Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
The Lord has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
Psalm 98:1-4
It is DECEMBER! I love December.. it is, to be honest, my favorite month.
There are many reasons for this. For instance, I can listen to Christmas music loudly and everyone is okay with it, family and friends gather for celebrations, Christmas lights line the neighborhoods, and there is a higher likelihood for snow!! There is such a joy surrounding this month and it is wrapped up in the remembrance of long ago when we were waiting for the Saviour, Jesus Christ to be born. This is a month of HOPE, a month of JOY, a month of PEACE, a month of LOVE as we look ahead at the excitement of the celebration of Jesus' birth. This is a time of remembering- of where we have come from and where we are now.
For me, I look back and holidays have been interesting. I look back to before my parents' divorce and remember this time as one of joy, of traditions, of thrilling adventures. I look back to after the divorce and remember this time as one where we "just did it"; that holidays were an obligation and brought stress, worry, and despair. Then I look back to the past few years and just sit in amazement as this time is once again full of joy, of traditions, of excitement; however, this time around is different. This time around Christ is at the center; the realization of what his birth meant for me- and the world- is real and tangible. Our God is a God of redemption and He has redeemed this month and the celebration of His life!
I am SO excited for what is ahead in the coming month- trips to Idaho with family and "framily; parties here in the area; and time for rest, skiing, running, and sipping hot cocoa with a book by the fire... in addition to all that is going to come that I can't even begin to imagine!
Enjoy this month; give thanks for all; create a habit to give generously; and go forward in love in all things.
I am grateful for you- my friends, family, and other readers; and pray with excitement and expectation at all the Lord has in store. He seeks to reveal more of Himself to you everyday; so, I pray, that we would have eyes to see, ears to hear, minds to know, and hearts to understand the greatness of our God. That we would walk in grace, in love, in hope, in joy, in peace, and not shut ourselves off from the abundant life that we have been given so freely.
Blessings,
Emily
There are many reasons for this. For instance, I can listen to Christmas music loudly and everyone is okay with it, family and friends gather for celebrations, Christmas lights line the neighborhoods, and there is a higher likelihood for snow!! There is such a joy surrounding this month and it is wrapped up in the remembrance of long ago when we were waiting for the Saviour, Jesus Christ to be born. This is a month of HOPE, a month of JOY, a month of PEACE, a month of LOVE as we look ahead at the excitement of the celebration of Jesus' birth. This is a time of remembering- of where we have come from and where we are now.
For me, I look back and holidays have been interesting. I look back to before my parents' divorce and remember this time as one of joy, of traditions, of thrilling adventures. I look back to after the divorce and remember this time as one where we "just did it"; that holidays were an obligation and brought stress, worry, and despair. Then I look back to the past few years and just sit in amazement as this time is once again full of joy, of traditions, of excitement; however, this time around is different. This time around Christ is at the center; the realization of what his birth meant for me- and the world- is real and tangible. Our God is a God of redemption and He has redeemed this month and the celebration of His life!
I am SO excited for what is ahead in the coming month- trips to Idaho with family and "framily; parties here in the area; and time for rest, skiing, running, and sipping hot cocoa with a book by the fire... in addition to all that is going to come that I can't even begin to imagine!
Enjoy this month; give thanks for all; create a habit to give generously; and go forward in love in all things.
I am grateful for you- my friends, family, and other readers; and pray with excitement and expectation at all the Lord has in store. He seeks to reveal more of Himself to you everyday; so, I pray, that we would have eyes to see, ears to hear, minds to know, and hearts to understand the greatness of our God. That we would walk in grace, in love, in hope, in joy, in peace, and not shut ourselves off from the abundant life that we have been given so freely.
Blessings,
Emily