This Christmas we’re on a road trip to the East Coast. (We’re thankful for international student Steven, who is staying in our home and taking care of the cat, turtle and fish.) Before we left, our daughter Charis was watching “Best Food Ever: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” and found out that we would be in several of the cities featured, including Atlanta, NYC, and Memphis. Our goal is to visit family (as you get this, we are with Lisa’s brother’s family in SC and we will visit a sister in NY) as well as some friends along the way, while also exposing our kids to some cool places in the good ol’ US of A. It has also dawned on us that our opportunities to take family vacations with the whole family may be numbered. Our oldest will be a senior next year, and we don’t know where God will take him. So, we want to enjoy these family times and hope we don’t drive each other crazy during all those hours in the car.

Of course, the very first Christmas was also a road trip of sorts. I still can’t imagine how discouraging it must have felt for Mary and Joseph to come to the end of that tiresome journey and not be able to find a decent place to stay. Our pastor was sharing a couple weeks ago about a Christmas tradition in Mexico called “Posada.” For a week, a couple re-enact going to different homes in the community looking for lodging where they are told “No Posada.” Finally on the last night they arrive at a home and are told to “Come in. Come in.” Then there is a big party at the home that made room for Jesus. That kind of sums up our hope this Christmas–that we would make room in our hearts for Him.

We want to wish you and your family a joyous Christmas celebration and pray that you, too, will find room for Jesus in the midst of it all.