magic

One of my favorite Christmas memories occurred when I worked in the Wal-Mart Christmas shop in Bentonville.
A cute little girl approached me and said, "Santa, what are you doing here?"
I quickly replied, "I have to make money to buy all of the little children gifts. What do you want for Christmas, honey?"
She marvelously retorted, "No, you don't. You can just do magic!"
Somewhat taken aback and happily experiencing a magical Christmas moment, I responded, "Well, I have to buy gifts for Mrs. Claus."
Her mother nodded her head in agreement and the precious little sweetheart, meekly said, "Oh."
Don't we all remember when we too believed in Santa and thought he could magically bring us something nice, if we had behaved.
The true magic of Christmas is that God endowed the Virgin Mary with a son Jesus.
Today the Wiggins Methodist minister brought all of us joy when he read in Luke about John (the Baptist), Jesus' cousin, leaping for joy in his mother Elizabeth's womb when he learned of Jesus' existence.
Then, Rev. Gary Lunsford, related a story about his leap for joy when his son Quentin scored the game-winning touchdown in a driving rainstorm 15 years ago for Greenland against arch-rival Mountainburg.
Gary said he leaped as high as he ever has in his life. Now picture a 350-pound man leaping for joy and then splattering everyone within a 10-foot diameter, including a man with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
Then he instructed all of us to close our eyes and envision leaping for joy.
Indeed, the joys of Christmas cement memories in our mindsets forever.
What was the greatest gift you received at Christmas.
Forget the material gifts, like the little red wagon I received as a little boy.
The greatest gift transpired in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago.
We should all remember the true meaning of Christmas. The birth of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the reason for the season.
Merry CHRISTmas!
May the peace and love of Jesus bless us all every day.
We should all arise every morning and let Christ be born in us and let his spirit of giving and loving and forgiving be uppermost in our decision-making.
Shalom.