hi friends <3
welcome back to the blog for a very special post that i've been putting off writing because there is so much to say. what is christmas? who is Jesus? why does it all matter? how do we celebrate Jesus?
"for He delivers the needy when they call, the poor and them who have no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. from opression and violence He redeems their life, and precious is their blood in His sight." psalm 72:12-14
"anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." first john 4:8
"Jesus answered them, 'truly, truly, I say unto you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.'" john 8:34
"all things which are good cometh of God, and that which is evil cometh of the devil... everything which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve Him, is inspired of God." moroni 7:12-13
"when Jesus saw him lyring there and knew that he had already been there a long time, He said to Him, 'do you want to be healed?'" john 5:6
"simon peter answered Him, 'Lord, to who shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.'" john 6:68
"even though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death, i will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." psalm 23:4
"believe in God, believe that He is, and that He created all things, both in heave and in earth, believe that He has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth, believe that man does not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend." mosiah 4:9
"to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." luke 1:79
"come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in hearty, and you will find rest unto your souls. for My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." Jesus says in matthew 11:28-30
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Jesus is real, friends. and truly, why would we not want to worship & follow Him?
His ways are the most loving, humble, and good. He has set us free from death and sin & through Him we can become like God. how amazing. we are never alone, because He is always caring for us, if we let Him. everything about Jesus is pure and good. His judgement is perfectly fair & merciful. literally everything we could hope to become is goodness from Him.
because of Jesus, i have hope. hope for peace. hope that all the innocent suffering in the world is being watched over and made right through Jesus. hope that this world is only a season, that death is not the end. hope because of grace and mercy when i fail. hope because of His law and high standards. hope because of His kindness and miracles. hope through the joy He gives. hope because of the confidence knowing He is all-powerful and knowing. hope that each person can become more loving, forgiving, and peaceful.
with Jesus, there is no reason to despair. we are made by God, beautifully & wonderfully. He has all control and there is no one in the universe who is more perfect. He is over everything.
praise the Lord. this is why.
hope, joy, peace: these are real, deep things we can experience because of Jesus. He is not a made-up story, but the truth. if He is not real, what is life? what is goodness? what is hope?
truly what a beautiful thing it is to have the hope from Jesus. if you don't know who Jesus is, read His word! it is so good! matthew, mark and luke are so precious & after reading them you will begin to learn who Jesus is. humble. kind. wise. selfless. good.
and He's here. now. His spirit is with us, for He said He would not leave us comfortless. john 16:33
You can know Him & trust me, just try it. His love can heal your heart. it can give you hope.
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so how do we celebrate Jesus on His birthday?!
it makes me sad how christmas has become so commercialized & while all of the santa and elves and presents aren't terrible, they are distracting. how easy it is to worship these things instead of Jesus. how easy it is to worry about gifts and parties and decorations and not make any time to just be with Jesus. to sit down and read His word. remember His miracles. yes, we need to know how He was born, but let us also remember what He did and who He was! christmas is not about mary, or the shepherds, or the wise men. it's about Jesus, guys. let's not get that messed up <3
here are some of my favorite ways to celebrate Jesus during the christmas season.
watch the Christ child. it's less than twenty minutes & so beautiful.
read the book of mark all the way through! i got this idea from @thisweeksgrace & i'm planning on doing it every christmas.
write in your journal about how you've seen Jesus working miracles for you this past year.
go caroling! especially to people who live alone or don't get out of the house much. when i go, i can see their faces glow with love. this is such a beautiful blessing to give. music heals.
deliver some cookies to neighbors you've never talked to before.
write a letter to older extended family members (or little ones, too!)
when you sing christmas songs, really think about the words. i love silent night, the first noel, o holy night, and what child is this especially for their lyrics.
watch the chosen. at christmas and any time.
pray for the world, for your community, for your family, for your friends.
ponder what you need to work on to become more like Jesus, and really make a plan to do it.
give some big hugs.
help around the house a little extra without talking about it.
call someone who you know is lonely.
say thank you more & wave to strangers.
think about what your gift for Jesus is this year. <3
love you all. thanks for being here, for supporting me in my faith. i hope this post gives you inspiration & hope! merry christmas lovely people. praying for you all.
xoxo, kate
on the docket for next week: what i've learned this year! recapping 2024 :)
pss i love love love comments!! they make me so happy! leave your name please so i know who you are :) thanks all <33
Thanks Kate!