Merry Christmas

I can't believe that Christmas is finally here at last...or that we survived the last few weeks. It is so nice to be here in Jacksonville, FL, with Carol's family where we can just relax and enjoy our time with family. In fact, it is great to know that that is all we can do here since our things are in Louisville.

Most of the craziness I wrote about last time has passed. For a little while, we felt like all of the events were becoming items on a checklist. Graduation rehearsal: check. Graduation: check. Wedding rehearsal: check. Rehearsal dinner: check. Wedding prep: check. Wedding: check. Reception: check. In spite of the hectic pace of our lives, it was neat to see how the Lord was blessing in so many ways.

No longer merely students, the Lord is moving us into a time of focused, active ministry. No longer making wedding plans, Molly and Daniel are enjoying the bliss of newly married life.

I must admit, however, that with all of the blessings that we were witnessing, I was not taking advantage of the opportunities to observe them at the time. I was feeling very stressed and overwhelmed with everything else that we had to do. All our demands seemed to meet at the same time. Christmas shopping, packing, etc.

I was saddened to find that I had not been preparing my heart for this special season of year. The Lord used something a friend wrote to remind me of the danger of and the real power of this time of year. "If you allow stress into your Christmas, then you have allowed Satan to diminish the meaning of Christmas in your life. If you are getting stressed, do as Mary did and Ponder Jesus in your Heart." Thanks Brother Donnie for that word.

Merry Christmas!