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Take a moment and reflect on the happiest Christmas moment you've every experienced - the joy of Christmas morning on a child's face, the perfectly-full feeling after a meal made with love, family members gathered around the tree surrounded in wrapping paper and boxes, time together with loved ones...

Christmas is not all about the happiness and the presents.  For some, it brings a sadness or a longing for what used to be or what could have been.  This may be your first holiday season without a loved one nearby.  Your expectations for a happy holiday time with family may be far from being met for one reason or another this year.

Whatever your Christmas experience this year, I encourage you on this Throwback Thursday to look back and cling to hope and true joy - not only the joy of the Christ-child coming to earth, but the hope of the resurrection and the promise of a new life in Him.

May the Lord bless you richly this CHRISTmas with hope and joy.

Next week, Wake-up Wednesday will fall on Christmas morning.  It has most definitely snuck up on me this year.  Thankfully, as a family, we decided to draw a name and exchange only one gift, so the shopping pressure is greatly lessened.  I am grateful for any escape from the commercial intensity of Christmas.  I went to Wal-Mart the other night to pick up a few items and was shocked at how many aisles had been converted to toy aisles for the holidays.

This brought to mind the Charlie Brown Christmas Special and the fact that the show and the book directly quote Luke 2 - the true reason for the season.  (Can you guess what Story-time Saturday will be this week? ;)