We are getting ready at our house. This weekend is Christmas and all of the family are coming to Pensacola. That includes my parents, my mother-in-law and Liz’s brother and his wife. Throw in our two children and a nephew and we will have everyone at the dinner table and in church together. This is a first for us. Ours is not a large family but it is all of us. 

Christmas should always focus on Jesus. It is His day. However, family is an essential part of this celebration. Just ask Mary and Joseph. So as the big day approaches, make your family a priority. Have fun together. Be sure and pass your family’s oral history on to the next generation. That means take time together to talk and listen.    

For many families this is the first Christmas without a loved one who has died this year. Our family will experience this with my mother-in-law. We buried her husband in September. Empty chairs are not easy to deal with at Christmas. Others will have family away in military, school or in some occupation around the world that will not allow them to travel at this time. Perhaps you are that family member who finds yourself this Christmas away from your loved ones. Phone lines and e-mails will make this a little less painful, but it still can be tough.   

You have five more days to get ready. Ask the Father how to make Monday, December 25, a great family day. One thing you must include if you are in Pensacola is to join the Olive family and me on Christmas Eve for worship. Our services that day will be at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Our families will be stronger as we worship together. 

Pastor Ted Traylor      

Posted on Tuesday, December 19th, 2006 at 10:17 am.
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