Christmas Revisited

Well, things around here are looking a little bit different than they were a few weeks ago. Our little Christmas tree is up - proudly displaying our Kalyna and Jaimie beautiful snowflake ornament near the top of the tree. I do think our tree looks pretty awesome - that's mostly because I love a tree decorated by a kid. I let Micah dictate where most of the ornaments would go. Soooo we have quite a few at his level...hehehehe and then we lifted him up for a few more, but it's definitely a kid-decorated tree...love it! Yes the Christmas box came out of the basement and some Christmas decor was set up. Nothing over the top...just a few things set out...but it's definitely more Christmassy than it was before.  Why the sudden change? I guess over the past few weeks I have learned a lot, and come to realize....realize again.....I probably just never considered it before, that Christmas really has nothing to do with feelings....especially my feelings.

I guess that I had become a little lost in my Bible readings...wasn't sure what to read next, what word to key in on for verses...I felt like I was lacking joy....feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how I was going to make it through this Christmas season in light of all the disappointments I've had this year. This Christmas was certainly not playing out to be the Christmas I had envisioned before July. I wasn't going to be able to spend my daughter's first Christmas with her. I wasn't sure I would be able to cope with that very well.

Well, as I think I have alluded to earlier in some of my posts, I started reading a reading plan from www.youversion.com - which is simply the Bible online...but it also has some reading plans. So I looked for one that had to do with Christmas and Joy...and then looked up the author as well. It was apparently put there exactly for me right now ....cause it's been really great at helping me to refocus on what the real and true purpose for Christmas is.
https://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/396-joy-to-your-world
 It has been an amazing blessing to dive into the Christmas story that we all know so well and find out that it also has important truths for my own life as well. Especially ones that relate to my exact life now. If you're interested in reading them for yourself, check it out, I would highly recommend it! If you decide to go through the plan, you also may want to stop reading because I'm going to list some of the take home points from my devotions next! :) Or feel free to keep reading :)

1. Although Elizabeth and Zechariah had empty arms and dashed hopes, they continued to serve God wholeheartedly as the long years continued to pass.
2. Elizabeth and Zechariah continued to walk by faith and not by sight.
3. Trust God even when your circumstances are challenging. Continue to live a righeous life through days of disappointment.
4. Pray feverently, believe that God is listening to your prayers.
5. Continue to embrace a positive heart attitude.
6. Continue to pray with expectation and hope.
7. "Lord prepare me for what You are preparing for me."
8. Christmas is a moment in history when peace is abundantly possible because of the Baby who came to bring peace for all of the ages.
9. Being highly favoured by God does not mean a life of unbroken happiness nor does it promise that all of your dreams will come true.
10. That God would desire to use me at this time in history - is a gift.
11. Christmas is about the Holy Spirit bringing peace and joy through a Baby boy to the mess that we have made of planet earth.
12. Create something in me that will change this generation for the Kingdom of Christ.
13. Our plans pale in comparison to His interruptions. The most significant desire that you will ever embrace is to ask God to interrupt your life with His love and His plans.
14. Christmas is not about me. Christmas is about dying to self, to preference and to normalcy.
15. Christmas is about the intervention of God into our ordinary lives; it is about Christ being born into our disappointments and failures.
16. God is looking for those who willingly submit to His ways and plans simply because their heart completely belongs to Him.
17. God desires men and women who will allow Him to interrupt their well-thought out lives with His unbelieveable plans.
18. Do not allow Christmas to be defined by your disappointment, but allow your disappointment to be forever changed because of Christmas.
19. You are here to reveal the character and heart of God. It is what righteous people do - not only at Christmas but 365 days of the year.
20. Christmas has given us the assurance that while living on earth, we can be the beneficiaries of heaven's joy.

And that's only after reading 11 days of the 25 day plan!
I love the way it has encouraged me to re-adjust my thinking about Christmas this year.  What a blessing! I hope it will be a blessing to you as well! :)