Today is the day that 34 years ago the good and gracious Creator of the world decided I would be born. I for one am happy, but won’t balk when I wake up in heaven and experience the glorious of the forever-after (praising God, living out eternity without sin, pure in love with all those who are saved and believed). So in reflection of the day here are all the 1-18 verses in the Bible; an interesting activity though without a doubt, though for in-depth study surrounding verses would be ideal (mmmm context). ☺

Blessings and peace to you as you go through-out your days, may they be full of love, laughter and thanksgiving, in Jesus’ name. ❤

Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?"
Exodus 1:18 NIV

And they assembled the whole community of Israel on that very day. All the people were registered according to their ancestry by their clans and families. The men of Israel who were twenty years old or older were listed one by one.
Numbers 1:18 NLT

I commanded you at that time all the things that you should do.
Deuteronomy 1:18 NASB

Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words in all that you command him, will be put to death. Above all, be strong and courageous!
Joshua 1:18 HCSB

And Judah took Gaza with its territory and Ashkelon with its territory and Akron with its territory.
Judges 1:18 NASB

When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she ended the conversation.
Ruth 1:18 GWT

She said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
1 Samuel 1:18 NASB

(Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)
2 Samuel 1:18 KJV

But instead, Adonijah has made himself king, and my lord the king does not even know about it.
1 Kings 1:18 NLT

Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
2 Kings 1:18 JB2000

Arpachshad became the father of Kenan, and Kenan became the father of Shelah, and Shelah became the father of Eber.
1 Chronicles 1:18 NHEB

This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s behavior will say the same to all the king’s officials, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty.
Ester 1:18 ESV

While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house”.
Job 1:18 NET

These men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush only themselves!
Proverbs 1:18 NIV

And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.
Jeremiah 1:18 ESV

The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.
Lamentations 1:18 KJV

The rims of the four wheels were tall and frightening, and they were covered with eyes all around.
Ezekiel 1:18 NLT

At the end of the time that the king had said to present them, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 1:18 HCSB

How the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.
Joel 1:18 KJ2000

The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the LORD has spoken.
Obadiah 1:18 ESV

Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.
Zechariah 1:18

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 1:18 NIV

And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
Mark 1:18 ESV

Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure this will happen? I'm an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years."
Luke 1:18 NLT

No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
John 1:18 NAS77

With the money he received from the wrong he had done, he bought a piece of land where he fell headfirst to his death. His body split open, and all his internal organs came out.
Acts 1:18 GWT

For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all the evils and the wickedness of the children of men, those who are holding the truth in evil.
Romans 1:18 ABPE

But as God is true, our word toward you was not yes and no.
2 Corinthians 1:18 AKJV

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
Galatians 1:18 KJV

But that doesn't matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.
Philippians 1:18

He is also the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself might have first place in everything.
Colossians 1:18

Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord's battles.
1 Timothy 1:18

May the Lord grant that he finds mercy on the day he comes again. You know very well how much he assisted me in Ephesus.
2 Timothy 1:18

But if he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, put that to my account.
Philemon 1:18

You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed--not by perishable things like silver or gold.
1 Peter 1:18 NET

We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
2 Peter 1:18 NIV

They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires.
Jude 1:18 NLT

Feeling the urge to do something more collaborative for a Christmas post this year, I asked a few friends of mine for the help by sharing what Christmas means to them.  Thank you each for your help on this, I appreciate each of you very much!

What Christmas Means To Me

By Aubrey, Destinie, Gina, Spencer & Yvonne

I've been thinking about this a lot: there are so many contemporary songs out there that pine away longing for the joys of Christmases past. From memories of lost love, to wondering why Christmas isn't the way it was when we were children, to longing for loved ones who have passed. I don't mean to be critical, because those feelings are very real. I could and do feel the same way for any number of reasons. Missing my mom. Missing my dad. Even missing friends that I enjoyed celebrating Christmas with last year.

However, I also rejoice over watching my children grow, seeing Wesley for the first time truly excited about Christmas, his understanding growing because he remembers last year. Remembering my beautiful baby girl last year, and now seeing her, a toddler, not understanding and yet enchanted by all the beauty of the glistening lights and the joyful church music which radiates the same spirit of joy which God has placed within her. It was last Christmas that God began to show me that "joy" was going to be the word He would give me for her.

But I have really been thinking about how God never changes. And how often we forget because we get focused on how things have changed, or how we are in the midst of change, or how big changes lie ahead. Even Christmas, that special time that comes around every December, changes with every year that goes by. This beckons to us, to bring the focus of Christmas back to God, not just to Jesus coming as a little baby but everything before and after that moment in time, because Jesus, being God, is eternal and immutable. The great mystery of Christmas is how all that holiness and glory and eternity came clothed in the helpless human form of a little baby.

