Author: hcfwomen

This Christmas, Stewart and I were given a book from one of our granddaughters: “To our grandparents: we want to hear your story.”

It starts by asking about the first time we met, and the last two questions in the book ask about places we still want to go and things we still want to do. And between those questions is our life, our journey, and our story. Reflecting over 60+ years, one thing has become evident: my eternal perspectives have changed drastically!

As a 14-year-old girl, my life revolved around having fun and boys. It was about the next adventure. I wasn’t thinking about Colossians 3:2, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things of this earth.” Or Matthew 24:44 ,“Be ready! We do not know when our time comes.” My mind was fully set on the things of this earth!

I knew Jesus as my Savior at a very young age. My parents not only taught us God’s truth, but they were living examples of walking out your faith, fighting the good fight (1Tim.6:12-14), having a gentle spirit (Phil.4:5), being steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in faith (1 Cor.15:58), and being holy in conduct and godliness (2 Peter 3:11-12). Despite my upbringing, I still had my mind set on the things of this earth, but I felt something was missing. There was an emptiness that I kept trying to fill, a longing for something more.

It is said, “Our identity in Christ is a gift of God‘s grace, not a standing that we can earn by hard work and good intentions.” That is truth for me! When the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and heart to God‘s great love for me, that was the door through which everything else followed. I believe that living life and knowing who you are in Christ is the only way to have a good eternal perspective. It is going through good and bad times that helps us realize that our life is not in our hands, it is in the Lord‘s plan. 

For me, one of the most drastic changes in my eternal perspective is that our life choices can shape our destiny and have an eternal effect not only on our lives, but others’, either for good or bad. As I look back on my life, there were many times where my choices were not good ones. Thank God for His grace and mercy! He took those things and brought something wonderful and good out of them. My continued prayer is that He would use the good and the bad choices I make and turn them all for good and bring Him glory! We do have a choice; we can do it our way and spend most of our time and energy picking up the pieces and cleaning up our messes, or we can yield to God‘s plan for our lives and have the Holy Spirit give us wisdom and lead us in the right direction.

I will be turning 80 this coming May. My age has never bothered me, it is only a number; it’s not my identity or who I am. But my perspective of my life here on earth and my eternal life in Heaven have become more real, more welcoming (not that I want to rush it, I love my life here on earth.) I have learned to live each day with purpose, to embrace the time with my loved ones, to enjoy and make the most of each moment, even when I am going through a storm, knowing that God still has a purpose for me, and will equip me with everything I need to complete His plan (Phil.1:23).  I have learned that a Christian will never die; we will one day go to sleep in Christ and wake in Our Heavenly Home! Jesus will be there to greet me, along with all my loved ones that have gone before.

“O death where is your sting? O grave where is your victory? But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1Cor.15:55

“AMEN! COME, LORD JESUS!” Rev.22:20b

We want to thank Elaine Norrell for sharing this post.

“The words you speak reveal the content of your heart.” Matthew 12:34. This is something I remind myself often, especially after I say something I fully regret. 

Until this day, I still consider myself an introvert. I tell myself I have social anxiety and that’s why I can only handle small talk and only full-on conversations with the people I’m closest too. I hide away behind my extroverted husband, and I replay every conversation I ever have, over and over in my mind. But God has worked in my heart, He has reminded me even when I forget, that I am designed and made the way I am for a reason, in His image. 

Everyone has their own spiritual giftings. We function together as the body of Christ because each of us have our own strengths. We have our extroverts, whom I love! They can carry on a conversation; they can be the Mary’s in a room that make everyone feel warm and invited. Then, we have the Martha’s who work behind the scenes to make sure everything is in order. The most important thing we must never forget though, is the number one request from Jesus, and that’s to love His people well. 

How are we to love his people? By being authentically who we were made to be to reach the hearts of all people for Christ. We can’t do that if we are constantly criticizing ourselves, rethinking every conversation we have had or even forcing ourselves to be someone/something we aren’t. 

So, what do we do? Do we just hide from all conversation to avoid saying something we regret or stay in our social anxiety forever? No. We ask God to help us fix our thoughts on things above. We replace all the yucky feelings that we feel about ourselves and others with what He says about us and about others. We allow God’s voice to speak to us and through us. We let go of all the bitter feelings from past conversations we have had and regretted, and we forgive any words spoken to us and about us that were unkind.

