The journey of the shepherds to Bethlehem and the wise men to the place of the new born king's birth did not end with encountering the Christ child. The Scriptures says that the shepherds returned praising God and telling others of the the Good News. The wise men, after offering their gifts and worshipping the Child, return to their native land another route. An encounter with Jesus impacts our lives in one or two ways. Either our life is changed for the better and we seek to grow in our relationship with Jesus or we return to our old way of living with no significant change. Has our celebration of Christmas had any impact in our lives? Are we trying to become the person Jesus has redeemed and set free? Or are we the same person after Christmas as before. Many people encountered Jesus, but few became his disciples. Will we follow the Lord's lead in our journey or will we plod along on our own?