On the third day of Christmas- Good tidings of great joy...meeting baby Jesus

Don't you love how different God's mind is from ours. Of all the people in the world he sends the angel to the lowly shepherds who were watching over their flock. He sends the angel to tell them the Savior is born and to invite them to go visit him! I never really noticed this before tonight but Jesus is a shepherd (the true shepherd) and the first people besides Mary and Joseph to get to meet the Savior were the shepherds. The wise men came later when Jesus was around 2 years old. I love how God always uses the little, the young, the dumb, the poor, those who are nothing special and he makes himself real to them and shows them his glory! They were told first hand that "peace on earth and good will toward men" had finally come! And because they went and search for the babe in the manger they got to welcome sweet baby Jesus to earth. Just think of it, the one who would die on an old rugged cross just 33 and a half years later, they got to see and worship as a newborn baby! I think that is so awesome!

Here is the account of the shepherds:

 Luke 2:8-17 KJV

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not:for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

God loves to show himself to those who he knows will humbly bow before him. Luke 2:20 says: And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

 They had seen Jesus, been with Jesus and they didn't hide it. They went and told about his birth. Meeting the Savior changed them and it changed me too.

I wasn't there the day Jesus was born, I wasn't there the day he died, and I wasn't there the day he arose from the grave...but I'm so thankful for the day I met him! On May 10,2009 I met this Savior and he gave me peace indescribable, he gave me joy unspeakable, and he gave me love unfathomable! Despite my extreme unworthiness he sent the Holy Ghost to speak to my heart; he led me to an old fashion altar where I bowed my knee and my heart and became his forever. I am glad I know what Christmas is really about. He came to die for you too. ❤ 

Check back tomorrow for the 4th day of Christmas :)

On the 2nd day of Christmas- letters to God

Little kids love writing a Christmas list or letter to Santa. I love the movies where the kids don't write a list but an actually letter to santa. A letter is so much sweeter than a list. I was never taught to believe in Santa (and I'm thankful for that...why would any parent want to lie to their child...and then we wonder why there are so many unbelievers. If parents are lying about Santa how can kids be sure they're not lying about God. Just sayin'.) but we do write out lists to give to our parents each year. It helps them with the shopping. Haha. It's nice to sit down and write what you want.

 But maybe this year instead, write a letter to God. A prayer letter, a thankful letter, a love letter whatever you want. We need to remember Christmas isn't about getting "things" like iPhones, new cars, or clothes or whatever you might be wishing for; it's about the birth of our sweet Savior. Every year we celebrate his birthday and we get the gifts but He gets nothing. I for one have no gift I could give him in return for all he's given me but I can thank him. For some reason it makes him happy when we say "thanks" or "I love you Jesus." Joy stands for Jesus, Others, Yourself. Christmas is supposed to be a joyful time. The only way it can be is if we make it about Jesus and others and then yourself last.

 

I found this great pic of google...please read the the letter closest to the top. If you can't understand it here is what it says: dear God, I love you so much but your love is impassable, it is called unfailing love, it is powerful. Your love is awesome and insane. ❤ This child is wise! 

**Also something nice to do would be write a letter of encouragement to someone else. Show someone you care for and love them through your words. Words are so powerful and sometimes we forget that. You can heal a broken heart with kind words but also break a heart with harsh words. Christmas can be extremely hard for some people due to financial issues, loved ones who've died, and just because life. Write a letter and ask God what you should say and give it to someone, anyone, even a stranger. It just might give someone the Christmas spirit. 

Until tomorrow, I hope you have a very merry day!❤