Photo courtesy of Mabyn Ludke Photography Culture has hyped the Christmas season in a way that it almost seems impossible to live up to. There is such a huge build up to that day that it can sometimes feel like a letdown. But to be clear, the reason we celebrate Christmas, always lives up to the hype! Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ - the One who brings Hope, Love Peace and Joy! In culture, these words are based on feelings that come and go; but

I love everything about Christmas! I love the decor, the food, the get-togethers, the music! I’m that guy who sets the car radio to the “all Christmas music all the time” station on Thanksgiving and doesn’t change it! I love everything about Christmas, which makes sense, because Christmas is everything about LOVE! The truth is, in Jesus Christ, God revealed the depth of His love for you! Jesus made the long journey from the cradle to the cross to show how much He loves you. 9

Christmas is a time for HOPE! Hoping everybody gets along at family gatherings; hoping everyone likes the gifts we bought for them; hoping we don’t eat too much; hoping we can pay the credit card bills in January! I’m not sure that the hope the Bible talks about really means any of that… in fact, I’m sure it doesn’t. See, when we use the word “hope”, it seems to always carry with it some “doubt.” We “hope”, but, let’s face it, there is some doubt about whether our family