We may not be able to take back our words after they are spoken, but God makes all things new, and His mercies are new every day. We can move forward, prepared to love others and be authentic with who God made us to be, knowing he made us the way we are for a reason. 

We want to thank Sarah Perry for sharing this post.

My eight-year-old grandson has an amazing vocabulary. He is especially well-versed in words that are found in video games, Disney cartoons, and action movies for kids. There is nothing wrong with the words he speaks, but they are worldly words. Most of us learn our manner of speech from family and friends as we grow up. We learn what words are appropriate around what group of people.  

In the Message Bible, Matthew 5:21-22 says, “Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire.” The simple moral fact is that words kill. So, we also learn that words can hurt, and deeply. We don’t realize what power words have until we meet THE Word. Then we learn to speak with wisdom.

“We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.”  I Corinthians 2:6

“This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.” I Corinthians 2:13

​One thing I have had to learn over the years, and which I still must practice, is making my words match my beliefs – my faith in Him. 2 Corinthians 4:13 says, “It is written: ‘I believed; therefore, I have spoken.’ Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak.”  

When I believe the words in the Bible, my own speech should match those words, not contradict them. The Bible teaches us that God CAN NOT lie. Every word in the Bible is true. Speaking these words back to Him, and to ourselves, is the highest and best form of speech. These words are living, active, and powerful.

​Since this is February, the month of Valentine’s Day, I’m thinking about the words I speak to my husband. I must admit, when I was first married, the words I spoke sometimes were used to provoke an argument. I used my words to manipulate or to try to gain attention. It has taken the Holy Spirit some time to align my words with God’s way of speaking. Now, thankfully, MOST of the time, I try to speak words of gratitude, appreciation, and encouragement to my sweet husband. I’m just so thankful that he put up with the growing pains over these years.  

God has given us such a wonderful array of words to use, and these words we speak are meant to be encouraging to others – and to ourselves. God is always calling out the best in us, calling us His children, naming us saints, and encouraging us in every possible way. He wants us to use our words in this same way with others.  

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  Ephesians 4:29

Let’s allow Holy Spirit to continue to bring graceful, wonderful words out of our hearts through our mouths, both toward others in our lives and toward ourselves.

We want to thank Sheri Warren for sharing this post.

**During the month of January, we will be reposting some of the top posts from 2024. We hope these will encourage you and connect to your heart. Stay tuned for all new posts coming in February 2025!**

I have always loved flowers. For as long as I can remember, they have captivated me. The vast array of shapes, the infinite shades of color – flowers move me. They speak to me of the heart of God. 

But have you ever noticed how some of the most beautiful blooms come from the most difficult of circumstances? Flowers can grow and bloom on the side of cliffs, in the frigid landscapes of Alaska, and even in the desert. Even the beloved peony, requires a freeze to bloom in the spring.

Every summer, we visit my husband’s family ranch. And while they do get some rain, it is basically…a desert. I’ve made multiple trips to this place of wild beauty over the years, but one thing that is rare to find at the ranch is a flower – one that blooms. Several years ago, while on one such trip, a spark of yellow caught my eye. It was so unusual, and I didn’t have any kids with me at the moment (also highly unusual for that season of life), so I trekked over to it. It turned out that the spark of yellow, was the most GORGEOUS flower I have ever seen. It was mainly yellow, with tinges of pink and orange all throughout it. And it was perched on the edge of a cactus. I knew enough to know that God had placed it there in my eyesight, just for me. As the trip went on, I saw several more – here and there. Finally, I was prompted to ask God – “Lord, I love these, but why here, why now? I’ve been here many summers, and never seen even a single one of these.”

He responded simply, “You are my desert flower.” 

I was so impressed by the simplicity of it – and yet didn’t completely understand. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was about to enter a wilderness season. A season with hard circumstances, bouts of spiritual dryness, and lots of loss. 

But it was still a season in which I was meant to bloom. 

God was not surprised by the desert season I was entering. He knew exactly where he had planted me, and he knew that I would bloom. Even when we don’t know, God does. And just like the flowers that he has placed in the desert, the frigid landscapes of Alaska, and on the side of cliffs – he knows exactly where we are planted.

Those flowers are able to survive in harsh conditions, because God has given them what they need. They have special adaptations, specifically for the circumstances in which they must grow. And so, dear friend, do you.

In a passage where Christ is addressing worry, (Matthew 6:28-29), he says, “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” He provided for the flowers, and how much more dear to Him are you?

