Laced With Grace

You’ve heard the sappy old comparison before:

There was no room in the inn for Jesus (Luke 2:7). Is there room in your heart for Jesus?

Yes, the question is a bit corny and overdone. But I’ve been thinking about it seriously for the last few days. With the busyness of my life, am I truly giving Jesus top priority?

Let’s ask another question, very relevant to the season:

Is there room in your Christmas for Jesus?

Seriously. After all the garland and ornaments. In the midst of all the meal-planning and baking. After Christmas cards and shopping and wrapping and party-going… is there room in your Christmas for Jesus.

Do you have a “to-do” list for Christmas? If so it probably includes things like addressing the cards, baking the pies, cleaning the guest room, and decking the halls. Maybe your list is a shopping list and you will spend the next two weeks at the mall, WalMart, and the grocery store. Then you have to bring it all home and wrap it or cook it.

I certainly am not against gift-giving and celebrating. In fact, I’m all for it! I’ve been shopping and cooking the last couple of weeks. I also have a party or two on my calendar. But God has impressed me recently with the need to keep the reason for Christmas my top priority. “Jesus” should be at the top of every list.

How can we do that? How can we participate in the fun holiday traditions without allowing them to overshadow the reason for the celebration? We must constantly be on guard against it and we must also be intentional about keeping Jesus in the forefront.

Here are a few of the things our family has done over the years to keep our focus on Christ at Christmas:

• We hang the Christmas Nail on the tree and talk about the truth that Jesus came to die. (This page shows you what the nail looks like and the poem that goes with it. You can also make your own with ribbon and large nails or spikes found at the hardware store. I’ve even given them away as gifts!)
• The nativity set is our most cherished Christmas décor. It gets prime location!
•  We give to those who are in need through an organization like Operation Christmas Child.
• We attend Christmas Eve services. We worship Jesus before the gift-giving.
• We bake a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Eve day.
• We read the Christmas story from Matthew and Luke before heading to bed on Christmas Eve.

I would love to hear about the ways you and your families keep your focus on Christ at Christmas. Let’s talk!

Merry Christmas!

Kathy

It’s funny how two people can look at the same image and see two different things. But once it’s pointed out to you, you can see both!

Today, I’m having a little fun with the popular Christmas carol: Do You See What I See?

Do you see what I see?

Some see: sweet little baby Jesus

I see: the Savior of the universe, Creator God, who reduced Himself to a single cell embedded in the womb of a humble virgin, that He might become as one of His subjects to live like them, to die for them, to rise again providing victory for them.

Some see: plastic figurines of nativity characters

I see: depictions of real men and a woman who lived 2000 years ago and were used by God in the incarnation of God the Son. Unlikely people who were led to participate in the event that changed the course of human history.

Some see: twinkling lights adorning houses, trees, windows

I see: images of the Light of the world, eliminating darkness bulb by precious bulb

Some see: jolly old Santa’s

I see: a portrayal of Bishop Nicholas of Smyra, a godly man with a reputation for secret gift-giving to the poor, who worshiped Jesus with all his heart

Some see: paper wrapped gifts under the tree

I see: demonstrations of love for family and friends representing the Gift that came wrapped in swaddling clothes

Do you hear what I hear? 

Some hear: unlikely singers belting out holiday tunes

I hear: God’s word embedded in Christmas carols. His Word does not return void. Those unlikely singers are proclaiming the good news!

Some hear: well-wishers sharing “holiday greetings”

I hear: more opportunities to share the gospel “It is God’s responsibility to make people receptive; it is our responsibility to sow the seed.” Rick Warren

Do you know what I know? 

Some know: that Jesus was a great teacher

Some know: he was a liar, heretic or lunatic

Some know: all about Him without knowing Him personally

I know: that Jesus is the foretold Messiah, the Savior of the world, who left His home in heaven to live a sinless life dwelling in and among His people and ultimately paying the price for their sins and mine.

I know: that my life has meaning and purpose that I never knew before

I know: that I have peace that is beyond understanding

I know: that someday, in His timing, I will go to heaven and be with Him

I know: that you can know what I know

Dear Lord,
May we see what You see.
May we hear what You say.
May we know what You share with us.

www.susanpanzica.com

www.eternitycafe.blogspot.com

The fireplace is glowing. The turkey is roasting. The pies are cooling. And the guests will soon be arriving.

This sets the scene for so many of us today, as we gather with our loved ones around a table of plenty and offer up our thanks for the blessings that we have all received. It is a wonderful day to celebrate the goodness of our Father and share in love and memories with our loved ones. It is a day to rejoice. To celebrate. And to remember.

The writing team here at LACED WITH GRACE will be sitting down to our own feast sometime today. Each of us live in a different town, even different states, but we all share a kindred spirit with one another and a special appreciation for each of you, our readers! We would like to take this time to just say THANK YOU to all of you who so faithfully tune in Monday thru Friday to share with us as we write from our hearts. We also give honor and praise to the One Who inspires us and spurs us on…Jesus Christ, Who is the reason we are able to give thanks.

So from our Thanksgiving table to yours, all of us here at LWG wish you and yours a very blessed THANKSGIVING!

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FROM NORTH CAROLINA… “This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for becoming keenly aware of God’s presence by searching for God in the moment. Sometimes the moments have full of joy. Sometimes the moments have difficult to accept. They’ve both come from His hand so I can experience the truth that He is enough.” -MARSHA

FROM SOUTH CAROLINA…‘This Thanksgiving,I am savoring the fact that my children are still all under one roof (only one more year probably). I’m thankful for that roof, the family God has made us, and that cooking and eating together carves an all-five-senses memory deep into our lives. Happy Thanksgiving, all.” - DAWN

FROM FLORIDA… “What a tremendous joy it is to be living in a day with such awesome opportunities to share the love of Jesus Christ with the world! I used to have a Mary Englebreit t-shirt that read: ‘Life is just so daily’. I thought it was cute–but as I reflect on those words in a spiritual context, I change it up:  ‘His benefits and blessings are SO daily!’ (Psalms 68:19) Thank you faithful readers for joining us on this journey of daily benefits and discovery of the truths that God would have us know!” - ANGIE

“This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the sweet times God has graciously given my family and I to spend together on camping adventures. With the unexpected death of my mother in law earlier this year, we have learned to savor and cherish these moments away were we can simply relax, connect and have lots of fun.” - DANA

FROM IOWA… “I am thankful for a wonderful husband and 5 beautiful children. I am most thankful for a God who loves me, forgives me, encourages me, and challenges me to be more like Him everyday. I am thankful for a network of beautiful women on the internet who so honestly share their hearts and experiences all for the glory of God. Have a blessed and joyous thanksgiving.” Much love – TRACY

FROM ARIZONA… “Happy Thanksgiving to all! I am so thankful for God’s faithfulness. He has provided me with what I needed through a very challenging season in my life. I have a wonderful family, many blogging friends, a job that involves children, an opportunity to write and share Christ and His peace. He is sufficient for all my needs!” -DEBBIE