Special Trees for Christmas

Samara’s Christmas Tree
by Katie Lewis
Noonday Collection played a huge role in helping bring Samara home. When we decided to adopt, I became a Noonday Collection ambassador to help cover adoption expenses. Noonday Collection, a fair-trade company that brings handmade goods from artisans around the world to American customers, actually started as an adoption fundraiser. Over the past ten years, many ambassadors have joined for the same reason — to help fund their adoption journeys. 

Throughout our adoption process, many of our friends and family hosted fundraisers through Noonday Collection to support us. Among the beautiful items in their winter line are holiday ornaments crafted by artisans in places like India, Thailand, Peru, Guatemala, and Mexico.
For Samara’s first Christmas, I decided to put a tree in her room and decorate it with these meaningful ornaments. This tree symbolizes the joy she brings to our family and the love shown to us by so many during our adoption journey. Recently, we added ornaments made by our friend Betty Kinchen, using fabric from Noonday jewelry bags left over from a quilt she made for us.

Each year, decorating this tree with Samara is a precious tradition, allowing us to share the story of its significance with her.

The Jesse Tree
by Charise Wilson

Each Christmas, during Advent, we read stories from The Storybook Bible, starting with creation and continuing to the birth of Christ. After each reading, we add an ornament to our Jesse Tree that corresponds to the day’s Bible story.

Christmas Traditions

What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase, Christmas traditions? Family gathered together? The giving and receiving of presents? Delicious food prepared and enjoyed? Decorating a tree? Attending Christmas church services? Reading the Christmas story?

I have fond memories of a family Christmas tradition that took place for many years throughout my childhood, youth, and young adult years. My family would go to my maternal grandparents’ home every Christmas night. My mom’s sister and her family, my mom’s brother and his family, along with friends who we claimed as family would be there. Because we were all stuffed from festive foods and desserts from the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday gatherings, we kept the menu simple to pick up foods. It was a laid-back setting where everyone was mingling, talking, eating, and sharing Christmas stories until we transitioned to my favorite part of the night – gathering in the living room around the piano.

We would all sing fun, festive Christmas songs at first and then transition to beloved Christmas songs and Christmas Carols. I remember always singing and leading our family with 2 of my favorite songs – “Silent Night” and “Oh Holy Night.” The time of music would then always end with my grandfather and I singing a unique version to us of  “Jesus Loves Me.” This was Christmas to me, and Christmas was not complete until these things took place. 

Traditions are a way to remember the meaning of Christmas. We are a forgetful people. We can get so distracted with the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, that we can forget the “why” and the “who” we celebrate – Jesus. Traditions can serve as an opportunity to stop, think, remember, and point us back to Jesus – God’s greatest gift to the world. Luke 2:11 states, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Christmas traditions remind us of our identity in Christ. “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.” I John 4:9 Jesus Christ was born to die…for us, so we can truly live, follow Him, and have abundant and eternal life. This is the Gospel. And, the Gospel changes everything.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” This verse does not tell us to renew our hearts but to renew our minds. We need to do this because we often forget who we are. Once our mind is transformed, Paul tells us we will be able to test approve what God’s will is. And by doing this, we will experience “life through Him” (I John 4:9).

My childhood Christmas tradition of music at my grandparents’ home always helped me remember the meaning of Christmas – Christ coming to earth for the world. It reminded me of my identity in Christ as His child. It helped me “renew” my mind.

Traditions are a way to bring our focus back to the real celebration of Christmas—that God Himself came to earth to rescue His people through His Son, Jesus. We hope that Christmas traditions ring true for you and your family for years to come.

What traditions do you have to point to Jesus during Christmas?

God’s Great Love

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son. That whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

When we think about scripture and all the holidays in the year, we tend to think more on this verse at Easter than we do at Christmas. This is our focus verse this month with our FBJ Preschool because it helps them see an aspect of Christmas that their minds can easily grasp, LOVE.

There are scriptures and songs that we read and sing with preschoolers and children that I feel as adults we tend to just read or sing without much thought to the meaning because we have heard them so many times. When we stop and dwell on the words and meanings, they are still very applicable to our lives today just as when we were young children.

Let’s look at the first part of this verse and how it shows us the importance of love in the Christmas story.

“For God so LOVED the world…”

God loves each and every one of us, no matter our age. As a mother, I look at my children and think my heart can hardly contain all the love I feel for them. Think about how much Mary loved her baby boy. Can you imagine how God feels when He considers His children?

“That He gave His only SON…”

And because He loves us so much, He came down. He came as a baby who needed to be cared for. He came so that we might know that He is not so far above us that He cannot hear our cries for help. He came so that we may see His love on full display. So that we may know Him and experience the fullness of His grace, mercy, and love.

