“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Peace. 

My mind is so rarely at peace. It spins with to-do lists, preparing and worrying too. But Christ came to bring us peace. 

Peace with God:

He came and lived a perfect life- that He knew we never could. He died and shed his blood as an offering for our transgressions. He rose again, defeating the power of death. He offers  us faith to repent and accept his gift, to become children of God and live in peace with Him. 

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

He sent us the Holy Spirit and through Him an amazing friendship. He continues to work in our hearts to refine us.  He offers us inexplicable peace. Peace the world doesn’t understand. Peace that doesn’t panic or bend to worry. Peace that trusts the sovereignty of our Father God. When we start our day setting our minds on His goodness- it is a peace that fills us and carries us through whatever else the day has in store. 

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.””

‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!”

‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The Angels told us, give glory to God! It’s the key. When we glorify Him, praise Him, thank Him, trust Him – He will give us peace. 

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Christmas and traditions go together like hot cocoa and marshmallows. Whether it’s opening pajamas on Christmas Eve or baking cookies for Santa, each new family gets to choose which traditions they will carry on to the next generation.

As an adult, church has always been a major part of my life, so going to the Christmas Eve service every year is a no-brainer; it’s such a special way to celebrate our Savior’s birth. But it wasn’t until I had my daughter that I realized I was creating a family tradition that I had never had. While I had many traditions that were wonderful and magical, Christmas Eve services were just not one of them.

Last year’s Christmas, my daughter, Charlotte, was 8-months-old, and it was her first Christmas Eve/Candlelight service to attend. As a member of the worship team, I was to sing “Silent Night” at the end of the night. I left my husband and daughter on the balcony to walk down to the stage, and, as I grabbed my mic, the lights dimmed and candles were being lit all around me. The congregation was beautiful. As I got ready to sing, I heard my daughter babbling loudly from the balcony. At that very moment, I was overwhelmed with gratitude, thankful that God had allowed me to give my daughter an experience that I had never had. The experience of a true celebration of Jesus’s birth in His church.

Because of Jesus, coming as a baby and then dying on a cross for my sins, I am able to experience His neverending joy, peace, and love, and I, because of Him, am able to share that joy, peace, and love with my own daughter. I am able to show her what it is to worship with others who also love Him. I have been given the blessing and the utmost responsibility of showing her who God is, and Christmas Eve service will always be a part of that.

I pray she, too, will choose to carry on this Christmas Eve tradition with her own family one day. While Santa, Christmas lights, trees, and presents are all so incredibly magical and have their own special place, the sweetest, most meaningful tradition of all is celebrating the true meaning of Christmas–and that is our Savior, Jesus Christ.

On my way home from soccer practice the other night, I asked my son to pray that we make it to the nearest gas station before we ran out of gas. I would like to say that it’s the first time I’ve placed one of my children in this particular emergency prayer situation, but alas, it is not. Bless my babies and their mom who likes to live on the edge regarding the “Empty” end of her gas gauge! Thanks to my son’s mad prayer power, we rolled into the nearest station on fumes and pulled up to the pump.

As I place the dispenser in my tank to fill up, I hear a string of obscene and hostile words coming from the back side of my pump. This guy was going off on that machine like it had legitimately grown arms and threatened him to throwdown right there in the parking lot. I actually got a little nervous for a second thinking this man might actually resort to physical violence against the gas pump and possibly other inanimate objects in the near vacinity. I immediately thought, “Wow! This guy has lost his mind,” and began judging him for the language he used in public and for losing his temper over something so silly (in my opinion). I even looked around to see if anyone else was getting a load of this guy. Maybe they were laughing and judging on the inside like I was. And then God stabs my heart with a reminder I need to hear in that very moment. He says, “That’s my child.”

Ouch. God reminded me that I was judging and laughing on the inside at HIS child. A child that God loves as much as He loves me. That was a painful and necessary reminder. I desperately wish that it is the first time God had to remind me of this, but alas, it is not. And as painful and embarrassing as it is every time He reminds of this, I am thankful for His Holy Spirit moving in my heart and causing my eyes to see people in my life as God’s children…His beautiful creation who He loves with all His heart. That woman at work that is always super grumpy and short with her co-workers? God made her and loves her. That guy who cuts you off in traffic and makes you slam on your breaks? Jesus died for him. That friend that hasn’t called you in a while and doesn’t put as much into your friendship as you do? God gave His one and only Son born in a manger for her salvation.

