I hope everyone is having a good week so far. If you are healthy...then you are having a good week whether you know it or not. I had to take Peyt to the doctor this morning and there was a young couple coming in with an infant carrier and it was covered with a blanket and the daddy was wheeling the biggest oxygen tank I have ever seen beside it and the tube went under the blanket. And the mom smiled but looked exhausted. I don't know who they were or what they are facing but please lift them in your prayers today. God knows their name and what they need.
I am VERY excited about this Christmas. I get excited every Christmas because you may not know that...I am a "giver". Since I was little teeny my favorite part of Christmas was surprising others. And as I get older my favorite part is surprising them and them not knowing. Not just at Christmas...but all year long! Anyway...I almost lost my point. lol So this year I am doing something different for the season. Christmas has lost the meaning in most families. And I want to put Jesus back in the focus where He belongs. We do not exchange gifts with our "adults" in the extended families anymore but this year I have something to give every single person in our family...28 of them in all. It is the NIV Christmas Story family Bible that "Aunt Tammy" shared with me.
You can order them here if you are interested...they also have a hard back collectors edition that is gorgeous (it is more expensive but still only $5).OK...so here is what God laid on my heart for these books. We have some lost family members that we have prayed over many times. We also have some saved family members who do not live for Jesus anymore. So each family is getting one of these paperback books (less than $3 each!) and a note from us. Not an intrusive or demeaning note, but a note that tells them we love them and the greatest gift ever was Jesus and if they have never accepted this gift then we hope reading this Christmas Story as a family will open their eyes and heart to the gospel. And if they have received the gift of eternal life...then we hope it is a blessing for them to read the Christmas Story together with us.
So this Christmas that is what is exciting me. Our families already think I am completely crazy...and this may confirm it for them but at least it will confirm that I am crazy over Jesus! I figure if they throw it in the trash I am out $3/copy but I have the peace of mind that I gave it to them. And each night when my family reads the devotion we will pray for others who are reading at the same time or who have a book in their possession. And there is power in prayer!
So what are you doing this Christmas in Jesus' name? Do you have any other ideas I can steal? I mean ask permission and adapt...haha
Love you all!
Kristy
I am taking the secret santa approach this year. Trying to bring cheer or give cheer to others without them even knowing it sometimes. I was blessed to buy a coat for someone this week that did not have one. I, myself do not have alot but God has blessed me with what I do have. If I have it to give ....I wanna give! The even better part was that my daughter had a part of it. I got to share with her that this is what Christmas is all about. It is truly not about what I get, it is about what I can give. You see, My God gave me the greatest gift of all a long time ago in Bethlehem. Wow!! I am in forever debt because of that. I also think I took a young, tattooed and pierced guy by surprise in the grocery store. I had a cart full of groceries and he had just a suitcase of beer. (yea....beer). I looked directly at him and invited him to go in front of me. Yes, I was in a hurry, and it had already been a long day but why make him wait thru my large cart. He looked at me very strangely. Even as he left the store, he stopped and looked back at me? I really think I blew his mind. I wanted him to ask me
ReplyDelete"why did you do that?...cause I wanted to say "Cause JESUS loves you" So in every deed, while I am driving, while I am shopping, while I am passing people in a hallway or in my car or even if I see someone in need of a helping hand, a prayer or even a coat. If God gives me the means or even the thought to do a good deed I wanna provide the hands, feet and/or voice to do it!!! Our God Rules!!!!