Amy Caroline as baby Jesus

This past weekend our church had their annual Live Nativity and Amy Caroline played baby Jesus on both Saturday and Sunday nights. Michael and I were Mary and Joseph. This was our first year to really experience this huge event. I remember going to it the first year they had it but I really only remember going and there being lots of people. Now I realize how much work goes into the whole weekend. I am not sure the exact number of people who walked or drove through but I would guess it was close to a thousand if not more. It was amazing. We had live animals (cows, horses, lamas, geese, donkeys, camel, and goats just to name a few), amazing sets and lots of people dressed up.
The Nativity depicts the story of redemption. It starts with Noah ( a picture of why Jesus had to come- to save them from a world of wickedness), then moves to Rahab ( God's plan to redeem his people has always included outsiders- Rahab reminds us today that we, even outsiders, can be a part of the grand story of God sending his Son), then to the Prophets (calling God's people to look forward to a day when God would set all things right), then to the manger with the wise men and shepherds and finally to the cross and tomb. It was so powerful to walk through while reading the scripture by each scene, hearing scripture read, and listening to the choir sing. If you are ever is Ocala during Christmas, it is worth coming to experience the Nativity walk. It was also fun to hear people (adults and children) talking about the story of Jesus. My prayer is that many people understand the gospel more after their experience this weekend. It definitely made me reflect on what Christmas is really about.
Amy Caroline did a great job as baby Jesus. Many people called her "baby shesus" for the evening. She actually fell asleep in my arms Saturday night and was awake Sunday night. Here are few pictures of us as Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.