The stress running around, shopping, hiding and wrapping gifts can be such a distraction from resting in the Lord and delighting in Him this time of year! Sometimes this produces a love/hate relationship with Christmas. Do you struggle with that too? Perhaps getting back to the gift of God’s word will help us all set our minds on Him and what He wants to give us not just now but all year round. Here are the next three gifts.
Read MoreThe Gift of God's word is like a transformed Christmas Tree on Christmas morning, except it transforms us! Unlike Christmas morning, which comes to an end when the last gift is opened, Jesus isn’t just for Christmas; He’s for every moment of every day of our lives, and we can unwrap the gift of His word any day, any time, endlessly. Today we starting digging under our tree for the first three gifts of Luke 1:5-25.
Read MoreWhen I was a girl, Christmas was all about the gifts! Who am I kidding?!?! I still love the gifts! What if we pulled gifts of truth from God's word like we do gifts under the Christmas tree, with the same excitement and anticipation? And after unwrapping His truths, what if we savored them and made them our own, finding a hope and joy that lasts all year round? Let's do that now, starting with the "big gifts" of Luke 1!
Read MoreWant peace? Let the peace of God rule your heart like an umpire: "Safe!"
Read MoreOn this twelve-year anniversary of my mom's death, I remember with a smile the many times we'd get tickled over something silly and lose all control in a fit of giggles. It happens now with me and my girls. This particular time, when we should have been doing schoolwork, I lost all control as Apple's Photo Booth turned our faces into alien images. And God taught me about what it looks like to live like aliens in this world. That was four years ago, but it's as fresh in my mind today as it was four years ago when I first wrote this. She's no longer an alien. She's home.
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