Decorations and Expectations by Melissa Driggers

Photo by Melissa Driggers

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14, NIV)


As soon as I heard the words fall from my lips, my heart just broke.

“I just can’t wait until Christmas is over.”

No, no… NO.  I didn’t just say that, did I?

Yes, I had.  OUCH.

It had hurt my heart in the past to hear others say it, never understanding how anyone could dread or dislike the holidays.  How could anyone possibly wish to look over or rush past the manger?  It was so foreign to me.  I have always loved and looked forward to the magic, mystery, and beauty of all that there is about Christmas!  But this year – just a few short weeks ago – some circumstances in a personal relationship had boiled over and deeply scarred my once open and expectant heart.  My dreams and expectations for the relationship shattered before me, and facing the reality that I had to let go of my dreams and my plan was more than my heart could take.  I shut down.  I was just … done.

“I just can’t wait until Christmas is over.”

Hearing those words escape from my lips was terribly convicting, and at that moment I knew that I would no longer allow myself to dwell there.  Because that’s just not me.

So I made some choices.

I have 24 large rubber bins of Christmas décor.  24, y’all.  And I’m a single person!  I love, love, love to deck my home’s walls and halls with glitter, garland, trees, and lights.  Because I fly solo, it takes a few days to put everything up and then again to take everything down.  It’s a major effort (especially with a physical disability), although truly a labor of love…well, for every other year it had been.  Also with a passion for hospitality (and just a general innate need to feed people), I enjoy entertaining around the holidays and am known for it.   This year, the mere thought of doing those things felt like punishment – not joy.  My desire was just gone.  And that’s just not me.  Something was terribly wrong.

After prayerful consideration, I made some decisions.  Well, one really.  I decided to seek.

This Christmas season, those 24 bins sit in my garage, unopened.  Instead, I am spending the hours I would have spent embellishing my home soaking in beautiful, daily Advent readings that are changing my heart (from Ann Voskamp’s, The Greatest Gift).  The extent of my holiday décor is simple this year.  One tiny “Advent Tree” with an Advent ornament hung each day (pictured above) sits in my living room, and no large parties will be held in my home this year.

Guess what?  It’s beautiful.  And it’s enough.

Fixing my eyes on Advent (translated, means “the coming”) instead of the hustle and bustle has allowed my heart to be reborn.  And to stay awake through the season, not wanting to miss a moment – anxiously counting down the time to the day that God himself, made flesh, came into the world.

I feel more anticipation and expectation about Christ’s birthday than I have in years.  Years.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me here.  There is nothing inherently “bad” about decorating and celebrating with gusto the birth of King Jesus, as long as the focus remains on the reason for the season.  It deserves to be celebrated with passionate praise and worship, and with glitter and beauty and friends and family and food and ceremony.  I’m pretty confident that next year my 24 bins will be empty before Thanksgiving, that I will be picking little red and green glitter bits off of my furniture, carpet, and dogs until March, and that many friends and family members will grace the halls of my home for celebration during the Advent season.  But for this year, my heart needed to…just…pause.
 
I almost allowed the painful circumstances in my life to steal Christmas from my heart.  Oh, what I would have missed.  It’s not too late for you to make that choice, too, if your heart is heavy during this Advent season.  Maybe you can’t see the manger through your tears.  Maybe your family is divided, or even broken.  Maybe your prodigal child hasn’t come home yet.  Maybe you’re fighting a disease or illness.  Maybe you’re just tired.  I don’t know what you may be going through, but I do know this.  When we allow the Spirit to get inside of us…when we stop to pause in His presence … when we lay our plans at the altar, our expectations change.  Because we are reminded of the very promise of this Advent season – that there is a Plan.

There is a plan for you in this season.  It’s coming.  A plan for grace. A plan for hope.  A plan for miracles.   All we have to do is make room for it – to anticipate it – to expect it.

With her permission, I share with you a beautiful spoken word video below, written and spoken by my oh-so-anointed dear friend, Cynthia Hampton, a wonderful author and artist.

Together, let’s make room for the manger.  Let’s make room for our King.
(Content in the video below is copyrighted by Cynthia Lisabeth Hampton).

Melissa is an itinerant speaker/teacher, blogger and author residing in the South.  She is single (although she prefers the term “unclaimed treasure”) and lives with her two children, Henry and Hannah, who are “technically” canine (ssshhhh… they don’t know they aren’t human).  Her vision and passion for ministry is to shepherd others to the grace, hope, healing, and restoration found only in Jesus Christ!  Through her own life journey, God has transformed her heart, and she has experienced the true meaning of “beauty from ashes”.
You can connect with Melissa through her web site, at www.infieldsofgrace.com.

I'm Not Ready! ~ A new post by @ShelleyHendrix

Photo by Shelley Hendrix - All Rights Reserved

I'm Not Ready!!

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

I have never been known to be a Grinch or a Scrooge during the Holiday Season. "Normal" for me is getting my Christmas playlist loaded up and ready on November 1, watching Elf as many times as I can, and baking goodies for family and neighbors. This year is just so different and I'm just not quite my usual self.

