MERRY CHRISTMAS

Well, here I am in Long Beach. Dan came home from work at about 2am and went to bed. Liz and Gregg woke us up and we exchanged unwrapped, quick gifts as they finished getting ready to leave at 7 to head to Gregg's parents' hotel. They leave at noon for Thailand. Wish I were going. They will be gone till the 4th of January (or the 5th?). So, now I can spend Christmas with Dan - at least a few hours (and I'll stay till Sunday and we will head back to SLO where he will be spending New Year's week). He went back to bed for a couple of hours and we will go out to any restaurant that is open - we have directions to Coco's and they ARE open, so that's where we will most likely end up.

Such a different Christmas than normal. Usually we all come together at Grandma Edna's house and read the Christmas story - any of the kids (who are now mostly adult-age). Then we have our big dinner and then go the park or play games or watch football. This year Dan and I are LIVING with Edna, he is working in LA and couldn't get off for Christmas. The rest of the families all came at Thanksgiving (except for Kevin & his family and our daughter, Danielle) so they could spend Christmas with their other families. So strange. Oh, and Edna will spend the day with her other son, Dave & his family, who live close by, so I didn't leave her alone.

But no matter where we are - traveling to Thailand, visiting other families, traveling to Long Beach - we can all still focus on why we got together in the first place...JESUS. He is with us no matter where we are and we can still wish Him a happy birthday.

So..."HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS! Thank You for Your love for us and for Your willingness to come to earth in a way that was so humbling for You. You left Your home knowing what was in store for You and you came anyway. Thank You for letting me be a part of Your family. I love You and I pray I show You everyday what You mean to me."


ORDINARY BABY
Words by Gloria Gaither
Music by Dony McGuire
Arranged by Tom Fettke

He was just an ordinary Baby
That’s the way He planned it, maybe
Anything but common would have kept Him apart
From the children that He came to rescue,
Limited to some elite few;
When He was the only Child who asked to be born.

And He came to us with eyes wide open,
Knowing how we’re hurt and broken,
Choosing to partake of all our joy and pain.
He was just an ordinary Baby,
That’s the way He planned it, maybe
So that we would come to Him and not be afraid.

He was ordinary with exception
Of miraculous conception:
Both His birth and death he planned from the start.
But between His entrance and His exit
Was a life that has affected everyone
who’s walked the earth to this very day.

And without an air of condescension
He became God’s pure extension
Giving you and me a chance to be remade.
He was just an ordinary Baby,
That’s the way He planned it, maybe
So that we would come to Him and not be afraid.
So that we would come to Him and not be afraid.
© 1982, this arr. 2008 Gaither Music Company and Bud John Songs, Inc. /
It’s-N-Me Music (admin. by EMI CMG Publishing). All rights reserved.