When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. – Matthew 2:10
This year I started thinking about the season of Advent early because I needed to prepare a devotion for a group of ladies. I wanted to talk about how to survive this season of holiday busyness, not get stressed out and stay focused on the true purpose of advent. I reached out to others for suggestions on books or other resource material that I could use to prepare my talk. I searched the internet for helpful material. But then I found what I was looking for in books that I already had.
I truly enjoy and just completed my third year of reading “Hope for Each Day”, a book of daily devotions written by Billy Graham. As the title indicates, the book is chocked full of words that help me be hopeful for the future and live joyfully each day.
In the words of Billy Graham:
Don’t let this Christmas season overwhelm you. Don’t feel you have to do everything, or go into debt just to impress other people. Focus instead on Jesus. Take time every day to read the prophecies of His coming, and the wonderful story of His birth. Make this Christmas one of “exceedingly great joy”!
Our senior minister Mike also suggested that I read the book “Christmas Is Not Your Birthday” by Mike Slaughter. This author writes:
For our lives to be meaningful, however, we need to give them away. Meaning is not found in personal comfort and material luxuries. So, it should be no surprise that a meaningful Christmas is not found in mindless spending, eating, and stress. Rather, we find meaning when we give sacrificially to those in need, because by doing so we are giving to Jesus himself. It is his birthday, after all!
For a more meaningful Advent season let’s follow the advice of these two gentlemen. Keep the true purpose for the season close to our hearts and reach out to those in need just as Jesus did.
Sylvia Sumners, Fisherman Class
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