My Story-The Ups, the Downs, the Past, the Now

My Story

We all have a story. The people, experiences and parts of life that have shaped us. Sometimes we don’t recognize they key parts of our story. The big things that brought us to a whole different place. I want to recognize those key parts. I want to reflect back and and be grateful for those key turning points. Because it helps me to see Jesus’s hands and his heart always with me.

When I think back on when I started loving Jesus, I can’t remember a start time. For as long as I've remembered I have loved him. I grew up in the catholic church and we went to church every Sunday. I remember dreading going to church and not understanding any of it. But every night my mom would pray with us. And I knew he heard my prayers. I knew he was with me and protecting me. And every once in a while I would see a picture of Jesus. His kind eyes always drew me in. I knew he loved me. And I knew I loved him. But that was about all I really knew.

We didn't own a bible and I didn't understand what Jesus really did on the cross for me. My parents sent my siblings and I to private schools growing up. We went to a Catholic school until 8th grade and then to a Lutheran High School. That Lutheran High School, Martin Luther in Greendale Wisconsin, was a huge part of my story. It was there that I first opened a Bible. On my first day of school, in our theology class, the teacher told everyone to open up to John chapter 3. Everyone opened up right to the page. I had no idea how to navigate this huge book in front of me! And I was still just in shock that we could have a Bible and read it and that it wasn't just for the Priest in front of the congregation. So, I was slightly embarrassed that day that I didn't know how to find things in the bible. So, that night at home in my room, I surfed through it trying to get familiar with it. I fell in love. I remember tears falling down my cheek. There was so much in this book. God was speaking to us through a book! What?! How had I never known that?? I have loved books since I was 4 years old and started reading. I would read everything I could. And now there was a book from God himself! Holy cow!!!!!!!! I started to read. I read quickly and I read a lot. I read Matthew first. I loved learning about Jesus and felt so close to him. I wanted to know him more. So, I kept reading. In about a month I read through the New Testament. Then I went back to Genesis and read through the Old Testament in about 3 months. This book was amazing. I loved the Theology classes at school and would sit at the end of my chair listening to every word the teacher taught. We would memorize bible verses and learn historical and factual information. And I loved every part of it. I took a college level course about the New Testament instead of an easy elective that everyone else picked. I was just drawn to this book.

But I there was a disconnect between my mind and my heart. I didn't understand how to nurture my relationship with God and what a life of faith should even look like. I looked for approval from guys and wanting to be popular. I gossiped and cared about clothes and hair and silly high school things.  I didn't have a church or people around me really nurturing or guiding me in how to walk with Jesus. So, that would come  in the next part of my story. But still in this part of the story, I loved the Bible and I wanted everyone I knew to love it too. I held a weekly Bible study at school in my Theology Teacher’s classroom. I held a summer Bible study at my house. I was determined to teach what I was learning.

The next part of my story happened at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where I quickly got involved in Campus Crusade for Christ. This is a HUGE part of my story. This ministry changed my life. Through discipleship, bible study, other women who took me under their wing, I learned to how to grow in my relationship with God. I recognized how much I was living for myself throughout my life. I recognized the magnitude of what Christ did for me on the cross. And there was no one else I wanted but JESUS. And I wasn't alone. There were others who wanted Jesus. And together we’d gather in small bible studies every week in a dorm room. We’d gather at weekly Cru meetings with hundreds of other students where we’d learn from a speaker and sing praise and worship music to God. An older student would take me to coffee once a week and mentor me. I made amazing friends. We’d have so much laughing and hanging out and enjoying life and God together. We’d go to conferences and retreats together, growing in our walks with him. It was a dream! It was a small glimpse for me of what Heaven will be like. Being surrounded by amazing friends who love God and push and challenge each other and grow together. I grew so much because of these friends God gave me to grow with.

In the midst of those friends who loved God was a tall,skinny,shy boy with glasses. He was kind and sweet and he loved Jesus. Which brought me to the next part of my story.

