The Stockings Were Hung

By Carin LeRoy –

As a little girl, my favorite Christmas tradition in our house was the stockings. My Mom made the whole family stockings decorated with different holiday-themed objects sewing on sequins, beads and putting our name on each one. Every December, she would hang them on our staircase. Each year I would anticipate the little gifts I’d find in it. I loved getting up early on Christmas morning and looking in my stocking. We’d find several little treasures hidden inside.

When I got married my Mom gave my Christmas stocking to me. I decided I wanted to carry on the tradition in our family and began to make my own husband and children a green felt stocking, complete with holiday-themed figures. I sewed on sequins and beads and wrote their name in glitter on each of their stockings, just like my Mom did. Even when we lived overseas, I still carried those stockings with me. Although I was thousands of miles across the ocean, those stockings still reminded me of home.

When my daughter married, she took hers and now carries on the same tradition. The only difference is that I’m sewing the stockings for her family. Every time she has a child, she wants me to create another green felt stocking. Three generations in my family have grown up with homemade stockings lovingly made by someone in the family.

As we move into this Christmas season, let’s remember some of the traditions that we’ve grown up with and share them with our children and grandchildren. Christmas isn’t all about the gifts, the busyness or the decorations. It’s about family, tradition and the birth of a Savior. Let’s remember the reason we celebrate in the first place—the miracle of the birth of Jesus and the reason He came to earth.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for this Christmas season. Help us to enjoy our family and traditions, but remember that the birth of Your son is the reason we celebrate.

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1: 21 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Carin LeRoy, wife to Dale and mother of three grown children and one almost-grown teenager. She has been a missionary with Pioneers since 1982. Her passions are family, missions, piano, and writing to challenge others to live faithful lives for God.

No Room in the Inn

By Kathy Carlton Willis –

The innkeeper’s phrase “no room” took on an extra meaning one Christmas when we lived in a tiny 4-room rental. Since humor helps with coping, I focused on the benefits of “no room.”

Top 10 Ways To Know You Live In A Small House

10) A bottle of Windex will last five years.

9) You can hear the radio from every room, loud and clear.

8) The entire home is carpeted from just two carpet remnants.

7) There are more belongings in storage than inside the house.

6) The most spacious room to set up the ironing board is in the bathroom.

5) You can answer the phone by the second ring from anywhere in the house.

4) The saying about not having “a pot to pee in” is only one pot away from being a true statement!

3) You have to step outside to have enough room to change your mind.

2) You can vacuum the entire house from one electrical outlet.

1) The refrigerator light illuminates the entire house!

Even though we felt like we had no room, our home would have had more than enough space to meet the needs of Mary and Joseph that fateful Christmas. I can’t even imagine how uncaring the innkeeper must have been to not try harder to find better accommodations for a woman “great with child.” But rather than turning them away, the innkeeper gave them his leftover space. I wonder how often we are guilty of only giving Christ the leftovers of our lives? The time left after everything else. The money left after our bill-paying and spending sprees.

I heard of a children’s Christmas play that didn’t go quite as written. When the little boy playing the innkeeper saw Mary and Joseph standing pitifully at his door, he paused before saying, “there is no room in the inn.” Just when the director was about to give him his lines, you could hear the little innkeeper plainly say, “You can come stay at my house.” While this drastically changed the ending of the play, the message rang out loud and clear. We can learn a lot from this child!

AUTHOR QUOTE: Where will Jesus be this Christmas? Will He be relegated to a lowly manger, or placed in our most prized spot? No room? Make room!

“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7 NKJV).

Today’s devotional is by Kathy Carlton Willis, Christ-servant, wife to Russ, editor, publicist, certified CLASSeminars speaker and faculty member. Kathy Carlton Willis Communications encompasses her many passions. Kathy’s tagline captures her essence—Light & Lively: His Reflection/Her Laughter. Schedule Kathy for a speaking event or contact her firm for promotional assistance. KCWC gets jazzed shining the light on God’s writers and speakers.

An Uncommon Birth

By Carin LeRoy –

This would be an unusual Christmas. It was the first time that I had not been with my family. My husband and I were far away in a country overseas working as missionaries. Everything was different—the people, the weather and the food. Instead of having family around, we were in a strange new culture. Instead of enjoying brisk winter weather, we were enduring temperatures hovering around 100 degrees. Instead of sweet potato soufflé, pecan pie and a huge turkey with dressing, we had to adjust the menu. This Christmas would be different.

Although I missed my family, God gave us a new family to celebrate with—fellow missionaries who were also serving. We spent a few days together celebrating and preparing a special meal. We exchanged simple presents with one another. Even though everything was different, we began to create our own traditions within the culture where we served.

