our adult Christmases through the eyes of the little girl or boy living inside of us. 

I’m thankful that I have good childhood memories of Christmas. Mary and I tried to make good Christmas memories for our daughters. Now that our girls are grown up, we try to make good Christmas memories for our three grandchildren. That little boy inside of me is excited that our three grandchildren will be with us this Christmas. With having ALS for the last twenty-three years, the adult me is thankful for being alive this Christmas.

I used to enjoy putting up the Christmas tree and other decorations with my siblings when we were kids. I especially liked setting up the nativity. We were not very careful decorating the tree; ornaments were broken, and tinsel was thrown randomly in clumps. But, even when we were little, we were always careful setting up the nativity. Before we understood the Bible’s depiction of the first Christmas, we seemed to know that the nativity set represented something special, something sacred. I think about that old nativity set when I read the following passage every Christmas:

“…(Mary) gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:7-11).

Christmas is all about hope. The day Jesus was born, hope was born. 

Without grace, there is no hope. Apart from Christ, there is no grace.

“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17).

Merry Christmas, family and friends!