Advent
How to Treasure Christ at Christmas When Life is Hard
When I first held my precious son in my arms, I had dreams of what he would do and become. I didn't expect that within the first four years of his life my son would receive six diagnoses that would make some of my dreams for him close to impossible. I never dreamed that I would experience the sorrows and struggles and overwhelming anxieties that come with being a special needs parent . And I definitely didn't expect that a few years later, his little brother would receive a few diagnosis of his own. I found myself in an unexpected cycle of grief as playdates were replaced with endless appointments, and I watched my sons fall further and further behind their peers developmentally. The holidays can be a time when our griefs and struggles get amplified. We can feel overwhelmed with Christmas plans and expectations, or feel isolated and alone in our grief. In either case, God feels far away and we feel far from celebrating.
Faith25 Scriptures to Pray to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas
Christmas is always a busy time of year. There’s decorations to put up, gifts to buy, parties to attend, memories to make. There’s pressure to have Pinterest perfect decor and the best Christmas experiences for your whole family, that it’s easy to miss the peace and joy that the birth of our Savior should bring. I absolutely love reading Advent devotionals to get my heart in the right place before Christmas. But this year, I’ve decided that in addition to reading Advent devotionals to prepare my heart for Christmas, I want to be intentional about reading and reflecting on God’s Word to prepare my heart for Christmas. There is a button near the bottom of this page where you can share or print this article. I encourage you to print it out, keep it in your Bible, and read and reflect on one of these Scriptures and prayer prompts a day throughout Advent. Pray that this holiday season, you will be filled with the joy and the wonder of God sending His son as a gift so that we would be saved.
PrayerWhat Charles Dickens Teaches Us About Disability in His Christmas Novellas
Every December, my 7th grade students read A Christmas Carol . It's one of my favorite books I teach, there’s so much to learn and discuss and analyze from that book. This past weekend I decided to spend my Saturday morning with a cup of coffee and read another Christmas novella of Charles Dickens, titled A Cricket on the Hearth . I think we all know the story of A Christmas Carol (1843), but A Cricket on the Hearth (1845) is not as common, about a rich, prideful toy merchant named Tackleton and his poor employee, the toymaker Caleb Plummer and his daughter, Bertha, who is blind (does this sound reminiscent of A Christmas Carol ? Yep, but the rest of the story is very different, though I won’t focus on that). Charles Dickens includes themes of wealth and poverty into all his stories, due to his background of having his father thrown into debtor’s prison, and so Dickens at age 12 dropped out of school to work in a factory to help pay off his father’s debts and to help provide for his family.
Special needsEmbracing Emmanuel
Slow down this Christmas season and rediscover the wonder of Emmanuel, “God with us.” Amid the hustle and hurry of the holidays, Embracing Emmanuel invites you to make space for what matters most—encountering the presence of Jesus, God with us—this Christmas and beyond. Through the stories, Scriptures, and people surrounding the first Christmas, this devotional gently draws you into the awe and intimacy of God coming to dwell with us. Spanning the entire sacred season of Advent through Epiphany (January 6), each daily devotion includes: Scripture-based reflections that draw you deeper into the wonder of “God with us.”,Reflection questions to help you connect personally with God and His presence.,Scripture-based prayers and a recommended song to guide your heart in worship and response. Embracing Emmanuel will help you prepare Him room—not only at Christmas, but in the days and months beyond.
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