Christmas 2017
In the year of our meager manger, a snowman made of sand, a lone shepherd, and two sheep showed up for the annual frenzied day-of-decoration at our home.—Sans Mary, Joseph, Jesus, or anyone else.
However, I was glad to see that the “Holy Ghost” adorned his usual spot where an angel would normally rest on other people’s nativity sets. Ariel, our oldest child, was five years old when she presented this treasure made with pink frayed fabric, a cotton ball, and triangular paper wings to us. She declared he was an angel, but my husband and I thought he looked more like a ghost and decided he must represent the Holy Ghost. Ever since his arrival, we’ve placed him atop our manger scene. His wing bears Ariel’s bold signature—as well as Abby’s, our youngest daughter. Jealous over the attention Ariel garnered for her ragged rendition, Abby added her name.
“Where is the rest of the nativity set?” I asked our son.
Andrew shrugged and lumbered away. “I have no idea. I looked everywhere.”
“Suuure you did.”
The manger crew was all together when I unwittingly set up their demise and allowed Abby and Andrew to put the ornaments away the year before. Or perhaps that’s what happens when you send a teen boy into the attic to bring down the Christmas stuff.
With no time to hunt or shop for a new manger scene, I stuck the Christmas floral arrangement from our neighbor in front of it.—Maybe no one would notice that Jesus was missing.
Not exactly a picture-perfect Hallmark-home-for-the-holidays.
But then the real Holy Spirit whispered, “It doesn’t matter if Jesus is missing from your manger as long as He resides within your heart.”
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How true and grand this gentle reminder, to place our hope in Jesus, our redeemer, and put our trust in Him.
How futile our attempts to hide our brokenness, our lonely, hollow hearts, with business and pretty things, and shallow worldly accolades. For Jesus sees, loves, and calls us to come as we are.
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God stepped down from heaven as the babe laid in the manger. Holy God incarnate, humbled, Immanuel wrapped in human skin. He lived, He died, and rose to save us, offers forgiveness from our sin.
There’s no need to hide our flaws and failures, for He turns broken into beautiful when we become born again. Out of chaos, He brings order, fills our deepest longings, and satisfies from deep within. His Word lights the way to walk through this dark and weary world. Monetary gain and glitz and glamor pales against blessed hope and healing, and His love that never fails.
Jesus—Gift of gifts given to us, and grace to live for Him. Will you open your heart today and invite the Lord Jesus in?
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Scroll for some fun and inspiring story and song selections.
Charlie Daniels Reads the Christmas Story from the Gospel of Luke
Dueling Jingle Bells | The United States Navy Band
Click link to listen to this podcast episode of Our American Stories with Lee Habeeb hosting author Ace Collins who shares The Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas
The Birth of a King | Tommee Profitt – 2023 Live Concert
Amazing concert featuring 20 artists, a 60-piece orchestra, a 100-person choir performed at The Fisher Center at Belmont University in Nashville, TN.
Dr. Mamdouth Riad does a splendid job weaving scripture and vivid analogy to explain the story of God and man from creation to Christmas to redemption in his article titled The Word from before Time Began on The Glory of God on Cape Cod.
“This month we celebrate the single most important event in human history: the incarnation. This pivotal event single handedly changed human history, fittingly and rightfully dividing it into B.C. and A.D.
The incarnation is one part of a three-part story: creation, the fall of man, and redemption. These three events are one story that points to the beauty of God, His boundless love and glory from beginning to end…” Continued HERE.
Christmas Carol Playlist featuring over 30 songs includes a artists a wide range of artists spanning decades such as Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole to Andrea Bocelli, Southern raised, Thokoza, Rend Collective, and Mac Powell. (Over over an hour and a half of music focused on the meaning and reason for CHRISTmas.) ENJOY!
LOOKING FOR A GREAT GIFT FOR A WRITER?
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Great books make great gifts! (Some new releases included below.)
NEW RELEASE! Experience Immanuel Daily: Personal Encounters with God Devotional, by Cherrilynn Bisbano
Each devotion features an inspiring true story of a Bible character and one from a post Bible times Christian pulled from long ago to present day. A great gift for those who desire to experience God in a deeper, personal, and powerful way, as well as for history buffs, pastors, speakers, and educators.
BLESSED TO BE A CONTRIBUTOR TO THIS BRAND NEW DEVOTIONAL! Focus: 45 Devotions to Keep Jesus In The Picture, compiled by Dr Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes
And I’d love to hear from you in the comments. SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter for notifications of new blog posts and occasional offers and FREEBIES
A MOVIE TO WATCH THIS CHRISTMAS: I Heard the Bells | The true story behind #poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Poem I Heard The Bells which became the beloved Christmas Carol. (Available to stream or for purchase.)
*Scroll for more newly released and recommended books.
Stephanie Pavlantos’ podcast Grafted: Jewish Roots of Christianity (see below) and her website, This Side of Heaven offer encouragement and education for your faith walk.
Christmas with the Chosen: The Messengers produced by Dallas Jenkins available on the Angel Studios App, to stream, or purchase DVD.
The Christmas Devotional: Hope & Humor For The Holidays is a strikingly beautiful book with thoughtful layout and curation of festive crafts, tips for organizing and reducing holiday stress, recipes, and fun facts about yuletide. A wonderful collection of holiday themed stories sure to warm your heart, stir your soul, and make you laugh.
NEW RELEASE: Heartwarming devotions with recipes and tips.
