…”behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

Luke 2:10

“Sing to The Lord, for He has done glorious things.”…

Isaiah 12:5

“Make a joyful noise unto God…”

Psalm 66:1

I am from a small town in the state of Mississippi. I have a big family and when we get together we are very noisy and we have a big time. My husband, Michael, is from a big city in the state of Illinois. His family is small and their gatherings are quiet but eloquent. Both are wonderful but very different.

The funniest Christmas I ever had was the first Christmas Michael spent with my family. We all gathered at my brother’s house on Christmas Eve, and the party was on. We cooked, played games, and dodged kids that were running all over the place. We talked and laughed until the wee hours of the morning. Try to picture this. My Mom has six children, all with “A” personalities.  When we get together it becomes a competition to see who can talk the most and the loudest, and we absolutely love it.

The next morning we gathered around the Christmas tree to open our gifts. My Mom has a farming back ground. My Grandparents were sharecroppers. So, naturally, she enjoyed all things country. One of her gifts was a decorative straw hat to hang on the wall. Another gift for her was an old butter churn, also for decoration. Well, being the gracious lady she was, she took the hat, put it on her head, grabed the butter churn, and started pounding away, singing, “coming butter come, come butter come”.

Everyone in the room burst into laughter, but we were not laughing at her. We were laughing at Michael. My poor sweet man, the city slicker, was sitting in a chair with a look on his face that was priceless. He looked as if he just realized that his life would never be the same again.

Of course, Michael became close to Mom and enjoyed her company, but we still laugh at the story of his first Christmas with us.

Christmas is and should be a time of “great joy”. God sent His Son to us as a baby born in a manger because He loves us. He wants us to know Him through His Son, Jesus.

With that in your hearts and minds this Christmas, make a “joyful noise unto The Lord” with your laughter, your boisterous conversations with friends and family, and your praises to Him for the many “glorious things” He has done for us

Merry Christmas and blessings to you all.

Janice