The Day After is Boxing Day!

December 26th is not only a day for Santas everywhere to catch their breath, but, I remember when we lived in Canada -- we celebrated Boxing Day! Though it lends to the fact that empty boxes from the gifts and presents are trashed and unwanted gifts are returned to stores, it came from a British origin that is traced back to 1833 when lords of manors and aristocrats distributed “Christmas boxes” filled with gifts, money and leftovers from Christmas dinner to their household servants and employees. They had been required to work on December 25th and were recognized for their good service throughout the year. It is also said that Boxing Day's name came from the charity boxes that were placed in churches during the Advent season for the collection of monetary donations to be distributed to the poor on December 26th. It is also the feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr and and known for his acts of charity. (Ireland celebrates December 26th as St. Stephen’s Day.) So there you go -- now you know! You're welcome!

But we've taken Boxing Day to a whole new level in our family this year. Our birthday celebration for Jesus was literally amidst boxes and it will carry on in a ginormous way today. We are literally boxing boxes, loading them up and getting them to their new place. Today is the last day in the beautiful home where so many lives have been touched, healed, restored and have come into the family of God. So many precious memories here, but have no fear -- we expect even greater blessings coming in their new season.

We didn’t forget that yesterday was Jesus’ Birthday – so, as with another little tradition to savor, I made a lasagna for the “moving team”, but, most importantly, made my chocolate cake! We sang “Happy Birthday to Jesus “ and partied to “Boxes we have raised so high – sweetly towering to the sky!”

I would be remiss to end this blog with Boxing Day "talk", because while we'll soon be boxing away our Christmas decorations that include the manger scenes and Holy Family figurines -- we will never be able to box away God's great love for us. For some, seeing Jesus as a baby in a manger and "boxing" Him away for another year is as close as they want to get. Perhaps the grown-up Jesus seems too far removed from their every day life. If we keep Jesus at arm’s length, we’ll never get to know and love Him for Who He truly is. If we don’t get to know Him, we won’t love Him. If we want to move faith from our heads to our hearts, we must fall in love with the REAL -- alive and well -- Jesus.

To fall in love with Jesus, it must be more than a once-a-year way, but deeply -- everyday. That kind of knowledge takes time and persistence, just like any good relationship. Jesus invites us to abide in His love — rest, stay, tarry — not rush past it. In John 15:9, He said, “‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.’”

How do we get to that kind of love? There are so many reasons to love Jesus. He is real, and He loves us so much. For us to experience that love, we need to really know Him. As we stand at the front door of the Wallace’s new home, and as we stand at the door of a new year, won’t you join me in seeking to know Him more? That’s my Priority #1 for the new year!

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God”. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

Frolic and Play the Austin Way!

This Norman Rockwell painting shows a worn-out Santa on December 26th -- and, like Santa, if all that’s left of Christmas for us -- frazzled, exhausted, a bulging credit card balance, and an over-full stomach, then we missed the true meaning of Christmas. I'll admit that after a full-of-fun-and-lots-of-activities week in Frisco, that just two hours of sleep before my drive to Austin, I was feeling a bit like this Santa during the day yesterday. LOL!

But, it was easy to get revived when these three boys awaited me. Such precious sights! Big brother, Braden, and sweet bride, Ruth, were on call-of-duty this weekend -- Braden at the fire department and Ruth at her ICIU nursing job, but I love this photo of Ruth dropping in to have lunch with her Honey yesterday. I was just in the nick of time to watch my kids opening their Christmas morning gifts. They must have been good kids all year long because "Santa" was sure good to them all. After a scrumptuous Christmas breakfast of chocolate gravy, cream gravy, bacon, biscuits and eggs, we headed out for a Christmas Day movie. This year it was the cute animated movie "Sing". We came home and enjoyed our Christmas dinner outside in 81 degree weather. -- certainly NOT a white Christmas, but we were okay with that! Then it was time for our annual pool tournament. And the winner and still champion.....Ryan!

Ryan and Shawntel will leave for their annual "honeymoon" trip this morning -- one they've taken every year since they first married, and as tradition holds, Nana is here to take care of the boys (once upon a time, it was Papa and Nana, but since Papa's exit to heaven, I carry on this sweet tradition with my boys).

Back to my opening paragraph about Santa, and all of us, being worn out after a very busy time leading up to Christmas Day. But, Christmas isn't just about that ONE MAIN EVENT. And neither is all the waiting, planning, organizing and preparing for OUR babies to be born, just about their ONE day of birth. It's about that day and every day after that. Jesus' birth-day was just the beginning of His incredible life. We need to recall how we looked at our babies and how Mary, Jesus' mother, looked at her baby boy, her Son -- a Son like no other Son - the very Son of God - and she saw in his sweet, soft, precious face -- the Redeemer of all mankind. A Redeemer who came to live on this earth to die - for our salvation and all mankind. Christmas is a part of the still unfolding story of God's love which began in the Garden of Eden and continues on from generation to generation, and in you and me as our own Christmas story is written of how God pursued us, loved us unconditionally and how His grace and unmerited favor kept us, gave us the courage to face tomorrow……and caused the peacjoy and love we experience at Christmas -- to stay alive in us each and every day.

As I frolic and play with my boys here in the Austin way for the next week or so, and even when I return to my day-to-day walk with God, I'll be remembering all that Christmas was AND IS because "Joy to the World" came for our taking and experiencing EVERYDAY!