1 Day Until Christmas!
Song: “Silent Night,” by Mahalia Jackson
Christmas Album: “New Young Messiah,” by Various Artists
Christmas DVD: “The Nativity Story”
Netflix Movie: “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
Amazon Prime Movie: “Miracle on 34th Street” (1959 TV Version)
Disney+ Movie: “The Muppet Christmas Carol”
On TV:
• “Legend of Frosty the Snowman,” noon, AMC
• “In the Good Old Summertime,” 12:15 p.m., TCM
• “The Santa Clause,” 1:30 p.m., Freeform
• “White Christmas,” 1:30 p.m., 4:15 p.m., 7 p.m., 9:45 p.m., Sundance
• “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” 2 p.m., TCM
• “The Man Who Invented Christmas,” 2:45 p.m., Showtime 2
• “The Santa Clause 2,” 3:35 p.m., Freeform
• “The Year Without a Santa Clause,” 3:45 p.m., AMC
• “It Happened On Fifth Avenue,” 4 p.m., TCM
• “The Polar Express,” 5 p.m., AMC
• “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” 5:40 p.m., Freeform
• “Crown for Christmas,” 6 p.m., Hallmark
• “Christmas Love Letter,” 6 p.m., Lifetime
• “Carole’s Christmas Unwrapped,” 6 p.m., OWN
• “Holiday Affair,” 6:15 p.m., TCM
• “A Christmas Carol,” (1951) 6:50 p.m., 8:40 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., FXX
• “Christmas Belle,” 7 p.m., ION
• “Elf,” 7 p.m., AMC
• “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” 8 p.m., ABC
• “It’s a Wonderful Life,” 8 p.m., NBC
• “A Christmas Story Live,” 8 p.m., FOX
• “Masters of Illusion,” 8 p.m., CW
• “One Crazy Christmas,” 8 p.m., BET
• College Football: Hawai’i Bowl, BYU at Hawai’i, 8 p.m., ESPN
• “FX’s A Christmas Carol,” 8 p.m., FX
• “Christmas Town,” 8 p.m., Hallmark
• “A Date By Christmas Eve,” 8 p.m., Lifetime
• “One Fine Christmas,” 8 p.m., OWN
• “Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” 8 p.m., Starz/Encore
• “The Bishop’s Wife,” 8 p.m., TCM
• “A Christmas Story,” 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., TBS
• “Frosty the Snowman,” 8:20 p.m., Freeform
• “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” 8:50 p.m., Freeform
• “CMA Country Christmas,” 9 p.m., ABC
• “Greatest Holiday Commercials Countdown 2019,” 9 p.m., CW
• “Christmas Crush,” 9 p.m., ION
• “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” 9 p.m., AMC
• “A Christmas Story,” 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., TNT
• “Write Before Christmas,” 9:30 p.m., Hallmark
• “The Muppet Christmas Carol,” 10 p.m., Disney XD
• “Meet Me in St. Louis,” 10 p.m., TCM
• “A Christmas Wish,” 10:03 p.m., Lifetime
• “Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas,” 10:30 p.m., BET
• “Scrooged,” 11 p.m., MTV
Recipe: Cider-Brined Turkey with Maple-Cider Glaze
Quick Thought for Christmas
Read
When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
Matthew 2:10
Reflect
I grew up in the church, the son of an Episcopal priest and a worship musician. When the doors were open, I was in church. And yet, when I was 17 years old, I still had not made a personal decision to follow Christ.
The summer before my senior year, my Mom took me to a Christian youth conference where a speaker named Billy Mayo was preaching. That night, everything seemed to click for me. It all made sense. And I had a choice to make – to dismiss what God was putting on my heart or to believe and follow Him.
That night, June 17, 1984, I made my choice – to place my faith and trust in Jesus Christ. And ever since then, so much changed. The music was the same. The scriptures were the same. The preaching was the same. But it all meant so much more. For the first time in my life, I truly worshiped God, “in spirit and in truth,” as they say.
For me, I first saw the Christmas star in June 1984, and my heart was filled with joy like I’d never know. We’re told that the shepherds and wise men also saw that star when it was in the sky over Bethlehem, and when they saw it – knowing what it truly meant – they “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.”
If you’re a follower of Christ, you know what that joy is like. But if you aren’t, you’ll never understand how truly wonderful Christmas can be. A Christmas spent following Christ is the most rewarding experience you can possibly have. And for believers, that goes on not just for one day, but every day throughout the year, every year.
This Christmas, give yourself the best Christmas present possible. Seek the star of Christ and let His joy live on in your heart.
Reflection copyright © 2019 by Doug DeBolt.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
