The more we discover about who He is, the more we will discover who we truly are. In Jesus we find clear statements of Truth that declare His identity and shape ours.

Is there something you are going through right now that is keeping you from experiencing His peace within your soul? What is keeping you from laying it down and surrendering it over to Jesus? You only stand to lose your burden and gain His peace.

I felt like I was herding cats. The hands of my kids (ages two, four, and seven) were moving faster than I could manage. My husband was at home in bed resting, and there I was at my parents’ house trying to make Christmas cookies with my children. I wanted to teach them how you carefully place each cookie cutter near the edge to get the most out of the dough. Instead, cookie cutters were haphazardly smooshed wherever their hearts desired. I was frantically jumping in as cut pieces of dough were carelessly picked up and thrown onto the cookie sheet. Stars were misshaped. Hearts were squished. Gingerbread men were losing their heads. I was about to lose my mind.

Mary was young girl at the time the angel visited her to give her the news that she was chosen to be the mother of The Savior. There is nothing written that indicates she was leading a life that anyone would consider remarkable. She wasn’t a queen or of noble lineage. It seems as if she was a “regular” girl preparing for a rather “regular” life with her husband to be, Joseph. However, God saw something more and chose to use her in mighty way. Her life story became part of the story of Jesus.

As Christians, we want our lives to reflect the Good News and great joy the Bible promises but sometimes I wonder if we are actually experiencing it. Many of us have grown weary—physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. We are weary from the demands, the worries, the expectations, and the fears that exist in our world today. We feel impatient and dissatisfied with our present reality and we long for relief.

Here’s the deal though: Although we may not be making the mistake of wrongly positioning the characters in our manger scenes, what about our actual lives? While we know Jesus should be at the center, what if we’re moving the pieces around to the point where—while Jesus is still in the scene—He’s no longer where He should be? 

My favorite Christmas recipe is one I’ve never actually made myself. Rather, it’s one my mom makes for me every year (which might contribute to what makes it’s so tasty☺). Crisp cookies on the outside with a buttery frosting in the middle, it literally produces an “MMMMM…” out of my mouth after every first bite. 

There is a popular song called Mary Did You Know. Truth is Mary did not know all that was ahead or how it would come to pass. Her human understanding couldn’t fathom, yet her surrender and submission were part of God’s plan to bring about our salvation.

The Christmas Story proclaims a message of hope, assuring us that God fulfills His promises and shows us through the lives of Mary, Elizabeth, and the Shepherds that He works through ordinary people to do extraordinary things.