December 2015

What Does Christmas Mea
Christmas brings with it an excitement we do not
see other times during the year. The kindness of
strangers seems to be more obvious. I love this
about Christmas, using this special time of year to
reach out to the less fortunate and to demonstrate
God’s love my fellow man, living Jesus to others.
Now this is Christmas.
- Toni Troxell
Christmas has been challenging for me since my
first husband died. All of the traditions we built over
those years have been tossed in the air. When
he was alive, we taught our children Jesus is the
reason we celebrate Christmas. I didn’t grow up in
a Christian home so it was very important to me.
He did wanting the same for our kids. Then our
children married starting families of their own. After
he passed away and I remarried. I discovered that
I was not only grieving the loss of a person, but
also a lifestyle including those traditions. This is
my second Christmas with my new husband who
is also a wonderful Christian man. We have Christ
as the center of Christmas, but we are still working
on building our own traditions. It’s hard for me, but
good, too. The Lord has used this time to help me
focus on Him, not worrying about doing things for
family and friends. The doing isn’t important part.
It’s being at Jesus’ birthday celebration with those
we love. We will celebrate Jesus’ birthday with
them, just differently.
-Charlaine Martin
As we approach the Christmas holiday season
I always take a moment to reflect upon the true
meaning of Christmas and what it is we are celebrating.
Between the dashes to the grocery
store to grab last minute food items necessary to
finish off a family meal, or darting back and forth
between the airport to ferry relatives to and from
my home—and yes, rushing to the local mall to
get that “hot” toy of the year for a young nephew
or niece—I think that spending time each year
with relatives and loved ones, relishing some time
off work, singing Christmas carols, enjoying holi-
day meals, and unwrapping presents are all wonderful
things. However, it is then the true meaning
of Christmas to me comes like a flood deep within
my heart and into my mind.
Ever since the fall of humanity in the garden, God
promised one day He would send a deliverer—
a Messiah—who would bear the penalty for the
sin for those who truly believed, thereby providing
the means of restoring man to a just and proper
relationship with God once again. And it was one
night just over 2,000 years ago, that a bright star
appeared in the sky and the birth of an infant boy
manifested God’s promise. I remain amazed to
this day when I consider what the Magi and others
who were staring into the face of that baby boy
lying in the manger were thinking. Did they truly
know and fully understand they were staring at
God born into human flesh whose only purpose
was to live a sinless life and ultimately die on a
cross for the sins of all? That it was only because
He loved us? And it is a gift the God of Creation
gave to us absolutely free? How can any material
or temporal gift we share with one another
compare. Sure—a roaring fire, trimmed tree in the
corner of the room with presents piled high, holiday
music playing in the background may all be a
meaning we attach to Christmas—but the free gift
of salvation from a loving and personal God is the
only meaning to me.
-Christopher Schmidt
Contributor, Faith Filled Family Magazine
To our family, Christmas represents two things:
first, and foremost, Christ and secondly, family.
Our traditions centralize around sharing the
miraculous birth of our savior to our children and
making them not only comprehend why it was so
miraculous, but the significance of Jesus’ birth
and how it changed history. The birth has significant
meaning to the believer, but of even greater
significance is the resurrection.
While we always stress that God is number one