Every December we exchange this greeting with each other: "Have a merry Christmas!" So here's the question - is whether or not we have a merry Christmas really up to us? Doesn't it depend on what the economy is like and what our health is like and which relatives are coming to visit? Doesn't it depend on the weather and how Christmas dinner turns out and, most of all, whether we got the presents we had asked for?

But of course the truth is that whether or not we have a merry Christmas really is a matter of our own choosing. No one can make us merry, and no one can make us miserable. But as the Christmas story illustrates, Christmas is about far more than simply choosing to be grateful even if you get nothing but coal in your stocking. It's about making choices that will determine our destinies. Mary had a choice - "Will I believe the angel's promise that I - a virgin - am going to have a baby who will be the long-awaited Messiah?" Joseph had a choice - "Will I do the honorable thing and take Mary as my wife even though no one will believe our story that she's pregnant by means of the Holy Spirit?" The wise men had a choice - "Will we follow this star and search for the prophesied king, even though our journey will be long, dangerous, and offers us no guarantees?" The shepherds had a choice - "Will we leave our sheep to go and see the newborn that the angels claim is the Savior of the world?"

Christmas is a time for choosing - to choose the patience to keep waiting for God to do what He's promised to do; to choose the courage to answer God's call to do hard things for the sake of the Kingdom; to choose the faith to believe the miracle God came to do in your life; and to choose joy by celebrating the good news of Christmas with all the passion and fervor it deserves. Join us at Cornerstone as we celebrate a Christmas of your choosing!