Hope...and what Christmas really means...

This Christmas is a little bit different for me.

#1 I'm married. Naturally, my first Christmas as a married woman will look just a tad different than the last.

#2 I'm not celebrating Christmas in Ontario. For the first time ever. This year, the Winder clan (including said husband and my new brother in law) will be spending five days in Quebec from Dec. 23-27, celebrating this wonderful season in a massive chalet with 9 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, etc (you get the picture). Since it was my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary this year, they decided we should celebrate in style, and have a smashing time chilling with the fam. I'm looking forward to it :)

#3 Jake and I had our own little celebration on Saturday. We decided to do it up family style and had Christmas morning this past Saturday by opening our gifts, reading Luke 2, and making some fantastic cinnamon buns; then we roasted our first turkey that evening, after watching The Dawn Treader at the movies. It was so nice, and we're happy we could celebrate this holiday, just the two of us, before joining the rest of the fam later on this week.

Here are some pics of the past week-end:

Jake and I were also talking about what we want to focus on at Christmas. There are so many cliche phrases one could use, "Jesus is the reason for the season", "He sees you when you're sleeping", (that last one was a joke)....

seriously now...

How does one recognize Jesus' birth as the catalyst for the salvation of the world? That He was born human yet divine? He was not conceived a human way; as was told to his mother, Mary, who had very legitimate doubts as to her pregnancy without "knowing" a man: "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."

The Son of God. Who came to save the earth. Doesn't this fill you with hope? In a few short months we will be mourning his death, yet remembering it was that death which saved us... then rejoicing at His resurrection, reminded again of the new life we will one day receive in Christ.

No matter what happens this Christmas, let's continue to remember this hope...the hope of salvation for a dying world, and the hope of the new life in Christ.

Pass on the Good News to everyone you meet!

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Ash