I hope and pray this is your greatest day ever and every tomorrow will be filled with the same.

I remember once as a child eating Army C-rations Dad had brought home. It happened that we also lived in a housing project called Salishan…not so far from Ft. Lewis, WA. It was for poor people…and Dad’s military pay qualified for poverty. The thing is though my brother and sisters and I never new a thing about being poor. In fact, moving into military quarters later seemed like we were Moving On Up to the West Side! So far as we knew, we were always living large! Mom and Dad knew how tight the budget was, but not us.

Christmas reminds me of this kind of poverty. Jesus humbled himself. He became poor, but I dare you to not see the riches in that transaction. It’s impossible. In the middle of his Judean poverty the riches of heaven showered our world. It was not entirely the same in our little house in the projects, but it was similar. Love conquered all. It was a party…a celebration. My oh my, a C-ration cracker tasted like manna…and when Dad let me drink water from that metal canteen I thought I was a mighty warrior, full of life and power…a five year old claiming victory for one and all!

Christmas…the greatest celebration of all…God chose to introduce the riches of heaven to the poverty of our lives!

God bless you one and all.