Just because you are planted in difficult circumstances, does not mean you aren’t meant to bloom. 

God has given you all that you need to grow and to bloom. Your environment may not look like one that is conducive for growing incredible blooms, but remember – it’s the harshest environments that sometimes produce the most beautiful blooms. It is in those environments – as friends and family see you toil and suffer – that as they then see you bloom, God’s glory shines the brightest. 

So lean in. Press in to his presence, and let your roots go deep. Let him guide you and show you just how he has created you for your unique circumstances. 

Let Him show you how to bloom where you are planted. Because you are His Desert Flower.

We want to thank Brooke Kellum for sharing this post.

**During the month of January, we will be reposting some of the top posts from 2024. We hope these will encourage you and connect to your heart. Stay tuned for all new posts coming in February 2025!**

What do you think of when you hear the word “promise?” Depending on what you have walked through in life, that word might or might not hold much weight. People, in our flawed humanity, tend to toss that word around. We make promises, only to break them (whether intentionally or not). It’s no wonder that when people hear about the promises of God, they may be apprehensive. So how do we learn to move past what we may have experienced with others and trust that God will keep His promises?

I saw a quote from one of Jennifer K. Dean’s books that says, “A promise is only as good as the person who makes it. The character of the promiser is what gives the promise its value.” In other words, you can only truly trust someone to keep their word if you know their character. If you look throughout scripture, you find that God openly reveals his character to us. He never once breaks any of his promises, because keeping promises is in His very nature! (2 Corinthians 1:20, Psalms 18:30, Hebrews 10:23) Believing that God is who He says he is helps us to respond in faith and believe that He will also do what He says He will do.

Around six years ago, my husband and I felt like we were supposed to add another child to our family. We already had two sweet blessings who we loved so much, but we knew in our spirit that someone was missing. When we agreed to have a third baby, we didn’t realize that it would be three years of waiting before it would happen. I didn’t really speak about this time of waiting with anyone other than my husband, but I did begin to wonder if we had heard God correctly. I wondered if maybe having another baby was my desire, but didn’t necessarily line up with what God’s plans were for our family.

In the middle of my impatience, I started to sort and give away some of the baby clothes I had kept because they were taking up closet space. With each piece of clothing that I put in the “give-away” pile, I would get more and more discouraged. I cried out to the Lord and asked Him if I missed something. I asked Him if we had misheard him several years ago, and why did I feel this way if we were done having children? In His gentle way, God spoke to my heart and simply said “Sadie.” That name was His way of reminding me of the promise He had already given me three years before. I held onto her name (my promise) for 6 more months and then found out I was pregnant. I knew three things right away: my baby was a girl, her name was Sadie, and God is a promise keeper.

It was not always easy during that time of waiting. When we want God to operate on our timeline instead of His, it makes the waiting that much harder (that was certainly what I experienced). However, by spending time with the Lord through prayer and studying His word, I already knew His character. In knowing God’s character, I was able to hold onto my faith that He is who he says He is, and He will do what He says He will do. Even if it is not in our timeline, even if it doesn’t look exactly like we thought it would, we can trust the Promise Keeper.

We want to thank Courtney Harper for sharing this post.

**During the month of January, we will be reposting some of the top posts from 2024. We hope these will encourage you and connect to your heart. Stay tuned for all new posts coming in February 2025!**

Today I had a conversation with a “friend.” I invited her into my house and started having a very familiar conversation. I told her about a situation that I was dealing with at work. She told me that someone would do a better job at my position than me. Then I started talking to her about writing my blog, and she said that no one would probably read it because what did I have to offer? After all, other women had it all together, not me. I don’t have a perfect house, a perfect family, or a perfect life. Later, I told her about my boys and what they were doing with their lives. She told me that I had made lots of mistakes as a mother, and she couldn’t believe that my boys had turned out so great. She also told me that I was fat, wrinkled, and gray headed. How could my husband still be in love with me? I looked her square in the eye and believed every word she was telling me. After all, we have had these conversations many times over the years.

That’s a friend?

You might be asking yourself, what kind of friend would say that? How dare she say all of that about you? Did you slap her? Why did you stay there and take it?

The problem is that I invited this friend into my life years ago and continue to invite her over all the time. My friend’s name is ME.

