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. — Luke 2:7 ESV As much as we may want to, sometimes we can’t afford to pull out all the stops at Christmas. Maybe this year…
What Is Advent?
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. — John 1:9 There are certain signals that reveal Christmas is on its way. Coffee shops add peppermint mochas to their seasonal menus. We start making lists of gifts to buy, and retailers set up elaborate displays to entice us to buy…
Real Christmas Trees
These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. — Matthew 15:8 Nothing says the holidays quite like a Christmas tree. It’s the centerpiece of our Christmas decorations, swathed in beautiful lights and cherished ornaments Take a moment and picture the Christmas tree of your childhood. Was it prickly and…
You Are Already Saved
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. — John 3:16 NKJV Tuck God’s truths away in your heart. Holding on to those promises and thinking about them every day is a form of self-care that should not…
Don’t Forget Thanksgiving
Don’t Forget Thanksgiving Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him. — Psalm 95:2 Have you ever noticed how after Halloween, many stores immediately bring out their prelit trees, ornaments, Christmas wreaths, and candy canes? The weeks between Halloween and Christmas are often a blur of colored leaves and…
You Are God’s Temple
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? — 1 Corinthians 3:16 NKJV The Spirit of God dwells in you. Maybe you don’t always feel as though you deserve to be treated well, but knowing that something as beautiful, wonderful, and powerful as…
Dropping Hints
For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets. — Amos 3:7 ESV It can start early in the season: our loved ones dropping hints about — or even flat-out telling us — what they want for Christmas. And then when we find the perfect gift for someone, it…
Broken and Beautiful: Psalm 103
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. — Psalm 103:11-12 You may feel that something inside you is broken because of your sin, and…
Running on Fumes
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. — Philippians 3:12 ESV I was driving my fourteen-year-old son, Joey, to a birthday party when I heard five quick beeps coming from my steering column. I…
Check Your Messages
This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him! — Matthew 17:5 NIV My oldest grandchild texted to let me know she and her roommate had made a gluten-free lemon poppy seed cake for me and wanted to bring it over. I didn’t get the message because I…