It's beginning to look and feel a lot like Christmas...really.

The day started as usual as any other. That is until I grabbed some cereal and glanced out the kitchen window and saw something quite strange. It was pouring down from the heavens and piling up on my car, the parking lot, the grass, the rooftops. Yeah, the first snow of the year. Forget dusting. We got hammered...in the first week of November. So much for global warming.

I just laughed. I love snow. Some people freak out and run out and buy 12 loaves of bread and 6 gallons of milk (why all kinds of bread and milk, anyway?) Not me. Life goes on as usual, and from what I understand, I'll fit right in here in Erie. No school cancellations, no road closings. Snow is pretty much as common as rain. To me, nothing beats a good snow ball fight or a big snow man or even sled riding, which always brings back great childhood memories (especially ones of Bla and the Duffy emergency escape).

The only drawback from snow is that it's wet. And apparently both of my dress shoes had holes in the soles. That was news to me. Imagine my surprise when my socks were getting wetter and wetter as I walked in to the office. Well, you can't hardly go around in holey shoes, so I went out shoe shopping tonight.

Shopping...cold weather...snow on the ground...yeah, I started getting the Christmas itch. It made me want to spend money. It made me want to go buy a tree. It made me want to put up some Christmas lights. Sheesh, it's not even Thanksgiving yet! But the combination of slush on the pavement and sales in the mall put me in the mood for something even better than the holiday of Christmas. How about the REASON for Christmas.

It's a story I usually relegate for reading around December 25 and it's one I've heard over and over and over again. It's a story that's been used by Charlie Brown and many other TV specials. But really, why am I saving this story for the winter? The birth of Jesus Christ shouldn't be reserved for a day or for a season, but for every day and every season. I'm just going to put part of Luke's version here...

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold,an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

I know I'm not the only one who just got a warm and fuzzy feeling all over. It's not only one of the most famous pieces of scripture, it's also one of the most beautifully written. It exudes joy and I can almost hear the angels singing.

I shouldn't keep this feeling for December. I should have it every day, all year long. There should be a constant thankfulness and praise to God for the greatest, most important, most useful and most lovingly given gift of all time. The gift? Immanuel, or "God with us."