Tag: christmas
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The Christmas Choir You Already Signed Up For
All through the instrumental introduction, I was praying. We’d had a busy day – a busy week, a busy month – and many people were on my heart. Their needs and their joys played through my mind as the musicians on stage wordlessly proclaimed Christ’s glory. Then it was our turn to join in… Join…
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Good News When You’re Waiting
“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’” (Luke 2:10) Most of the time, we’re waiting on good news of some kind. We’re checking our inboxes, hoping for the call or the text, and scrolling our social media feeds….
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Keeping Christmas: A Short Story
This Christmas, I thought I’d share something a bit different. I pray this short story about memories, friendship, and unchanging hope brings a little joy to you today! Fake Poinsettias and plastic evergreen decor signaled the arrival of the Christmas season. Agnes, quite attached to her traditions, kept a calendar to help her failing memory…
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Help When You’re Not in the Christmas Spirit
We were in a time of transition, and I’d been eagerly anticipating the reliable traditions, stillness, and cherished peace of Christmas Eve. Silly as it was, attending a noisy, atypical morning celebration we were invited to instead of a calm service made me feel sad. To add to my frustration of eager anticipation climaxing in…
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Just For Me
A group of us gathered in someone’s living room to work our way through the next session of a Bible study. We sat quietly as the video component ended, surprised by who spoke up in response first. “Sorry you all had to sit through that,” the quietest woman in the room grinned, “because that was…
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Because God Became Man…
Christmas is the season of celebrating the good news of Jesus: that God became a man to save us! That’s what the angel said: “Behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who…
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A Gift to You (Christmas Praise 3)
The Angel’s Good News “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. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped…
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As Was Said! (Christmas Praise 2)
Zechariah’s Praise “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the…
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Yes, He Has! (Christmas Praise 1)
Mary’s Song of Praise: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends…
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The Gift That Satisfies
We have an unfortunate tendency of focusing on gaining satisfaction, especially during the Christmas season. From gift-giving to maintaining traditions “just so,” we seem to think we’ll feel full if we treat ourselves to “enough.” Yet the gifts Jesus gives focus on our fulfillment or completion in Him, not on a temporal feeling or fleeting…