We got married and started life in the real world. Out of our Christian bubble of Campus Crusade we were quickly thrown into the stresses of reality. Upon graduation we moved three hours away, started our full time jobs, bought a house, and oh crap that baby we planned on having in 5 years came 4 years earlier. And this part of my story kinda sucks. It’s the part where I let God slip away. I lost my focus. Working full-time with a colicky baby who kept me up all night long and an overwhelmed and stressed husband who was thrown into this mess too early along with me took up my life. I wasn't reading my Bible. I went to Church every Sunday but desperately missed the fellowship I had in College. Everyone else I met with children was almost 10 years older than me. It was hard for me to find anyone to relate to, and I felt very alone.  Marriage was hard and life was hard and both of us were searching for a way for things to be better. So in all our wisdom, we moved across the country because that would solve all of our problems and bring us complete happiness!  (Please hear the sarcasm).

So we sold our house in cold Wisconsin, quit our jobs, picked up our one year old (in the process broke my parents heart by taking their only Grandchild away), rented a U haul and off we went! To sunny California where life would be better, because there is sun and beaches and a new life waiting for us. We quickly found that life here was just the same. There were still bills. There was still work. There was still a disconnect between us, between us and God, between us and others. Life was just hard! And then came child number two. That fixed everything. Um, nope! More hard stuff ahead. We searched for a church for about a year in our new state before we settled on one. We got involved in a few different Bible studies throughout our time there, and met some great people. We wanted to please God, but we were just pretty blind and selfish with our lives. Our faith was small. Our eyes were on ourselves. After a few years at that church we felt started looking for another church. We recognized that we weren't growing and we wanted to. But  there was so much we did not recognize. Like if we wanted to hear from God we needed to give him our everything. We needed to lay down our lives for him. And we just weren't doing that. After about a half year of looking for a new church we found one that we finally both agreed on. NEXT Chapter! And this is a good one!!

We now have 3 children. In the last decade there had been seasons of my life that I spent time in the Bible and trying to have consistent devotionals. There had been seasons of growth. But I would quickly get sucked back into just trying to survive as I balanced working and kids and marriage and life. Everything was about to change for me. By the grace of God He drew me back to him. He opened my eyes to so much. I attended a women’s bible study at the church and immediately fell back in love with the Bible. I felt like I could hear from God again. I heard his promises. I heard him  say he was with me and he wanted me. Oh did I want him to! I started consistently spending time with God again. Every day, praying to him and reading the bible. How could I forget how key that was to a life with him? Somehow, amidst the kids and busyness I did forget. But he did not forget me.

And once again, I was back in his arms loving him, loving his words to me, wanting to know him more, and wanting to give him all of me. So, he started to change me. Slowly and surely, And Oh I am still such a mess needing to be changed everyday. But he’s doing it. He’s using people, books, experiences, our church and more to change me. One thing that really knocked me off my butt was when I picked up a book last year written by Jennie Allen called “Restless.” I can’t explain what that book did to me. What it did FOR me and IN me.

Jennie Allen has a rare passion for God, a deep thirst for him that is contagious. I caught it. I’m so glad I did! And then I read her book “Anything.” After reading that book, I was ready to give up ANYTHING for him. I realized so many ways I went wrong in the past. I wanted things my way. I didn’t put everything on the table for him to do anything he wanted with me. I wanted him to do things my way. And that kept me from him. So, I put it all out there. I prayed the scary prayer that caused more amazing change in my life. “God, take everything. Everything is yours. Do anything you want. If it means me being closer to you, then do anything! I’ll give up anything. I’ll take in anything. I’ll go anywhere.”

I once again realized, how important it was to put my relationship with God first. So after growing so much by the challenges and the reminders of God’s promises and faithfulness given by Jennie Allen in her books, in February of 2014 I saw that she was putting on a conference called If Gathering. I downloaded it from my phone a week after it took place. Speakers upon speakers spoke to my heart. Challenged my core. Gave powerful words straight from God's word. He was there that weekend. I could hear him and feel him as I folded laundry listening to the speaking sessions on my phone. It took me two weeks of laundry folding time to get through all the sessions. Tears rolling down my cheeks as I folded towels and hung shirts. God is so good. God is working in this generation. And has so much in store for us.

