Skip to main content

To Ponder Christmas




Sometimes, I go overboard...heap way too many things on my plate and get anxious and overwhelmed and then strangely enough, often times when facing a deadline, get things done!  As much as I crave order and peace in my life, I seem to work best under pressure and with looming deadlines!

In the middle of November, I began searching for Christmas devotionals and study materials.  Not being content with one or two...I am in the midst of 3 separate studies, plus a daily devotional from Journey. 

But the crazy thing is...they are all beautifully working together!  Truths are shared to inspire, one is a journal which usually I don't like to be confined to do daily, but am loving it and the lessons learned bounce and build on each other.  It is incredible!

One (!) of today's devotions, was based upon the verse of "Mary treasuring these things in her heart".  It encouraged the readers to ponder the wonder of Christmas, to slow down and think upon the miracle and glory of Jesus coming to earth.  

One of my favorite things to 'ponder' this season has been the name "Immanuel".  It means God with us.  Here are a few thoughts (from another devotion!) on that.  

"The various names and titles that God has are not empty names, but names that are filled with meaning. “Immanuel” is one of the names the depth of which we can never reach. God took on flesh and made His home among people He had created. His coming had a very beautiful and sobering purpose. He came to die. His death would ensure a bond between Christ the Savior and the sinners He came to save.
We call it the great exchange. Sin was exchanged for righteousness, death for life, hate for love, enmity for friendship, and emptiness for the presence of God.
Immanuel – God with US!
Immanuel means God is with YOU! He will never leave you or forsake you, and He has made His home in you. And He is in you because He loves you!
So where can we go to escape His presence? Nowhere because we cannot separate Him from our hearts, and nothing can separate us from His love (Rom 8:38, 39). What can we do to make Him leave us? Nothing, because His love is stronger than any of our sin.
The great redeemer lives, and He lives in you!

As Christmas gets closer and closer, may we find time to slow down, enjoy the beauty and blessing and ponder the wonder of the true Reason!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Sometimes We Score, Sometimes We Block

Our family is in the midst of little league soccer season. My youngest son is playing and his enthusiasm is contagious. He is pretty good at the sport, but what makes it so great is that he loves it! He counts the days until the next game or practice. He loves his coach and teammates. He has moved up an age level this year and the players are working more like team, passing to each other and watching out for each other during play. During the last game, my son scored two goals, they were the only goals of the game. In today's game the team scored eight goals. My son came up afterwards to me and said, "I didn't score today, but I blocked". What a powerful truth those words can hold. In life, sometimes we score, sometimes we block. Sometimes we do great things, we excel, we achieve, we meet our goal - we score! There are also times we see the needs of others, sometimes they are sad or hurting, we block their hits. We look out for them so they can score. We

Relationships and Redemption

In every friendship or relationship, there is a common hope that they will grow and flourish. There is something inside of us that longs for a 'happy every after' story. We dream about it and work to make that happen. But in reality, relationships are a challenge. The bridging of values, lifestyles, interests and sacrificing for another are simply hard things to do! No matter how much we dream of the perfect fit, some relationships will not endure the stress.  When differences appear and tensions arise, prayer can change situations, attitudes and ourselves. For the Christian, we know God can transform, change, heal. We cannot change others, but prayer opens us the door for God to step in and answer. God desires transformation, but does not demand it. The gift of free will allows us to choose to say Yes or No to Him.  Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Take notice of the first two words: “If possible …” This implies that some

A Blank Page - A Great Way to Fill It

A blank page - that is the first view of a new blog post. It has been a while since I have faced the blank page of my little blog! A blank page can bring a variety of emotions - emptiness, anxiety, pressure to perform or emotions such as inspiration, encouragement or simply bursting to share something. But there is always something fresh and exciting about the blank page of a New Year. Happy 2023! This is always a time in my life where inspiration and plans are formed and ready to be implemented for greater change. Aspirations may start strong, but alone do not make a difference. It takes consistency to create change. The changing or adding small habits is a key to great changes. A habit that has been beneficial in my life for many years is rising early. It began when the children were small and was the only pocket of time I had to myself. Through the years, mornings have become my favorite time of the day. Now that my husband and I are empty nesters, we go to bed early and rise early.