As we go through the holidays and the days beyond, I challenge you to take the time to pause and reflect on how immense and incredible God’s love really is. How can we show this kind of love to our family, neighbors, co-workers, and everyone around us? I pray that we will all shine His light and love brightly into a world who desperately needs a Savior.

The Prince of Peace

The Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the cooler weather (at least on some days), getting to eat potato soup with way too much cheese in it, seeing the Christmas lights as I drive around town, and listening to my favorite Christmas album on repeat – starting after Thanksgiving of course. As much as I enjoy the Christmas season for those reasons, there are several reasons the Christmas season can be a difficult one for everyone. Sometimes the hustle and bustle of the season can make Christmas seem anything but peaceful. We might finally experience a little bit of peace once all of the food is prepared, exams are finished, deadlines at work have been met, and all the decorations have been put up – but even then we have this feeling inside knowing it won’t last long and that dishes will need to be cleaned, spring semester will soon begin, holidays at work only last so long, and the attic will soon be calling for the boxes of decorations to be put back in place.

As peaceful as we picture Christmas to be, we often times miss out on taking time to reflect on the true peace of Christmas. I love how John records Jesus’ last night with the disciples on the night of his arrest. Starting in John 13 all the way until his arrest in John 18, we see Jesus have special moments with his disciples and with just Him and the Father while praying. Jesus pours his heart out to the disciples with all sorts of “final words of wisdom” He has for them. In the midst of it all and telling them what was going to happen, He tells them to find peace in Him. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

 Jesus doesn’t tell the disciples to just have peace that things might be okay one day. He doesn’t tell them to find peace in the season or in each other. He tells them that in the days, months, and years ahead when their life will be challenging because of what they believe and are going to teach, when their master is no longer walking with them, when it seems like all hope is lost, to find peace in Him. That is the peace of Christmas – found only in Jesus. My prayer is that we never seek our peace in anything other than Jesus. Seeking anywhere else will leave us in a place where we never have or understand true peace. Our peace is found in Jesus – the Prince of Peace.

The Gift of Joy

Can you believe Christmas is just around the corner? It’s the most wonderful time of the year and sometimes the most hectic too. Many stores and homes are decorated for Christmas with lights, trees and stockings which are always fun and festive! There are holiday parties, activities, plays, and performances to attend. From creating to cooking to giving, our days are certainly full! So, how do we focus on having a Christ-centered Christmas, remembering the true meaning of Christmas not just during this season but all year round?

If we look back to when Jesus was born, life was hectic too. It was tax season. Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem for the census. There was no place for them to stay, and Mary was about to have a baby. Amid all the chaos, Christ came. It was in a humble, hay-filled manger, that the Holy Child was laid in swaddling clothes. It was so commonplace that even the townspeople and guests did not notice what was taking place. The shepherds would have missed the event had it not been for the angel proclaiming, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” The gospel of Matthew declares, “And His name will be called Emmanuel, God with us.” This is the true meaning of Christmas.

In God’s plan, the little things are the big things; the weak things are the powerful things; the commonplace things are the most extraordinary things. The easily overlooked things tend to be the most important. The birth of a Savior, little and weak, hidden in a manger in a village, tells us this is so.

Let us remember this Christmas that the parties, plays and performances will end, and the decorations will be put away, but Christ came to stay. He is God with us. This good news that causes great joy for all people is life changing.

The Hope for All

 Christmas is full of surprises. People you don’t expect to see, gifts you didn’t expect to get, pounds you didn’t expect to gain. Expect the unexpected at Christmas. Let’s discover one of the biggest surprises of Christmas in a very unusual place. That place is easy to skip over when you are reading God’s Word. The place I mean, is in the first chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, in that seemingly boring genealogy of Jesus. In this seldom dusted corner of God’s Word, you and I can find the wonderful gift of HOPE.

Matthew makes sure we are well aware of Jesus’ “pedigree.” The ancient Jews didn’t need 23 and Me, because they knew their heritage. These were folks very aware of their ancestry. It is vital to them that Matthew prove that Jesus is a “pure-blooded” Jew, who could trace His ancestry to Abraham and King David. If Matthew can’t quickly show his first readers this important connection, then they are not going to be open to reading this account. Matthew does this so well that the enemies of Jesus never thought about questioning His ancestral line, to dispute Jesus’ claims.

Every family tree has a bad apple, I suppose, and Matthew makes a point to include those in Jesus’ family tree. Amongst the heroes of faith, there are folks in this list who have moral failures, and those whose pride led to the division of their nation. There are rough characters in this list among the good ones. Matthew presents the factual genealogy, warts and all! And in doing so, reminds us that Jesus had outlaws for in-laws! Christmas reminds us there is HOPE FOR SINNERS!