Now a year later, the second IF Gathering is taking place in less than a month. God will be there again. God will speak through women and to women to change hearts and change lives. And this year, I am not going to listen to it by myself on my phone. This year our Church, Gateway in Visalia, will be hosting this weekend simulcasted live. We are praying for women from all over the central valley to come and gather together for this event. I am praying for every woman I call friend within an hour radius to be there.  And the reason is this. I think that as I felt alone for so long, many other women feel the same way. I also think it is common to get distracted with the stresses of life and not put God entirely first. Not lay down everything and anything for him. And when we don’t lay down everything we can’t hear everything and see everything that he has for us.

Now that I see God in such a clearer way, I want to grab people and say come over here!!! It is so much better!!! To walk with God daily. To get in his word every day. To hear from him everyday. To grow closer with him every day. Not just a Sunday-sit-in-the-pew-christian. But come run a race passionately and completely chasing after him. It’s so much better than a mediocre convenient type of faith. Knowing God has no comparison to anything else. It is life to the fullest. Even when it is extremely hard. Even when things go wrong, family gets sick, and relationships struggle, having the hope of God that only comes from knowing him intimately, is amazing and worth more than anything.

So, all of this to say: A pivotal part of my life was brought about by an author, a speaker, a mom, a Jesus follower, named Jennie Allen. She is holding the 2nd ever If:Gathering this February. And I want you to come! Come to Gateway in Visalia for the simulcasted event. Friday February 6th from 6:00 pm-9:00 pm and Saturday the 7th from 9:00 am-4:00 pm. Tickets are $10.00 each or a table of 8 for $60.00. I know it’s not easy to give up a weekend. To find childcare or miss a sporting event your child has is hard to do. But if you want to get to where he wants you to be, ask yourself if you are willing to give anything. IF you are, please come! You will hear from him. You will be changed. It may be a part of your story that you will gladly share with others in the near future. Thanks for listening to my story. I know I’m too wordy. So if you made it to the end, you are awesome! To God be the glory in everything he has done in my life. For bringing me to him over and over again. For not giving up on me. For getting me past some dark days and into his arms. I will never leave those arms again. I will not forget the importance of being in the Bible everyday. It changes me. It brings me to him.  His words, his people, and time with him, is what changes me and brings me closer to him every day. He is so good!

Maybe parts of my story sound like parts of your story. Maybe not. But the truth is, no matter where we have been. No matter where we are right now. God has more for us. So much more!!!! Come see where he wants you, what he wants from you, what he can do in your life. If God is real, then let’s live like it!  Here’s a clip for If:Gathering and a link to get tickets to IF:Local at Gateway in Visalia.

Post by Jennie Allen.

Get your tickets here! If you don't see the link on the page please check back soon!

http://gatewayvisalia.com/

If you want to learn more about If Gathering or want to find a simulcast closer to you, check out their site here: https://ifgathering.com/

Let’s never be satisfied in where we are, but seek to know him more. Then, we will be a light so bright to others around us! They will see Jesus when we are filled with Jesus. Let’s live our lives like God is real! Let’s get a bigger picture of who he is, because he is bigger than we can imagine. Let’s magnify him!

God’s story is beautiful. Your story is beautiful.

As we are in the Christmas season, the story of Jesus’ birth is something many of us are reflecting on, reading about and of course celebrating. His story is so beautiful. 

The king of the universe, coming as a baby. In a stable underneath the night sky,  with animals, humble parents looking at him with love and admiration, the bright star, the singing angels, the awed shepherds, the reverence of the wise men.

Everything about this story is beautiful to us. We love seeing nativity sets and the beautiful image of Jesus’s arrival. 

But when you really think about it, why is this beautiful to us?? The God of the universe was born as a baby. He came out covered in blood and gue and placenta. Um, Yuck.  That is what he was covered in, instead of the rich royal robes of a prince. That would have been beautiful.   Poor Mary did not have her mom or a sister or best friend, coaching her through the pain, telling her its going to be okay. There were no family members anxiously waiting outside to see and hold the new baby. I hate the smell of stinky animals and their poop. Can you imagine being stuck in a small area with that stench? Why is this story and the image of the nativity so beautiful to us, when I really think about it, it sounds kind of dreadful?

