Coming Back for the Holidays

I just got back from vacation. A wonderful and awe-filled trip to Walt Disney World. This included much needed time with family, a trip to all parks, a parade or two in passing, the reading of the Christmas story by the Allstate guy (President Palmer from 24) a 150 member choir singing Christmas carols that helped tell the story, and behind the scenes tour, some amazing rides, more amazing sights and most amazing firework displays.
Now I am back to celebrate Christmas, a holiday that has wonderful memories and some not so wonderful memories. My only child is a senior in high school so we have wonderful memories in the past, but there is part of me that looks at this time much like this vacation, great memories, but they are over. All of the wonder gone. Just memories of times gone by. Times of laughter and promise cut short by NOW circumstances and seasons.
This morning I got in the car with my husband to head to church and I made sure their was my favorite Christmas songs playing. My heart plummeted with despair of loss...then this song came into my heart... In remembering how wonderful "the greatest place on earth" Walt Disney World was and how I was not there, I forgot where I was...

You usually hear this in a slower version, but I like the spunk in this one.

So leaving for church this morning, there was a sunrise eventually seen by all the world today that far exceeded the wonder of a few firecrackers in Orlando. There was a V shaped geese family flying over head that were more amazing than the animations used on the Jungle Cruise. So from Walt Disney World to My Father's World, Christ was and is glorified. He Reigns... just read what Colossians 1:15-23 says about Jesus...go ahead, read it out loud...

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God,
    the firstborn of all creation.
¹⁶ He created all things in heaven and on earth,
    visible and invisible.
        Whether they are kings or lords,
            rulers or powers—
                everything has been created through him and for him.
¹⁷ He existed before everything
    and holds everything together.
¹⁸ He is also the head of the church, which is his body.
    He is the beginning,
    the first to come back to life
        so that he would have first place in everything.

¹⁹ God was pleased to have all of himself live in Christ. ²⁰ God was also pleased to bring everything on earth and in heaven back to himself through Christ. He did this by making peace through Christ’s blood sacrificed on the cross.

²¹ Once you were separated from God. The evil things you did showed your hostile attitude. ²² But now Christ has brought you back to God by dying in his physical body. He did this so that you could come into God’s presence without sin, fault, or blame. ²³ This is on the condition that you continue in faith without being moved from the solid foundation of the hope that the Good News contains. You’ve heard this Good News of which I, Paul, became a servant. It has been spread throughout all creation under heaven.

James 4:14,
Camelot