Imagine how apoplectic Balthasar became when their gifts for the King of Kings were mixed up with the presents going to Sneedville, Tennessee.  Here they had spent all their gold on an iphone, an actual white elephant, and a Starbucks gift card, and now the gifts were going to a place far away from where their star was leading them.  Donnie had to explain that these gifts came from CUMC”s Angel Tree.  These were gifts purchased to be given to people who might not otherwise receive a gift. He also explained to them what a white elephant gift actually meant.  Balthasar was not so easily calmed this time and he knocked Donnie into a gift bag headed for Tennessee!

Today's Quote:  “She began to whine to the man sitting beside her about how infuriating her journey had been thus far.  It turned out he worked for the Dalai Lama.  And he said gently that he believed that when a lot of seemingly meaningless things started going wrong all at once, it was to protect something big and lovely that was trying to get itself born -that, in other words, perhaps it needed for you to be distracted so it could be born perfect.  I totally believe this to be true; and I especially believe it when other people’s things are breaking down.  When it’s my stuff, I believe the cause is that I’m a bad person.” (Anne Lamott)

Today's Microchallenge:  CUMC’s cargo van left early this morning to deliver the angel tree gifts to Sneedville.  Pray for the safety of those delivering the gifts, and for the recipients of those gifts to be blessed by them. 

Where do things seem to be breaking down in your life?  Meditate on how the God of messy stables and humble mangers may be arranging for Christ to be born in the Christmas of your personal broken circumstances.