One of our favorite holiday traditions is one that we stumbled upon without meaning to several years ago.

It was Thanksgiving weekend and we had just finished decorating our Christmas tree (a real one, none of this fake tree business) and I was exhausted from all the work entailed with lugging boxes out of storage and finding enough working white lights to cover an 8 ft. tree.  The kids were hungry and I didn’t have enough time or energy to prepare a real meal so I threw together a cheese & cracker plate.  I pulled out a few veggies and some dip and then warmed up some leftover frozen pizza rolls in the oven.  We had a bottle of Welch’s sparkling grape juice and all together, it made up our dinner that night.

The Christmas lights were twinkling and casting a beautiful golden glow in our living room that none of us wanted to miss. So instead of sitting at our dining table I scoured the dark recesses of my cabinets and found some old holiday paper plates and napkins and we made ourselves a little makeshift picnic right there next to the light of our tree.  We huddled together on the floor around our little repurposed black coffee table and Aaron started sharing favorite Christmas memories. Soon he was asking the kids to share and before we knew it, we realized something special was happening.  It was the beauty of the tree that drew us in but the sharing of our stories that kept us there.  That night was like a wonderful gift hand delivered to us, completely unexpected and somewhat magical.

Now, almost 7 years later, it is one of the traditions we most look forward to.  Every year, the weekend after Thanksgiving, we chop down our tree, drag it home, decorate it and then settle in for appetizers and stories by white lights.

Sometimes the most meaningful things happen without any preparation at all. 

This season is full of planned parties, festivities and menus.  And that’s not bad.  There is a lot to be said for putting thought and detail into something and planning it out ahead of time.  I love to have people in my home when we’ve scheduled it and I have the time to clean my house and plan a great menu.  I love to set a beautiful table and make my guests feel special.  But I have to tell you that some of the most life giving conversations that have taken place in my house, some of the most wonderful memories that have been made, have occurred when friends have dropped by unannounced.  With no expectations and zero preparation on my part.  Holy conversations have been held with crumbs on my counter and dirt on my floor.

In this busy season of scheduled everything, don’t be afraid to rogue once in a while.  To toss a schedule or two to the wind, and to just show up.  Somewhere.  Perhaps for someone.  There is beauty in the unannounced visit.  There is healing in the unexpected word of encouragement.  There is grace for the moment, whether you’ve planned for it or not.

A prayer: Father, teach us to make room in our schedule for you. We ask for your wisdom and guidance in our decisions.  May you use us in unplanned ways to speak love and hope into the lives around us.  May we experience more holy moments in the middle of our days. 

Firstborns are special.

I say that not because I am a firstborn but because of how I felt when I held my first child.

I remember that nervous yet exhilarating feeling of having his tiny little body placed into my arms for the very first time.  He was wrapped up tight in a blanket and I was undone.  The depth of my love for him was so intense and so immediate; it took me by surprise.  Suddenly, and almost without warning, I realized I would do anything for this child of mine.  Not only had I given birth, but something had been birthed inside of me.  A desire to love and protect this little life at any cost.

I imagine that Mary felt the same way.  Although she didn’t have an adjustable bed and big fluffy pillows behind her as she drank in the first few hours of her son’s life, I can imagine she felt those same feelings of intense love and fierce devotion.

Parental love—and fear—is an authentic and tangible universal language.

I can’t help but wonder how Mary managed those fears as she watched her little boy mature into a young man.  I wonder if she lost sleep worrying about him and his future.  I wonder if she ever felt not enough at times, questioning whether she was equipped for the monumental task of motherhood.  All of her time, energy and love poured out into this life that would ultimately lay itself down for us all.

The precious gift she had been given would eventually be a gift for all mankind.  A gift of love, quite literally, as 1 John tells us that “God IS love.”

In our earthly understanding of love, one of our best representations is that between mother and child.  It is bond so strong that it gives us a small glimpse into the immeasurable depth of love that God has for each of us.  Paul tells us in Ephesians 3 that he prays that we will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is.

We serve a God who gives us small daily reminders of that love.  From a child’s laugh to the warmth of a loved one’s hand, these are reflections of His love for us.  As we gather this holiday season with family and friends may we sense, more deeply, the greatness of Christ’s love for us.  May we catch another glimpse of the height and depth of His love and may it secure within us a sense of trust so we can walk in confidence of the love He has, not only for us, but also for the world.

