Still Celebrating His B-Day!!

Well, it's January 3, 2010 and yippee, I just finished baking another batch of Christmas cookies! Christmas '09 wasn't Christmas as usual around our house. As many of you know on December 5th our daughter Katie became gravely ill and I dropped everything to be by her side and rejoiced as the Lord miraculously healed her!!! Praise the Lord Forever more!!! After staying with her in Florida for several weeks, I flew back home to AZ and decorated a bit, shopped, had a whirlwind Christmas with my kids and mom on December 19th and then my husband and I flew back to Florida the next day to celebrate Christmas with Katie and her husband who was on leave from the military and returned to AZ on New Years Eve......Whew!!!

Now, I LOVE Christmas and LOVE decorating for Christmas and even though my kids are grown and have homes of their own, I LOVE all the wonder of lights on the tree, garland on the mantel, Nativity scene lit by candle light and scented candles aglow all throughout my home. This year in all the miraculous whirlwind I missed that! So, as we drove home from the airport my husband and I decided to celebrate Jesus' birthday all New Years weekend! I had allot of unfinished Christmas baking so I made our fav's - his sugar cookies and mine - oatmeal raisin with walnuts. I had a fabulous cranberry cheese ball in the fridge and plenty of other uneaten Christmas goodies in the pantry so we poured a bottle of Christmas sparkling apple cider and piled our Christmas plates with plenty-0-goodies and munched all evening while watching football and most importantly reminding each other of how good God is!!!

All weekend I've kinda felt childish to be so giddy about celebrating His birthday in such an out of ordinary way. Maybe it's somewhat due to the emotional roller coaster I've experienced this December, but whatever it is has kinda reminded me of how a child overflows with glee at a birthday party, just enjoying the freedom of being a child and joyously anticipating all the fun!! I mean, if ever there was a birthday to bust out and freely express such indescribable delight it's Jesus' birthday! He came to redeem a dying world and bring life and freedom to all who would believe on Him!! Can you say Hallelujah ya'll!! Ancient scholars say that when the angels heralded His birth in Luke 2:13-14 that it is believed that literally thousands and thousands of angels filled the night sky in heavenly celebration of His birth. Just  pause and think about that ~ The same night sky that you gaze upon from your front porch suddenly rolling back and being filled with such an angelic party of divine celebration of Jesus' arrival on earth!! I can only imagine it!! Oh how glorious, oh how wonderful, it makes me want to shout, run, dance and rejoice!!! Wow!!!

So, as I put the leftover goodies away, loaded the dishwasher, blew out my Christmas candles and turned off the Christmas tree lights until next year, I was filled with glee about my Jesus! Oh, how wonderful and faithful You are my Mighty Lord and Savior!!  I will celebrate You now and for all eternity!!

I close this Christmas '09 post with a video I ran across this afternoon. It's a little edgy, but I love it! It's from a recent Christian youth group Christmas party and is geared to their generation and totally rocks!!! (Hey, I would have loved to be  one of the dancing and praising angels!!).

Shout praises to the Lord,

everyone on this earth.

Be joyful and sing as you come in to worship the Lord!

Psalm 100:1-2

Happy New Year and Praising Him Everyday in 2010!

Sweet Blessing!