It’s beautiful to us, Because we know the outcome. We know what came from that night. 

We know that over the next 33 years, that baby grew and became strong and wise. We know that he walked the earth and he healed people, and performed miracles and showed unimaginable love to people around him. We know that he sacrificed his life for us. Died a death only explained by crazy, limitless love. And he victorious conquered death and is still alive today. That WHOLE story is what makes the story of Jesus’ birth so beautiful to us. Sometimes, I look at my story, and all I see is mess. I see mistakes. I see “what if’s” and Why’s? There are some things that seem so unfair to me and I don’t want it to be part of my story. But this Christmas as I continue to reflect on the beauty of Jesus’s birth, I have heard God clearly speaking to me. 

Leslie, I am the writer of your story! There is beauty in it. There is beauty in the process, there is beauty in the outcome. And when you later look back you will then see the beauty in the mess and the stink that you see now. So don’t dread the mess! Stop asking why and wanting a different story. This is the story I wrote for you and I am the best story teller there is. Writing stories that you could never even dream up. Trust me. This is what I love  to do. I love to create beauty from ashes. You are seeking me and you have given me your heart, so you can trust that I will write your story in a beautiful and incredible way.  

This is what I hear him telling me. What do you hear him telling you? Are you seeking him? Are you in his word daily. Do you know him and walk with him every day? If so,then trust him with the things that don’t make sense and don’t seem fair. Trust him with the things that you want so desperately to be different in your life. You are his child and he is creating a beautiful story for you.  He has a reason and it is beyond us. If your answer was no to any of those questions, I encourage you to start now! Only God can create beauty from a stinky stable. Only God can help us out of our mess.

There are two different kinds of messes that I see in my life. The first type are messes  that I need to walk away from. A mess that is holding me back from the abundant life he wants to give me and keeping me from full joy in him. Girlfriends, walk away from these messes!!!! They may not be bad in themselves, but may have effects in your life that hold off all that God has to offer. It could be a friend that gossips your ear off and her negativity rubs off on you. Walk away! It could be a sport your child is in that keeps you too busy to regularly attend church or a bible study, or causes continuous stress on your child or family. Walk away! You can come up with reasons to stay. Such as you want to be a light to your friend and help her see Jesus. Or your child loves the sport and you want them to learn perseverance through difficulties. If it’s having negative results on your relationship with God,  maybe it’s not from God. Maybe you don’t see the negative results. I encourage you to look deeply. Put your relationship with God, and your family’s relationship with God before all else. It might be scary to walk away from something. But I encourage you to trust him. Trust that he will create beauty for you who choose him over something else.

Something that God has put on my heart is to continually evaluate my life to see if there are things I need to get rid of. I’m reminded that this life is so short and really, I am more fulfilled when I am invested in what has eternal value. God calls us to take a magnifying glass not only to him to see him more clearly, but to our lives as well. I encourage you to examine your life. Where you spend your time, what stresses you out. what might be holding you or anyone in your family farther away than the most abundant relationship with Christ you can imagine. Because that’s where he wants us. Closer to him and more in love with him and in line with him than we can even imagine. So, let;s consistently take up our magnifying glass, examine our lives and search for the messes that we need to walk away from.

The second type of mess that I see in my life is in areas that God has entrusted me with and it’s obvious that these things are not to be walked away from. We do not walk away from Biblical commitments such as Marriage, family, responsibilities, contracts. Those are areas of life that WILL get messy. And it’s okay to fall on your knees sometimes and call out to God “Why? What if? It’s not fair.” I have had these moments. And with full trust that God can make things better at a snap of his finger, I question why he doesn’t.

But I see my answer in the story of Jesus. There WILL BE beauty. 

There is beauty in the process. 

There is beauty in the hearts that are called to him through the process.

And there will be beauty in the outcome. 

Seek him, walk with him, know him, and the beauty will come. We can not skip the story that is leading up to great beauty. Trust that God is working through everything.  All that’s happening is happening to make miracles. God comes through mangers. The resurrection and fulfilled promises is what makes that manger so extremely beautiful.

