[Editor’s Note: This is a Christmas guest post by E. Jones Petty. Wow, I cannot believe this is the 12th and final day of A Very Diva Christmas 2017: Short and Sweet. This year was amazing, Divas. It was the most Christmas submissions we’ve ever had in 4 years of this series! I hope the shorter length of the devotionals made it easier to keep up this year, and if you have any thoughts for next year — Devotional Diva’s 10th anniversary year, please let me know! I chose to end this year’s posts and the Christmas series with this blog because it summed up why I love Christmas and doing this series so much — because to me it is how I show my love for Jesus and my Divas! The links for the full Short and Sweet Series will be below if you’d like to catch up.]

Old Saint Nick Loves Jesus

Ready or not, the holiday season is upon us once again. Costco is in full swing mode, every aisle filled with all you need for “the most wonderful time of the year.”

Yes, I am writing this the day after Halloween, but who’s paying attention to that? Although it is the most wonderful time of the year and I absolutely LOVE Christmas, there once was a time I dreaded it.

A few years back, while standing in the checkout line at a local grocery store, a kind woman asked my three-year-old sons, “What is Santa bringing you this year?” They simply stared at her, dumbfounded by her question. I scrabbled to bridge the awkward silence, “We haven’t really talked about that yet, have we, boys?” It was a true statement – we hadn’t talked about Santa yet.

Because we didn’t celebrate Santa. You see, I grew up understanding the meaning of Christmas to be all out Jesus. My siblings and I didn’t visit Santa at the mall or fill out wish lists to mail to Him at the north pole or set out cookies and milk on Christmas Eve. And I’m okay with that; I enjoy celebrating Christmas for what it is – Jesus’ Birthday.

But, wanting to avoid future awkward grocery-store-checkout-line conversations, I began researching the history of Christmas and Santa. Why Do We Call It Christmas? by Phil Vischer beautifully explained how the Santa we know today evolved from Saint Nicholas, a Catholic Bishop who generously gave to his community in need.

Once, he tossed a money bag into the house window of a few poor girls, the coins landing in the stockings they had hung out to dry. Hence our tradition of stocking-stuffers. Saint Nick gave to others because of what God had given him – the gift of salvation through Jesus.

As I read the book to by sons, warm, fuzzy feelings filled my heart because nothing the world does to secularize Christmas will eliminate the root of it all – Jesus’ birth.

Now, we are prepared for holiday season – my sons know who who Santa is and I don’t mind celebrating him – because doing so doesn’t take away from Jesus when we understand history. And God wouldn’t have it any other way!

E.Jones Petty is the wife of an amazing man, mom to three crazy boys, and an aspiring author. Visit her blog at unrelentingfreedom.com to learn more about how God has redeemed her from a life once hidden under the burden of fear and shame.

Reference: Buck Denver Asks… Why Do We Call It Christmas? By Phil Vischer

The full Short and Sweet Christmas Devotional Series:

Day 1. Candy Cane Christmas

Day 2. One Mama’s Story

Day 3. What Christmas Means to Me

Day 4. Blessed and Highly Favored?

Day 5. He Came to Save!

Day 6. Our Finest Christmas Tree

Day 7. Our Immanuel

Day 8. The True Star

Day 9. Faith in What We Cannot See

Day 10. Cotton Mill Christmas

Day 11. Faith that Grows at Christmas

Thanks for reading! Blog comments are closed. You can follow Devotional Diva on Facebook here, on Instagram here @devotional_diva, on Twitter here @devotionaldiva and email me, Maggie, at editor(at)devotionaldiva(dot)com anytime.

[Editor’s Note: This is a Christmas guest post by Kathy Cheek. This is the 11th Short and Sweet Christmas Devotional…I’m sad to say there are only 12 days of Diva Christmas! Here’s links for the past 10: day 1. day 2. day 3. day 4. day 5. day 6. day 7. day 8. day 9. day 10. and more information about Diva Christmas 2017.]

Faith That Grows At Christmas

There was a lady in my Sunday school class years ago whose ex-husband was in jail and she was severely struggling financially to provide for her two sons. I saw Melinda wrestle with her faith to trust God to take care of them.

I often encouraged her because I sincerely believed God would meet her needs and provide for her and her two boys. She would tell me that she wanted to trust God but the whole situation just looked so impossible.

One Sunday she came in especially discouraged because a car repair had emptied out her checkbook and she desperately needed groceries. What she didn’t know was that we had already decided to fill her pantry and every lady in our class had brought in a bag of grocery items and we had hid them in the classroom closet. We were able to surprise her with this blessing of groceries and see the joy on her face when she saw what we had done for her family.

We definitely saw her faith begin to grow after that. She still struggled but now she would say, “I know God will provide!”

