- Celebrate and rejoice in Jesus!

This time of year is about JESUS coming! It gives us every reason to rejoice and celebrate. Rejoice in this time and treasure the celebration of the One we love! (Even if people, stores, etc. don’t realize it, in celebrating this time of year, they are decorating, giving gifts, throwing parties, and playing carols for His birth!) Let your heart rejoice as you drive past homes decorated with lights, walk through stores playing “O Holy Night”, and have people wishing you “Merry Christmas.” Let your heart rejoice as you tell our Savior, “It’s all about You, Jesus. I rejoice in You. I love You, Jesus.”

“My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness…” Isaiah 61:10

Such grace...

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."
~ 2 Corinthians 8:9

- It is Jesus’ Birthday - Are we sacrificing to give something of value to Him?

We may be giving lots of gifts to others in honor of Christmas, but are we giving anything of value to the ONE Christmas is all about? Most of all, He wants our hearts. But, when we sacrifice to give something of value to someone, it increases our love for them. On His birthday, He and the Father gave the greatest gift (Jesus) for God’s glory and our salvation. Our LIFE should be fully given to Jesus (so let this season be a revival of this), but also is there maybe something that you can give up in order to give Him something special? Maybe returning that new sweater you bought and giving that money to a missionary who is sharing Jesus? Or maybe it's passing on a Christmas party and spending that time with Him? Let's give something precious to the One Who is our greatest Treasure and Who this season is all about!

- Share the greatest Gift – Jesus!

Share and talk about Him with everyone - the store clerks (give them a Gospel tract – “Here is a little Christmas gift for you about the greatest Christmas gift ever!”), with your friends (“What does Jesus’ coming mean to you?”), with your family, ("Isn't Jesus' love amazing?") etc. You will find that their hearts are hungry for Him and that your love for Him just deepens as you share Him!

- Focus on His presence instead of presents.

“And the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Are we focused on the reality that Jesus came so that we may live in His presence and are we soaking in His presence this time of year – or are we so consumed in buying, wrapping, and giving presents? (I want to clarify that buying presents/gifts for those we love is not wrong and can be a beautiful picture of giving as He did, the key is what consumes our focus!)

Allow HIS presence to be your greatest focus and joy – “In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

- Listen to the words of Christmas carols.

Oh listen to them! They are FULL of amazing truths about Jesus!!! I just love to tune into the words as Christmas carols are playing around the house, as we are singing them in church, or as they are even playing in the stores!

Here are a few of my favorites:
“Silent night, holy night; Son of God, Love’s pure light!”
“The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger; in all our trials, born to be our friend. He knows our need; our weakness is no stranger. Behold your King, before Him lowly bend!”
“He rules the world with Truth and grace; And makes the nations prove; The glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love.”
“How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n; So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n. No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.”

Listen to them, sing them, and rejoice in their TRUTH!

~ Keep your focus on Jesus by taking time to remember all that this season means.

Take time to sit before Him and stand in awe of what His birth means:

Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, came to earth so that He could live as a man (though still fully God and perfect), show us the Father and the way to the Father, die and pay the penalty for our sins, rise from the dead - victorious over sin, death, and hell, and call us to be saved from our sins, right with the Father, and come to Heaven when we die - if we will surrender our lives to Him and trust fully in Him to save us.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

Let's seek to take even a moment each day this week to sit at His feet in special awe of His coming and all it means to us as His children.

Isn’t it amazing? I am without words to describe it. All I can say is, “Thank You, Lord!” Will you join me?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Friends!

Isn’t it wonderful?! We are in the midst of this amazing time of year when we remember the birth of Jesus – the One we love! I pray you have the sweetest Christmas with Jesus yet!

As we celebrate Christmas, the Lord has been putting a variety of things on my heart that I want to share each day leading up to Christmas.

Here is the first one:

~ Christmas (as well as life) is all about Jesus.
It is all about HIM! When we can keep our heart and focus here, the rest of Christmas (and life!) falls in to place and is so much more meaningful. This is a time to rejoice in the birth of the ONE we love and Who is our LIFE, our JOY, or SONG, our SALVATION… The One Who came, so that we might come to Him! Let's seek to keep our eyes on Him every day.

“For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:36

May you be blessed remembering Christmas (and life) is all about Jesus!