By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Christmas time is here.  You’ve been busy with the decorating, shopping, events, and parties.  You’ve hung the stockings with care, slung the tinsel all over there, and watched your budget with prayer.  You’ve gotten the menu written, crocheted new mittens, and told the kids they’re not getting kittens.  It has already been a busy season.

Two of my daughters were home in time to help with our family’s annual chex-mix-making festivities.  We were very busy doing this and that in the kitchen when the microwave decided it had breathed its last, and it gave up Marley’s Christmas ghost.  So we removed the faulty appliance from the house, chunked it in the dumpster, and made a trek to the big home do-it-yourself center in search of a replacement.  Having found an exact copy of the original, we loaded our cart and were about to leave the store, when what to our wondering eyes should appear — but lots and lots of Christmas decorations and lights.

Our trip to that store became twice as expensive as it had begun from the appliance aisle as we loaded not one, not two, but three separate light-up animals onto our bulging cart, slid the plastic give-me-5-percent-off-with-every-purchase card through the slot at the register ourselves and headed toward home.  We finished our first project with new appliance installed, then immediately installed the light-up critters you see here.  

Beside our front walkway now stand a chicken, a cat, and a dog.  And you ask why.  Well, they are cute, they light up, and we didn’t have anything like them.  But those aren’t the reasons we let them follow us home.  Eldest daughter and hubby are parents to our several grand-chickens.  Middle daughter and hubby are parents to our grand-dog.  And youngest daughter is the proud mother of our grand-cat.

So, each kiddo is now represented in Mom and Dad’s yard by their particular light-up animal.  This Christmas, all the kids are represented at our house.

This Christmas, are you and all of your kids represented at the Father’s House?  It’s easier than a quick trip to town.  Just introduce them to Jesus – the reason for the season – and the One Who can light up their world!  Nothing could make for a better Christmas!

Just a thought.