Have you ever had those kinds of conversations with yourself? Has there ever been a time when you look in the mirror and talk down to yourself by saying, “Wow, you’ve added a few pounds lately!” or “Gosh, that meal you cooked for your family could’ve been much better if…” or “Why does ____________ seem to have it all together, and I can’t even get to work on time?” I think, as women, we are all guilty of this at one time or another. We have got to STOP doing this to ourselves!

Instead of talking down to yourself, try to build yourself up by speaking life over yourself (Proverbs 18:21). As a woman, you are always building others up. Do yourself a favor and build YOU up! You deserve to be loved by yourself! Look in that mirror and say to yourself, “I am enough just the way God made me!” or “I am great at what I do.” You might even say, “I am beautiful!” Consider listing all of your strengths – trust me, you have many, many strengths. Be bold and brag a little on yourself! Then the hard part: BELIEVE WHAT YOU TOLD YOURSELF!

What the Bible says about You:

Maybe there is a reason you continue to talk down to yourself. You might have been criticized by a parent, a spouse, or a friend your entire life. Don’t believe those lies anymore. God made you just the way you are for a reason. The Bible clearly states,

You are perfect just the way you are: Psalms 139: 1,16, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

God put you in the job you are in and has BIG plans for you: Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

God says you are precious: Proverbs 31:10-11, 28, “She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.” “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”

We have all heard the saying that a friend loves at all times. Women are the greatest friends. We are there for each other. Our friends listen to us when we are sad and build us up when we need encouragement. Why, then, don’t we do that for ourselves? Be a better friend to yourself!

Next time you catch yourself talking down to yourself, kick “your friend” to the curb, speak life over yourself, meditate on God’s word, and BELIEVE the TRUTH about who God says you are! You, my dear woman, are a blessing and a gift to those around you!

We want to thank Vickie Young for sharing this post.

**During the month of January, we will be reposting some of the top posts from 2024. We hope these will encourage you and connect to your heart. Stay tuned for all new posts coming in February 2025!**

When I hear the word “bloom” I think about my front porch flower bed. Where springtime brings new blooms, new beginnings, and a new enjoyment for my family. My front porch is one of my favorite places to sit and enjoy my morning coffee, read and study my Bible, or just hangout with Larry and Nala (my fur baby) in the evening as the sun sets and stars appear.

As I studied about “Bloom where you are planted”, I discovered it’s a phrase that you cannot find exactly in the Bible. But, there are many references to the thought of “bloom where you are planted”.

Genesis 1:28… God told Adam and Eve to bloom where they were planted. “Be fruitful and increase in number…”

Genesis 50:20…Joseph bloomed where he was planted, and God turned it around for his good. “…you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done…”

1 Corinthians 7:17 God wants us to bloom where He has planted us, even if it is hard.  “Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned them, just as God has called them.”

God calls all of us to “bloom” where He has planted us. So, why are we sometimes not happy to bloom where God has planted us? Does He really have a plan for my life where I am right now? Why can’t I be more like ______ ?(fill in your blank) She seems to have it all together!

I believe sometimes we struggle to bloom where we are planted because we compare our lives to others. After hearing Pastor Anthony teach on an “orphan spirit”, a feeling of lack.  I feel like comparison is an orphan spirit.  “If I only had what Betty Sue had”, then I would be happy! Sound familiar? With all the social media at our fingertips today, and seeing all the “perfect” posts with the “perfect” family.  If our identity is not rooted in Christ, then we may have a sense of lack and struggle with comparison.  Our comparison can overtake our thoughts, minds and actions! Then we are unable to bloom where God has planted us.

As I was studying for this blog I found a story that I want to share…

“An ancient legend tells of a king who walked into his garden one day to find almost everything withered and dying. After speaking to an oak near the gate, the king learned that he was troubled because he was not tall and beautiful like the pine. The pine overheard their conversation and added that she, too, was upset, for she could not bear delicious fruit like the pear tree. The pear tree heard his name and began to complain that he did not have the lovely odor of the spruce. And so it went throughout the entire garden.

Near the very edge of the garden grew a little daisy. As the king approached, he noticed her bright little face, full of life. “Well, little flower,” said the monarch, “I’m glad to find that there is at least one happy face in my garden.”

“Oh king,” she said, “I know I’m little, and not many people notice me, but one day I realized that if you planted me here, you must have had a good reason. So, your majesty, I’ve determined to be the best little flower I can be!”

Our King has planted a beautiful garden. Not one of us is greater than the next. It is His perfection.

