A week of waiting

 ¹In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ²(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³And everyone went to his own town to register. Luke 2:1-3

Christmas has most certainly been white. The frost on the trees has made the landscape look like a greeting card. At 12:47 p.m., in the Northern Hemisphere, winter solstice occurs. That makes today the shortest day of the year. After Christmas the days will lengthen noticeably.

We had Christmas at my mom's yesterday - so the celebration has begun. But today, we are thinking of traveling towards Bethlehem. The days of December move so quickly towards Christmas, it's becoming more and more difficult to observe the changes in the daylight, the changes in people, and the real reason for the season. It is my friends, a message of peace. And, in these days of worry and work, isn't that the ultimate gift?

Christmas has changed for my family. We are more spread out. There are more people to consider and places to go each year - so much so that we must begin our days of family feasts a week in advance. But it's okay. It's just a day on the calendar.

But Bethlehem, my friends, is not a passing holiday. It is a real place and today we begin our walk on the darkest day of the year to the light.