Imagine what Christ went through to leave heaven and be born as a tiny baby on earth. He wasn’t welcomed as God or born in a place of luxury. He deserved both. He was born in a stable among the animals and placed in a trough where their feed normally went. His mother and father were humble villagers. Even His birth was announced only to three shepherds in a field. Most didn’t notice His birth or the catalyst that it was for all of mankind.

Here was God in human form. Instead of the fanfare that He deserved, He came from heaven to become the Son of a poor family. Only a few knew and understood the truth about His birth. His humble beginnings end with the most powerful story ever told—A God that sacrificed His only son, a Savior that loved enough to die and a gift given to all who believe. It’s not the presents, the parties or the holiday food that makes Christmas so special, it’s the Savior born in a manger.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for leaving heaven to come and be born in a manger. As I celebrate this Christmas, keep me mindful of the real reason we celebrate.

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all 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’” (Luke 2: 10-12 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Carin LeRoy, wife to Dale and mother of three grown children and one almost-grown teenager. She has been a missionary with Pioneers since 1982. Her passions are family, missions, piano, and writing to challenge others to live faithful lives for God.

True Meaning of Christmas

By Kathy Carlton Willis –

What is the true meaning of Christmas? Why is it that Christmas somehow brings cheer? I think it is important to ponder the meaning of Christmas to reveal the special powers of this special holiday.

Is the meaning of Christmas found in all of the decorations? Houses and city streets are brightly decorated. The beauty and splendor of it all brings cheer to the heart, but it isn’t the true meaning of Christmas.

Maybe the meaning of Christmas is found in being with family. Certainly the holiday isn’t the same when you are apart from the ones you love the most. As much as we enjoy being with family for the holidays, the meaning of Christmas isn’t wrapped up in celebrating Christmas with our relatives.

Is the true meaning of Christmas found in gift giving? Shoppers spend hard-earned money to buy just the right gifts for their loved ones. Children can’t wait to flip through catalogs to make out their Christmas wish lists. Adults have learned it isn’t so much about receiving gifts, but about seeing eyes light up when someone you care for opens the gift you handpicked for them. But Christmas isn’t about gift giving either. Even if no one gave a single gift, Christmas would still exist.

The true meaning of Christmas is all about Who we celebrate. It’s actually a big birthday party in honor of the only One ever born to change our eternal destinations. Not only can Christ change where we go when we die, He changes who we are from the inside out, a real rebirth for us. We give gifts because the wise men came bearing gifts when they came to meet the Christ-child. We hang lights because the stars lit the sky on that nativity so long ago. And we long to be with family just like Mary longed to be with her cousin Elizabeth when she found out she was bearing the Holy One.

Everything we do to celebrate the Christmas season is all well and good as long as we remember why we celebrate in the first place. How important is the gift of Christ to you? Have you come to Him, just as you are, much like the shepherds and wise men, to allow Him to make a difference in your life?

“Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” (John 4:29 NLT).

Today’s devotional is by Kathy Carlton Willis, Christ-servant, wife to Russ, editor, publicist, certified CLASSeminars speaker and faculty member. Kathy Carlton Willis Communications encompasses her many passions. Kathy’s tagline captures her essence—Light & Lively: His Reflection/Her Laughter. Schedule Kathy for a speaking event or contact her firm for promotional assistance. KCWC gets jazzed shining the light on God’s writers and speakers.

Go and Tell

By Cheri Cowell –

I fear we’ve taken an airbrush to the shepherd’s scene in the Christmas story account and have distorted one of the most beautiful, yet dirty and smelly pictures of God’s love. This was a lowly profession and these were not educated men. The scene would be similar to one of modern day construction workers settling down after a hard day, maybe cattlemen sitting down after a day of wrangling, or maybe a group of day laborers gathered around to tell stories of their day’s efforts.

These were common men, but men after God’s own heart, for when the angel appeared to them, they were afraid. They had reverential fear, however, their fears were allayed by the angel with the words to “Do not be afraid…a Savior has been born to you” And what did these lowly, uneducated men do with this knowledge? They dropped everything and ran to see this baby. Then, overcome by joy, they told “everyone” what they had heard and saw.

Are we so excited about our encounter with God that we can’t wait to tell everyone what we have heard and seen, or are we too worried about our lack of knowledge, or credibility, or full understanding of it all? The shepherds remind us to approach God with simple faith and then to go spread the word about what we know, trusting God will fill in the rest. God is not interested in our ability just our availability because the King of Kings is more than able to take our humble gifts and turn them into the greatest story ever told.

PRAYER: God, You are worthy of praise for including all people in Your birth announcement. Show me someone today who needs to hear this great story. Then help me tell them, simply, how You have made a difference in my life.

“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“ (Luke 2: 15-18 NIV).

Today’s devotion is by Cheri Cowell, who writes and speaks on topics of Christian discipleship. In addition to her books and articles, you can learn about her speaking ministry and sign up to receive her daily devotional at www.CheriCowell.com

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