We must come to a place where we trust that God has a reason for creating us the way He has and has planted us in just the place he desired. Comparing ourselves with one another will only make us wither. When we become satisfied with His creation (that is us), that’s when we’ll find true happiness”.. and we will shine. Let’s give God all our disappointments and be determined to be the best that we can be for Him!”

God has a perfect plan for your life, embrace where you are in your life right now and as a daughter of the King you can bloom where He has planted you, by choosing to be content and trusting God’s plan for your future.

We want to thank Bambi Lutrick for sharing this post.

**During the month of January, we will be reposting some of the top posts from 2024. We hope these will encourage you and connect to your heart. Stay tuned for all new posts coming in February 2025!**

While waiting in the cardiologist’s waiting room, trying everything I could think of to get my blood pressure down, I started reciting the 23rd Psalm. “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul.” That’s as far as I got! There was my answer! Here I was trying everything to make me relax and my blood pressure to be normal, when all along He was saying to me, “I’m the one that does that for you! I make you lie down, I lead you beside still waters, I’m the one that restores your soul. I am all you need, rest in Me!” 

I have a wooden statue of a shepherd and three sheep. One of the sheep he is carrying on his shoulders, the other he’s carrying in his arms near his heart and the third is following right beside him. I bought it many years ago, and It is one of the few things that I have kept out and not put up or thrown away. Every time I look at it, I see myself with my shepherd, Jesus. Every day in my life, I have been one of those sheep. 

I grew up on a farm north of Plainview with two brothers and a sister. Dickie (Richard), my older brother, and I were together most of the time. I believed that anything he could do, I could also do. The problem was he had an adventurous, bold spirit, and so did I. So our adventures usually got us into trouble. We weren’t rebellious, exactly. We listened and tried to do what our parents said, but our spirit of adventure spoke louder, and our plans seemed much better than theirs. One of these adventures ended up with me falling and breaking my arm. It was noon time and mother had just called us in to eat. Mother and Daddy had to leave their meal and work to drive 12 miles to the hospital to have my arm set. I cannot remember anything ever being said in anger to me about what happened (Grace). Sounds just like the sheep that keeps wandering off doing its own thing, not listening to the shepherd, getting in trouble. And the Good Shepherd comes, finds the sheep and takes it home. 

I have many stories I could tell of being held by my Heavenly Father so closely that I could feel and hear His heartbeat! These are the times where I grew in my relationship to Him, learned to rest and trust in His Love for me!

Thanksgiving of 2021, Stewart and I both were sick with Covid. Stewart was in the hospital fighting for his life. I was home feeling like I wanted to die. Our children had come to care for us, and it was the first night I was able to stay alone. I knew Stewart might not live, and suddenly I felt frightened and all alone. I knew in my heart that God never leaves us. He alone has the last word, and His Love is in all he does and allows in our lives, but fear of losing control and of the unknown was creeping into my heart. I was still so sick that I could not even form a sentence or a prayer. I noticed a bright light in our backyard, and it looked as if a tree was covered in light. I went to examine it closer and noticed that the light pole, which is about 18 ft. tall was burning brightly, shining light all over our backyard and through the trees. Now this light had not worked in over 20 years. I heard the Lord say, “Don’t be afraid; I AM with you! I will never leave you! Everything will be alright!” I felt that peace that passes all understanding fill my heart and mind. I knew no matter what happened, I would be OK. I could rest in His promises. That light worked until Stewart was completely well and strong. One night I went to turn it on, and it hasn’t worked since. I no longer needed a physical sign of His love. I was living it! My Shepherd was there to hold me close to His heart and give me comfort and peace. 

John 10:27: “My sheep, hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” For as long as I can remember, I have known Jesus as my Savior and my Friend. Through my life stories, I have grown to know my Father’s love for me. I have learned to recognize the Holy Spirit’s voice, and I have learned how to follow him. But like in my first story of the sheep, that spirit of adventure sometimes speaks louder and my plans seem better. Through it all, my Good Shepherd is always there for me! He gives me His Grace and righteousness. He makes me lie down in green pastures ( rest in Him). He restores my soul!

We want to thank Elaine Norrell for sharing this post.

My memories of Christmas as a child mostly consisted of a very old, white, aluminum Christmas tree that my half-sister was going to throw away. My siblings and I would make homemade decorations to hang on it. I especially remember the paper chains, where we would cut paper strips, color them red and green, and glue them together with homemade paste made of flour and water. One year we had a tumble weed that we decorated when the aluminum tree finally fell apart. On Christmas morning we would wake up to a sock with candy, fruit, and nuts.  No presents.

