Instead of going to my family Christmas parties, I called and said “hi” to everyone all at once…which got a little chaotic, but not as crazy as being at them for hours on end. My family this year includes 26 September racers and 26 June racers and a couple moms and one family that came to visit…so parties are still crazy with all those people around.
Our travel to our Christmas holiday getaway place included leaving at 4am on Christmas Eve, taking a three hour bus and two hour ferry ride, and arriving at a small, family-owned resort on an island somewhere in the Philippines.
Yesterday I laid out on the white sand beach instead of playing in the piles of white snow.
My Christmas Eve goodies included s’mores…made over a real fire…on the beach.
Last night we had a candlelight service…on the beach…with the ocean waves as our accompaniment and the clouds, moon, and stars as our ceiling.
I tried to sleep in this morning instead of following my usual routine of getting up at sunrise and running…I only made it to about 7:00 before my body told me it was time to get up.
When I got dressed today, my outfit consisted of my bathing suit, a skirt, and a tank-top…none of that bulky winter stuff I’d be wearing back home.
I opened my Christmas presents this morning…lots of cards because they’re small and easy to carry around the world. Pictures, too…to remind me of home. (Thanks friends!)
Christmas festivities today are probably going to include a sand-castle making contest or sand angels or something including white sand.
I don’t think this Christmas could be any more different from what I’ve been used to the last 22 years…but the most important thing will never change.
Christmas is still about Jesus.
It’s about the sacrifice He made in coming to earth so that he could live like a human for about 33 years and then die so that we can have life.
It’s still a celebration of the babe who chose to be born in a stable and have his first bed as a manger and his first Christmas party attended by animals and shepherds.
It’s about the greatest gift anyone could ever get – Jesus Christ.
So as things are different for me this Christmas (and maybe they are for you too), I take comfort in the fact that Jesus is still the same and He is still the reason we’re celebrating today.
Merry Christmas everybody!
