There’s nothing like the dinner table to bring out the best and the worst in family. And after a year of tension, some families might be glad COVID-19 restrictions limit gatherings.
Two thousand years ago, when shepherds came and bowed down to a newborn baby boy in Bethlehem, they weren’t bowing to merely a savior; they were bowing to a new way of life.
Christmas has become the time of year we celebrate Jesus, remembering His miraculous birth. But if we’re not careful, Jesus gets relegated to just a savior. He saves us from hell, from eternal damnation. Because of Jesus, we have hope beyond this life, right? We will live with God in Heaven, forever! And that is certainly something worth celebrating!
But it’s not the whole story.
For people who are grieving, Christmas is not necessarily a season of joy. If we’re not careful, we can extenuate their grief by how we interact with them. Here are three gifts your grieving friends want from you this Christmas season.
From our house to yours–Merry Christmas!
We are enjoying our time with my family in Los Angeles. Good talks, fun times with the nephews and festive activities for young and old.
One of the things I don’t like about blogging and writing online is that many people can read my writing without me getting to know them. So I thought this Christmas Day would be a great time to play some get-to-know you. 😉 If you read this, introduce yourself by leaving the comment “Merry Christmas from (your city,state,country).” Let’s see how many people we meet.
How do you plan to spend your Christmas vacation? Will you be visiting family, or are you going to stay home and celebrate with friends? Do you plan to take any time off of work, or just Christmas Day?
In less than forty-eight hours my family and I board a plane for Los Angeles. We are excited about this trip! Not only because it has been two years since we celebrated Christmas with my family, but also because Teresa’s brother is getting married later in January. We’ll be in the States for six weeks and it will be a riot! (Yes, I’m anticipating a riot traveling with two toddlers.)
One of my biggest weaknesses is trying to do too much at one time. As a result, I often don’t get everything done. On Sundays, I find it hard to sit and read because I think of everything else I could and should be doing. I feel like I’m often running behind and not able to keep on top of life.
Author Asher Witmer knows what it’s like to want freedom from sexual sin only to continually fail. We’re often told we need more personal discipline, that we need to think godly things instead of fleshly things.
What if I told you that discipline won’t solve your problem with lust?
Our male sexuality is given by God for advancing beauty and goodness. But somewhere along the line it becomes something that causes devastation and guilt. The good news is we don’t have to live with guilt. In Live Free, Asher Witmer shows us how we can find freedom from sexual sin, live with nothing to hide, and be able to fight for others.
