Happy birthday, Jesus. We wanted to bake you a cake, really we did, but at the end of the day a piece of divinity (no pun intended) made by Renae will have to suffice.

I’ve decided that wrapping my mind around the Incarnation, the way God became man to rescue us from sin and depravity, is far too much to understand in the one small day of December 25—or the entire Advent season for that matter. Praising God is a 365 day kind of thing. So tomorrow I’ll wake up and continue to ponder the treasure of Jesus in my heart. This Christmas season has given me a lot to ponder. There have been wonderful meals shared with parents and siblings, sweet plates of goodies from neighbors, communion and Christmas choruses with Redeemer and Zion, funny and charming new Livia moments, thoughtful presents and loving actions from my husband, and even a letter to the editor (the first one) in today’s paper that brought tears to my eyes. The birth of our Savior and the generosity found in this season of gift-giving have meshed together in something resembling joy and peace—and for that I am grateful on this holy night.