Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying the weekend and not buried in snow! I plan to bake cookies and clean the apartment. I did lots of baking yesterday and most of it goes in the freezer.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
We begin Advent tomorrow and prepare for Christmas, a blessed time of the year, or at least it is supposed to be. But what if we are so busy and stressed out that we miss the true joy of the season and celebration of Jesus’ birth? I’m not sure how you handle the season that starts often before Thanksgiving and can last for as long as you want to make it. So much of the pressure we put on ourselves, with certain things we feel we need to do or it wouldn’t be Christmas. But maybe they have lost their purpose and we can change how we celebrate.

How can we make Christmas less stressful and glean the real meaning? I still give family photo cards and a Christmas letter with personal comments, as I love getting them from others and catching up with their families. We have been doing this for about sixty years, and many we send are to those we pray for daily. But the day may come when we say that is enough, and we put our family card on Facebook and hope our friends and family see it. What about gift giving? This is something that can be evaluated each year, whether we want to do that with family members or maybe we choose to give to special needs in our community or world. Some families may opt to go on a family trip, or experience some special event or activity together as a family rather than individual gifts. It saves a lot of time shopping and can bring family closer together with precious memories.

Christmas is also a time to express our love for Jesus by reaching out to others, especially those who are lonely and haven’t yet received Him. While in Des Moines, we usually had our neighbor who had no other place to go for Christmas Eve dinner and gift opening, and our family become her family.
Christmas is a time to enjoy family gatherings and come together, sharing our common interests but not emphasizing our differences in other issues. Jesus came to give us salvation and peace. Let us share Him with those who He puts into our lives, that they may also know His incredible peace and joy.
Challenge for today: Focus on the real meaning of Christmas, not getting caught up in busyness but taking time to share Him with others.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy