CHRISTMAS IS HERE!

I love my family's Christmas traditions. Every year on Christmas Eve night after the candle light service the fam all gathers around the Christmas tree and we each open one present. then, we all go to bed and santa comes;)
extremely early on Christmas day jim and i (well, now it is bob and i) get up and open our stockings. we then check out the presents in the tree (mom always puts lil gift certificates or something in there). THEN we look in everyone else's stockings to see what they got. after our snooping and shaking of presents we eat candy and color (because santa always gives new coloring books and crayons:)) then we both cover up and nap on the couch till we cant wait any longer...then we wake up mom and the girls! this year was slightly modified but still honored the good ol' traditions that i love. each year as i get older i wonder how my traditions will change. i know that someday soon i wont be able to be a "kid" anymore. i mean, can you picture a thirty year old woman sitting on her mom's couch at 2 AM waiting for everyone else to get up on Christmas morning??? exactly. maybe next year i will begin to phase out some of the hoopla...MAYBE...

WARNING! TOTAL CHANGE OF SUBJECT COMING!

in chapel at school we sang the song i will list below. i have heard this song before - maybe as backround music or whatever, and maybe sang it once. however, i never really listened to it. so, as i was pretending to know the tune i really focused on the words. they are as follows:

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

this song is played in public venues - as are most Christmas songs. however, most christmas songs dont address the warfare that is going on between the depravity of man and the omniscience and omnipotence of God. to me, this song says "WAKE UP!" everyone says that all is well...but is it? right now, no. but in the end, yes. God is the almighty King. He is the ruler of the universe and although he allows sin to cause turmoil on earth right now, he will not stand for it in the end!

so, this Christmas day, i wish to say "merry CHRISTmas" and also remind you to WAKE UP!:)
i hope you had a marvelous day!