A WONDERful time of the year

One of my favorite authors, Margaret Feinberg [www.margaretfeinberg.com], has a new book and 7-session Bible Study called Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God  (releasing Christmas Day)—a personal invitation for you to toss back the covers, climb out of bed, and drink in the fullness of life. Wonderstruck will help you:

·         Recognize the presence of God in the midst of your routine
·         Unearth extraordinary moments on ordinary days
·         Develop a renewed passion for God
·         Identify what’s holding you back in prayer
·         Discover joy in knowing you’re wildly loved

To learn more, watch the Wonderstruck Video, here.                    

"Peel back the curtain. Reveal your holiness. Transform us forever."

God works in Wonder.  It's His modus operandi.  His ways and His hand in our lives will leave us awestruck, if we take the a moment to notice.  

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I most closely experience the wonder of God whenever I have the opportunity to hold a baby fresh from heaven.  I am content to just gaze on the tiny face, listen to each new breath, and take in the distinct sweet smell of a newborn baby.   

Like a moth to a flame we can’t help but gather at the endearing coo of a baby to ooh and ahh over the tiny creation!

When He sent us the gift of salvation, I think He caught us all off guard by sending His son in the form of a precious baby boy.  I don't know any of us would have anticipated that he would reveal himself so tenderly.

So fragile. 
So small. 
So intimate.
So holy.

Who could resist?  Did this King really just come to us so helpless and vulnerable?  Did the great I AM truly humble Himself so exceptionally? Did He really just give us the power of life in a bundle so tiny we could literally hold it in our hands? 

We were drawn in.

So great is His love for us, He trusts us to our own free will to crush or cherish this gift.  He is literally ours, unveiled and laid bare to accept or reject.  This precious gift of unabashed love breaks past the barrier of our sin and resulting distrust, to the depth of our hearts where truth is re-awakened. 

We are transformed. 
All is made new. 
We can start again. 
No condemnation.
Just love. 

For if He would humble himself and enter into our humanity, then we must be worth more than we have let ourselves imagine.  He believes in us.

We drop our defenses and He sets us free.  The debt is paid.   Now without fear or anxiety, we can emerge from our shame, bitterness and resentment to the fresh air of forgiveness. 

Oh how he loves us!  Oh how we love Him in return!

Christmas is the season for wonder.  It's why we look forward to it each year.  I wouldn't mind a little more wonder every day of the year. Start your journey of wonder with this new book. 

Follow Margaret’s inspirational posts on Twitter,  Facebook , or her blog. You can learn more about this great book by visiting www.margaretfeinberg.com/wonderstruck where she’s offering some crazy promos right now with up to $300 of free stuff.  I ordered my own copy for only $7.57 on Amazon!

In Heavenly Peace

My heart has been begging my mind to slow down and focus on the intent of this Christmas season:  Advent, a time of reflection, introspection, quiet and rest.

But it wasn't until Friday, that all the little things that seemed so urgent, were abruptly placed into perspective. 

Shop for one more holiday trinket, or pause for a mommy-daughter lunch?  Get on top of my year-end reporting, or actually get home in time for dinner with the family? Holiday party or quiet time with my 4 year old boy who is feeling under the weather?

Suddenly these questions seem ridiculous.

There is silence as we mourn with the Newtown families and community.  We are bound to them in prayer as we empathize with their unfathomable loss. We are reminded of how fragile life is and how important it is to embrace every second of it with our loved ones. 

And we wonder if "safe" exists for any of us anymore.

Micah 5:4  He will stand and shepherd his flock...and they shall live securely.

Because of His birth, life, death and resurrection, we can live secure in the knowledge that He waits for us.  He is always close.   He is desperate for us to invite Him in.  Regardless of what we are living through right now, there is comfort and security in his deep and fierce love for us.

Our Shepherd feels our anguish. He knows the pain of losing a child to a terrible death at the hand of sin.  He humbled himself and lived it first hand, so that we could receive the promise of His restoration, and live in the confidence of life everlasting without sin and without pain. 

In this season of faith and family and friends, this tragedy is all the more cruel.  But because He came, we have the promise and assurance of a time and place where we can live, and love, and forgive.

As we focus on the birth of the Redeemer, hold on to the promise.  Be consoled.  Be assured.  Be at peace. 

I shall dwell secure.
He shall be my peace.


Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won’t you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.

This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.

Hopefully,
Your Children
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