The outcome of your messes, your stinky stables- will cause you to look back at the manger, and the process in between and see great incredible beauty in it.

You may not see it now, but have hope that it is there. Keep your eyes on him and watch for him and his gifts. How I desperately want him to snap his fingers and instantly fix the struggles and hard parts of my life. But that’s not what God does most of the time. He definitely has the power to. He didn’t send Jesus to Earth as a grown man that would go directly to the cross to take our sacrifice and then resurrect three days later. He started at the beginning. There was a process. A process of Jesus learning how to walk, being weaned from his mother, learning work from his father, starting a ministry and experiencing persecution and even his own family doubting him. It was a process that was far from the perfect bliss he deserved to be experiencing on his throne in heaven. But God loves the process and he loves to work in it. And that’s how he made this world. So trust, and wait, and walk with him, seek him, call out to him, look for him and the work he is doing. Keep your eyes on him and know that there will be beauty because God is not going to leave us in a stinky stable!

“Joys are always on their way to us. The are always travelling to us through the darkness of the night. There is never a night when they are not coming.” -Amy Carmichael.

That is the beauty of the Wise Men in his story. The gifts are always coming. God is preparing them. God is sending them.

“The miracle of gifts...is never not coming. When your Father’s hand isn't readily apparent, it’s only because he's readying gifts. Gifts always come out of the unseen and hidden places.” Ann Voskamp

So, that thing that has you wondering why, wishing God would hurry up and answer your prayers, wondering why he doesn’t... know that he’s there. He is working. He is creating beauty. It will be a beautiful story...someday. The less than ideal beginning, the longer than expected process, the poop, the persecution, it will all beyond beautiful and point to the amazing love of God when he finally shows the full outcome. So keep your hope in him and have confidence that he is there. God is with us. Look for the beauty and the small gifts to help strengthen your hope in the outcome. The shepherds awe, the wise men’s journey, the bright star, they are beauty that God placed in his story. Showing us that he’s there, he’s working. Cling to glimpses of hope and beauty that God shows you as your story unfolds. Walk with him, lean on him and trust him as he works in the process of your life, whether you see him or not. He is there. He is the writer of your story. And one day, it will ALL be beautiful.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

I want to encourage you to take some time today to reflect on the beauty of the the story of Jesus’s birth. You can start by reading Luke 2:1-20. I used to wait until Christmas Eve to read the story and reflect on it. Now I see the importance of not waiting until Christmas Eve or morning to spend time reflecting on the miracle of Christmas. By spending time in the weeks leading up to Christmas focusing on his amazing story Christmas has become so much more meaningful and special to me. I am brought so much closer to the baby in the manger, the God of the universe, the Lord in my heart, the savior of the world. It helps me to truly treasure him as the greatest gift. To not just know it in my head, but to feel it in my heart and soul and be overwhelmed by the greatness of his gift. So I encourage you to spend these next few weeks before Christmas adoring and worshiping the Savior of the world. As you reflect on the beauty of his story, be reminded that there is beauty in your story! The story that he has written for you, the story that points to him.

One Devotional that I am reading during this advent season is on SheReadsTruth.com
 Each morning, there is a new scripture reading and devotional posted on the site that focuses on the gift of Jesus. You can find this great devotional here:
Come Let us Adore Him

Lastly, I wanted to share this song with you.  “The Night Before Christmas” By Brandon Heath. God’s beautiful story is sung in this song, and moves in our hearts! If you take a few minutes to listen, your heart will be grateful!

Okay, actually one last thing I wanted to share. Here is a playlist of Christmas songs on Spotify. This music does so much for my soul as I prepare my heart for Christmas and take joy in the gift of Jesus!

Luke 2:19b-20a

 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

Like Mary, let's treasure and ponder God's story in our hearts. Like the shepherds, let's hear and see the truth from God. Let's dive into his word. If we do this, if we see him and hear him, praise will flow out of us.  And HE WILL be magnified. - He'll be made bigger, greater, and seen more clearly. I pray that each of us will magnify HIM this Christmas season!

Magnify Him with Thanksgiving

Psalm 69:30- "I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord."

