"from darkness to Light"

Christmas Day - Tuesday, December 25, 2012 (7:02 a.m. CDT)

Son's Forest Park Living Room

Birmingham, AL

Holy Blessed God,

Thank You! Merry Christmas and thank You! Thank You for the Gift of Your Son. Thank You that You spared no expense in giving us exactly what we needed. A Savior. The One who came to turn Your people “from darkness to light and from the power of satan to God” (Acts 26:18).

Words that stick out from this phrase [according to The Learning Bible] are:

Darkness = places of pain and suffering (Psalm 107:10) or confusion (Ecclesiastes 2:14)

God's opponents = rulers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12) will be thrown outside into dark (Matthew 22:13)

Light = God / God's Word (1John 1:5; Psalm 119:105) and those people or things that reveal God's Truth (Isaiah 49:6)

satan = opponent

(10:53 a.m. PDT – SWA)

“An hour and fifteen minutes (172 miles out of Las Vegas).” That is how much time is left on this flight. An hour and fifteen minutes until we land in Las Vegas, NV to wait two hours before flying 55 minutes to Ontario, CA and then drive an hour to Anaheim. A most unconventional Christmas Day. Second only to the year we had Christmas dinner for four at a Chinese restaurant in San Bernardino.

Father, I am asking Your mercy and grace on this day's reuniting of families ~ not just our own. Familial love can be tricky. Hopes and unfortunate expectations far too often give way to hurt feelings and resentments. Again I beseech You ~ mercy and grace ~ ♫Love and forgiveness♫

In the deep recesses of my mind is an image of my dear husband imitating a dancing frog, complete with hat and cane singing his own rendition of a well known cartoon. Sometimes I need the levity of pretend to lull me into the seriousness of life.

We've had an easy time these last four days. Truly enjoying the company of strangers and friends we've made on past visits. Do a Christmas miracle in our family's dynamics. Shine YOUR Holy Light on the things You would have us place our focus on. TRULY take us from darkness to light.

Too many occasions have been fraught with pretense, tolerance and resentment. Let us genuinely experience Your Light this day. Your love. Your forgiveness. This I ask in the Name of He who we come to celebrate. YOUR Blessed Son who Mary and Joseph obediently named Jesus (Matthew 1:25). Make us obedient to You Blessed Father. We love You. We praise You. We thank You.

Merry Christmas! Amen.

(433 words ~ 11:23 a.m.)