Merry 2016!

Christmas Family Photo

If socks don't say Christmas, then I really don't know what else does. Don't get offended, I know that's not the real meaning of Christmas. Eggnog is pretty important too. I can't remember a year that my girls didn't receive fuzzy socks from someone and this year I got in on the fun too. I'm the yellow stripes. Christmas with the extended Raabes came early this year but as you can deduce from the photo above, getting a family picture isn't always the easiest of tasks. We have one couple who comes late. We have one couple who leaves early. And then this year we had two sickies in the group. The purple socks represent Emma. But while everyone was there, it was a great day!

My sweet fam!

(add-on comment: looking at this picture just about makes my heart burst open with joy.)

And this is one of my favorite parts of the Christmas Eve service each year...singing "Silent Night" as everyone in the sanctuary passes the light. With 2000 lit candles in one room, it didn't look so dark anymore, but isn't that exactly the point? As we share the light of Jesus with just one or two people and they do the same, soon the darkness of the world is thwarted.

Peace . Love . Joy

If we each could focus on these three words, I believe significant change could happen in our own lives, families, cities, countries and even this world. My peace comes from God the Father who loved me so much that he sent his son, Jesus from Heaven to Earth that I might experience great joy through him. So as I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year I am also praying that you will experience the Peace, Love & Joy that can only come from our Savior.

Until next year....