Our Christmas Star

 I LOVE Christmas! It is definitely my favorite holiday of all time. Not just because of the gifts, decorations, cold weather, and treats, but also because of all the rich traditions my family has. Two of my favorite Christmas traditions have to do with the Star of Bethlehem.

The first one is that, almost every year, we watch the documentary Star of Bethlehem (http://www.bethlehemstar.com/). In this film, Frederick Larson explains undeniable scientific evidence that the star that the wise men followed really existed! I really love how every year this movie reminds me of the power and sacrifice behind Christ's birth, along with God's incredible power over...well, everything!

The second tradition is a spin-off of the story of the wise men and the star. We have a star-shaped ornament that is tacked to the ceiling on one side of the house at the beginning of December. Every day, the star mysteriously moves across the ceiling, and, eventually, comes to rest above the tree on Christmas day. My mom's tree is Nativity themed every year, so we think of the star as coming to rest over the stable.

I think it never really seems like Christmas until I take the time to stop and remember what it is really all about. Presents are great. So is snow, and decorations, and cookies, and everything else Christmas makes us think of. But without God's loving sacrifice to send us His Son to save us, it's all meaningless.  It's one thing to say, "Oh, yeah, I know Christmas is really about Jesus". But it's another thing to really think about the incredible, unstoppable love behind our celebration. This Christmas, I encourage you to let these truths sink into your heart and change the way you celebrate!

P.S.  I'd love to see some comments with your favorite Christmas traditions!