It's Christmas Eve!

I've been up early this morning with Natalie and Levi (apparently they didn't get the memo that we're supposed to sleep in on Christmas break).

Anyway, after reading my Proverbs 31 devotional this morning, I've been sipping some mocha chocolate with peppermint (also changing poopy diapers and poopy clothes) and thinking...

There are finally a few presents under our tree. The kids wrapped the gifts that got for each other and I wrapped their Christmas Eve jammies. The kids love having a couple things to open after dinner. It seems to hold them over until morning!

Tomorrow morning there will be three gifts under our tree for each child. For us, three gifts is a number that represents the three gifts the wise men brought to Jesus and also a number that keeps Christmas within our budget. There will be a couple more gifts like books and games that will be for all the kids. I'm excited to see the twinkle in our kids' eyes as they see the little pile under tree (It probably helps that besides their birthdays, this is really the only time we ever buy them anything besides food and clothes!!). I know it will be much more than some families will have this year, but to many others I'm sure it would look like a meager display for a family of six! Sometimes I wonder if we had the money to buy more, would we? I hope not.

I have been perplexed this year by how they can say that our economy is in trouble, yet everywhere I turn I see people spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars on Christmas presents. Families rack up credit card bills that they won't be able pay off until next December and parents are taking on extra jobs just so they can fill the room with a huge pile of presents Christmas morning. I hope our kids will learn to be satisfied with ENOUGH, and not need to be overindulged in order to be happy. And I hope WE don't feel like we HAVE to GIVE a lot in order for our kids to be happy or make the day special.

On another note...

I was struck by something in my devotional this morning that pondered the idea of whether receivers realize what their gifts cost the giver. Here is what I'm meditating on today:

"I considered a gift I was given 2000 years ago as God sent His son into the world as a baby, knowing Jesus would die on a cross for me. Do I truly understand the sacrifice of that gift? Do I understand the anguish God the Father must have felt?"

The devotion didn't share more than this on the idea, and I often hear about the Christmas story from the perspective of Mary or Joseph, or even the shepherds. But I don't really recall thinking about the what was happening in Heaven on Christmas Eve. What was it like for God to say that "good-bye" to His Son? Did they embrace? Did they shed tears? What about the angels? Although they were singing praises to God on Christmas Day, what was it like for them as they watched the Son of God leave His throne of grace?

As I hold my baby boy close today, I'll be thinking of what my Heavenly Father did this day so many years ago, and praying that EVERYday I'll remember what it cost Him to give me the gift of His Son.

Merry Christmas!