Tag Archives: Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

On this beautiful winter day, it’s refreshing to rest in the love of Christ and ponder the true meaning of Christmas. Christ came to redeem us and give new life. God’s gift of the Savior is truly what gives meaning to our lives. His love, joy, peace, hope, faith, and the never-ending list of heavenly treasures are the true riches of life.

Christ is truly the best gift that we will ever receive.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gift of Christ. Thank You for the gift of eternal life that You have given us through Jesus Christ. Thank You for sending Your Son as the perfect sacrifice to redeem us. Thank You for all that He gives us and how He enables us to live with an abundance of hope, joy, peace, and love. I give praise to our amazing Savior, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Let us continually rejoice over the gifts You have given us through a loving relationship with You. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

May your Christmas and coming year be filled with all of the glorious riches of Christ.

 

REJOICING IN THE GIFT OF CHRIST

On this Christmas Eve, I am filled with gratitude for God’s gift to mankind. Tears of joy are filling my eyes as I’m pondering the magnitude of God’s gift to us. God brought forth the Savior of the world to redeem us and give us everlasting life.

Can you imagine life without Jesus? I cannot fathom life without our beloved Christ. There would be no hope. There would be no light. There would only be darkness for eternity.

Nothing compares to Christ. There is no amount of money, no other relationship, and no possession that is as valuable as the gift of Jesus. Nothing else can satisfy our longings. Only Jesus Christ is able to meet our deepest needs, and it’s in Him alone we are able to live with true peace and joy.

This Christmas and always, I’ll be rejoicing in the gift of Christ.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I am in awe of the gift You’ve given us through Christ. Thank You for sending Your son to save mankind. Thank You for rescuing us out of the darkness so that we can live as children of light. Let us be keenly aware of Your great love and celebrate our amazing Savior. I pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.” Ephesians 5:8

Merry Christmas!

Amy

THREE PRAYERS FOR CHRISTMAS

The Christmas season is a beautiful time to ponder all that we have in Christ. We are all blessed beyond measure to have been given the gift of Christ. He is our peace. He is our joy. He is everything.

On this beautiful Christmas Eve, I can imagine Christ speaking words of life such as these:

Slow down. Savor this moment of life. Put aside your concerns and simply rest in My love. I was born to redeem your life and give you perfect peace in your soul. I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly. Enjoy the gift of my love today and for eternity.

A Prayer of Gratitude

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gift of Christ. Thank You for the gift of eternal life that You have given us through Jesus Christ. Thank You for sending Your Son as the perfect sacrifice to redeem us. Thank You for all that He gives us and how He enables us to live with an abundance of hope, joy, peace, and love. I give praise to our amazing Savior, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Let us continually rejoice over the gifts You have given us through a loving relationship with You. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15

A Prayer for Peace

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your peace that surpasses all understanding. I ask You to guard our hearts and minds with Christ’s perfect peace. Let us take hold of all that You came to the earth to give us and help us live in harmony with each other. Let us look to You when we are grieving and let us trust You wholeheartedly to carry us through every trial. Help us turn away from fear, let us rest in knowing You do impossible things, and enable us to walk in strong faith until the day of Christ’s return. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:9

A Prayer for Protection

Our Beloved Jesus,

Oh, how we love and adore You, our Redeemer. Thank You for being our shield and protector. I ask You to surround our families with an army of angels. Protect us by the power of Your blood and keep us in the shadow of Your wings. Let us be keenly aware of Your love and presence this Christmas. Help us to rest in You and know that You watch over us as we trust You. Increase our faith and help us to release our burdens to You moment by moment. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

“He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.” Psalm 91:4

As we celebrate Christ’s birth, the perfect gift we can give to our Lord is to continually love Him far above everything or anyone else. He deserves our highest honor and praise.

May your Christmas be filled with all of the glorious riches of Christ.

Hallelujah.

