Apply it to Me Monday

Something about Christmas time makes your kids seem ten times cuter than they already are.  Lately I've been listening to some of the adorable things Kylee says.  Things like:

•  I don't want to watch Baby WiseCom. (aka Baby Einstein)
  
  
•   I want ____________ (just fill in the blank... you name it, she wants it) for Christen. (aka Christmas)
  
  
•   Mom, can you bring me my purple blanket and baby Chica?  (aka Cheetah)
  
  
•  When laying her down at night, she makes sure we put in the "Christmas Tree" music for her lullabies.

  Aubrey loves to tell Josh "No ma'am" very firmly when she thinks he's cutting up too much.  When he attempts to tickle her or "get" her, she'll say, "Get Sister!"  When I'm busy cooking, cleaning, or doing anything else that takes my attention off of her, she'll say "That's enough of that fill in the blank, Mom!"    My favorite thing is the new and occasional, "I love you, Mom."  Melts my heart.

With thoughts of Christmas and thankfulness for a precious little family to share it with, my mind keeps going back to the scripture in Isaiah 9:6.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

There have been some years at Christmas when we were able to give the gifts we really wanted to give, and there have been some years we didn't have as much to give as we would like to.  Somehow, it's easy for Christmas to seem more special to us if we have more to give.  In truth, no matter what's in our bank account or under our tree, we always have the gift of Jesus.  The neat thing is, it's a gift to have and to give all at the same time.  Christmas is the time we get to celebrate Him!  He came as a tiny babe so we could know and experience God.  What a Savior.  What a friend.  What an incredible gift!

Something we have learned in our lives is that when we are walking with Jesus everyday, allowing Him to fill our emptiness and govern our lives, we are filled with peace.  I'm not sure where I read this quote, but it is written in my Bible underneath this scripture.  This is what it says, "The key to peace is authority.  When we allow the Prince of Peace to govern our lives, peace either immediately or ultimately results."  When I think of the government of my personal life resting on Jesus' shoulders, it's a huge relief to me.  That means it's not resting on mine.  I'm not weighed down with something I wasn't meant to carry.  I know God wants what is best for me, and He sees so much further into the future and into eternity than I could ever begin to see.  Sometimes obeying God in some areas of our life seems like a sacrifice that we do not completely understand at the time.  Oh, but the peace that will result.  Sometime down the road, we will look back and understand exactly how God was at work for our good! 

Thank you God, for Jesus!  Thank you Jesus, for your peace!  Merry Christmas to all of you.  May God fill your life with His peace as you allow Him to govern your life!
~Josh and Jill