Merry Christmas

 

Luke 2:1-20

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Dwell

Brad has encouraged us to study and memorize Philippians 2:1-11 this Holiday Season.   Let’s  hide the Word in our hearts and reflect on Christ’s incarnation this Christmas!

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,

2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Celebrate The Glory Of God

Luke 2:13-14 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’

In just 20 short days we’ll be gathering in our homes with our children and families celebrating Christmas. We’ll exchange gifts, eat lots of wonderful food, and then likely, we’ll all take a deep breath from the hustle and bustle of December. Let’s not let this time come and go without a true celebration of God’s glory, despite the busyness. In Luke 2, v 13 and 14 we read of a multitude of angels praising God and giving him glory. This verse follows an angel appearing and announcing to the people ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’

 

As a child, my Christmas memories don’t have a whole lot to do with Christ. I wasn’t raised in a particularly God-centered environment. There was never a nativity scene in our home, or a reading of the real Christmas story. I was, however, blessed with a family that loved me and I always loved Christmas. Admittedly, it was mostly because I was looking forward to some really big-ticket item under the tree. Today, I want the traditions of my family, and my focus at Christmas to be Christ. I want to give my family gifts at Christmas, but I always want to remember that the real ‘big-ticket item’ was born in Bethlehem, in a manger, so that we might live and experience true joy and peace in our lives!

Christmas is the time of year when we celebrate good news of great joy! Our Savior is alive – He is Christ the Lord! Don’t let the words of your favorite Christmas song, or an opportunity to gaze upon a nativity scene pass you by this season without celebrating His Glory!! Take a moment and close your eyes (go with me on this one). Try to imagine in your mind His Glory, His magnificence. Imagine what it must have been like when he was born. Try to imagine the moment when you see Him face to face. Now remember that He lives in you today!  We carry with us this most amazing, glorious gift of Christ. As a child of God, we have far more to celebrate than trees and gifts, food and drink, and even friends and family. Lift your voice and your heart in praise to our most magnificent Savior who was born in a manger so that we might live and experience joy and peace in our lives.

 

Challenge: Put in your favorite Christian Christmas music and sing it out loud, loudly!

Krystee Edwards

Simply Christmas

Luke 2:7 – 7 “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

Christmas…the word conjures up a host of memories and impressions. The very fact that the stores have had decorations since before Halloween doesn’t let you forget that December 25th is only a few short days away! As I’ve been reading over the comments and posts, I have to admit to a mixed bag of thoughts as I’ve been preparing for the holiday myself.

We spent 7 Christmases in China . That alone has probably skewed my impression of the holiday! The first year, when we had a 3- and a 1-year-old, we decided that we had a unique opportunity to build our own holiday traditions rather than have them dictated by family or American culture. We searched out an evergreen tree to place in our living room, we made lots of decorations, and we tried to create an environment that would lead Chinese to want to know more about this special holiday and lead them to ask questions. So from the beginning we played down the “Santa Claus” ideas, and we concentrated on the “Jesus story”. I have to tell you, those 7 years of Christmas hold great memories for our whole family. And the reason was based upon simplicity.

We missed our “blood” families, but God gave us members of his family…we couldn’t go out and buy much for presents, but we could think more clearly on God’s present to us, and we could make presents for each other that meant more than any store-bought gift ever could…we couldn’t find traditional food for Christmas Day, but we found that any food served in love with brothers and sisters (even fajitas from scratch!) could make the Christmas meal special…we couldn’t go to any special Christmas pageants, but we could dress the kids up in robes and put on our own Christmas pageant…we couldn’t go to eat at Grandma’s, but we realized that anything we “gave up” for Him was multiplied back to us, and we could see a little more how much it cost Jesus to leave His home for us.

Since returning to the States, I struggle with how to “do” Christmas simply. There are so many temptations to be busy. I try to discern just what is important in the big picture versus what is socially acceptable in my “culture.” Do I HAVE to attend every party to which we’re invited? Do we NEED to have a gift list that includes every person we know? Can I MAKE things as presents? How can I spend the days leading up to Christmas preparing my heart, and the hearts of my children to truly celebrate Jesus’ birthday? How many decorations are important or needed, and how many are just STUFF? Do my kids understand the blessedness of giving over receiving, am I challenging them to spend more time thinking of how they can give to others instead of concentrating on what they want to GET? How can I prepare my meals ahead of time so that gatherings are truly a relaxed and enjoyable event in my life rather than a stress that leaves me too tired to spend time with the guests I’ve invited? How can I teach my kids how to give to those less fortunate than themselves?

I find that the Deceiver likes to come in and kill and destroy my joy especially at this time of year. It takes being INTENTIONAL to keep it simple and to keep Jesus at the center of our celebrations! So, ladies, I challenge you, as you make your lists, fill in your calendars, and plan your gifts, think simply! Then you’ll have the time and energy to have an encounter with the Baby who came to bless us, and I believe that you’ll discover that this may just be your best Christmas ever.

The Challenge: Take some time to reflect on the areas in our lives that can be simplified, and pray that God will show us how to practically get our priorities in order.

Elayne Saucier

Wrappin’ It Up Week

We are winding down our Countdown and preparing to enjoy the few weeks left before Christms.  In this last week we have some specific goals.  One of the most important is looking at what is left on our list of things to do and simplifying them.  Complete the things that are really important and trim away the things that are not.  This week’s challenges will help up with this goal.  And then let’s take some time to lift up our hearts and praise our Awesome God.  He is worthy of ALL PRAISE!

 Merry Christmas!

Countdown Week 6 Challenges

□     Write and address the rest of your Christmas Cards this week.  Make a goal of mailing your cards by December 10th. 

□     Complete your gifts that need to be made this week.  If they are not completed  by next week, consider putting them off until next year.  Don’t leave yourself a lot to do in the final two weeks before Christmas. 

□     Complete your shopping this week.  If you are ordering anything else online – do it NOW!  You do not want to be stuck with outrageous shipping costs because you waited until the last minute.  As you shop, don’t forget to wrap.  Your tree will look lovely and you will be much more relaxed on Christmas Eve.  Mail off any out of town gifts by December 10th (with your cards ).

□     If you are planning a holiday party, this party planning form may be helpful.  You can also keep up with the guest list and your party budget.  Enjoy this article on Four Steps to Easy Entertaining.

□     Complete your interior and exterior decorating and if it is stressing you out – stop and simplify!  Your family will appreciate a lovely tree and a Christmas Cookie Jar (preferably full ) on the kitchen counter just as much as a house full of lights and garland.  If you thrive on Christmas decorating, go for it! But get it done soon so you can enjoy it.

□     Record your special traditions on a holiday tradition tracker form. Use traditions from the past and new ideas you try this year. Keep those memories alive!  And don’t forget to get the whole family involved this year in Christmas preparations, plannings and traditions.  Check out this article for inspiration and this is a great article on Simplifying Your Traditions.  It doesn’t have to be complicated to be special.

□    Turn the television off!  Spend some time this week planning ways to provide a calm and quiet home during this season, at least as calm and quiet as usual.  Turn on the Holiday music and plan a game night with the kids.   You don’t have to wait until Christmas Eve to read the Christmas Story with your family.  You have worked hard to get things in order early this year.  Take advantage of it and continue to place your focus on Christ.

Ideas to Share:  How far along on you in your holiday preparation?  What ways will you intentionally focus on Christ this year?

For a printable version of the challenges, click here.