Archives for December 2016

(Reprinted with permission from Elisa Morgan.  For the complete Really blog, please see www.elisamorgan.com.)

 

 

Christmas Changes Everything        By Elisa Morgan When did Christmas become Christmas to you? When did it become more than Santa and stockings and presents? When did it morph into more than choirs and candles and carolers? When did Christmas become more than family?   When Christmas becomes Christmas, it changes everything! Consider several main characters in the Christmas story …   Christmas made Mary the mother of our Savior. She was just a young devout Jewess who was betrothed but still a virgin, when the invitation from God through Gabriel changed her present and future. Mary responded to that invitation with a yes, with trust, with agreement and submission. The identity of Christmas birthing in Mary changed her – and changed our world.   Christmas made Joseph the stepfather of Jesus. One day he was a carpenter, betrothed to Mary who was stunningly found to be pregnant, though their marriage had yet to be consummated. In an attempt to help Mary save face, Joseph carefully decided to divorce her quietly. Yet before the next day would dawn, Joseph’s world was rearranged by a dream and a message in it from an angel. Christmas changed Joseph from a grieving, ruined, devastated betrothed groom to a committed, trusting husband of the mother of God, who accepted her Son as his own.   Christmas changed the shepherds. After an angel appeared, they moved from a field to a manger. Christmas changed the shepherds from watching over lambs in a field near Jerusalem to worshipping the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.   Christmas changed Herod. Knowing his false royal identity – he was neither of the line of David nor even a true king – Herod fought to rid the world of what he saw as a rival king in the birth of the promised Messiah. Unsure of the child’s location, he ordered the slaying of all baby boys two years and under to make sure his throne would remain intact. Because Joseph and Mary escaped to Egypt with their Son, Herod missed Jesus. Christmas changed Herod from a man who might discover faith to one who followed after fear.   Christmas changed the Magi. They followed a star to honor a newborn king and along the way were instructed by Herod to report back their findings. After finding the Christ child, they refused. Christmas changed their loyalties from honoring an earthly authority to recognizing a heavenly presence.   When Christmas becomes Christmas, it changes you and me. From the moment we first thrill to its magic of twinkly lights and promise, through our discovery of the hollow of the holy night, we come to embrace both its salvation and its sacrifice and we are changed.   Christmas changes everything. It gives meaning to our meanderings, wonder to our wanderings and joy to our journeys.   Merry Christmas!   Elisa Morgan speaks and writes to equip and encourage others. She is the cohost of Discover the Word. Her books includeHello, Beauty Full, The Beauty of Broken andShe Did What She Could. Connect with Elisa @elisa_morgan on Twitter, on Facebook and elisamorganauthor on Instagram.

 

CHRISTY NOCKELS . . . “A Thrill of Hope”

“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious ‘morn!” I couldn’t be more grateful to be releasing my first Christmas album, “The Thrill of Hope”! It has been one of the greatest joys of my life to write and record these songs and offer them to the world. Thank you again to all of you who supported this record and made this dream a reality. May Jesus be treasured as you listen this season! {available on iTunes and Amazon.com} #thethrillofhope bit.ly/thethrillofhope. 📷: @kaylajohnsonphoto