Weekly Wrap-Up

Honestly, I don’t feel like anything this week is truly wrapped-up. I can feel my heart longing for the quiet of Christmas and all I can find is the growing list of things I need to do. Like, shop for all my people and celebrate a birthday this week. I remember the year she was born, all wrapped up herself in newness and I sent my husband out to shop for her then 3 year old sister on Christmas Eve. Life is a bit more complex these days.

Here are a few things you might want to check out today before you bake cookies or run to the store for your (I’m sure) last minute gifts.

Reach Out for Hope: I wrote this post years ago for Raising Generations Today. And you know what, it ministered to me this week so much. Funny how words can reach forward and back all at the same time. “The hope we have today as moms is found in our relationship with Jesus. It sounds simple, but it is true. I know you have a crowd pressing in on you, too. I know you are being swept along by the crazy of your day and it is only 8:00AM. I know reaching out one more time might seem like a fruitless effort.But, Hope, He is here. He sees you. And He is looking your right in the eyes today to tell you, ““Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Luke 8:48 NLT (keep reading here)
Jesus is Fully Human: This post from Desiring God is stunning and something to think about, “Jesus is like us in every respect — human body, heart, mind, and will — except for sin (Hebrews 2:17; 4:15). How amazing that the divine Son of God would not just take on part of our humanity at that first Christmas, but all of it — and then take that true humanity all the way to the cross for us, and now into heaven and the new creation.” (read the post here)
Taking a Stand For Christ: This short video features a friend of my daughters and how God used her story. It was originally done for our church’s youth camp to inspire the students to live for Jesus. It reminds me of a truth from Fresh Out of Amazing, “Sometimes our breaking point births a bigger story.” Guess what? Shawn, the videographer won an Emmy for it. A film about a girl loving and serving Jesus. How awesome is that? It is that good. Watch it here.
Fresh out of Amazing FREE ONLINE book club. It starts January 2, 2017. We will read together. We will have a chance to be in a private Facebook group. I’ll post some videos just for you. We will start the year out looking to Jesus. Sign up here.
WIN a copy of Fresh out of Amazing: I’m giving two books away on Instagram. Just go here and leave a comment. One book for you and a friend. Instagram is over here.