😎🐫🎤 As I was asking the Lord for His words for today’s message, the last Wednesday before Christmas, I expected something profound about Him and His birth. What He said was, “Mary did you know?”  He went on to share with me how much Christmas is about us trusting in Him and having the courage to say “YES” to Him when He whispers in our ears. Those that we hear about during the Christmas season are Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist, the shepherd, and the wise men. They each have a very unique situation and experience with God and they all said, let your will be done.  I don’t want to make this too long, so take some time between now and Monday to consider each of their situations and how the different parts of your life coincide with their journeys to Christ. How is God reaching out to you through them?  What is He showing you and asking of you?  Will you say yes, thy will be done?  When we accept Christ at Christmas and every day of our lives, we are saying yes to the love, grace, growth, peace, challenges, and forgiveness that He has to offer us. Bless others and be blessed. Merry Christmas!

#Pentatonix – Mary, Did You Know?

😎🐫🎤 Question. If you decommercialize your Christmas season, would anyone know what you’re truly preparing for and celebrating?  Nothing says I’m celebrating Christ like an ugly sweater. When you look at a decorated tree, do you imagine the presents that will be under it or Christ in the manger?   During this season of peace, why is there no rest for the weary?  Maybe if we spent a tenth, a tithe of the time that we normally spend decorating, shopping, baking, stressing, wrapping, etc. and just soak in Christ a little each day, we will radiate the true, non-commercial meaning and purpose of Christmas. Let Christ be the light that radiates from you to all those who cross your path this season and every day of your life. 

I like this song, but find the video distracting. Maybe just listen to the words. Bless others and be blessed. 

#Branan Murphy – Enough

😎🐫🎤 Tis the season for regifting. Fa Lala Lala Lala Lala

What gift will you be giving? Fa Lala Lala Lala Lala

Candles, socks, scarves a plenty. Fa Lala Lala Lala Lala

What about the Christ babe that is waiting. Fa Lala Lala Lala Lala

Regift the gift of Christ this year. He is the gift that keeps on giving.  Bless others and be blessed.

😎🐫🎤 Today I’m very thankful for our shower.  We were without use of our shower for a week, being that the drain pipes rusted through. Not being able to take a shower everyday affected me physically (obviously), but also mentally and emotionally. I found myself a little on edge and not wanting to be around people as much. This really surprised me. Yesterday God challenged me to think about this experience, which I did. But then He said, living without taking a shower every day is nothing compared to living without me every day. That is so true. As I thought about His statement it just really hit home reflecting on those times in my life that I didn’t allow God in. How dirty and on edge I felt in those moments. How self-centered and alone I felt. How I was always out trying to impress others to try to make myself feel better.  I very much appreciate how when your life is open to God, you can see and experience Him in all things and all situations. God is always offering us teachable moments. The next time you take a shower, think about how you would feel if you weren’t showered daily with God’s love, grace, and forgiveness.  Now take those precious gifts and shower others with them. Today, even more than a shower, I’m thankful that I’m clean. Bless others and be blessed. 

#Natalie Grant – Clean

😎🦃🎤 Changing things up a little this week, I thought we’d have a turkey day song. This is my favorite time to share with family and friends. I’ve been reflecting lately on how when we grab onto those fleeting moments in our lives that become such growth and turning points for us. On Tuesday after getting ready for work, I went down stairs to find water running down the kitchen wall and a puddle on my counter tops. I then found a pool of water in our basement. Yes, we had a pipe rust out in the second-floor bathroom…aka our only shower. Thanks to a great husband, a friend that paid for us to go through Financial Peace University (we have our emergency fund), and parents that have offered us a place to shower, this situation is an inconvenience, but not a crisis. That may be what’s going on in my life right now, but I’m thankful every day for all those that God has graced me to share my time on earth with. It’s important for me to thank God every day and I believe that truly comes across in how we work, play, and interact with others. Feel free to share with me what you are grateful and thankful for. You may know today’s song from church, but it’s also from my favorite movie, Little Women. It makes me think of my girls. I always want to watch it at Thanksgiving. I’m so thankful for every moment I can share with them. Bless others and be bless. 

#Mormon Tabernacle Choir – For the Beauty of the Earth 

😎🐫🎤 The Lord works in mysterious ways. How many times have we heard that? So often we find ourselves asking why? Why me? Why this? Why now? But what we need to be asking is how? How can I find You in this situation? How can I experience You so that I can grow to love You and share You more with others? This past week God answered some of my why questions from 27 years ago. But He also showed me the how. How I was able to feel His love, feel His presence and to share Him with others. That was a gift that was certainly worth the wait. Seek God in the mystery. Bless others and be blessed. 

#Chris Rice – Smell the Color 9

😎🐫🎤 Yesterday is gone, it’s in the past. All that remains are the lessons that last. 

Today is a clean page. How will you fill it?  With love and prayers, peace and hope?  Or regret and anger, temptations and self-pity?

Today’s page is in your hands. The Lord’s gift of free will is the plan. As you fight off the evil one, you will be glorified in the Son. 

You choose your path as our Lord watches and waits. His Spirit is your guide and they long for you to be by Their side.  

Bless others and be blessed. 

#Francesca Battistelli – Write Your Story

😎🐫🎤 Pray without ceasing!  Is it possible?  What does it look like?  Prayer is in your every thought, word, action, and breath…if it’s done with the correct attitude. Yes, it’s not just the act, but the attitude that backs it. And in my humble opinion, 99% of our prayer should be focused on others. Let’s be selfish for God, not ourselves.  Pray unceasingly. Is it possible?…YES!  Bless others and be blessed. 

#Tauren Wells – When We Pray

😎🐫🎤 The Holy Spirit keeps enlightening me with the scripture concerning the travelers on the road to Emmaus, Luke 24: 13-35.  This journey took place on the day of our Lord’s resurrection. He was fresh from the tomb and came upon two of His followers as they were making their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus.   As I’m sure you could imagine, these two were having a pretty rough week, being that the one they believed would set them free was crucified and now His body was missing from the tomb.  Their whole world just seemed wrong.  Jesus promptly set them straight, “…beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.”  When they reached Emmaus, they asked Him to stay with them. Jesus, sitting at table with them, took the bread, gave thanks and broke it. It was then that they realized who they had shared this journey with. This sharing of scripture and breaking of the bread was the first Easter Eucharistic celebration. Still today our Catholic Mass is modeled after this example. We share the Liturgy of the Word followed by the Liturgy of the Eucharist. What an awesome blessing we have received in this gift. Bless others and be blessed. 

#Chris Tomlin – Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

😎🐫🎤 It is absolutely incredible how the Old Testament foreshadows the New Testament. Looking at and studying how God connected all the dots has given me the opportunity to examine how He has and continues to connect the dots in my life. As we live and grow though those dots, we are often blind to the good that He is allowing in those moments. But give thanks at all times and in all situations. He will bring another dot into your life that will help you move forward and may even shed some light to bring focus on those connecting points.  Take a moment today to reflect on those dots in your life and give glory to God for His infinite wisdom, grace, mercy, love, and friendship. Bless others and be blessed.

#Jeremy Camp – Word of Life