Seeing Christmas decorations go up on the light posts in town and in your pics on social media - even before Thanksgiving Day - would normally bring a lift to my spirit and a smile to my face. But this year, I've been saying, "I'm not ready!"

Don't get me wrong. It isn't that I am not ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior. As a Christian, most of us - myself included - do this often throughout the year just as we are in continual awareness of Christ's death and resurrection. (When someone predicts His own death, burial, and resurrection -and pulls it off!- I'll be first in line to celebrate Him, hang on His every word, and follow Him all the days of my life.)

But this year is different.

And here we are. It's already December. Christmas is just around the corner. And I'm reminded of the Scripture that tells us that "life is a vapor," and that there is a "season for everything" on earth. And I remind myself that God is always present, always fully engaged, always aware, and always, always, always loving me through the days and seasons of my life. 

My soul hasn't quite caught up to my body. But I choose to trust that, even in the midst of all the changes that have come my way in 2014; and even with my less-than-holly-jolly spirit, God has a purpose in my life - and yours. May we pause, even if just for a day or a moment, to remember that Peace came to earth in the body of a fragile human infant that Christmas Day so long ago. 

I may not be ready, but Immanuel is here. And that's enough for me today. 

Merry Christmas!

Shelley Hendrix is the founder of Church 4 Chicks and lives with her husband, two of their three children, and spunky Beaglador, Annie, in St. Simons Island, GA. You can also find Shelley's website at www.ShelleyHendrix.com and the Hendrix's latest adventure at www.HeartSmartLife.com 

"Celebrating Grace" ~A Guest Post

As the Christmas season is upon us, there are so many things to think about, to do, remember and most of all to be thankful for.   As we celebrate the birth of Jesus; what comes to mind as the thing you are most thankful for?  Is it the time you will be spending with relatives, the homemade meal your loved ones prepared for you, the presents wrapped under the tree?  For me it is God’s grace.  We are so undeserving of His love and mercy but He desires for us to have it.  You can never do anything to earn the grace He pours out on us.  In only a way God can do, he sent us His son through a virgin woman to live on earth for a short time to teach us lessons of love and unselfishness.  Grace is not a dormant quality or one-time event.  As Christians, we stand in grace.  The Christian life is driven and empowered by grace and we should continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.  God’s grace provided salvation although we deserve destruction.   What a great God we have to give us what we need instead of what we deserve! 

Ephesians 4:7 “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” (NKJV)

Grace is not an inherent quality in us, like we talk of gifts or talents being given to us by God, it is the communication of divine goodness by the working of the Holy Spirit in us.  Take time to reflect on God’s grace.  It is not through our good works or deeds that God bestows His grace on us, but through seeking him and wanting to know him more personally every day.  We cannot experience God’s grace by being self-sufficient and self-reliant.  This is a prideful way of thinking and God resists the proud.  However, he also humbles the heart of the proud.  Those that think they can handle the situations and circumstances life brings on their own will be broken by God so that He may properly bless them with life with His grace.  An essential thing to living in the Grace of God is faith.  Faith partners with humility and both are necessary to the abounding life of grace that God promises. 

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

The grace of God is about bearing fruit of good works.  That is tied into producing and growing a life of obedience.   Having a fruitful life is directly linked to living by the grace of God.  Whoever God has created you to be, and whatever God has purposed for you to do, He has already supplied you with the full measure of grace you will need to successfully prevail in His purpose for your life! 

Romans 3:24 “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (NKJV)

Today's guest writer is Brooke Church...

Brooke is a single mom to two wonderful kids and a member of First Baptist Church of Woodstock for the last 20 years.  

She enjoys living life to the fullest and encouraging others along the way especially through blogging.  You can connect with her through Facebook or on her blog http://www.daysbecomememories.blogspot.com/ 

                       

Sit and Remember by-@emilylaney

Nativity Images

Sit and Remember

 

Christmas is almost here. The day we commemorate and remember the coming of our Lord is just a couple short days away. It’s impossible to miss it around here. Music, decorations, ads for last minute sales, presents, parties, and busyness- just a few words to describe the American Christmas experience. We spend quality time with family and the people we care about. We buy gifts for people we love. There’s baking, entertaining, caroling, and a myriad of traditions. It’s a beautiful time of year, but it’s also a hectic time of year.  

Your to-do list may be a mile long today, but I want to challenge you to do something with me. Take a few minutes today, two days before Christmas, to be still and remember. Think about this time years ago. Think about what Mary must have felt as she and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem. Think about that holy night, when a tiny baby came into the world.  

Think about what Christmas means for the Christian. Jesus came, he lived, he died. He was born in a dirty stable. He wasn’t ‘too good’ for anything. He came as a servant to save us. Just sit in that for a few minutes today. 

Read the scriptures that foretold the coming of his birth. Read the account of his coming:  

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” – Isaiah 9:6-7 

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."  When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."  So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,  and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.- Luke 2:2-20

 

Sit and remember my friends. For a few moments, forget about the presents, the to-do list, the baking, and the entertaining. Sit and think about HIM. Think about our Jesus, the savior, the spotless lamb. There is so much beauty in His coming and in the events we commemorate at Christmas.  

