Christmas to New Year

"Through the eyes of faith we have seen the Christ child... We see far more of the story than the shepherds could see. Hope and salvation and joy has been blood-bought for us. And assured of his life, his birth, and his victory we enter back into the rhythms of life. We act the miracle, we face old sins.

This is all possible because the Son of God first arrived in a manger on a mission to destroy the devil, and in destroying the devil's power we can now face our sins honestly and squarely. If we get this point at the beginning of 2013, then looking at the Nativity at the end of 2012 has done us marvelous good."

-Tony Reinke "What Difference Has Looking Made?" from Desiring God blog