How do we magnify God during Thanksgiving? I was going to write an article on the practical things we could do to magnify God this Thanksgiving. And then I realized, that was silly! What God wants most of all from me and from all of us, is our THANKS! He wants our hearts!! So, I’m laying my heart and my thanks out here today. I read a great book by Anne Voskamp this summer called “One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are.”  In this book she describes the art of naming what we are thankful for. This is powerful!! When we name what we are thankful for, as we go about our day, our hearts change. We become more grateful, more joyful. We start to see the gifts more, that we never saw before. Here are some of my favorite quotes from Ann in this book.

“And when I give thanks for the seemingly microscopic, I make a place for God to grow within me.” 

“A life contemplating the blessings of Christ becomes a life acting the love of Christ.” 

“The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring fullest Light to all the world.” 

And so I encourage you to make a list of the things you are thankful for! Below is my list. I contemplated on whether I should include it here or not. But in the end, I did. My uncensored, totally honest list from my heart. So, that maybe someone who is struggling with what to be thankful for can see the wide range of gifts we are given.  Food is an obvious one, but yes it is also okay to be thankful for cute boots! I truly am! So, search your heart. What are the things that you are happy to have? Those are gifts. Give thanks for them. But don’t stop there. After you name your gifts, your heart will be overflowing. Let that flow right back to God, the giver of these gifts who purposefully made you, who intentionally showered you with the gifts in your life. Pray. Pray a prayer of Thanksgiving to God, the giver, the creator, our Lord, our Savior. I made a list of my thankfulness and then my heart automatically overflowed with a prayer. Pray your own prayer or pray the prayer I wrote below. He hears us. He knows our hearts and our thankfulness brings him joy. If you don’t struggle with making a list, great, feel free to skip my list and scroll down to the Thanksgiving prayer. That is the meat of what I wanted to post today. Would you pray with me?? Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

God, Thank you for these things:

• YOU- you saved me, redeemed me, love me, speak to me and are with me
• Family-my husband and kids
• Their kisses, their love, their gifts to me and the world
• Jeremy's patience, flexibility, friendship
• Extended family- parents and siblings- Their love, friendship, protection, advice, support, babysitting, encouragement, wisdom, FUN.
• My church- support, growth, encouragement, involvement, knowledge, fellowship and friendships
• My dear Friends
• My Bible study
• My Bible
• Books that fill our house
• My Job that I love-drama, students, the school, the staff, being part time
• Jeremy's job and income
• Mission Valley- great teachers, great experiences
• Smart, talented, serving, loving, faithful kids!
• Home- comfort, pool, location
• Our furniture
• Our Neighbors
• Our van and truck
• Christmas presents
• Nehemiah project
• Gift of writing and areas to use it
• Kids love of reading, and mine
• Income
• Clothes
• Food
• Safety
• Health
• Medical care
• Phones and technology
• Amazon
• Pictures
• Music
• Memories and happy experiences
• Isagenix
• Love
• Cuteness
• Laughter
• Ideas
• The holy spirit
• Jesus
• The Father
• Blessings and prosper for our family
• The ability to serve and give
• The If ministry
• Learning
• Crafts
• Chocolate
• Boots
• My favorite necklace
• Good hair
• Turkey and stuffing tomorrow
• Podcasts to listen and learn from
• Good teachers like Christine Cain, Jenny Allen, Lisa Terquerst
• The good friends the kids have
• Awanas for the kids
• Purple in the sky when the sun is setting
• Big round moon when it first rises
• Beautiful things to look at
• Small, cute, ticklish toes
• A kitchen table full of glue, paint and love
• Overflowing pantry and closets
• All our material provisions
• All the people who bless my life
• Everyday that I'm given to grow closer to you Jesus and to love you more and show you to my kids and everyone around me, And when I fail, you forgive me and give me another day to keep on trying.
• Your mercy