Merry Christmas! Jesus has come! Rejoice!


Emily Laney is a social worker, educator and justice seeker. She has worked with vulnerable populations in the United States and abroad and loves to help startup nonprofits reach their goals. She is a Passion City Church door holder and leads a team of abolitionists at Not for Sale Georgia.  She loves her husband Brent and their rescue pup Biscuit. Sunsets and Sushi make her happy. 

You can connect with Emily on twitter @emilylaney or on her blog www.emilylaney.com

 

 

 

Grace in the Waiting by - @emilylaney

John-Morgan (creative commons)

 

Grace in the Waiting

 

I love the Advent season. It’s such a beautiful time of reflection as we remember the coming of Jesus two thousand years ago.  I love to remember the birth of Jesus. I love to think about that night so long ago. It probably wasn’t nearly as shiny and pretty as our nativity scenes. It probably wasn’t very silent, but it was perfect. It was the perfect picture of grace.  

Advent is also about waiting. It’s a few weeks of observing that period of anticipation of the coming of Jesus. Jesus came as a baby, and he’s coming again soon. He completed the story that God crafted from the beginning of time. The Christmas season, the season of Advent, is a beautiful time to remember and to wait.  

Anticipation and waiting are truly part of the Christian journey. We wait for the completion of God’s promises. We wait for God to come through and show us why we went through our trials. We wait for our trials to end. We wait on good or bad news, jobs, spouses, and children. We have desires in our hearts but sometimes life seems like it’s mostly times of waiting. And many of those seasons of waiting can also be categorized as trials or storms. We may feel like we are alone in the storm, wondering if God has turned his back on us or has fallen asleep (See Mark 4:35-41). But as my pastor Louie said this morning:  

“Life is full of storms, but storms are full of Jesus.” 

Advent is a time of anticipation and waiting, but this season can also bring pain as we wait for times of peace or remember loved ones who are no longer with us. Or maybe money is tight and you don’t know how to explain to the kids about the lack of presents this year. Maybe you are far from home and feel alone. Maybe you’re struggling with a diagnosis or a deep loss. Just remember that in this season, there is grace. There’s grace in the waiting. God has given so much grace to us and loves YOU so very deeply. He is there in the storm, and he’s there in the quiet season of waiting.  

“But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.” – 2 Cor 12:9 

Rest in the grace of God this season. Take quiet pauses to remember the coming of our Lord. And if you are going through a storm this season, remember that Jesus is right there with you. The tiny baby in a manger that we will celebrate in a couple short weeks is the creator of the universe, died for you, and is now walking this journey with you.  

(Author’s Note: This post was inspired by a recent talk by Louie Giglio, pastor of Passion City Church. A video of his message can be found at www.passioncitychurch.com)

 

 

Emily Laney is a social worker, educator and justice seeker. She has worked with vulnerable populations in the United States and abroad and loves to help startup nonprofits reach their goals. She is a Passion City Church door holder and leads a team of abolitionists at Not for Sale Georgia.  She loves her husband Brent and their rescue pup Biscuit. Sunsets and Sushi make her happy. 

You can connect with Emily on twitter @emilylaney or on her blog www.emilylaney.com

 

 

 

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Hello Everyone!

I miss you all so much! My Tuesdays seem a little strange now that our fall session is over and we won't be back in full swing until March. I'm thankful technology makes it possible for us to keep in touch, though. I hope you'll be an active part of this blog and that you'll stay in touch personally with those friends you've made at Church 4 Chicks. Remember, we were created for deep, meaningful, open, and honest relationships with God and others, so don't allow the busy-ness of the Holiday Season keep you from being intentional to care for those very special people in your life.

The Hendrix Household is feeling pretty peaceful this year. A couple of years ago, when I was trying to attend every party that I was invited to, and felt ragged before Christmas ever got here, I decided I needed to scale back on the craziness and really enjoy this special season. It goes by too fast anyway, and I want to really savor the Christmas season. So, last Christmas and this Christmas, I've been doing just that, and it's wonderful! I can honestly tell you that it has made such a great difference.

It's becoming a tradition for me to read through the Gospel accounts of the true story of Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore our cultural traditions as well, but if we're not careful, we can miss out on what the season is truly about. Take a look at this sweet picture from the movie The Nativity:

As you look at the picture above, I wonder, what are some words that come to your mind? What feelings do you experience? For me, one thing that overwhelms me is that this picture conveys a wonderful truth, and that is that God proved in such an unbelievable way, that He indeed loves us and keeps His promises. He promised redemption for mankind, and He provided for this in such an incredible way--words just can't adequately describe what He did for us in sending Jesus into our world for us. I am amazed when I stop and take some time to meditate on the fact that God loves us so much that He gave His only Son so that we could be reconciled to God and be made part of His family. I'm undone when I consider that I am an heir of God and a co-heir with Christ because of God's love and grace. WOW.

How does He love us? Let us count the ways this Christmas and may we be expressions of the love to a lost, crazy busy, hectic, and confused world around us. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with us...shall we?