A Grateful and Merry Christmas to all!

Our Daily Bread
As you might guess, the devotional today is the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.  How appropriate for Christmas day!  hehehe

I noticed something new in the devotional and the scripture -- the reaction of the shepherds.  Yes, like you, I have read this passage many, many times.  I never realized until this morning that the shepherds heard the angels and then left their flocks!  Shepherds NEVER leave their flocks!  They left their flocks to find the baby lying in a manger.  They found him, just as they were told!  Can you imagine what they looked like to other folks as they told their story that night!

Lord, help us to always look for something new in each and every scripture passage, and in each and every day.  Thank you for the gift of your son, Jesus!

Special Edition -- A Grateful and Merry Christmas!
This Christmas will be different for me and for my family.  We have a little one in the hospital, so we will focus on what is important -- being together on Christmas.  My great-nephew had another surgery on Wednesday, the third of his short life.  He is doing OK, but we are not sure when he will get out of the hospital.  I am grateful for my family.

I spent Christmas Eve with my adopted mom (my walking buddy) and dad (her husband).  I got to see many new friends and my adopted family at church last night (and will see some of them again today).  I am grateful they are in my life.

I got a great report from my eye doctor on Friday.  I am grateful for my vision.

This year is different for another reason.  As you may have picked up on from previous blog entries, I met a guy when my best friend and I traveled to Kansas City last month.  Mi tigre (my nickname for him -- my tiger) has become special to me in a very short time even though we are 700 miles away from each other.  We have mixed emotions this weekend as we both know it is too soon to be spending this holiday together, but missing each other just the same.  I texted him this morning something like this: "I am thinking of all the wonderful Christmases we will share if we decide to be together".  Yes, they could be wonderful.  I also told him the other day "we are not perfect, however we could be perfect for each other".  ;-p  I am grateful for meeting this "normal guy" regardless of where the friendship might go.  Grateful indeed.

Have a Grateful and Merry Christmas!