After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

• Matthew 2:1-6

Here I sit, looking at a screen that is mostly blank, and I feel like my brain is mimicking the screen.

I must have some things left in the tank to write about.  But what?

Oh, I hope you like the short story tomorrow morning.  If something like that ever happened, and it did once, sorta, the best solution is to not let the children watch the news on Christmas Eve.  Just a suggestion, and a tease for tomorrow.

Thinking of the Scripture above, some people say that the Magi events happened about six months after Jesus was born.  Since many scholars think Jesus was really born in June, that leaves the Magi coming about this time of year, so the celebration is appropriate.

I wait in hopes of seeing Jesus, whether that is the second coming, the rapture, or me leaving this mortal coil.  (“Mortal coil”, as in shuffling off, coined by Sarah, in Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1 {William Shakespeare, unless that is one of those that is in question, not by me, I think Shakespeare really existed} – in case you were wondering)

If you can remember your youth, did you have that family member that always got you the same thing every year?  My mother’s mother bought me those chocolate covered cherries with the cherry juice inside (not the alcohol, we lived in a dry county in Mississippi).  It was far from my favorite candy, but at least it wasn’t more socks and underwear.  And I loved those candies that day because she thought of me and knew everyone else would buy me practical things.  Don’t get me wrong about the socks!  I love novelty socks, and some new ones will always get a rise out of the people in my Sunday school class.

But I bring up the same gift every year thing because my youngest of sisters-in-law gives me a box with a tin inside.  The tin has four compartments.  It comes from the Texas Pecan Company, or something like that.  It might be pecans prepared four different ways (honey coated, chocolate coated, yogurt coated, and sugar crusted) or four kinds of nuts.  I am waiting for that year when she gets uncontrollably hungry and eats all the nuts, and then fills the compartments with nuts and bolts so that I don’t figure it out beforehand.  You know, you have to create that childlike anticipation some kind of way.

And maybe that is the lesson we forget.

The Advent Season is to anticipate Christ’s return, and we have forgotten how to have childlike anticipation.

Hmmm.  I started this post off with no thought in my head at all.

Then, God took over.  Don’t say God does not answer prayers.  This one arrived in less than twenty minutes while typing random thoughts.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.