An Aldrich Christmas

For the first time in our married life Scott and I spent a quiet Christmas at home...and we loved every minute of it.  Scott was originally scheduled to work Christmas Day but at the last minute received an unexpected 3 day weekend.  I think that may have been the best gift we received this year.

On Christmas Eve morning we lounged around, ate homemade cinnamon rolls and watched ELF. That evening we went to church and then had the Quarles family (Ryan, Sarah, Paul and Frazier) over for dinner.

Christmas morning we slept in and then got up and opened presents before heading over to Ryan and Sarah's for breakfast.  Dora and I spent the rest of the day napping on the couch while Scott was on the phone with family.  That evening we had dinner with friends.  It was a relaxing holiday but went by too quickly.

Joy to the World

“Joy to the world! The Lord is come: let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare him room and heaven and nature sing.” – Joy to the World

I heard this song on the way to work this morning and it was such a great reminder of why we celebrate Christmas.  I pray that in these final days leading up to Christmas I will focus on preparing my heart for Christ's birth.  It can be disheartening to see the how the sinful nature of this world becomes more apparent during the holiday season.  The desire for "stuff" leads people to steal mail from mailboxes and packages from doorsteps.  It can also lead some to have their young children shoplift from a department store.  Hearing these stories and so many others can lead a person to lose all faith in humanity.  Yet it was for these reasons that Christ was born.

He did not come to this Earth for the blameless...he came into this fallen world to save those already dead from sin.  The message of His birth is as exciting and relevant today as it was to the shepherds many many years ago.  We have hope today because Christ was born and one day will come back.  We can experience joy because of his great love for us.  Believing in Christ frees us from the shackles of our sin.  We do not have to conform to this world.

My prayer this holiday season is that you will take the time to acknowledge the miracle of Christ's birth and delight in the joy that it brings.  And don't forget to share this joy with those around you.  And if you are wondering how to share that joy...well to quote one of my favorite Christmas movies…“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” – Elf

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Scott, Whitney and Dora