At Christmas she worried she would not be able to buy any presents for the boys, but what she didn’t know was that several men in our church had taken on the project of collecting money to buy two bikes and other presents for these young boys. Melinda was right. She didn’t have enough money to buy gifts that year. But she didn’t have to because they were bought by others in our church who knew she was in a very difficult situation and wanted her boys to have a good Christmas.

When I urge someone to trust God and to have faith that He will see them through a difficult circumstance, these are not empty words. They are words to live by because I have seen God grow my own faith and trust in Him throughout the days and years of my life, and because I have witnessed it in the lives of others who have also seen God work in amazing ways to demonstrate His loving care for them.

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

                                                                                                                   ~ Philippians 4: 19 NKJV

Kathy Cheek is known for her faith-filled devotions, inspirational articles and poetry, and writes for LifeWay’s Mature Living and Journey magazines, David C Cook’s Power for Living, and also contributes to several online devotional sites, including Thoughts About God, Christian Devotions, CBN.com and God-sized Dreams. Her favorite subject to write about is the rich relationship God desires to have with us and the deep trust it takes to live it out. She and her husband of 34 years live in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas and they have two daughters and one son-in-law who also reside in the Dallas area. You can read her devotions at Devotions from the Heart: www.kathycheek.com

“For faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 12:1

Maggie Meadows Cooper is a real-life wife and mom who messes up every day and needs Jesus to save her. She loves Coke, chocolate, and listening to her mixed CDs with everything from Jamie Grace to Boyz II Men to George Strait. You can find her at beautifulinyourheart.blogspot.com

[Editor’s Note: This is a Christmas guest post by Maria Drayton. All of our Diva Christmas guest posts this year are “Short and Sweet” this year to make it easier to follow along with the devotionals! If you’d like to catch up, here are links for day 1. day 2. day 3. day 4. day 5. day 6. day 7.]

The True Star

The morning air had already begun to get brisk and now it stayed darker for longer in the morning.  Daylight savings was just around the corner. The leaves displaying their multitude of shades as they drop lightly from the trees, car windows covered in the morning dew, not yet winter but knowing it’s right around the corner.

I had only stopped to get bug spray but as I stood in the checkout line I remembered, “I need to get Christmas lights!”  Feeling proud of myself that I was ahead of the game, I briskly walked toward the decorative light section.

Families get serious around my neighborhood about outdoors Christmas decorations.  It wasn’t something I was used to because I hadn’t grown up with it.  I recall one Christmas my mom couldn’t afford a Christmas tree so we settled for decorating one of her large house plants and placed the gifts around it.  So decorating was always something I dreamed about as a little girl.  I remember my favorite book as a child was an interior decorating and design book.  I would look at those pages and just imagine living in one of those homes, decorating it all myself.

Now that I could use my decorating skills, I ran with it and became obsessed.  The focus of Christmas had shifted and now everything got decorated, even the bathroom.

In my neighborhood, decorations spring up right after Thanksgiving, sometimes even before.  I was beginning to get accustomed to going all out. It had gotten to be so much that my seasonal decorations now needed a bin.  This year I was planning to go back to a favorite of mine, the Star Shower.  But this time I opted for the Star Shower Motion.  None of this seemed to bother me until I was challenged to write on the topic of Christmas.

That’s when I realized what it had become in my home, a time to decorate.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  Not that I didn’t know that I overdid it but that it had become my primary focus during the holidays.

Christmas should be about the true star, Jesus Christ, the Lord himself, who died for us and chose to save us.  As the holidays approach I am humbly reminded;

“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.” (John 3:16)

With this in mind, I am making some much different plans this year and hope you will too!

Maria Drayton: originally from Seattle, Washington she is a graduate of Washington State University and has a degree in Communications with an emphasis in Journalism. Maria has traveled all over the United States but currently resides in Deptford, New Jersey with her husband and son. With a passion for the Lord, she has been serving and walking with Him since the early 90’s and desires to bring a young, fresh, new look into intimacy with God.  Since 2001, she attends Bethel Deliverance International Church and desires to begin a women’s ministry for young women to learn to apply God’s word in our daily lives. Follow Maria’s new women’s group S.P.A.R.K.L.E. on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sparklewomen/

[Editor’s Note: This is a Christmas guest post by Agnes Amos. I hope these Short and Sweet Diva Christmas devotionals are blessing you this season! If you missed any, here is day 1. day 2. day 3. day 4. day 5. day 6. and more information about this year’s Diva Christmas series.

