Christmas thoughts

I have been listening to Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God: The TRUE Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ. It is a wonderful cd with original music that chronicles the story of Christ from Moses leading the children of Israel out of Egypt through Christ's birth. It is very succinct, telling the story in about 30 minutes in a very dramatic and real way. Our worship team has performed it 2 years now and it is always very moving.

This year the story of the birth of Christ strikes me even harder since I have become the mother of a baby boy myself. When I listen to Away In A Manger, I really question whether Jesus, "no crying he made". I'm sure even Jesus as a baby had to let Mary know when he was hungry! Peterson's song Labor of Love makes me tear up everytime and I wanted to share it with you:

It was not a silent night - There was blood on the ground

You could hear a woman cry in the alley that night

On the streets of David's town.

And the stable was not clean. And the cobblestones were cold.

And little Mary full of grace with the tears upon her face

Had no mother's hand to hold.

It was a labor of pain. It was a cold sky above

But for the girl on the ground in the dark

With every beat of her beautiful heart

It was a labor of love.

Noble Joseph by her side - Callused hands and weary eyes

There were no midwives to be found On the streets of David's town

In the middle of the night.

So he held her and he prayed - shafts of moonlight on his face.

But the baby in her womb

He was the maker of the moon

He was the Author of the faith

That could make the mountains move

It was a labor of pain

It was a cold sky above

But for the girl on the ground in the dark

Every beat of her beautiful heart

It was a labor of love.

For little Mary full of grace - With the tears upon her face

It was a labor of love.

When I think of my labor story and the complications with it. Being surrounded by experts in modern medicine and remembering how much we prayed and David's concerned face as I began laboring I cannot even imagine Mary and Joseph's night but I feel that I have a little more empathy with Mary's story. As I stare at my quickly growing little boy I remember how Mary "treasured all these things in her heart" Luke 2:19 She didn't have a digital camera to capture each moment as Jesus grew but I'm sure she enjoyed them as much - or maybe more- than I am enjoying watching Reed grow. My prayer this Christmas is that Reed will follow in Jesus' footsteps and will grow "in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." (Luke 2:52)

Merry Christmas!

First Trick!

Reed rolled over for the first time yesterday (Thursday)! I had him up on the couch cushion and he rolled over 2 times to his right (from stomach to back). So I put him on the floor and he rolled over to his left! This morning he did it multiple times again so I was able to get it on video and he was able to do it over Skype for Bittle (David' mom). According to some baby milestone charts only a few 3 month olds can turn over but most turn over by 4 months. Reed is only 11 1/2 weeks and will be 3 months in 10 days! ( If we counted from his due date he would have just turned 2 months!) As I try to type this posted he is nursing sporadicly - stopping to smile up at me and coo! Life just gets better and better!