 And goodness, Matthew dares to do the unthinkable in that day – he included WOMEN! Rahab is listed, and her profession surely would have excluded her. And get this, some of the women were not even Jewish. Do you hear Matthew reminding us that there is HOPE FOR OUTSIDERS. There are so many ways we can feel like an outsider today, but take heart – Jesus understands, and includes outsiders!

Tamar is another in the list, and her story reminds us that families sometimes fail. Those with failed families find HOPE WITH OUR LORD.  

Those in this genealogy with less than stellar pasts, might make us ask “WHY?” But Jesus, Himself, answers that in Matthew 9, when He says, “I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Apparently failed lives are welcome in Jesus’ family!  The HOPE of Christmas is that Jesus calls us all to Himself like we are, and He changes us!

One last group worth a quick look, would be the nine names in this list who are not known to scholars. There are nine names listed that don’t appear anywhere else in the Bible. What a great reminder that there is HOPE FOR THOSE WHO FEEL FORGOTEN. It is easy to feel forgotten this time of year. If you feel like nobody knows you or remembers you, find comfort in this list of nine included folks nobody knows!

The fact that Jesus chose these outlaws, these hurting people, these foreign people and these unknown people, is a great reminder for us that He choses us! Hear today His wonderful invitation: “WHOSOEVER will, may come”. Come to Jesus and find the HOPE you have been looking for.  

The Light of Christmas

Do you have a Christmas tradition in your family or ever had one? Maybe it is the annual Christmas tree hunt, making a gingerbread house, going to the local Christmas parade, or the Christmas Eve dinner together as a family. Family traditions solicit memories of the past, joy in the present, and expectations for the future.

One of our families’ favorite traditions and one that I grew up with, is going to look at Christmas lights. Christmas itself is about celebrating THE light! Scripture shows us that Jesus is the light that was sent into the darkness to be reveal His glory, majesty, and give each of us an opportunity to have a relationship with Him so that we could have eternal life. Scripture also shows that you and I have an opportunity to share that light.  Briefly read Luke 2:8-9, Matthew 2:2, John 8:12, and Matthew 5:14-16.

The thing about light is that it gives us direction. When there is light, darkness is absent. We see things more clearly and know exactly where we are going. Light is comforting. Like a warm blanket on a cold winter night, it brings warmth and arguably even a feeling of “home.” Light also dispels fear. Specifically, drawing closer to THE light we know our Creator walks with us.

This Christmas season focus on the one light that came as a baby boy in Jesus. Reflect on Him and His light. Give the dark uncertainties of your life to Him and replace them with joy knowing that our Heavenly Father loves you. For the next few weeks our family ministry staff hopes that you will find direction, hope, comfort, and peace in the One who was sent as light to the world.  A familiar song that we all here this time of year captures perfectly the birth of Jesus meant for the world then and for us today.  Ever more, our “weary world” today can find joy in Christ.  May we all be filled will a “thrill of hope” this Christmas as we focus on Him.

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;

Family Challenge:

Drive around this Christmas season looking at the lights while listening to a few of the following songs together focusing on the true meaning of the season:

• Light of the World, Lauren Daigle
• Behold, Phil Wickham/Anne Wilson
• Christmas Day, Chris Tomlin
• King of Kings/Angels We Have Heard On High, Maverick City

Exposed!

“Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.” John 3:20.

It’s a truth I must face. I tend to be partial to the cloudy, wintry days that arrest the bright sunlight and hold it at bay – only when it comes to the indoors. Let me explain. I’m an outside person – digging in the dirt, raking leaves and debris, planting seeds, trimming shrubs and lugging heavy stones from place to place – it’s the world I love. The inside of our dwelling is an entirely different animal.

I detest housekeeping which I understand to be ridding it of dust, grime, stains, germs and clutter. If I nurture and care for a blooming plant outdoors, the plant rewards me with new life and beautiful blooms. If I “housekeep” our home, it sparkles and gleams for an abbreviated time only to be revisited with dust, grime, stains, germs and clutter. It’s an endless task.

As for the cloudy, wintry days, they camouflage the dust and give me lengthier days between cleaning and dusting. Then here comes spring and summer with its piercing rays that flood through our “need-cleaning” windows onto our furniture and glass table surfaces that wreak of dust. The bright rays expose not only my dust but my poor rating as a proficient housekeeper. There’s no escaping the evidence. The sunlight makes it obvious.

