Recently I had the rare treat of grabbing dinner with some of my closest girlfriends. We began discussing our upcoming holiday plans. Within minutes the topic of in-laws, family tension, and general dread over getting together with relatives in the upcoming weeks was brought up.
During the holidays, we are easily convinced with marketing strategies that we need to spend a lot of money to make holiday gatherings special, provide lavish gifts, and shop all the holiday deals.
Christmastime is a beautiful and holy time of year, causing us to pause and reflect on God’s rich love for us, soaking in all its wonders, but for the overwhelmed mom, going into this season can cause a surge of panic. As excitement and anticipation grow, so do the anxiety, frantic nerves, and seasonal stress.
Today as we pray through the first candle, hope, may we be reminded of the fulfilled promise of Jesus as the Messiah long awaited by the people of God.
Nothing could ever take away the Truth of Christmas. Jesus is the Truth. He was born on earth as a gift to us. It’s the greatest love story of all time. Let’s pray to fully embrace Him this Christmas.
We are often too easily swept away in all the magical traditions causing us to forget the true gift of the Christmas season. As we prepare our homes and families for Christmas, can we also prepare room in our hearts and minds?
When God allows for disappointment to happen in our life, we must remember that all things that come our way are meant to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in us and conform us to the image of Christ, whether we were expecting them to happen or not. When we are disappointed, we are given an appointment to praise God no matter what.
Whether it is a pesky weeklong cold during the start of the fall weather, a chronic illness, or a serious disease. We or people we know are living life today with sickness. God did not intend for us to be sick in this world. Our bodies were perfectly designed to be healthy and strong. However, when we sinned and darkness entered the world, sicknesses came to be.
Feeling heartbroken is probably one of the worst pains we endure as humans. It’s an outwardly unseen injury, a wound so deep, no one else can remove the pain from us no matter how many sweet, comforting words they speak to us.
We are called to be good stewards of our time, talents, and treasures. But where things can get sideways is when we begin to worship an orderly and predictable life to the point where we come unglued when something threatens our plans. For some of us, uncertainty is a stumbling block to joyfully submitting to God’s divine interruptions.
This time of year is not just about the gifts, the songs, the food, and the decorations. It’s a season of remembrance; it’s a season of giving and serving those around us.
Life is hard, struggles are real, but the Lord is still good. In our lives, in the midst of all our hard places, we can still find so much that we can be thankful for. God calls us to be a thankful people.
Thanksgiving is not just God’s will for one day a year, but for every day of our lives. As we pray for Thanksgiving may it remind us to be thankful always.
I recently called one of my siblings to ask about holiday gathering plans. I wanted to know if he’d be okay with having the thanksgiving meal at our house this year. The conversation was going great until we began to go over the guest list.
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