This Thursday, December 15th, will be eleven years since my oldest brother John David Maher, Jr. passed to the other side of death--which is really where true life exists.  My family and I rejoice in this anniversary for the testimony opportunities it produces for faith to prove itself real. Even all this time later, I'm not only able to pull from this experience and share about God's faithfulness, but our entire family’s journey is interwoven in John’s departure from death to life.I will be sharing a little bit more about this at church this upcoming weekend in my sermon entitled, “This I Know: Life May Be Hard || God Makes It Good." But most recently, my mom was blessed to share her testimony at a Women's Tea this past Saturday at Coastal Christian. And as we both share separate, yet inseparable testimonies, the Christmas holiday will always be the backdrop.Christmas 2005 was to be a first for many reasons. It was to be my brother John’s first as a father and his 4-month old daughter’s first Christmas on earth.  It was to be my brothers and mine’s first as uncles.  And it was also the first Christmas for my parents with their new “grand” title attached to them.  But instead, this first Christmas for many reasons was tragically turned into another type of first.  A first without a brother.  A first without a son.  A first without a little baby’s father. It would also have been the first Christmas for John to be a brother, father, and son all in one.But God desired the ultimate type of first:  And that is how our last breath on earth is our first breath in heaven. It was to be John’s first Christmas with the Lord and nothing could have kept him from this homecoming and celebration. A true CHRISTmas.  Eleven Christmas seasons later and I still see God’s fingerprints all over John’s passing.  I see God's image in the reflection of my parents. I see God's bright and gracious eyes in the visage of my little niece, John's only daughter. I see how God has not only worked all things together for our good and His glory, but He has written new life, His life, into a seeming death story. Because we shall see my brother again, when our last breath here becomes our first breath in heaven. That will be the ultimate first CHRISTmas for all of us. So I pray, "O Lord, we thank You that our last breath here will be our first breath there. With You. Amen."