Perhaps that’s why a lot of believers neglect regular Bible reading. Isn’t it amazing that manuscripts written by multiple persons over centuries of time are still so relevant and can actually call our name through the readings? The Word is light and shines that light into any darkness. The Word exposes sin – not just “their” sin but mine!

Prayer works the same way. In the stillness and silence of prayer, we seek audience with a holy God. Sin stands as a wall, separating me from the Father. As I pray, He shines His light into any sin that shrouds my life – touchiness, anger, unforgiving spirit, pride, selfishness, gossip, hate, judgmental attitude . . . The list seems endless, but the Father longs for our fellowship, so He shines His blazing light into our hearts to seek out those separating sins.

His radiant light is pure and as we repent and confess, the Light warms our hearts and reflects His Light into the lives around us. And – when we consider that His Holy Spirit is dwelling in the hearts of all believers, shouldn’t we be vigilant to provide Him a spotless, squeaky clean home?

Spotless Lamb of God, increase our desire to keep our temples clean, free from sin, so that You may be glorified in the way we keep house. In Jesus’ name I ask. Amen.

Daily Perspective

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

How our world near and far has changed. A global pandemic stretched across this giant globe with a vengeance that distances couldn’t affect. It found no barriers. Now COVID is a universal word, recognized and feared by most.

As we swap our calendars for 2022, we linger over the thoughts of what this year holds. Will the pandemic continue to mutate into other challenges and fears? Will cold wars continue to escalate? Will inflation create and demand new lifestyles for families? Will crime continue to rise? Will corruption and immorality become an accepted trend?

The questions could lead us down a tunnel of doom and gloom – especially when we focus on the “what ifs” instead of our Refuge and Protection.

We church-goers are all familiar with the Lord’s model prayer. It’s a routine prayer in some congregations and consists of words that can flow from our lips without sinking into our hearts.

How often I have prayed in unison: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Yet I tend to think in weeks – even months. Jesus told us to observe the birds. Their daily supply never ends. His design is for His children to depend on His care and provision a day at a time.

Just stop and think how much stress would dissipate if our tomorrows didn’t rob us of today’s blessings. We would live today solely in today and depend on our caring Father for these twenty-four hours. After all, tomorrows never actually come.

Lord of all, Your directions for the abundant life aren’t complex. Teach us to live one day at a time with trust and joy to the extent we make the lost long for what we have. Amen.

An Icy Death Threat

  “But I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand.”

 Psalm 31:14-15

There’s a mental landmark along Highway 30 between Oxford and New Albany that Othel and I will always remember. It was a 20° early Sunday morning when we were on our way to a visit to church with our children. The fields were frosty white and the highway abandoned

As we hit the straightaway along some large sections of farmland, Othel and I gasped. A pickup truck was overturned in the ditch to our right, and a cloud of steam and smoke billowed from it. Othel hit his brakes and pulled off the highway. We saw a body lying in the frozen field three car lengths from the truck.

Othel sped back onto the highway to a nearby house and shouted to the occupants to call 911. He squealed out of the drive back to the accident. The highway was still deathly quiet. Othel rushed from our vehicle across the ditch to the body. It was a young college student, semiconscious and groaning in pain. Othel grabbed a coat from his truck and covered him. With other clothes, he tried to cushion his body from the frozen mattress of earth. Then he knelt down beside him and told him help was on the way. The wait for the ambulance seemed endless, but Othel continued to assure the young man with his presence.

Last week Othel received a Thanksgiving card from the young man’s family, similar to the one he gets from them each Thanksgiving. They continue to express their gratitude to Othel for stopping, for getting help, and for staying by his side. They thank God for their son’s life being spared in the accident and for Othel’s timely first aid in the icy temperatures.

As we mainstream into the Christmas season I think of what Christ’s birth mean to mankind, and my heart is filled with thanksgiving. He came as a gift to all who would receive Him. What an enormous love and sacrifice!

Too bad the world tends to celebrate this great gift just during the Christmas holidays and with little thought of its true significance. Because of His coming to earth with His salvation plan, we need to express thanksgiving on a daily basis.  

Each year in Othel’s card those parents say, “Thank you for staying with our son.” That was just a tiny picture of what God did for us on that night in Bethlehem. He sent Jesus – Immanuel – God (staying) with us . . . for eternity.

Holy God, prepare our hearts to celebrate the gift of Your Son this Christmas season and for the days that follow. Teach us how to express our gratitude for so great a Gift. I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

• Camille Anding is a child of God since age 12.
• Wife of 53 years to Othel; mother to Tahya and Eli;l grandmother to seven grandchildren and two great-grands.
• Retired from photography business with Othel. Now carry cameras on their travel adventures.
• Freelance writer, regular contributor to Hometown magazines, and dedicated to living “my utmost for His highest.”