("Head of Christ" by Richard Hook)

Jesus. He's the Birthday Boy at Christmas. He's what this season should start with.

This Christmas I want to focus on loving Jesus and using His birthday celebration as an opportunity to share love and spend time with the good people around me. Too often that type of focus is an 'afterthought' during this time of year, instead of being front and center. We're so busy running around with our materialistic mindset that we get stressed about shopping mall parking lots, checkout lines, and 'getting all the little details together' that we forget about the most important main parts of Christmas.

In my own faith and ministry I want to keep a similar perspective. I think it's sometimes easy to get so busy trying to pull together all the details of everything that I'm supposedly 'doing for God' as part of my religion that I forget just to know and celebrate Jesus. I'm in love with Christ first and foremost because of who He is... - not just because I'm already in this 'religious thing.' I think the Pharisees in the Bible missed getting to know Christ for who He was because their religion was more important than Jesus. The disciples who did follow Jesus left behind jobs, homes, and sometimes even people simply because they were drawn to Jesus.

I'm still enamored with the divine person of Jesus Christ. This season I want to make a point of setting apart enough quality time to cherish and get to know Him better. I hope you do the same!

Have a joyful, joyful Christmas, and a great New Year!! And don't forget to stay up-to-date with the student church plant coming at the U of A... - it's going to be a very exciting 2008!!