CHRISTMAS REFLECTIONS AND A PRAYER

As we celebrate Christmas, let us reflect on all Christ has given us. Apart from Christ, we would be destined for a hopeless existence. His gifts to us are limitless…His love, peace, joy, faith, and the never-ending list of heavenly treasures are the greatest blessings of life.

I can imagine the perfect Christmas gift for us to give Christ would be to continually allow His Spirit to produce abundant fruit in each one of our hearts. In the coming year, let’s pray without ceasing and give Christ every part of our lives.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You for the gift of Christ. Thank You for sending Your son to save the world from darkness and to give us eternal life. Thank You for all that You give us and thank You for enabling us to live with an abundance of hope, joy, peace, and love. Let us live a life led by Your Holy Spirit and take hold of every gift You have given us through Jesus Christ. Let us celebrate our amazing Savior and share Christ’s love with the hurting people in the world. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

“But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit. Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.” Galatians 5:22-23″ (The Passion Translation)

May your Christmas be joyous and filled with the glorious riches of Christ.

Love & prayers,

Amy

TREASURING THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

As we celebrate Christ’s birth this Christmas season, let us all remember why He was born. Christ came to give new life.

His love is a gift that breaks into the dark places of the soul and brings forth light. He strengthens us when we’re weak. He fills us with love when we’re loveless. He soothes our sorrows when we’re mourning. He heals the heart when it’s broken. He gives us joy in all circumstances and gives us the desires of our hearts as we find our delight in Him. He fills us with an inexpressible peacefulness that transcends all understanding. He restores the broken things and makes beauty out of our mistakes.

He is the redeemer of every painful trial we’ll ever face.

God brought forth Christ the Messiah for all people, so that we could live eternally in hope and peace no matter how dark it becomes in the world. His light overcomes all darkness and His love is never-ending. Without a doubt, the love of Christ is the best and most indescribable gift we’ll ever receive.

Nothing else can satisfy our longings. Only Jesus Christ is able to meet our deepest needs and it’s in Him alone we find true contentment.

May we keep Christ the focus of our holiday festivities and treasure the true meaning of Christmas.

Beloved Jesus,

Thank You for Your love, kindness, and mercy. Help us to keep our priorities straight in the midst of busy days. Let us be keenly aware of Your love and light this Christmas season. Let us rejoice over the gifts You have given us through a loving relationship with You. We pray in Your name. Amen.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

2 Corinthians 9:15

 

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MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM MY HOME TO YOURS

Christmas Decor - 2015 (8)

As I sit here in the quietness of my home, I’m pondering the real meaning of Christmas. I’m pausing to breathe in the love of Christ and set aside the things I think I need to do.

I believe if we could stand face to face with Christ at this moment, He would be saying: Slow down. Savor this moment of life. Put aside your concerns and simply rest in My love. I was born to bring great joy to the world and to bring perfect rest for your soul. I long for you to take hold of the abundant life I came to give you.

I can imagine the perfect Christmas gift for us to give Christ would be our acceptance of His gifts to us—love, peace, joy, hope, faith, and the never-ending list of heavenly treasures.

May your Christmas be filled with all of the glorious riches Christ has to offer.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I thank You for the gift of Christ. Thank You for sending Your son to save the world from darkness. Thank You for all that He gives us and how He enables us to live with an abundance of hope, joy, peace, and love. Let us take hold fully of the gift You have given us through Jesus Christ. Let us meditate on Your great love and celebrate our amazing Savior. Oh, how we love and adore You, our Redeemer. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.”

— Luke 2:10-11

Merry Christmas from my home to yours!

THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT

LIGHT FROM THE LORD

I was gazing out the window noticing the winter weather as I was writing notes on Christmas cards. The wintry day caught my attention with the bareness of the trees and lack of sunlight. It was noticeably monotone and drab in my back yard where it is usually vibrant with life and color.

I noticed the stark contrast between the drabness outside and the joy and brightness in my soul. As I pondered that distinct difference, words began flooding into my spirit. The thoughts of the wintry day reminded me of what life would be like without Christ.

