(merry)

for my family this christmas, there is a healthy dose of hard mixed in with the good.
a lot has changed in the last year, but we'll be gathering as a family tonight and tomorrow to worship, give, receive, eat, laugh, make new traditions, savor some old ones, talk, snuggle, and celebrate.

last year, i wrote this at christmas, and it rings true today as i prepare to celebrate the birth of a jewish baby in a nondescript village once again:

one of the things that is easy to forget at christmas is that regardless of whether you follow the teachings of jesus or just know the christmas story in a cultural way, that baby jesus' birth is a story of hope and joy. jesus, this scrawny little screaming infant is literally born into crap, as an oppressed people group in an occupied land, with no money and no power, essentially homeless and without a family of much significance. and somehow this little child is good news to weary, forgotten people.

whether your heart is bursting with joy this year, breaking with sadness, distracted with the hustle of holiday activity or just lonely, may the "birthday" of this small baby be good news to you.