there are so many titles i could write for this post -- "christmas decorations, part 1", "my free purse isn't free anymore", "when decorating for christmas, remove your purse from the counter", .......but i think i'll call it "the christmas lesson"

last night i was putting up all the christmas decorations.  i have a BUNCH of nativities & decided to not put them in the usual places.  i have one that's made of resin (aka very fragile hollow plastic "vfhp") that has many pieces that i usually put on the mantel.  well, this year i decided to leave the usual everyday stuff on the mantel & add some christmas to it.

i like it.

so i put the "vfhp" nativity on the counter next to the tv.  i worried about it, thinking, what if someone sits in the rocking chair in front of it & bumps it & the pieces fall off & break? 

nah, that probably won't happen.

hours later i'm going to go to bed.  my phone is in my purse which is on the other side of the counter.  i use my phone for my alarm.  so i'm standing by the counter in the dining room, i reach for my purse, the handle falls over, hits joseph & knocks him over.  he doesn't fall off or break, but i yelled "OHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  BABY JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!"  baby Jesus went flying off the counter, crashed to the floor in a million pieces.

yes, a million!

if you're trying to count the pieces, just trust me, there's a million there!!!!

at least there may as well be!!


i immediately thought, "now God, you know everything.  you KNEW that this was going to happen.  why didn't you stop it?  that was baby Jesus, afterall!!  why did you let baby Jesus break?"

yes, i actually talked to God that way.

and then He talked back to me.

(not audibly, of course, but in my heart)

He said, "i let the baby Jesus FIGURINE fall & break to teach you a lesson."

"that figurine is only a piece of very fragile hollow plastic.  it is just STUFF.  it means nothing & you don't really need it.  Jesus isn't in a manger anymore.  He's not a baby anymore.  He died for your sins.  and like I say in my word, 'why are you crying?  He's not here.  He has risen!!"

wow!  what a perfect lesson for Christmas!!  all these decorations are pretty.  they're nice to look at & remind us of what who  we should be celebrating this season.  but even if we didn't have them, we could STILL celebrate. 

(joseph bopped his head pretty hard, but he didn't even get a bruise!!!!!!)

because Jesus WAS born in a stable, laid in a manger.

but more importantly, He did die for our sins on the cross.

and now

so my free purse isn't free anymore.  it cost me baby Jesus - but i'm ok with that!  the "broken" nativity & my purse will serve to remind me that Jesus paid for ME.

thank you God for my Christmas lesson on how much You love me!!  now i have a conversation piece that when people ask me where's the baby Jesus, i can tell them "He's in my heart & in heaven waiting for me!!"   God, i love You!!!


oh - are you wondering why the one wise man is in the red wagon?

did you catch that?!

what?    you never heard of the crippled wise man?  he couldn't ride a camel, so he rode in a little red wagon!  (it was way before they had wheel chairs!!!)

yes, last year when setting them up, i dropped him.  well, actually he jumped right out of my hands!  he broke his butt!!!  i propped him in the greenery last year & no one ever knew he had a broken butt!!!!

this year i thought, "now how am i going to prop him up on this counter?  i can't just not include him - how do you explain to people that there are only 2 wisemen?   --  i know!  he can sit in the wagon!!!   that'll be a cute story to tell - "the legend of the crippled wise man"  - i can write a book & be famous!!!"

i think i'd rather write a book about the missing baby Jesus - & HE can be the famous one!!!!



more Christmas decorations pictures tomorrow - have a blessed sunday evening!!


linking to:

savvy southern style:  http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/2011/12/wow-us-wednesdays-43.html

from my front porch to yours - holiday mantle party  http://frommyfrontporchtoyours.blogspot.com/2011/12/first-annual-fmfpty-holiday-mantel.html