Christmas Cards

A month to the day after Christmas, and the Christmas cards are all down from where they were displayed on the back of my kitchen cupboards. Wouldn't you agree that the back of the cupboards that face the family room is a good place to decorate with something?

I've looked at my cards again. Two were hand-drawn and colored by two children overseas who we support. Those are very special like the ones our kids used to make in school. Another special card was handmade by a friend from Holland and had a three dimentional element to it. Still another was from a friend who is a very recent widow. It showed a snowflake on the front, and inside simply said, "Christmas is a time to remember." I can imagine the feelings behind that card.

One very pretty card had a handwritten note that expressed many people's response to the season: "What a frantic time of the year - Look forward to Dec. 31st and the start of 2008." Still another card had the Bible verse "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God." The outside picture was of Middle Eastern children.

Most cards were of a religious nature, but several this year showed what used to be the standard in Christmas cards - Currier and Ives snow scenes. Perhaps the sentiment I liked best was the card that said, "When you get right down to it, the only thing that really matters is..." Inside was a pop-up manger with Mary and Joseph holding baby Jesus.

"Now this is eternal life; that they may know You, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." John 17:3 NIV