The Baby in the Manger – Our Immanuel

My friends, Christmas for me once meant the warm feeling of smelling and drinking peppermint tea; cocoa; gifts under the tree; the lights and the gigantic tree in the malls and of course the hyped consumerism that goes with it.  Over the years, this meaning changed when I met people from all walks of life sharing how lonely this season has become for various reasons. The change for me was three-fold:

1. The season reaffirms the presence of Immanuel (which means “God with us”) (Matthew 1:23). I don’t know about you but I find this reassuring in a world where we all sometimes feel lonely and alone. The Lord himself, is saying He will be with us. He will neither fail us nor abandon us and all we need to do is reach out to Him.

2. It is the season for serving others – reflecting on what I can do for others rather than what they can do for me; checking in on the less privileged, lonely and alone folks in our community – showing them the love of Jesus by helping and serving them.

3. It is the season to give generously – Christians ought to be the most generous people on earth because of what Christ has given us.

Christ follower, rethink the meaning of this joyful season – experience Immanuel; serve others and give generously.  If you are currently not a Christ follower, ask Jesus to come into your life this season and you will experience His presence.

All glory to God!

Agnes is a leader with proven business acumen in a variety of industries. She holds an executive MBA from the University of Hull, United Kingdom, and is also a Certified Meeting Planner (CMP).She is the author of The Provisions of God: Insights from a Cat Named Mascot, and  Weekly Insights for the Workplace: A Devotional for Christian Professionals 

[Editor’s Note: This is a Christmas guest post by Sandra Samoska. Well, that’s week 2 of Short and Sweet Diva Christmas in the books! Catch up with our abbreviated devotional series by following these links: day 1. day 2. day 3. day 4.  day 5.]

Our Finest Christmas Tree

When I first got married, there was an intense debate over the proper Christmas décor for our new home together. My husband insisted on Santa Claus, while I was equally adamant that snowmen were the way to go. Finally, we decided Christmas décor wasn’t worth our marriage, and we compromised by decorating with Christmas trees.

Each year we would pick out one new tree to display in our home – sometimes large, sometimes sparkly, and always different from the rest. We would arrange them on the fireplace mantle, and as we added to the collection each year, they spread out to other areas of the house.

One memorable year, the recession hit. I was a stay at home mom caring for our two young daughters, and my husband’s hours got cut at work. There was barely enough money in the budget that Christmas to keep the electricity on, much less to buy decorations.

One evening, as we were putting out the trees we had collected, my husband went out to the garage and came back with a small wooden tree he had cut out from a scrap of wood left over from some forgotten DIY project. It was unadorned and unpainted, with none of the pizazz of our other trees. It was also considerably shorter, and some of the edges were rough to the touch.

With tears in my eyes, I took that short, plain, perfect tree, and put it up with all of the rest.

“He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Isaiah 53:2 NIV

Every year, as I unpack our trees and put them up, I look at my little wooden tree that was humbly cut by my husband, and I think of the gift God gave us that first Christmas morning. Of that baby, born in a lowly manger, come to take on the sin of the world.

He had no majesty to his appearance, and yet His entire purpose was to bring glory to God. He didn’t sparkle, glitter or shine, and yet He was the light of the world who rescued us from darkness.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 NIV

Sandra Samoska is a wife and mother of four amazing kids. She writes about faith and family on her blog, Outnumbered, and has been a contributor for Her View From Home, Focus on the Family, and Scary Mommy. She loves to share what God is doing in her life, and how He frequently teaches her things through the children He has blessed her with.

Thanks for reading! Blog comments are closed. You can follow Devotional Diva on Facebook here, on Instagram here @devotional_diva, on Twitter here @devotionaldiva and email me, Maggie, at editor(at)devotionaldiva(dot)com anytime.

[Editor’s Note: This is a Christmas guest post by Priscilla J. Krahn and is part of the Short and Sweet Christmas series. Want to get caught up with the series? Here’s day 1. day 2. day 3. day 4. and more information about Short and Sweet. Please continue to enjoy and have a merry Christmas season!]

HE CAME TO SAVE

The smell of pine, the dropping temperatures that freeze your nose, peppermint fudge and lattes to dazzle your senses. Lights everywhere, carols you’ve heard a million times being played through every shopping mall, family traditions, and a baby in the manger. It’s Christmas.

Jesus is the reason for the season! You’ve probably heard that phrase. Yes, the baby in the manger, is the reason for the season, but why? Why does Jesus’ birth mean so much? At my house, we have a lot of Christmas traditions, and one of the ones that I’ve gotten involved in a lot the last few years, is a giving tradition. We wrap up DVDs that shares the gospel, tie a candy cane and bow around them, and go around the town giving them out door-to-door. Why? Because the baby in the manger was more than just a baby, and He didn’t come just so that we can celebrate with eggnog and bonbons.

