It’s going to be a short blog post tonight–there are gifts to be wrapped, there is laundry to be folded, there is a house that needs cleaned up, and packing that must be done before we make the trip to Juniata County tomorrow for the holidays. I can’t wait to meet my new niece and see my brother and my sister home after months away… But there are miles to go before then.

So, tonight, I will just share two things I have been enjoying lately, in case you have a few minutes to also enjoy them in this busy holiday season.

The first is a nature documentary I’ve been watching in bites here and there, and still, unfortunately, have not finished. It is a 2008 production called God of Wonders by John Whitcomb, Dan Sheedy, and Don B. DeYoung. You can watch it for free on YouTube.

Ben and I both enjoy nature documentaries. For years The Riot and the Dance by Dr. Gordon Wilson has ranked highest for me without anything else coming close…. God of Wonders may not demonstrate quite the same video quality, since it was produced earlier, but it is still beautiful and awe-inspiring, and opens your eyes to God’s incredible majesty revealed in all the world around you, as it explores outer space, the energy contained in one atom, and the wonder of a seed turning into a plant.

The second thing I have been poring over lately in spare minutes is Josh McDowell’s book Evidence that Demands a Verdict: Life-changing Truth for a Skeptical World. I struggle with skepticism and doubt–I always have. I believe this book is the most solid and comprehensive book of apologetics I have read thus far–but I have yet to read it completely. Mostly, I have been reading through the information about where our Bible came from, how the cannon was formed, and the historical reliability of the New Testament. The history of the eyewitness accounts bolsters my faith and helps me to open my eyes and behold the wonder of the Baby that was God himself.

John, Peter, Matthew, and more actually saw this Man–the One Who came to earth as a tiny one, just like our children do, the One Who created the world and all the intricacies and marvels we can behold–and they wrote to tell us about Him.

May you be aware of His presence and love this Christmas and always.