NEW RELEASE: Love Knots, Volume Three: Stories of Faith, Family, and Friendships (Devotional)
"An array of authors provide a buffet of soul food in this inspired compilation to nourish your mind, refresh your spirit, and warm your heart."
Books by bestselling award-winning ghostwriter, author (and my mentor) Cecil Murphey AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE / CECIL MURPHEY’S WEBSITE
Available for pre-order: A Fifth of the Story, by Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes
MY ENDORSEMENT:
“Unrelenting heart-stopping action from the opening scene to the last line.”
“They left a war overseas and came home to a war like no other. Federal agents face a crisis of conscience between ethics and emotion, love and loyalty to the brotherhood versus performing their duty. A probing story of bonds and betrayal, cultural conflict and corruption, a glimpse into the inner workings of federal agencies, and the toll on those sworn to protect. Racist plots, crime rings, gun battles, bombs, politics, faith, and intrigue converge to create unrelenting heart-stopping action from the opening scene to the last line.”
Spanning the globe from Guatemala to the Congo and even outer space, 28 contributors including a soldier, scientists, doctors, ministers, teachers, and writers share two #definingmoments.
Proceeds from Defining Moments: Memorable and Inspiring Stories from Outstanding Leaders (to which I’m a contributor) are donated to Samaritan's Purse ministry (part of the Billy Graham Evangelical Association) and go toward providing aid in crisis situations around the globe.
A FEW CHARITIES WORTHY OF SUPPORTING
(After your tithe and offerings to your local church)
Samaritans Purse
(affiliate of Billy Graham Evangelical Association ministry)
Join Judy In Uganda
Compassion International
World Vision
MY REVIEW: Colorful Connections: 12 Questions About Race That Open Healthy Conversations, Lori Roeleveld and Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith Powerful, revelatory, instructive, inspiring. I wish every high school, post-secondary school, and religious institution would carry this book in their libraries. With bared hearts the authors demonstrate through their dialogue how to conduct honest, healthy, productive conversation to help bring understanding, healing, and build relationships across ethnicities. Prepare to do some soul searching and shed some tears as you read these personal accounts. Regardless of your religious or political persuasion, your ethnicity, experience or lack thereof in the realm of race relations, this book empowers readers to bring reconciliation to their communities. The principles and exercises in Colorful Connections: 12 Questions About Race That Open Healthy Conversations not only have the potential to help bridge the racial divide, but can prove beneficial to any relationship. #ColorfulConnections
MY REVIEW: Room at the Table: Encouraging Stories from Special needs Families by Stephanie Pavlantos and Starr Ayers is an extortionary, encouraging and enlightening gift for special needs families and those who wish to better understand, love, and serve them better.
"Author Stephanie Pavlantos, the mother of Matthew with cerebral palsy and Starr Ayers, the mother of Ashley with Down syndrome, co-authored the collection of real-life experiences from families, guardians, caregivers, and individuals with special needs. These stories of hardship, courage, and blessings will encourage, enlighten, and equip readers for ministry in their communities. Room at the Table also contains a light-hearted look at life through the eyes of these extraordinary individuals..."
The #TaleoftheClans Series by M.N.Stroh
MY REVIEW: PATH OF TOTALITY, Heather Kreke
Fast paced, thought provoking, inspiring.
Emotionally charged, non-stop heart-pounding action, and well developed relatable characters. Dystopian is not my usual genre, but Path of Totality kept me up reading late into the night. — Is this fiction, or the future?
MY REVIEW: A beautifully written handbook crafted with heartfelt vulnerability for the grieving and those who seek to understand, aid, and comfort them.
After the Flowers Di: Encouragement for Walking Through Life After Loss, by Renee Leonard Kennnedy features brief chapters woven with wisdom, compassion, humor, and practical instruction. Sage advice to help prepare for and handle the aftermath of death of a loved one including legacies and legalities of inheritance.
e: Encouragement for Walking Through Life After Loss
MORE GREAT BOOK IDEAS ON MY RESORCES PAGE HERE
- No Record of Wrongs
Unforgiveness, like a dam, hinders the flow of God’s Spirit and leads to spiritual … Continue reading “No Record of Wrongs” - Missing from the Manger
Christmas 2017 In the year of our meager manger, a snowman made of sand, … Continue reading “Missing from the Manger” - A Second Wind & Christmas Clementines
~Second Wind~ With Christmas days away and money scant for gifts, I determined to … Continue reading “A Second Wind & Christmas Clementines” - Bold & Vulnerable
Vulnerability doesn’t come easy for me. But God calls us to live boldly and … Continue reading “Bold & Vulnerable”
For our full #HealthyFaithchat schedule on Twitter and a list of upcoming topics please visit our website: HealthyFaithChat.com
Help from Focus on the Family 1-800-A-Family/ (1-800) 232-6459
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association 24 hour Prayer Line: (888) 388-2683
Merry Christmas, everyone! May God bless you and yours this Christmas and in the year to come.
© 2023 Rachael M Colby | Tattoo It On your Heart
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Tattoo It On Your Heart 
Great job Rachael. Your works are so inspiring! God Bless you!
Jan Leary
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Thank you, Jan. Thank you for the years of reading. God bless you.
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Thank you ,Rachael. This was like the best Christmas smorgasbord. You are wonderful! And thanks for including my new book.
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You are most welcome, Phyllis. Congrats on yet another new release. Glad this blessed you, and thank you for your kind words. You and Dr. Bill are wonderful.
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