Apart from Christ, we would be destined for a wintry life.

As we celebrate Christ’s birth this week, let us all remember why He was born. He came to give new life.

His love is a gift that breaks into the dark places of the soul and brings forth light. He strengthens us when we’re weak. He fills us with love when we’re loveless. He soothes our sorrows when we’re mourning. He heals the heart when it’s broken. He restores the broken things and makes beauty out of our mistakes.

He is the redeemer of every painful trial we’ll ever face.

God brought forth Christ the Messiah for all people, so that we could live eternally in hope and peace no matter how dark it becomes in the world. His light overcomes all darkness. The love of Christ is the best Christmas gift we’ll ever receive.

Lord Jesus,

Let us be keenly aware of Your love and light this Christmas. Let us rejoice over the gifts You have given us through a loving relationship with You. Amen.

 “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” —Ephesians 5:8

4 TIPS FOR KEEPING CHRIST THE FOCUS OF CHRISTMAS

Keeping Christ in Christmas

The very essence of Christ is peace, yet we often let the celebration of His birth be filled with stress and chaos. I remember a time many years ago in my twenties when I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off during the holidays and ended up with a pounding headache and so much stress that I barely enjoyed Christmas. That year, I began rethinking my priorities and started making big changes in the way I celebrated Christ’s birth. I put together a list of some ways to truly enjoy the holiday season.

Let Peace Rule the Holidays

To keep from getting swept away in the whirlwind of holiday festivities, we can first set our hearts and our minds on the real purpose of the season. We are celebrating the birth of our Saviorthe Lord of peace who gives us His peace at all times and in every way (2 Thessalonians 3:16). His peace can rule in our hearts and in our holidays as we pray daily and ask Him to fill us with His Spirit. In Luke 11:13, it says, “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Simply asking Christ to be with us is all it takes to live and walk in His peace during the holidays and during all our days throughout the year.

Make a List of Priorities

If we make a list of what is most important for us as individuals and then stick to those things, we won’t fall into the trap of getting overextended. For me personally, my priorities are maintaining a peaceful household, spending time with my family, and carrying on a few Christmas traditions like having an Advent calendar and decorating a gingerbread house.

Don’t Try to Keep Up With the Jones Family

It can be so easy to compare ourselves to others and what they’re doing. Just because someone else has the greatest light display in the whole town, doesn’t mean we need to have one too. I actually love and enjoy those beautiful light displays. But I know that with having a full life as a mom, I don’t have time to place an award-winning light display on my home. For me, decorating for Christmas is low on my priority list. I used to spend hours and hours decorating my home. Now, I simply put up a Christmas tree and a few other simple decorations. Decorating in a simple way can be beautiful, yet saves us a great deal of time and energy. For simple decorating, I love the ChristWreath.

As followers of Christ, our identities are in Him, not in what we own or what we accomplish. If we are tempted to play the comparison game, we can pray for contentment, and God will grant us our desires, so that we can maintain our true priorities.

Keep the Gift-giving Simple

Giving at Christmas time represents who our Father in heaven is. He is the Giver and we want to carry out the nature of our heavenly Father. However, we don’t need to stress over it. Every year, I am tempted to worry. Thoughts will fill my mind as I begin shopping. Will I find the perfect gift for every family member? Through prayer, I resist those temptations of worry.

At the times when we don’t have the finances for gift-giving, we can give homemade gifts, write love letters to our loved ones, give our time and talents…on and on the list goes. There are countless ways we can give without stress. In our family, we have decided to minimize our giving to each other and give instead to people who are truly in need.

The Spirit of Christmas is with us always so we can spread our gift-giving throughout the year. This helps us to focus on the birthdays of our loved ones, rather than making Christmas the only time to give.

Do you have any tips for keeping Christ the focus of Christmas?

I pray that your holidays will be happy. May you have a peaceful and stress-free Christmas season.

The photograph was taken in my neighbor’s yard after a beautiful snowfall several years ago.