Merry Christmas!

Here are some scenes from around my house. I'm a bit of a nativity fanatic, er, collector. These are the nativities that stay up year round in my house. There are more upstairs. I know. I'm a little strange. I want to be reminded of the miracle of Jesus' birth year round - not just in December.









When I was in Nashville last month at the National Youth Worker's Convention the theme was "Seriously Ridiculous" and this picture at the bottom was the logo. At first I didn't get it and I was a little put out with the look on Baby Jesus' face. But then as the weekend progressed I began to "get it". Imagine you are sitting at the right hand of God the Father and He looks over at you and says - "hey, how about you leave Paradise and go down there, be human for awhile and straighten things out for those people for me." What would you say? I mean He is your Father and you are the obedient one so of course you say yes. And then, you're born. What would the look on your face be? I think this is pretty close. And it is seriously (with earnest intent; not lightly or superficially) ridiculous (absurd) that He left Heaven to come here to earth and be like us - you and me. Totally human. I bet He's glad He's back where He belongs. I bet He wishes we understood what a sacrifice it was just to leave there and come here much less do the whole death/burial/resurrection part. Imagine. He chose us. That is...