The rush of Christmas is upon us. I just wrapped twelve presents (with the help of my two daughters) and it took us at least an hour. (Because you know when your wrapping area gets so messy, no one can find where they just set the tape? or the scissors, etc?) That is us. We have our first big get together tomorrow where we will take these twelve presents, play with cousins, eat an obscene amount of barbecue and hash (because we are in the south and it’s our little family tradition), and then we will head back home for our next big Christmas get together occurring Christmas Eve.
I host that get together so there will be food to be bought, a house to clean,( and then clean again afterwards), and a cake to bake. After we bake and ice the cake, we will set the sole survivor of a ceramic nativity set my kids used to play with when they were little on the center of the cake and place candles around it. Then we will sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus, blow out the candles, and head to church like we do every year.
The next part of the season is my favorite: the exhale on Christmas Eve when the house is once again put back together, the kids are peacefully sleeping, and the anticipation of the coming morning rests on us like a happy cloud. Our hearts are centered on what we are celebrating, and we know that if it were just Him – He would have been enough.
But Jesus didn’t stop at just giving us Himself.
He gave us each other.
He gave us heaven with no more slaying of animals.
He gave us teaching our daughters they can talk to God anytime they want, like He’s their best friend, because Jesus came.
He gave us so much, it’s hard to take it all in.
As we take it all in over the next few days, let’s let out praise.
Mary did this when she found out she was the one chosen to carry the Messiah in her womb.
Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat
“And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.””
Luke 1:46-55 ESV
May our souls Magnify Him this Christmas.
May our spirits truly rejoice in Him and Him alone.
In remembering all He has done, and in anticipation of all He has promised to do.
When God fulfilled what the angel had told Mary, and she held Jesus in her arms, she treasured the miracle that was happening right before her eyes.
“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Luke 2:19
Treasure the miracle of Jesus with us, friends. Ponder it in your hearts. How compassionate a Savior to walk in our shoes, to live in a body like ours, to weep with us, and then to suffer the death and shed the blood that was required for us to live with Him forever.
In every get together, in every present unwrapped, in every piece of wrapping paper picked up from a messy living room floor, in every dish you prepare and wash, ponder in your heart what a LOVE this must be for us to be celebrating over two thousand years later.
My Refocused Bible Study Friends: New Year’s is coming in just a few days! It’s the perfect time to
REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS DONE
AND REFOCUS ON THE PERFECTER OF OUR FAITH!
Redeem New Year’s resolutions by fixing your eyes on Jesus with us for the road ahead.
WE WILL BE HAVING A REFOCUS PARTY HERE LOCALLY
ON JANUARY 4TH AT 7PM!
Exciting annoucement for the theme verse of the night:
“I have glorified my name, and I will do it again.” John 12:28
Many of us have seen God do amazing things in the past that brought glory to Him through our lives. We just want to see Him do it again in the year to come! Our desire is to bring God glory for everything He’s done in the past year, and ask Him to bless and help us be faithful in all we do in the year ahead, refocusing on what matters most: our relationship with Him, our marriages, our mothering, and our homes.
Comment below and I’ll send you a message with the address!
If you want to buy the Refocused Study, it’s on sale at Amazon for $7 here:
Amy D Terry 
Christmas eve the time we have simple food. Family gather around and we read the birth of Christ. Children sit on parents laps and everyone is quiet and remembering why we are here together.
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I love that, Candy! What a special time to help all remember Jesus is the best gift ever!
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It really is about the straightforward, simple, and powerful reminders of God’s Word that bring our focus back. Love this!
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Mary faced a hard journey, yet fully trusted and believed in God’s plan for her life! I pray I have this type of faith. I pray I always remember the treasure I was given! My New Year post will be about being centered on our Heavenly Father! Your words have truly inspired me and have made me evaluate how often I remember God’s beautiful gift to the world! ❤
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