Go Tell it on the Mountain, that Jesus Christ is Born!

God has been opening my eyes and working in my heart the past few weeks. I am so thankful that even thought I don't always give Him the time he deserves, he still seeks a relationship with me! He doesn't give up on me, even when I feel like a horrible person! I love that this time of year represents the birth of my savior. I happen to LOVE birth stories, and babies, and Jesus' story in particular, never gets old to me. As we celebrate the advent season, many people in our church wrote articles that were comprised in a book. For those that didn't get the book, they also email everyone every day. I have loved reading these stories. Some are challenging and all are reminders of why we really celebrate Christmas. Bryan was asked to write one of these articles, and yesterday was the day that his was emailed out. I am so proud of him, and so thankful for his leadership in our family. He loves the Lord so much and he is such a great example to many! This was his article.

Leaving a Godly Legacy

The thing I love about the Christmas season is the time spent with family. Janet and I have a tradition of hosting our extended family on Christmas Eve and providing a meal for them. It is such a wonderful time of celebration and excitement. All of us tell about our Christmas Eve services and about our plans for Christmas Day.

One thing that stands out to me about this wonderful celebration of our Savior’s birth and about our family being together is a particular photograph that we always try to take. It is one of four generations of women that include our daughter Mary-Kate, Janet, Susan (Janet’s mom), and Mary Lou (Janet’s grandmother). When I look at these four, I am in awe. What a special moment that many people don’t get to share! The other aspect of this picture is that three of these women are Christians who continue to pass along the legacy of Christ. Janet and I wait in anticipation for the day when this legacy will be passed on when Mary-Kate accepts Jesus Christ as her Savior.

Passing on a Godly legacy should be something that every parent longs to do. Janet and I have determined that we will do everything we can to show the love of Jesus Christ to our children. Our prayer is that we will leave a Godly legacy behind, and that years down the road our children’s children will be able to see it.

Judges 2:6-10 tells of the death of Joshua and his generation; and verse 10 is a very sad verse: “. . . and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, or the work that He had done for Israel.” Joshua and his generation failed to tell those younger generations what the Lord had done for them. I challenge you this Christmas season to make sure that you are leaving behind a Godly legacy and that the generations that follow you will know what Christmas is truly about.

Bryan Abernathy

For those that are hurting and for those that don't have much joy this Christmas, God can fill your cup and give you peace! Presents, time off of work, and even loved ones can't fill us up like we need. Even if you feel all alone, you are not. God sees you, he cares, he has not abandoned you. He sent his one and only son to this earth to live a perfect life and to die for you. Christ can take your sins upon him and give you the greatest relief and joy you have ever known! Romans 6:23 says that, "the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Please, if you haven't known the peace that only a savior can bring, take the time to reflect upon the love and gift he is offering you! And please, don't let your life situation, or anything come between you and the chance to know true joy! If you have any more questions or just want to talk, I would love to. Message me, facebook me, or IM me! Merry Christmas everyone!

~Romans 10:13 Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.~