Another thing about Christmas that is mysterious to me is how everyone, believer and non-believer, seeker, atheist, and skeptic alike, we all feel something special this time of year. People's hearts are open. Differences are, at least for a moment, overlooked or even reconciled. And yet Jesus wasn't even born on December 25th.

I'm striving with my kids to keep the focus on eternal things as much as possible. People probably think we're miserly because of how little money we spend on our kids at Christmas time. They probably also think we're party poopers because we don't want our kids to believe in Santa Claus. Maybe we are those things, but it also helps steer the focus away from the presents and back toward what is really important: the only part of Christmas that will never, ever change, and will even outlive the very need for Christmas itself. Jesus is called the Word because He communicates to us everything that God, the incomprehensible, Holy, Perfect Being that we cannot see, wants to show us about Himself. Jesus came as a baby to communicate that to us on a level that we could understand. He lived among us so we could see firsthand all that God is in a way we could comprehend. And so that He would feel and experience everything we do, yet without sin, making Him the perfect sacrifice to reconcile us to God, and also the perfect High Priest to stand before God and intercede for us, because He experienced firsthand the pain of being clothed in this frail human flesh.

We definitely decorate our house and have big family gatherings and enjoy some of the more secular trappings of Christmas. We play Christmas music, secular and Christian, from Thanksgiving to New Years. We LOVE this time of year as much as any other family. And I think that many of those things can and should be enjoyed in their rightful place. It just breaks my heart when those are the first and only reasons for celebrating this time of year. – Aubrey (Rochester, NY)

Christmas means family: lots and lots of family. I have over 20 first cousins, so whatever house we've chosen to gather in is always full. To me, Christmas has never really been about gifts and lights or physical things, but about coming together to fellowship with each other in memory of Christ and what he did, and still does for us. And of course, no Christmas is complete without coma-inducing, rich foods. – Destinie (Planet City, FL)

There is something very magical about Christmas. The hope of our Savior coming to dwell with us, the opportunity to bless others, the anticipation of a day filled with warmth & love. Many complain that it has become materialistic or that it has become a secular event. I don't feel that way though. I believe many still hold on to the true meaning of it. You see it as you pass people's houses and churches, and the nativity is on full display. You see it as you scroll down social media pages and people are celebrating Advent, stirring themselves up. You see it as people make the effort to volunteer at shelters or rush to an angel tree to pick out a child to bless.

Though the season begins with a Black Friday, the true spirit of Christmas is alive & well in the hearts of men. Let us not become discouraged or doubt motives, but remain focused on the lights in the world that are shining brighter in the dark. – Gina (Plano, TX)

What Christmas means to me is a time for miracles and a time to fall in love. Christmas brings people together and makes the impossible possible in some way shape or form. People say Santa isn't real but I believe he is real still to this day. The only difference from when you were a kid to now is that if you're good he'll bring you a miracle. – Spencer (Lawrenceville, GA)

It's another year gone by and the anniversary of our dear Saviors birth comes around again. Growing up in a large family (there were 8 of us kids), was always fun and innovative. Christmas was no exception. Today, I hold dear those many memories. Both secular and religious. I am so glad I went to Sunday School as a child. My parents did not attend church but they made sure us kids went every Sunday. But they always came to the Easter and Christmas programs our Sunday schools put on. The early foundation of my church years gave me the promise that Christ was born for a reason. I learned that early and know today that many people celebrate for different reasons. But not me. Jesus is the Reason for the Season!. The Christmas Carols in the hymnal, remembered forever on my mind will never fade. Today in the hustle and bustle of Christmas as the commercialization takes a front door. I read the gospel over and over. I sing the hymns over and over.( I can't sing on tune so I sing by myself.) and I keep adding to my nativity collection. I also keep some of the fun stuff, Santa Claus, Frosty, and Jingle Bells. This year, I am keeping Christmas simple. Easy on the gifts, lots of family, and comfort foods. Fellowship with friends and remembering good childhood memories. Midnight Church service on Christmas Eve. How can I forget? Candles lit each window in the church with a calming glow. Silent Night, Holy Night. Sung by the choir in perfect pitch. The Christmas tree all lit aglow under twinkling lights. Christmas to me is all these things. I have taught my children that Christmas is Jesus' birthday, a day to celebrate the wonderful gift from God to us.  That we have a way to come to him for an eternal life and Jesus is the answer for the world. Merry Christmas! – Yvonne (Vancouver, WA)