I hope this is the last time God must remind me of this truth, but, honestly, I doubt it. And, I’m thankful that God loves me as much as He loves everyone else and that while I was yet a sinner, He demonstrated His love on the cross for me too.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Knowing that I was tackling the grocery store on a Sunday afternoon, called for a peptalk and a large coffee.

I think I’ve said this before, but picking what’s for dinner for the week and then shopping for it is just the worst to me. I’d rather clean a restroom.

In the midst of my pity party God spoke to me. Well, He whispered.

He reminded me of how easy we have it here – in America. He reminded me of how hard moms have to work in remote countries to not only get food for their families but to also cook it.

And He reminded me that I have a family. Some people do not.

Sigh.

It’s really easy to take things for granted. It’s really easy to want to get lazy with life. But every day is a gift, and so is every task.

I’m gonna whine about grocery shopping again. Maybe next week. I just hope that God whispers His sweet reminder to me when I do – maybe give me a swift kick in the rump.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 9:10

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

James 1:17 NKJV

Christmas, for most people, is synonymous with gifts. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The greatest gift ever, Jesus Christ, came down to us over 2000 years ago and that is the reason we celebrate. It’s the heart of God to give so we are honoring Him by giving gifts.

I just adore this time of year — it’s a beautiful holiday! Perhaps it’s because growing up my dad made this time of year so memorable. He not only would wrap gifts perfectly – the tightest corners and sharpest lines that I have ever seen – but he also was pretty good at disguising them too.

I can see God in that.

His “gifts” may not always look like what we expect but that’s because His ways are higher and His thoughts are not ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). Our understanding of His goodness does not change the fact that He is good and perfect in all of His ways to us. His generous giving especially.

Life can throw us some curveballs and we can find ourselves in a place of heartache, chaos, or struggle and the holiday season can, at times, only make it that much harder to handle these situations when or if they come. BUT…

We can have the gift of joy in the midst of heartache. We can have the gift of peace in the midst of chaos. We can have the gift of strength in the midst of struggle.

And while the heartache, the chaos, the struggle may simply be a consequence of the world we live in, it also passes through His hands to us and therefore is a gift as well. It may not have been a gift “wrapped” the way we would have chosen, or we may have thought it was something else entirely, but when we trust His heart that never changes toward us, we find He’s the BEST gift-giver (and gift-wrapper). Why? Because it draws us closer to His presence. (Interesting how similar that word is to “presents”, am I right? Each gift gives us greater glimpses of Jesus, of His glory manifesting in our lives.

He is drawing us to His [true] good and perfect gift: Himself.

So, may I encourage you in this holiday season, however it may look for you, to celebrate the gifts you’ve been given and all the ways they have brought you closer to the “good and perfect” Gift. Let His steadfast heart spark joy, peace, strength, faith — whatever you need — within you this Christmas as you enjoy His presence.

He is good and perfect and so are His gifts.

I love to imagine the backstory of the lives of people in the Bible. What was their life like before God stepped in with an assignment. I imagine Mary was in the middle of planning her wedding, all the little intricate details that goes along with it. Maybe she was thinking about her future with Joseph and what that would look like.

Then God interrupts and sends Gabriel with a very unexpected announcement…

“Mary, you have found favor in sight of God, you are chosen to be the Mother of Jesus, the Son of God.” She doesn’t completely understand it all, but because of her trust and faith in God she accepted her role. She goes to tell her good news to her cousin Elizabeth, and they celebrate. Mary then rejoices and magnifies the Lord because she knows she is blessed.

When God interrupts life in the middle of well laid plans, He always has a purpose. We may not fully understand the direction He is taking us – and Gabriel may not show up with a big announcement. But if our trust and faith is in The Lord, we can accept the role He has set before us and know that He is God, His way and thoughts are higher than ours. He knows exactly what we need, when we need it, and the blessing that will be from it.

In Luke 2:19 “Mary pondered all the things in her heart”.

I can only imagine the wonder in her eyes as she looked at her baby! Mary did you know that the child you just delivered would one day deliver you? Did you know when you kissed His cheeks, you kissed the face of God?

Can.You.Even.Imagine?

