Family + Hiking = Great day

Yesterday we spent the day with my family from Tucson. We went on a six mile hike at South Mountain. It was wonderful. The weather was great and the company was splendid. Here's a picture of the family.

Flowers

Flowers are one of those things that make me smile. A friend came over for dinner a few nights ago and she brought me these flowers. I couldn't resist taking a few pictures. :)

Jesus is my passion

Today at House Church we were taking a look at Joshua and looking ahead to the coming year. We sang the song One Pure and Holy Passion. The words to the song reflect my prayer for my life this next year.

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me one magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after you
To grow as your disciple in the truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you

Jesus, my life is all about you. This next year I desire to know you better, to follow after you in all I do, and to grow as a disciple of your truth. You are my passion.

Light

We celebrate this time of year with light. As I look around at all of the beautiful lights, I am reminded of the Light of the World that we are celebrating. We are honoring the birth of Jesus who is the Light of the World. He came to show the way to a relationship with God our Father. His birth was celebrated by the light of a star and angels over 2000 years ago, and today we still honor his birth with lights. I pray that as we see the beautiful lights, we are reminded of our Guiding Light, Jesus Christ.

Lights on the trees:
Lights on the houses:

Lights lining the walkways:
The luminarias are one of my favorite decorations. I think that they are so beautiful.

Greatest Gift

Today I celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Many years before he was born, prophets said that he would be a "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6) He is all of these to me. The prophets wrote of his birth, his life, and his death. He was born as a baby, lived a perfect life, and died for me. He fulfilled all that had been prophesied about him. He is true, He is King, He is Lord of my life.

As I give gifts to friends and family today, I am reminded of the greatest gift that was given to me. "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4:9-10)

My Savior is born

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Tamales

In my family we have a tradition of eating tamales for dinner on Christmas Eve. Christian, Carina, and I spent a few hours last night making them. As with most activities that the three of us do together, the evening was filled with much laughter.

Christian is in charge of the meat sauce.

Carina is in charge of the corn husks.

I am in charge of the masa.

Then we all work on making the tamales.