Christmas Eve Yule-Blog

I thought I'd give a special gift of the Christmas yule-blog. Isn't there such thing as a yulelog? What is that anyways?

I hope that everyone's doing well and finding ways to rejoice in this Christmas season! I'm realizing this year that I wish I was still a little kid...it's so different now, but I understand so much more what it's about at least! I also realize that we put way too much emphasis on the actual day--this is probably b/c ours tomorrow is extremely uneventful. My dad has to work unfortunately, leaving my mom and I with nothing to do but go to grandma & grandpa's for awhile and avoid our other relatives who have the terrible flu that's going around. Anyways, it is a different kind of Christmas this year but it's still good! It's reminding me of how I'm getting older, that's for sure...

Speaking of this, I keep having dreams about my friends in high school--totally random! They're all people I've not seen in years but they were in my dreams twice in the past few days! Weird...

On a completely different note, as I was sitting in our church candlelight service tonight (trying to ignore the fact that it was much unlike the talent in LCC's Christmas in the Chapel) I heard for the millionth time Amy Grant's trademark Christmas song, "Breath of Heaven." Every time I hear that song I wonder "what on earth did Mary think about carrying GOD around in her belly?" That had to be SO weird! Why on earth did God choose her? I wondered what I would do if I were in her place...and then I realized that in a different way, I am. In fact, we all are. No, of course we're not carrying around Baby Jesus's in our bellies, but we are carrying around His Spirit just the same. We're carrying around the gift of the gospel just the same. Why have we been entrusted with such a great gift--after all, we're just lowly, imperfect, sinful people who don't even deserve coal in our Christmas stockings! However, God has chosen to entrust us with something so weighty as the story of Jesus just like he chose Mary to be the one to give birth to him! Similarly, I'm sure her entire pregnancy and labor were not easy; neither is carrying around the gospel. Nevertheless, it's what we're called to do and I'm thankful for it!

Those are my Christmas thoughts...and I promise, there's plenty more where that came from! I had many many random thoughts tonight during the service and elsewhere that I'd love to share but I won't bore you with my crazy mind any longer.

For any of you who were wondering, I had a good time in Ohio w/ the fam. Also, I'll spare you the details behind this, but my sister and brother-in-law and niece Maddy will be moving back to Streator in the next week or two! (I'm beginning to wonder if my parents' gift of luggage was a hint to me...) They'll be living in our house for awhile so it's a good thing I'll be going to Indy! There won't be room for me!

OK seriously that's enough rambling for me...if you've made it this far through reading my blog I give you the great reward of gratitude for having nothing better to do! ;-) Just kidding I know you're just hanging on every word I write!

Well have a blessed Christmas and I am sure I'll be back for another yule-blog tomorrow night... Love ya'll.