As I sit in my warm living room, watching the snow fall softly outside while our Christmas tree glows with twinkling lights and ornaments, I’m reminded of Christmas memories from years gone by. My table is scattered with scraps of vinyl, glitter, and half-finished projects as I work on custom Christmas orders, and even in the busyness, my heart keeps circling back to the why behind it all.
I think of the wonder and excitement I felt as a child, eagerly anticipating the reward for having been “good” all year. I remember the sleepless Christmas Eve nights, listening for any sound that might mean gifts were being quietly placed under the tree.
Then I think of the sheer joy of watching my own children light up with excitement over the treasures waiting for them on Christmas morning—the squeals, the wrapping paper everywhere, the sparkle in their eyes. Those moments are precious and beautiful.
Yet, as special as those memories are, they are nothing compared to the wonder the shepherds experienced one starry night in Bethlehem.
Just imagine it: a few ordinary men out in the fields, simply doing their job, tending their sheep. It begins as a normal night—quiet, routine, uneventful. Then suddenly, everything changes.
Out of nowhere, a host of angels appears, dazzling in God’s glory, lighting up the night sky. They tell the shepherds not to be afraid, but to rejoice, because a Savior has been born. Not a distant king, not an unreachable ruler—but a Savior for them, for us.
The angels tell them where to go, and the shepherds hurry to find the baby Jesus, just as they were told—wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger, with Mary and Joseph nearby in that humble stable.
What a wonder that first Christmas must have been.
God’s only Son, born not in a palace but in a manger. Born so that we might be saved from our sins. Born to bring hope, light, and life to a broken world. Truly, the best gift ever.
As I create and share handmade gifts during this season—cups, pens, ornaments, little treasures meant to bring a smile—I’m reminded that every gift we give is just a tiny reflection of that greatest gift given to us in Bethlehem. My prayer is that each piece I make carries not just sparkle and color, but also a reminder of the hope and love we have in Jesus.
This holiday season, I hope you are able to slow down, look beyond the wrapping paper and busy schedules, and experience the true wonder of the season—the Savior who came near.
> “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
— Luke 2:11 (KJV)