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for all of these gifts and more. Help me to never take them for granted. Help me always recognize they are gifts from you. Help me to live with gratitude for you. I don't deserve any of these gifts. But you have showered me with them anyways. I am so thankful. Thank you Jesus. For the life you have given me. Help me to magnify you this Thanksgiving by having thankfulness in my heart for you and for the gifts you give me. By having love in my heart, for you and for the people around me. Help me to magnify you to the size you really are. To make you bigger in my life because you are bigger. Help me to do that with me words, my attitudes, my actions, my everything. Give me eyes to see what you see. Help me to see the hurting and to help. Help me to listen to the sad and lonely and give an ear and give encouragement and your truth and love. Help me to serve selflessly. Help me to give my kids and family a meaningful thanksgiving and holiday. Keeping the focus on you Jesus. Loving you, appreciating the gifts you have given us, enjoying the gifts you have given us, serving others, loving others, having fun and joyfully experiencing all you want us to experience. Keep our eyes on you, our words on your, our hearts on you. And by our lives help others to see you. Jesus I love you and am so grateful for the gifts you have given us. Most importantly the best gift of all.

Jesus.

Wrapped in a manger. Given to the world.

Died on a cross. Freedom from death to those who accept that gift.

Raised to life. Salvation and eternal life to those who believe.

The gift of the Holy Spirit. A counselor, a friend, the power of God inside of us.

The father's love lavished on us as we enter into relationship with you.

Promises that you are with me always, that you will never leave me. That you work ALL things for the good of those who love you.

Lord I love you! You have filled me with that love. Thank you!! Thank you, for you. Amazing God. Creator of heaven and Earth. No beginning, no end. Limitless, timeless, boundless. Never changing, infinite, everywhere all at once, all powerful, all knowing, in control, sovereign. Full of mercy, protection, love, forgiveness. You take me back over and over. Your grace knows no end. All things created for your glory. All things working together for your glory. This world is yours. This life is yours. Take it. And do whatever you want to do with it, so that you will be magnified to your rightful size and place. I hand it all over to you. I trust you and follow you.

I am sorry for my sins. I am sorry for living for myself. I am sorry for not giving you the praise and love and thanks that you deserve. I am thankful Lord. Thankful that you died for me and took my punishment. I believe. I follow you. And I am oh so thankful. Help me to show my thankfulness by reading your word every day. By spending time in prayer with you. By singing to you and praising you. By teaching and encouraging those around me. By offering my life to you and walking In obedience. Your word is a lamp to my feet. Help me be in it daily and follow you. I love you Jesus.

Thank you. What small words. But from the bottom of my heart I mean them. Thank you for you. Thank you for the gifts you have given me. Now help me to live with thankfulness in my heart ALL the time. Help my life to reflect that thankfulness. Help me to experience joy in you and all that you have created and given me.  Help me to walk with you every moment of everyday. Help me to magnify you this Thanksgiving and this Holiday season in all I do, in all I say, in all I am. Help me to leave behind a trail of YOU in all the places I go and in all the people I encounter. Help me to smile, and laugh and love and enjoy this gift of life! In your amazing name Jesus, I lift these words to you.
Amen

Psalm 69:30- "I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord."

It's ALL about Jesus!

It's the coolest thing when suddenly you realize how everything in the Bible, and everything in the world, points to Jesus. Every page in that big book. Even in the Old Testament before Jesus's birth on Earth, it still ALL points to him! One thing that really helped me realize this was the family devotional we did last Christmas called the Jesse Tree. 

This devotion has been around for quiet a while. But last year was my first experience with it. Our family loved it so much, we vowed to do it every year. And for the last few weeks, the kids have been asking me every single day if its time to start it yet! We loved it so much, and it was such a great experience and growing experience, that I want to share it with every parent and friend I know! So, I'm going to share a few links and few pictures with some basic instructions in making the most of this experience. But first, a few questions answered: 

Who is this project for? It can be adapted for any age. Literally 1 years old to adults. It is for you, if you are willing to spare 5-10 minutes a day during the month of December. If you want to do something special this Christmas season to help keep your eyes and heart on the gift of Jesus. If you know nothing about the Bible, or a lot about the Bible, this devotion will take you through the line of Jesus and help you understand and see God's promises and plan in a new and clear way.