1 Timothy 1:15 says, “…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;” That’s why He came. It wasn’t to give us a holiday, it wasn’t to be born in a manger, He came to save sinners. At Christmas time, a time of giving and remembering the gift that God gave, my family and I give the gift of Christ to others. The reason for the season is not that a baby was born in a manger. The reason for the season is that Jesus came to save us!

The shepherds left the manger and told everyone what they had seen and heard! How often do we tell people what Christ has done in our lives? How often do we ‘go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and EVERYWHERE’? Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners! What better time to receive His gift of salvation, then at Christmas. If you’ve never accepted Jesus’ gift of salvation, He’s offering it to you. If you have accepted the gift, how can you share that gift with others this Christmas?

Easy ways to share Christ at Christmas, include sending a gospel tract with each of your Christmas cards, giving gospel tracts to cashiers as you shop, and showing the love of Christ to all. Let’s take this Christmas to tell everyone about the greatest gift. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners!

Priscilla J. Krahn is the author of Mission of a Lifetime and six other books. (www.priscillajkrahn.com) She lives on a farm in northern Minnesota where she enjoys coffee, writing, and blogging at www.priscillakrahn.blogspot.com. She gave her life to Jesus at a young age and now enjoys sharing what God’s been teaching her, with others.

[Editor’s Note: This is a Christmas guest post by Brittney Robinson. Welcome to week two of Short and Sweet Christmas Devotionals! Here is Day 1. Day 2 and Day 3 if you’d like to get caught up, as well as more info about the series. All devotionals are under 400 words so you can whip right through them while still connecting with the Lord during this busy season!]

Blessed and Highly Favored?

Luke 1:28 “And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

Naturally, we want the Christmas story to be a happy one. It’s our tendency to romanticize events even in the Bible, but sometimes the most significant stories are filled with pain, disappointments, tragedy and grief. Mary’s story within the Christmas story is one that has always fascinated me in that way. If I could talk to her, I’d love to hear her take. Not the commercialized, glamorized story we may tell. I mean the story that is less celebrated. The complex, complicated and contradictory experiences. I can only imagine what Mary would say. For now, here is my take,

I have often found conflict in myself as I looked at other people’s life (not a good idea) and looked at my own then wondered “Am I blessed? Does God favor me?” In observing other people, I thought they were blessed because of things like a career, a courtship, good health, happiness and simply things going just right. I thought to myself, this is what it means to be blessed and highly favored.

Mary’s story helps me to see that blessing isn’t always where the happiest person is or where there is no complication, and favor doesn’t necessarily make things easy. I have experienced those times too, but there is another side to the coin. There is a side where blessing and favor hurt. There are parts of the story where things are painful and seems unfair. In Mary’s life the initial declaration of being “blessed and highly favored” proved to be a test of her faith. How many times, I wonder, did she have to recall those words and choose to believe them when she didn’t feel them?

When there was no room in the inn.

When she and Joseph lost Jesus.

When the Romans tortured and crucified Jesus.

The purpose of God’s declaration of blessing and favor is not to look like it’s all going well. It is to be tested. Every word from God has the purpose of perfecting our faith. If you find yourself this Christmas in a place where blessing doesn’t feel like blessing and favor hasn’t exactly made things easy, remember Mary. I believe she would tell us the trial of our faith is worth it in the end.

Brittney is a self-acclaimed “multipotentialite”. Her endeavors range from being an ASL and Deaf Culture student and advocate to writing devotionals to binge watching British TV series with her mom. She values living life to her own rhythm and encourages others to find their rhythm as well.

[Editor’s Note: This is a Christmas guest blog by Ubwiza Chiyungi. I hope you are enjoying the first week of the Short and Sweet Christmas Devotionals, and that maybe their abbreviated length this year makes following along a little easier this year! Here is day 1. day 2. and more information about the series if you’re interested.]

CHRIST in Christmas

When I was younger, my family never celebrated Christmas. The only reason I wanted to celebrate Christmas at home was I wanted presents/gifts, since all the Christmas movies I saw showed Santa Claus as source of presents. I like Santa Claus. I wasn’t much of a Christian then and my parents still don’t celebrate Christmas today due to their religious beliefs. I am now a Christian when I think about Christmas now, I think about the greatest gift God gave to mankind Jesus Christ. Now no earthly gift can be greater than that. He is the CHRIST in Christmas.

Isaiah 7:14 NKJV

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

 

Ubwiza Chiyungi is freelance writer, who majored in Environmental Studies in Kabwe, Zambia. She enjoys a good movie especially Christian movies. She enjoys sitting quietly and reading books. She wants to see many people come to know the greater love of Jesus Christ.

Thanks for reading! Blog comments are closed. You can follow Devotional Diva on Facebook here, on Instagram here @devotional_diva, on Twitter here @devotionaldiva and email me, Maggie, at editor(at)devotionaldiva(dot)com anytime.