"After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." Matthew 2:11 (NASB Version)

Howdy, howdy, it is good to be able to greet you on this Tuesday, December 10, 2013. Yesterday I will admit I may have gone off the reservation, so to speak, but I did have a point I was trying to make. It has to do with checking and consulting with and being willing to listen to those who have respected experience, a proven track record of performance, and they just to happen to care deeply about the matter at hand. In all three of the instances I mentioned, the motivation impetus for monumental change reflected a bandwagon, sloganized, make-a-big-splash kind of effort that sounded so hip and trendy at the time but ended in disaster. I'm not looking for any kind of vindication because that's not even relevant, but in each situation there's something to be learned. It's like the website fiasco that was to support the new healthcare law. I can tell you for sure there are many people down in the trenches that knew what was going on but their voices were muffled because of their lack of rank or them not being a part of the inner circle. They could have likely made it very clear to any and all willing to listen that the emperor being loudly hailed for his spectacular attire was essentially naked as a jay bird.

Okay. Now that I have that all cleared up, let me try to move on. Last Sunday the wife and I were able to reprise our roles as the jolly old couple at a special birthday party for Jesus held at the meeting place of our local fellowship. We had a room full of kiddos and they enjoyed themselves immensely. The folks who prepare and take care of doing the crafts, the stories, and the refreshments, well, they are to be commended. And, be sure the children all left knowing the true Reason for the Season. (It was His party!) After teaching my class I hurried to put on The Suit, as we call it. Looks simple enough. Right? Doing it the best way you can does take a little more effort than just jumping into it and going. It was hot. It usually is. In fact, last Saturday night at the teen lock in at the Church, while waiting on the kids to come back from an ice skating adventure, I dragged a chair out under the drive through porch area and sat there for a spell enjoying the cool air. It was low 30's with a brisk wind but it felt ever so wonderful to me. At the Jesus party we did photos for nearly an hour. Kiddos individually, family groups, and other odds and ends. I typically end up being tired but the children always make my day and they make doing this one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. The photo I chose for this paragraph was taken by the mom of sweet little Madeline. It's one of those that could be labeled: Simply Priceless!

I know I talk quite a bit about the Santa business. It is, after all, a unique aspect of my life's journey and one that tends to be on the front burner, especially at this time of year. Duh! I know. You didn't have to hear Here Comes Santa Claus to figure that one out. As for the Real Reason, our class is, as is our custom, rereading the Birth narrative in honor of our remembrance of His coming to dwell among His created human family. When you think about it, God inspired His chosen writers to record quite a lot of details so that we can know exactly how He brought His One and Only Son into our world. That alone should tell us it is important for us to study and know about these truths. I didn't say that we can understand the profoundly incomprehensible power of God on display in both Matthew and Luke's accounts, but, we can learn them, by faith embrace them, and respond by imitating what the wise men did when they came into the presence of the young Child, they fell down and they worshipped Him. Amen and Amen.    ....More later.