My favorite Christmas gift

Exactly one year ago, we found out that we had a little one joining the family. Today we're loving our Precious Cargo sent "priority mail." Selah's four months old and quite the happy wee addition. I received some lavish gifts in small packages this year, but the petite one that smiles, squeals, and blows raspberries at me is my all-time favorite. You just can't put a price on the moments she reaches for your finger or grins at you from across the room. Looking at this little human being discovering the world around her, I'm full of wonder and amazement myself.

I can't even imagine what Mary must have felt holding Baby Jesus. What was going through her mind as He lay in the manger? When I was in labor I didn't even have my eyes open for the first half of my grueling labor. Maybe it's different when you know that you're bringing the Savior into fully man form? But surely she must have been rejoicing and praising God for the historic and crucial day. Hubby recently reminded me that Christ's birth was necessary not only to pay the penalty for sin (substitutionary atonement), not only to fulfill prophecy, but also because God can't die. Christ, being fully man and fully God, came to earth to be the ultimate sacrifice (for our sins no less) and conquered death... Words don't seem to give that truth adequate justice. Selah might be my favorite Christmas gift but my Lord Jesus Christ has to be the best gift ever. Merry Christmas, everyone!