Tami, Ryan, Alyssa and I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. This is our 11th Christmas in Denton. Ryan was eight and Alyssa was 4 that first Christmas in 1997. They are now 19 and 15 and Denton is the only home they remember. We have been blessed to live in Denton and to be a part of First Baptist Church these 11 plus years. As a young pastor I did not want to move from church to church and come to the end of my ministry and have a list of a dozen churches that I had pastored. I prayed that God would put me somewhere and leave me and give my kids the opportunity to go to one school and be able to call that place home. God has given me and my family that gift and this Christmas I am grateful for that gift.
As I write this afternoon it's the day before the day before Christmas! As I think about what will take place over the next 48 hours I'm excited about it all. Most all of it revolves around tradition at the Williams' house. We will begin our Christmas celebration by going to the Christmas Eve service tomorrow night. It will be a time of Christmas Carols, the Lord's Supper, Candlelight and most importantly sharing the moment with our church family. We will then go home and have a special time as a family. We will read the Christmas story from Luke 2 and we will read the classic Christmas book "The Night Before Christmas." Ryan and Alyssa will open one present that night before bed, they know what's inside! They always get new pajama's on Christmas Eve!
Christmas morning we will get up and open presents. We are so blessed to be able to give gifts to one another, more than any of us really need. Tami loves buying Christmas and she always goes overboard and I always get on to her, but I'm thankful that God gives us the means to do that. After we open our gifts and our stockings we will eat Sausage balls for breakfast (my favorite part!) We started a new tradition a few years ago of staying home on Christmas day and inviting whoever wants to come for Christmas lunch. My parents, my sister and her family and the Cole and Beth Sciba family are joining us this year. We will eat too much "fried turkey" and everything else and just enjoy being together on such a great day.
We won't get to see Tami's parents until after Christmas this year. Tami's Dad is in the hospital being treated for an infection. We pray that he gets well soon and gets to go home soon after Christmas.
My wish for you this Christmas is that you will enjoy family and friends, that you will get what you want and be able to give what you want as well. I hope you will be as blessed as I am by a church family, friends, and most of all your family as you celebrate Christmas this year!
Merry Christmas!
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