But there is one Christmas that really stands out in my memory. It had been a particularly bad year for my family. We had moved to Spur, because Daddy found a job there. I was in the second grade.  It was a very cold winter, and we had to walk to school. It seems you had to live at least 2 miles from the school to be able to ride the bus. It was so cold that we couldn’t feel our fingers when we got to school, and the teacher had to pry my lunch sack out of my hands. I think my older sister had it even worse, as she had to stay in the nurse’s office for quite a while trying to warm up. After that, we were told we could ride the bus. 

Then Christmas break came. Daddy had lost his job, and they had turned the electricity off to our house. Mama and all the kids (5 at the time, including a baby) huddled on the bed with all the blankets we had. You could still see everyone’s breath and ice on the inside of the windows and in the cracks in the walls. We were down to only pinto beans and rice to eat. It was a really bad time to not be in school.

One morning Daddy came in and told us to get in the car. We drove to a mercantile store downtown. Daddy said we were all going in. This was very unusual because Daddy never let us go into stores. A man unlocked the door for us and told us we could each pick out anything in the store that we wanted, and it would be our Christmas gift from him. He gave Mama a basket and told her to fill it with everything she needed to cook Christmas lunch, even dessert. We were all so shocked, we didn’t realize that it was Christmas Day. It seemed so magical. My sister picked out a Thumbelina doll and begged me to get a stroller to go with it.  It seemed like we looked around for hours. I chose a red rubber ball and it lasted for years, until there was no red coating left on it and there were chunks out of the rubber from being hit with our makeshift bats made of two by fours. When we got home, the electricity had been turned back on, and the house was so cozy and warm. One of the best things that day was a big Christmas lunch, with no beans or rice. I think this was probably one of the best Christmases we ever had. We had no tree and no stockings, but someone cared about us, and I am still in awe of how God sent this angel to show us His love. God came down that Christmas and joined us for a day I will never forget!

We want to thank Naomi Jones for sharing this post.

Christmas! The most wonderful time of the year. I love Christmas. I love the tree with lots of white lights on it.  I love the packages under it. I love the music. I love the movies (my favorite Christmas movie is Christmas Vacation. LOL). I love the Nativity sets I have, and yes, I have a few. But the thing I love most is the look of excitement on the faces of my grandkids. 

We have a family tradition of attending a Christmas Eve candlelight service. It started many years ago. In the past, I would have a house full of people for dinner, church, and opening packages. Now instead of the family coming to our house, we go to Canyon to spend Christmas with our kids and attend the candlelight service at Harvest Connexion in Amarillo. I have a picture I took a couple of years ago of my grandson, he was 2 years old. Don (PaPa) is holding a candle. Liam is looking at the flame with such a look of wonder on his face. To me, that captures the Wonder of Christmas best.  

Luke 2:1-21 gives us the story of the birth of our Savior. This story is full of wonder. Can you imagine being a young woman and being told you were pregnant, even though you were a virgin? Can you imagine being the man who was engaged to her and being told she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit and would give birth to the Savior of the world? Can you imagine traveling several miles from your home, in labor, and giving birth in a stable with animals all around you? I can’t. My youngest grandchild was born in the middle of August. I was blessed to be there for her birth. My daughter was in a sterile hospital with great nurses and doctors, and best of all, an epidural. It was such a miracle to witness, but nothing compares to the birth of Jesus.  

Can you imagine being the shepherds in the fields with their sheep, and Angels coming to give you the good news of the birth of the Promised Messiah? Luke 2:8-14 tells us the Angels told them they would find the baby wrapped in cloths laying in a manger (Luke 2:12). And THAT is the whole Wonder of Christmas!  A baby wrapped in cloths. A baby who had left heaven. A baby who was born to be both man and God. A baby who had been prophesied many years earlier. Isaiah 9:6 tells us, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the covenant will be on his shoulders, and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” A baby. Just a little tiny human who needed to be cleaned up, warmed up, and fed. A baby who was like all other babies, but a baby wrapped in wonder. A baby who would grow up and play with His siblings. A baby who learned from his earthly father how to be a carpenter. A baby who went into ministry.  A baby who was crucified, died, and rose again to forgive me and you for our sins. A baby who WILL come again. Luke 2:14 says, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

We want to thank Hope Warren for sharing this post.