Merry Christmas to all! Remember Jesus is the reason for the season! He is worth celebrating!

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”—-Matthew 2:1-2

But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.—-Luke 2:10-11, 20

We’re at the beginning of the Christmas season. It can become a pretty busy time of year, and we can easily become overwhelmed if we are not careful. While work continues, extra stuff is thrown into our schedules. We are expected to decorate, to provide food, buy gifts, wrap and deliver gifts, and just do more stuff, all while maintaining our regular schedules. In light of the busyness, it’s easy to lose our focus.

At church Sunday, we kicked off the season with Christmas carols. All of them were announcing the birth of our Savior, and I was prompted to consider my response. This busy time of year should not cause us to respond in weariness. We have been given the most precious gift of all, Jesus. Everything we do in celebrating Christmas should be done with joy. Let us be like the wise men and worship the King. Let us be like the shepherds and glorify and praise God for sending His Son into the world so we might experience salvation. I love the words by Chris Tomlin.

Noel, Noel

Come and see what God has done

Noel, Noel

The story of amazing love!

The light of the world, given for us

Noel

Everything we do this Christmas season should be in celebration of the amazing love that has been given to us. Don’t let the busyness make you weary. Let the busyness become opportunities to worship and celebrate the most precious Gift ever given.

The Comeback

Have you ever been in a funk with God? No worries friend, we all have. Let’s talk about it.

Let’s talk about that hard fall from grace followed by the comeback. It always seems to be such an overwhelming and unexpected come back. Doesn’t it? When you feel so incredibly isolated and alone and just completely overwhelmed it’s like you hear, “Hey sweet girl… I’m still here… I still love you… I still can help you here, let’s fix our relationship.” (Long pause for deep breaths and a moment of thankfulness for these moments).

See I one hundred percent DO NOT deserve Him continuing to walk with me in these funks. I deserve to walk those times alone because at the end of the day I alone am the reason I am there. So, why should He have to keep finding me in these places and without hesitation giving me the opportunity to set things straight with Him and in my life? Alas, He does it anyways.

Isaiah 54:10 says, “For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”

You guys already know I am a lover of words so let’s look at these; steadfast=faithful. Right off the bat God says I am faithful to you child. Covenant= blessings. God says this is me blessing YOU. I read that to say, “I am blessing you with a comeback game.” I don’t know about you guys, but that seriously just overwhelms me with thankfulness immediately. I am that sheep. You know the one I’m talking about, right? The sheep that is always the ONE in the ninety-nine that has ADHD and just can not seem to stop wondering off and looking up 4 miles away surrounded by wolves; realizing “Uhhhhh how long have I been walking??? Where even am I?? Ohhh man… this is it… the end… there is no way I can find myself back out of this mess.”

See, it does not matter how we got in this funk or what caused us to drift from the herd. What matters is that He blesses us with a comeback – every single time.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.” Lamentations 3:22.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

This seems to be a subject the word keeps on repeat. Flowing all through the bible are reminders that YOU ARE WORTHY of a comeback game with the Father.

So, when you feel that attempt at resolution from God, know that it is as simple as saying yes. It doesn’t take much to flip that switch back on and open that door of prayer and relying on Him instead of ourselves. It literally only takes a yes. Yes, Lord I trust you and need you. I can’t do it without you. He doesn’t need a dozen red roses with an apology card. See, God is asking you to just see Him there and say yes. That’s it. What an incredible blessing of grace He has given us.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

~1st Thessalonians 5:18~

I haven’t really ever thought of worship as anything more than the act of singing to God, until recently. But, it is so much more than that and I’m so incredibly thankful that God has not just allowed us to worship him so freely but has called us to do so!

However, to give God true worship our hearts must be in the right place. We have to lay all our sins, our worry, our past, our pride, our weary broken selves down at the feet of Jesus. We must do this before worship! It’s a time for us to take a deep breath and say “This is not mine Lord, but yours.” Hand it over to him, praising and glorifying his amazing name.

Yes, worship is with your peers at church but I challenge you to intentionally find a moment each day to give God the true worship he longs for from you. Maybe while,

– washing those endless loads of dishes and laundry

– disciplining your children

– at work

– watering your garden

– cooking and cleaning up that Thanksgiving meal!

Be creative and make sure you lay it all on the foot of the cross!

“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30