After enjoying one of my favorite holiday weeks, (THANKSGIVING!) Monday has me thinking about Christmas!
Setting up for the Christmas Store at Love Shelbyville has me emotional! It was awesome Sunday to see such a widespread effort to get ready to serve our community alongside Simpsonville Baptist! Seeing that cooperation, being able to partner with Capstone in the Governor's Square space, and knowing the impact this store has on Shelby County families is AWESOME! Can't stop thinking about it!
I was reminded last week that holidays with family typically come with both positive and negative feelings. Many of you experienced this. A holiday that was different because a loved one has passed or being unable to gather with loved ones far away. I experienced some of that myself as my grandma prepares for a new season of life. Any time I feel conflicted emotionally, I want to be reminded of the agony of feeling multiple things Christ experienced on the cross; care for his mother Mary, grief that he had been denied and deserted, and yet a deep love and sense of purpose in finishing the defeat of sin and death's tyranny. It's not easy when we feel multiple things at the same time, but it does give us another chance to reflect Jesus as we carry ourselves with great faith and hope in him.
I'm excited for Something New! Our advent series this Christmas will dive into the gospel of Luke. When Luke set down to write the gospel story, he wanted his friend Theophilus to know with certainty that Jesus was God’s Son, the promised Messiah and Savior of the world. As he retells the story of Christ’s birth, he doesn’t just tell him what happened; he instead turns to telling the stories of eyewitnesses and the people who lived out the story. It was as these people were returning to the comforts of their usual rhythms and routines that they found something new in what was familiar. The story isn’t new, but it will always do something new in you.
Can't wait for candlelight! Candlelight on Christmas Eve is one of my favorite Christmas traditions! We'll gather together on Saturday night (5 pm), remember that dark night made bright so long ago, and then celebrate on Christmas morning (10 am) as we gather with our families to sing, open our Lottie offering, and go tell the Christmas story! 27 DAYS!
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