And the baby Jesus...

Do you have a favorite Christmas ornament or decoration?  I love putting up "all the trimmings" for Christmas!  I can never wait until after Thanksgiving...my tree is up the day after at the latest...and if it were solely up to me it would be up by my birthday (Nov. 5) alongside all the Thanksgiving decor...  The tree is by far my favorite...so many memories in one central location!  Always the first decoration...can't start the rest without it.  I love going through and studying each ornament before it goes up, remembering what it means and admiring its sparkle next to the lights...  I also love studying other people's trees...it's like a window into what really matters/means something to someone.  I can never pick just one ornament I like best...it varies from year to year and even day to day...I love them all because of the special meaning or thought that went into choosing it for the "collection."  An ornament is by far my favorite Christmas gift to give or receive.

As I was admiring my tree all lit up one evening, I had the though...what is God's favorite Christmas ornament?  I know it seems silly, and the answer seems obvious, it's Jesus Christ!  Which then led me to thinking about The Ultimate gift God sent us to "decorate" this season (and the whole of our lives)... Jesus!!! 

"And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11

"For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily..." Colossians 2:9

God HIMSELF, in the person of Jesus, came to earth to dwell with man.  God spent nine months growing as a baby in the womb of a woman.  He put aside all his power and glory and might to be born as every other child is born. He spent 30 years learning and growing as every other child learns and grows.  And THE WHOLE TIME he never stopped being God...He CHOSE to become a lowly, poor human...and live sinlessly in order that each and every person He created could choose eternal life!  can you believe that???!???  It BAFFLES me!  God reduced Himself to the confinement of human skin, lay in a "manger" made out of wood from trees HE CREATED, just so YOU and I could be saved from the penalty of sin...  WOW  ...I guess that is my favorite Christmas "ornament"...  Jesus.  Not the ceramic figure of a baby, not a painting or any other manufactured "likeness"...  No...the LIVING, BREATHING, SON OF GOD who dwells in my heart and decorates my life!  And He can be the same for you!

Merry Christmas!