- Thank you Cindy. So freeing. It’s has to be intentional. Seeking his presence. Hugs
- Cindy thank you so much for this. I am feeling the Christmas blues trying to budget Christmas gifts into the budget. Although it had caused me to spend a lot of time talking to God. So for me this Christmas is making me rely more in God than on my family. I’m so blessed to have such a faithful and graceful God. Thank you Father. ❤️🙏💜😘🤗
Are you prepared?
By Cindy Goding
Is your home more prepared for Christmas than your heart is?
Oof. Talk about a gut-checking question right? It’s not like the decorations, the presents, the special traditions are bad but what are they pointing to? What is the purpose behind them? When you look at your decorations, what focus do they point to?
On Sunday, Drew Barnes stated, “The only way to grow in our love for Christ is to grow in our knowledge of him.” Isn’t that so true?! The more we begin to dig into the bible, to learn more, to discover more, brings more and more of the realization of how amazing and wonderful our God truly is. The more we understand his plan from the very beginning, including that you and I be brought into the kingdom, allows us to worship him with adoration and awe knowing that he has been, is, and will always be sovereign over everything.
God isn’t in the Christmas tree, he isn’t in the presents, he isn’t in the deliciously baked goods, he’s not in the lights on the house. But he CAN BE and IS in your heart! He cares that you are spending time in his word over baking cookies. He cares that you are in conversation and praying to him over trimming the tree. He cares that you are bringing your anxieties, cares, and worries to the foot of the cross over wrapping presents in a frenzy. He does care that you are feeling refreshed through the renewal of your mind over cooking the perfect turkey Christmas Eve. He cares, he cares that you call him your lord and savior. He cares that you cry out to him. He cares that you love him with all your heart, soul, and mind. He cares.
Last year was hard for me, I got caught up in the “busyness” of Christmas and was sucked into the “what is fair” vortex for my kids. It ended up making Christms pretty miserable and I found myself having a bad attitude 95% of the time. I missed the point last year. I didn’t have my gaze and heart focused on what truly mattered about Christmas. I didn’t spend time preparing my heart as much as I spent running around Target.
So this year, if your house isn’t decorated… It’s OK. If you don’t have a tree… It’s OK. If you haven’t bought a single present or baked one cookie… It's OK. Because God doesn’t care about any of that. He simply and truly cares only about YOU. So take the time, prepare your heart, refocus your gaze, and praise and worship him who sent our savior to be born so that we can have hope and everlasting faith in Jesus Christ.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
-Isaiah 9:6