But, thankfully, he doesn't want to. :-)

Instead he uses his strength to protect me. But, more often than that, he chooses to forego the use of the power he posesses, and he uses his hands to wipe my tears. He carefully, gently holds my little men in his arms. He catches their sweet, naked, wet bodies as I give birth to them. He uses his hands to love us, to caress us. His strength laid aside, he is tender and gentle. And, it is a beautiful thing to me because. . .

it reminds me of my first Love, my sweet Love, my Jesus. The world was waiting. We were needy, hungry, angry, sinful, and soiled. And, God seemed to be silent. He could have come and taken this world by storm. He could have come in power, majesty, and might. He could have come in such a way as to show Who was in control. But, He didn't.

He didn't make a fuss over himself. No earth shatteringly loud trumpets, no splendor, nothing. While the sinful world slept, He came, quietly, peacefully, gently, tenderly as a helpless baby. He slipped into the night, into our world, and into our hearts. And, without fanfare, without a show of strength or power, but instead with a humble cry and a fragile body, He came, and the world. would. never. be. the. same.

Now that is powerful.

I love the song Winter Snow because it says this so much more beautifully than I ever could. This video is of our Christmas 2010. The words of the song are powerful and glorify my God. The pictures are just of us and have little to do with the words of the song. . .

Unless of course, you look at it this way. . .

We have joy, peace, and love filling our home to overflowing. In fact, rarely a day passes, that Erik and I do not look at each other in amazement and say, "We are so blessed." And, the only reason that our home is full of joy and peace and love is because He came as Emmanuel ~ God with us. He lay his strength, power, majesty, and might aside and came in humility ~ naked, wet, and helpless. And, because He is Who He is, a God Who came to us in such a humble and beautiful way, because He wasn't afraid to get dirty or hurt or hung on a cross, because He loved us enough to lay aside all that He is and come as a babe, because of all of this, we can live in a broken, fallen world, and we can have peace. It is all because of Him. It is only through Him. Our hearts are full of thanks today for God's gift, the greatest gift. Can I say His name one more time. . .

Merry Christmas from our home to yours. . .