Susan May Warren's Blog, page 40

12 Pearls of Christmas: Celebrate

What Really Matters
by Dawn Meehan

In
the hustle and bustle and commercialism of Christmas, take time to
remember the real reason why we celebrate - the birth of Christ, our
Lord and Saviour. May you all have a blessed Christmas!

I had a
VERY long day with the kids doing little but fighting. By the time we
left for church, we were all short tempered, snapping at each other,
and not at all in the Christmas spirit. Thankfully, once at church, we
calmed down. Things were put in perspective for us. ...

12 Pearls of Christmas: Slow Down, Pray & Give Thanks

All Decked Out For Christmas
by Maureen Lang

One
of the reasons so many of us love the holiday season is that it's just
so...pretty! Twinkling lights, shiny ornaments, packages that glisten
with bows and fancy wrapping. Our houses are trimmed with wreaths and
glowing trees, and the neighborhood lights up the night with strands of
icicles and glimmering reindeer.

Even we get decked out for the
holidays! Chances are most of us will attend at least one party this
season, and if we don't usually...

12 Pearls of Christmas: Wondrous Mystery

Magnificat
by Anna Joujan

Holy.
Holy. Holy is the Lord. The familiar catch of breath. The sting in the
eyes. And the tears begin to flow with the falling rain. Or do the
tears fall with the flowing rain. What is it in these words that I
whisper that wrenches at my heart so? Why does Mary's prayer touch the
core of my being, so many centuries after it was spoken?

I think
it must be because I know that she was just a girl, just a human being,
with a woman's heart like my own. And so, when I hear h...

12 Pearls of Christmas: Perspective

A Soggy, Jolly, Holly Christmas

by Melody Carlson

One of my most memorable Christmases started out as a natural disaster.
But isn't that a bit how a pearl is formed? An oyster's soft easy life
is disrupted by the invasion of sand, but something good comes out of
it. When I was eight, we experienced the worst flood in recorded Oregon
history. It was only a few days before Christmas when our streets
became shallow rivers and the governor proclaimed a state of emergency.
My sister and I assumed...

12 Pearls of Christmas: Help & Support

Calling Elizabeth ... HELP!
by Tricia Goyer

Mary,
the mother of Jesus is one of the most well-known women of all time.
She was also a teen mom facing an unplanned pregnancy. This Christmas
we will see evidence of Mary's story all around us. And as you hear it
through Christmas songs and Christmas shows think of three things:

1. Mary was signed up for a big task she wasn't prepared for.
2. Mary no doubt faced criticism from people around her.
3.
Mary found someone to turn to - a friend who could h...