What is the Jesse Tree? The Jesse tree represents Jesus' family tree. The name is taken from Isaiah 11:1, in which Jesus is referred to as a shoot coming up from the stump of Jesse, the father of David. There is a daily reading from the Bible and an ornament to represent that reading. The ornaments on the Jesse tree tell of Jesus' ancestors, and of the events leading to Jesus' birth.

How would I do this Jesse Tree Devotional?? 

There are are so many options out there! You can choose the best option for you based on the ages of kids, your personal preference and the amount of money you want to spend. Here are some options:

1.  You don't need to use a book outside of the bible. You can simple follow the reading plan and read the passages straight from scriptures. This would be a good way to go with teens and adults. A plan of what to read each day is on the second page of the document found on this link:

Bible reading plan for Jesse Tree

2. Here is a free printable devotion also better for teens and adults:

Printable Jesse Tree Booklet

3. If you have kids from birth to 10 years old,  one great way to do this is to follow a reading plan from a children's bible titled The Jesus Storybook Bible. This is such a great Bible that I recommend every family read from all throughout the year! So if you don't already own it, it's a good time to get one! The schedule of what to read from this Bible can be found here: Jesus Storybook Bible Advent reading plan

4. This next book is brand new this year and I am SO excited to use it for our reading during our Jesse tree Devotions. It's a beautiful book written by Ann Voskamp titled "Unwrapping the Greatest Gift:A Family Celebration of Christmas." The pictures are captivating and the stories are beautifully written and really draw the readers focus to the amazing love of God. I just can not wait to go through this book as a family! I think it will be a book and a tradition that my kids will always remember!

Once you decide how you are going to read through this plan with your family, if you have children, you'll want to prepare your tree and your ornaments ahead of time, so that you can hang one each night. Some people are very crafty and make beatiful and adorable felt or wooden ornaments. You can search pinterest for ideas from those crafty people! I am not one of those people :) So, we made a felt tree and have printable ornaments that we velcro to the tree every day during advent. 

Here is what we did to prepare our tree and ornaments:

1. Print the ornaments you will be using. 

If you will be using Ann Voskamp's devotional plan, you can print free ornaments that go along with the book here: Free printable ornaments for Unwrapping the Greatest Gift

If you will be using the plan with the Jesus Story Book Bible, print here: Jesus Story Book Bible free printables

2. Have your kids color the ornaments you print. 

3. If you can laminate the pages, that will help them last for years to come. If you can't, glue them onto some cardstock for extra strength. 

4. Cut the ornaments out.

5. Put velcro on the back of the ornaments to stick to the felt tree.

6. Cut your tree out from green felt. The green felt can be found at Hobby Lobby or Michaels for 4.99. Hang up your tree in a central space in your house. It's fun for the kids to see the tree throughout the day!

7. On December 1st, start with the scheduled readings! Read your first story, and after the reading have a child hang up the first ornament. Add the corresponding ornament to the tree each day during the month of December. Have kids take turns hanging the ornaments. 

8. On December 25th, the day Jesus is born, hang up the bright shining star to top the tree! We cut out a star from some yellow sparkly foam from Michaels. 

9. On December 25th you will see the complete tree. You will know the people that God used, the miracles he did, and the stories he wove together to bring about his amazing plan, all planned out from the very beginning. You'll see the love he poured out to bring us the most amazing gift ever. The gift of Jesus. And your kids will have this experience and this visual to help them understand the gift of Jesus and the love God has for them and the whole world.

Jesus is the very best gift we have ever been given, and no words could truly express the greatness of this gift. But more than anything, I want my kids to spend the Christmas season (and every day of their lives) thinking about Jesus. Thinking about about how God loves them so much that he had this plan from the very beginning to rescue them. To save them. To bring them to him. And he gave up his own son to do that. More than anything I want my kids' hearts' to be touched by the love of God. I want them to see Jesus and know Jesus and celebrate Christmas BECAUSE of Jesus. I want them to be filled with love for God because he first loved them. And I want that for your kids too! I hope you can join us this December in going through this Jesse Tree devotional! I'm excited to see what God teaches us and shows us our second time around! When we get in his word, he opens our eyes and our hearts in miraculous ways! Jesus. What an incredible, indescribable gift!

Colossians 1:15-20

 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.