Real Life by Peggi Tustan

Welcome to Real Life . Before he laid the foundations of the earth, God had you in mind! The beauty of Christmas is not in the presents, but in His presence! We usually start a story at the beginning. For this reason, John doesn’t begin his Christmas story in Bethlehem. Instead, he takes us back to the very beginning, even before the dawn of creation.  In the beginning was the Word,  and the Word was with God,  and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  (John 1:1,14 NIV Emphasis mine)  Jesus Christ is God! If we miss this, we will never fully embrace the miracle of Emmanuel. Our all-powerful God chose to inhabit the least powerful human form—a newborn babe. [1]  An infant is completely dependent on others for survival. He or she cannot speak, eat, or move without assistance. But does an infant have no power?  Does a baby do nothing? . . . Is it nothing that the baby opens such fountains of love in almost all the hearts...

 Welcome to Real Life . O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree. How lovely are thy branches. He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.   – Roy L. Smith Our Christmas tree isn't elegant or themed to match our décor. Rather, it's a cozy mix of eclectic ornaments spanning a lifetime. Many tell a story. This is a sampling. Our holiday season begins at Fred's Tree Farm. [1]  Our first time there, we left our infant son Denny with my parents to meet Terry's family at Fred's. Denny is now thirty-three. We've cut our fresh tree at Fred's Tree Farm every year since.  My brother Joe, a retired 82nd Airborne Army Sergeant, served in the first Gulf War—Operation Desert Storm. He bought me this Arabian Oil Lamp ornament as a souvenir. Each time I hang it, my heart swells with pride over my brother's military service. I thank God for protecting him in dangerous places! As a young mom, I served as a Care Group Leader in our church's MOPs (M...