Reflections on Christmas 2024

Dec 31, 2024

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Hello friend!

Christmas 2024

Recently I have come to a new realization that the Christmas season is not so joyful for many people. It has even made me rethink the question “How was your Christmas?” or “I hope you had a good Christmas.” I have known that it is a sad time for many people and maybe the years just make the disappointments accumulate. The weight of it just seems a little heavier this year. Perhaps you have noticed that too. Instead of those frequently asked questions or statements, I have been offering a hello hug and finding other common ground to spark a conversation. Genuinely, I just want to acknowledge that you are not alone in this holiday sadness. You may have felt it personally or have been disheartened with changing traditions in the family or extending comfort to those experiencing loss in a new way.

On Christmas morning, a friend texted these encouraging words: “Woke up feeling so thankful to be able to celebrate the birth of Jesus! What a gift!” Yes, indeed! We are so blessed to have been extended the gift of a relationship with Jesus. We get to unwrap the layers of this gift over and over. It becomes new again and again. He truly satisfies. May we all find encouragement from the gift of Jesus and set our minds on Him rather than the worldly fabricated ideas, photos, movies and holiday gatherings that have been created to invoke feelings that may not find their foundation in Jesus.

Gratitudes

Regardless of what the world does, I am trying my best to be grateful in all things and have finished the year with 1,533 gratitudes written in my journal for 2024. Ann Voskamp, author of 1000 Gifts and many other great books, teaches us that writing 3 gratitudes a day equals approximately 1,000 gifts over the course of a year and 25% greater happiness. Who doesn’t want to be happier? Gratitudes are easy gifts to find once we train our minds to look for them. Training your mind is as simple as writing down often overlooked things like hot coffee, sunrise through the fog, and a dishwasher full of clean dishes. Those were some of mine just this morning.

Prayer & Bible Study for 2025

If you are gearing up for the new year and need a new prayer journal this is the type I have used for years. It holds 6 months worth and you can easily carry it in your purse. To get you started, your January Prayer Guide is linked here. I look forward each month to focusing on one of God’s attributes (for January, God’s wisdom) and noticing that in my life. I am also offering an online Bible Study – Gideon by Priscilla Shirer – in a private Facebook Group with two friends helping me facilitate the study. If this is something you want to do in 2025, respond to this post with the word Gideon. We start on Thursday, January 8 and it lasts through mid April. There is about 2-3 hours worth of preparation each week so you will want to order the study and get started right away on Lesson One.

As 2024 comes to an end, let’s celebrate our wins, identify areas for improvement, and write down our purposes to pursue in 2025. Relying on His wisdom, I want to go slow and savor unwrapping the gift of Jesus one day at a time. Join me, won’t you?

Much love,

Bonnie