January

​      Christmas time has always been a special time in my life.  My mother has always had a close connection to the place her grandfather homesteaded in Arkansas.  Therefore, we ALWAYS went to grandma's house on Christmas.  Dad would take two weeks off work, and we were out of school for a couple of weeks -- road trip in the station wagon, from Texas, Florida, Georgia or wherever we happened to live the rest of the year; well except for summer vacation - Arkansas road.  The first order of business was to take the old cross-cut saw, which grandma always kept sharp, and hunt the perfect Christmas tree.  Then came the old silver tinsel (which is always removed from the old tree and repackaged to the next year), strings of popcorn, and all the ornaments collected and made over the years.  It was always the same, and yet always special - the perfect time of the year; out in the woods building rough shelters, or climbing on vines the size of my arm, climbing up small trees and climbing to the very top until my weight would bend them back down to ground and watch them snap back upright.  What more could a young boy ask for? 
       After Lucero and I got married, we would often spend Christmas there ourselves and hunt the perfect Christmas tree (without using silver tinsel which had to be removed by hand).  One year we went after dark; of course, I knew the place like the back of my hand by then.  When we got to the back side of the field where I knew there were some choice Eastern Red Cedar trees...there, in one of the trees, was a Black Bear...I guess getting ready for bed.  I'm pretty sure we decided it would be best to get the tree in the morning without the big ornament.
      Of course, I now know that Christmas was special because mom, dad, grandma, and everyone else involved made it special.  The Christmas tree was special because of what it represented, and we were always reminded of that over and over, at home, at church, wherever we were, we were reminded that Christ is what makes Christmas special.
      One day, we who accept Him as our Savior and Lord will see face to face the joy in heaven over Christ and His work for our Father; the joy, the contentment, the celebration will go on forever with each one of us.
      Merry Christmas and a Hapy New Year to each one of you!    
                   See ya Sunday, in person or on the www.facebook.com/timthepastor.
                                                  All glory and honor to God Peace and blessings, Tim.