A bit of Mary’s wisdom from my refrigerator for us all today. (By the way, I only just remembered to update my calendar today!)

Pretty good advice, right?

I don’t know about you, but here in New England it’s unseasonably warm—not a flake of a white Christmas to be found in our 70 degree weather. In fact, I may have turn on the A.C. to survive the day. And, I definitely did not get everything done for my Christmas prep. There will mostly likely be the tell-tale “gift certificates” under the tree (well, actually, I didn’t manage to get a tree up). I am sitting here blogging, instead of doing something productive, but whether or not I think I’m ready…it’s CHRISTMASTIME!!! 

As my Christmas cards—which are still in their boxes, because I still haven’t gotten them in the mail—declare:

It really is, isn’t it?! Five hundred things may be wrong in your life right now, but guess what!?? It’s CHRISTMAS!  And, that means there is SOMEONE who loves you right in the middle of your mess, just like you are, and He looks upon you with DELIGHT!!! Yes, that’s right! With pure delight, He sees you with LOVE and calls you perfect!! His heart longs for YOU!

And, this is the time of the year when THE WHOLE EARTH acknowledges His great love for mankind.  Okay, okay, I hear you there in the back row. You’re saying the whole earth hates Jesus, Blahbucks won’t give you a Merry Christmas on your cup, the tree in the town square is a “holiday” tree, blah, blah, blah! Listen, the very fact that anyone rejects celebrating Christmas is evidence of it’s power. Tell me the last time anyone protested against Kwanzaa or Diwali? It doesn’t happen! And, their protests just don’t matter! Christmas is happening anyway, isn’t it?! It’s right there on my calendar!

Coolest factoid ever: whether we believe in Christ or not, the reality of His love for us is unchanged. He doesn’t love us, because we love Him. He loves us, because He IS love—love personified, come to earth in the flesh, and laid down as a living sacrifice for us all! He is the One who delights in us and longs for us! Yes, you, even if you are sitting there in the dark, hiding under that pile of dirty laundry.

Listen, December 25 is right around the corner. It’s coming whether anyone likes it or not, so get with it! Throw off those smelly old clothes, my friend! Toss off that yucky despair, nasty depression, and icky disappointment, and BE HAPPY this Christmas! JESUS LOVES YOU!!! Nothing will ever be bad enough to counter the power of the LOVE that He has for YOU, just as you are right now. And, NOTHING will ever cause His love for you to cease. Think about that and I dare you to be bummed.

Before I go, I want to share one of my very favorite Bible verses and a prayer that you not only feel, but personally know, His great love for you today!

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by his love; He will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:7)

 Merry Christmas!!!