A prayer:  Father, we thank You today for the gift of Your Son.  We thank You for the blessings You have given us in the form of our children.  Father, continue to teach us more about Your love.  Help us to walk in the love You have for us, and helps us give that same love to those around us.  We acknowledge that our confidence comes from being secure in the immeasurable love You have for each of us. 

I still remember the Christmas when I received one of my favorite gifts ever as a child.

We had just finished opening presents and my brothers and sister and I were on clean up detail.  First, we set to work gathering all our treasures into individual piles. All discarded plastic packaging went into a giant black garbage bag, but all the gift bags, ribbons, and bows (sometimes even wrapping paper if it was in decent shape) was salvaged for use again the following year.  There were years when I would retrieve a gift from under the tree and spend the next several minutes trying to decipher whose it was. Usually, three or four different names had been written down in various ink colors and then crossed off.  My mom got a lot of mileage out of her gift bags. Oddly enough, I married into a family that does this same thing.

We were almost done cleaning when my dad nonchalantly mentioned that Santa brought one more gift for me and it was waiting in the basement. I bolted down the stairs to discover my very own kitchen play set, complete with a sink, microwave, refrigerator, and oven. To this day I can remember the excitement I felt realizing my parents had given me the perfect gift.

Countless hours were spent downstairs, pretending to whip up delicious food, wash the dishes, and stock the fridge after grocery shopping. In fact, that kitchen set moved outside for an entire summer the year my siblings and I acted out the Boxcar Children books. Those were the days when parents would shove their children out the door in the morning and expect them to entertain themselves. There was usually the opportunity for re-entry sometime around noon for lunch, and then again at supper time. But for the most part, we spent that summer entertaining ourselves and pretending to live in a boxcar. I have so many wonderful memories connected to that play kitchen.

That Christmas I was given a great gift.

One of the greatest things about a good gift is that it’s given willingly and nothing is expected in return. My parents knew I was going to love that play kitchen and they wanted to give it to me without any payment on my part. There was nothing that I had to do on my end other than to accept it. Their desire was to give me a good gift simply because they loved me.

God does the same, only better.

He extends gifts like salvation, patience, peace, joy, wisdom, and comfort. He gives remarkable gifts to us because of His great love for us. We need only accept them.

Today, may we remember that although earthly gifts are good and can even hold wonderful memories for us, there is nothing that comes close to the gift of Jesus.

A prayer: Thank you, God, that you extend Your gift of salvation to us with no strings attached. Thank you that we don’t have to wonder whether the gift is for us. Your gift of salvation is clearly marked for each of us. You desire to give us good gifts simply because You love us.  Thank you again for Your perfect gifts. Amen. 

Unto us. These two small words introduce us to God’s plan for mankind’s redemption story. Though they are small in length, they stand tall in meaning and shout wildly with joy, declaring the coming of our King. Unto you. Unto me. Unto us.

“For a child has been born – for us! the gift of a son – for us! Isaiah 9:6 (The Message)

A Wonderful Counselor for us.

A Mighty God for us.

An Everlasting Father for us.

 A Prince of Peace for us.

Every title, name, and promise, wrapped up in one tiny package and gently placed in a feeding trough. Our redemption waits for us in a manger.

Amidst a season of rushing and scrambling to find that perfect gift for a loved one, we are reminded again that the greatest gift anyone could ever possibly receive has already been given. The gift of our Savior in the form of a baby. Just like bringing home a newborn causes us to slow down, to take a break from our frantic pace and embrace the miracle of new life, this advent season also invites us to halt our hectic lives and take a moment to simply embrace Jesus.

Let the gift of who He is settle over you today. The Mighty God came for you. His plan included you because his heart is for you. Whether you’ve already accepted this gift or you’re just beginning to unwrap the depth of His love for you, salvation and rest are available to you today in Christ.

During this Advent season, we will be taking some time to look at the amazing promises that have been given unto us through Jesus. From His royal titles to His faithful promises, each of a prized possession passed down to us from a loving Father. Let’s prepare our hearts and wait on Him as we look forward with anticipation to the celebration of Christmas and the gift of God’s one and only Son, Jesus.

“For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: “Wonderful,” “Counselor,” “The Mighty God,” “The Everlasting Father,” “The Prince of Peace.” His ever expanding peaceful government will never end. He will rule with perfect fairness and justice from the throne of his father David. He will bring true justice and peace to all the nations of the world.  This is going to happen because the Lord of heaven’s armies has dedicated himself to do it!” Isaiah 9:6,7 (TLB)