Good Morning Gorgeous,

It’s a brand new day. A fresh start. A new day to rise and celebrate the Christmas Season. Today is, “Wear Christmas Socks to school day.”

As you rise, it may be wrap more presents day. Plan holiday meals day. Get Christmas Cards written and addressed day. Or get a few more gifts day. There may be things to do for work, errands to run after work, and things to make or do in the evenings too.

I have quite a list of things that need accomplished, yet as soon as the kids are asleep each night, I am headed to bed too.

There is no more creativity or energy left, so last night it was 8:30, and I was calling it a night.

There is alot to do, but I am choosing this year not to sacrifice my peace to celebrate the prince of peace.

I am choosing joy despite the crazy days and the pressure added.

I am choosing joy and adding in moments of stillness.

I am choosing joy and purposefully accomplishing a few things each day without believing the lie that it all has do be done now or in one exhausting sitting.

I am choosing joy and returning my gaze to Jesus as often as I remember. Again and again, I am praying for my perspective to shift back to Him.

I am choosing joy. I am choosing joy. I am choosing joy.

These can become our Christmas I am statements.

I am choosing joy and_____________. You can fill in the blank with the things that will keep you grounded in the peace of Jesus.

And one way to capture the joy of Christmas and keep it alive and flowing from you is to keep marveling at the Christmas miracle of Christ’s birth. We have heard it so many times, sometimes it becomes common to us. Yet, if we sit and let the events marinate in our spirits as we think about the events that we are celebrating each Christmas, it’s a breathtaking, awe inspiring, bite your fingernails, what’s gonna happen next kind of story!

Jesus left the throne room of heaven! He entered the earth as a helpless baby leaning on His earthly mother for every provision. He was born into a humble family with the wildest birth story I’ve ever encountered. A barn? A feeding trough for a bed? No clean bed. No clean room. Barn animals witnessed the birth of the Savior. Humble entrance as close to His creation as possible. That’s how God chose to live among His people. Closely. In relationship. The way it was meant to be in Eden before sin entered the picture. Close with people. In relationship. It’s His desire. Closeness with His people. Closeness with you and with me. The Heart of our Lord is something to marvel at!

Last night, I was putting the twins to bed and they asked, “Tell us the next story in our bible.” They meant the next part of Jesus’s story. We left off with the angel Gabriel a few nights ago. I started to retell that part, and they said, “No we want to hear what happened next!” As I began to tell them of Mary’s journey to Bethelehem and the birth of Jesus in a stable, their little eyes grew wide, jaws dropped, and they had a million questions like they never heard the story before. I know they have, but they received it brand new last night.

We can receive it brand new too with our jaws dropped and a million questions running through our minds. We can mull the story over and over and ask the Holy Spirit all of our questions like why that way? What was the Father doing in heaven as Jesus was born in the earth? Were the angels celebrating or grieving? Was there a special host of angels at Mary’s side as she delivered? I can list many more!

As you really sit and ponder this miracle, joy bubbles up like a shaken soda bottle. You can’t help but spill over with it.

Our Lord loves us with such a passionate, all consuming, radical, crazy, out of the box, hard to fathom or comprehend LOVE that He gave up everything to gather us back to Himself!!! And it began with a miraculous birth story in a humble barn. Jesus born from the womb of a chosen mother, as close to humanity as possible. Living a life only the Holy Lord Himself could live and then presenting Himself the blameless lamb to reconcile us back to right relationship where we can talk to Him, call on Him, and walk with Him hand in hand again!

Choose joy today my Gorgeous friends! Celebrate the miracle of Christmas by marvelling at the events that brought us back to the Lord.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Wow! I am in awe of You! You are a marvel and treasure. You are marvelous and Holy and You are a good, good Father who gives so freely. Let us draw near to You this Christmas season and all year long. Help us to grasp as best we can how much You love us! In Jesus’s name, Amen

Blessings and Joy!

Vanessa Lynn