My prayer for all my family and friends this Christmas is for each one to truly experience the peaceful PRESENCE of Christ. May each of you be blessed with TIME to quiet your mind, heart and spirit and encounter the PEACE and JOY all year our Savior brings.

You can experience His presence today – no wrapping, no lines, and no cash or credit cards needed.  This is truly the gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving…

I’m looking forward to just enjoying His presence this Christmas

and I hope you will too.

Where my gift giving capabilities end,

the gift I desire most to give to others is always freely available and is truly priceless.

I love giving gifts to others.  It’s one of my love languages. Obviously, I’m not alone in this.  Especially this time of year, everyone’s in the Christmas spirit and gift giving mode.

However, my giving and my time are limited, but the gift I desire most for others is UNLIMITED AND TIMELESS.

Christmas is not just about gifts and presents or even special times with family and those we have not seen for quite a while.  All these things are good and special and these are a few of my favorite things and the things I love about Christmas too.  Most of all, Christmas is about celebrating the Gift of God’s presence. The gift of God’s presence compares to no other gift or experience I’ve ever received or encountered.  I’m personally realizing this more as time goes on, and especially as family traditions change and keep changing.  This is the one constant that remains and never changes –“…and be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” – Jesus. His presence brings PEACE and JOY and pleasures forevermore!  Even when we are not able to give or receive the exact material gift we were hoping for, our house is not decorator ready, no beautiful family portrait Christmas cards get sent, no memorable family trip gets planned, we can’t even get everyone together for the annual Christmas worship event or holiday meal, etc. (you get the picture) or, on a deeper level – the prayer, hope, or dream we so desire to see fulfilled for a special loved one, family member or friend remains on our “wish” list – the greatest gifts of LOVE, JOY and PEACE from God’s Spirit forever remain. The unconditional and never ending love of God, the supernatural peace that transcends all our surrounding chaos, and the joy of knowing the Savior of the world overrides every unmet expectation, sorrow and loss.

Like numerous others, I always get very sentimental around this time of year – often shedding tears unexpectedly while wrapping gifts or listening to all the beautiful Christmas music.  Christmas stirs up memories of loved ones who will no longer join us at our family celebration – many are now glorying in the presence of Heaven, and some will miss our gathering because of various changes and choices dictated by our earthly situations.

Now, more than ever, I personally treasure God’s presence

 that forever remains with me year after year.

Yes, for many Christmas is just another holiday; but for followers of Christ, Christmas is truly a Holy Day of celebrating the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ the Word made flesh.  We celebrate His birth and worship Him as our mighty Savior and King.

He came as a gentle babe and still gently calls to all today.

Do you hear what I hear?  

Will you believe, not just in Santa Claus,

but in The Christ of Christmas, and receive Him today?

*****

He came as a child and will return as the King of kings.

Light and life to all He brings.

In order to know Him we must come in childlike faith

to receive all the love, grace, forgiveness and healing

of the long ago newborn babe and soon coming King.

As we humbly bow in worship as the wisemen did to honor Him,

we experience MORE JOY

than anything in this world even comes close to offering.

This makes our soul want to sing,

“Glory to God in the Highest,”

peace and good will to ALL from our Mighty God and Counselor,

Everlasting Father and

Prince of Peace.

*****

Yes, God brought His present to us as a babe in the manger.  Jesus, The Messiah, “Immanuel – God with us” walked among us as the perfect, sinless son of God, and then sacrificed His life on the cross for our sins.  All who call on Him can be saved forever to live with Him throughout eternity.  You can experience His presence today – no wrapping, no lines, and no cash or credit cards needed.  This is truly the gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving…

I’m looking forward to just enjoying His presence this Christmas and I hope you will too.

JOY TO YOU ALL!

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

With Love and Prayerfully,

Joyful Jenny

In His presence is fullness of JOY; at His right hand are pleasures forevermore!

Psalm 16:11

…but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”  Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,  “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”  Luke 2:10-14