This post is to wish you an early Merry Christmas!
I would also like to mention that on my music page on this website,
https://www.matthewgoolsby.com/music, I have some Christmas songs that I recorded. I've remastered them to give them a more 'robust' finishing touch.
They are free as my gift to you!
Since I'm writing about gifts, now is the time to talk about the most precious gift that was given to all of us more than 2,000 years ago. That was God's precious gift of His son, Jesus Christ!
It's very hard for us to imagine these days how much Jesus' mother Mary must have had to go through, most of all how painful giving birth was especially in a cold stable.
It's also hard if not impossible for all of us these days to think about raising God's son! As parents, we usually say things to ourselves such as: "What if I screw up God's son?" or "How should I discipline God's son?"
Well, evidently Joseph and Mary were able to figure that out as the Bible never really mentions anything they did to 'mess him up'.
I would like to point you to one of the best written accounts of Jesus and His birth as done by Luke who was both a Doctor and quite a writer for his day. The 2nd chapter of Luke tells us the story of Jesus' birth and what shepherds experienced from the Angels declaring it.
There is also a good recitation of the 2nd chapter of Luke done by Linus of the Peanuts gang (Comics) from the story, 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'.
I've been through stables before and have cleaned up after horses and cattle, but never in my wildest thoughts would I have pictured someone having a baby there.
Stables are smelly, noisy, and drafty. Not something that a woman would want to give birth in. But Mary and Joseph had little choice as the inn they visited was full.
Now the choice we have before us is how to celebrate Christmas.
Is it about giving or receiving gifts? That's not a bad thing. It's something we can do to bless others.
Or is there a deeper meaning to this time of year that we really need to concentrate on?
My answer is that there's a deeper meaning to Christmas. I celebrate it because God sent His son to redeem us from death and to give us new life.
That's why I celebrate Christmas.
It's also why my wife and I love to celebrate it with friends and family. We also love blessing others this time of year in whatever way we can.
Having said all that, may you have a blessed Christmas season. May you experience God's love for you all year long!
