Emmanuel

By Andrea Merrell

 

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son,

and they shall call his name Emmanuel, 

which being interpreted is, God with us.

Matthew 1:23 KJV

 

Emmanuel. Son of the Most High. Sent to earth to be born of a virgin. To be a light in the darkness. To save us from our sins. To point the way to the Father.

Emmanuel. Jesus, the living Word. Holy. Sinless. Blameless. Redeemer of all mankind. Messiah. Savior. Lord of all.

Emmanuel. God with us—always. Never leaving. Never unaware of us. God within us. Beside us. Surrounding us. Going before us. Our constant companion.

Emmanuel. Seeing us. Knowing us. Forgiving us. Loving us.

Emmanuel. Wonderful counselor. The Prince of Peace. Jesus. The Name above every other name. The name that comforts, heals, and sets the captive free.

Emmanuel. God with us. With me. With you. Always. 

Merry Christmas, everyone! 

Photo by Al Elmes on Unsplash

Oh, Holy Night

 

By Andrea Merrell

And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph,

and the Babe lying in a manger.

Luke 2:16 NKJV

 

Jesus. The only begotten Son of God. Born in a manger.

The Day Star from on high left the splendor of heaven to come to earth to become the light of the world. God incarnate. Redeemer of all mankind. Savior. King of kings and Lord of Lords.

This Christmas, reflect on the beauty and wonder of what took place on that special night. Experience the love poured out from above. The joy. The peace. The hope.

The star shone bright. The shepherds bowed in worship. The angels sang. The whole earth rejoiced at His birth.

Oh, holy night … the night that changed everything.

Merry Christmas!

Photo by Farid Askerov on Unsplash

A Different Kind of Christmas

 

By Andrea Merrell

Commit to the Lord whatever you do,

and he will establish your plans.

Proverbs 16:3 NIV

Six days until Christmas. So much to be done. My to-do list taunts me and seems to grow longer instead of shorter as I check off finished tasks.

The truth is I’ve never been so unprepared for this holiday in my entire life. Between health issues, appointments, events, and trying to coordinate everyone’s schedule, it has been impossible to make a definite plan.

With my son and daughter well into their forties, this will be their first Christmas—along with my six grandchildren—when we’re not all together on this special day. Trying to fix this has caused nothing but stress, anxiety, and a cluttered mind.

But God—as always—has a better way. Instead of focusing on my to-do list and all the complications, He invites me to turn my attention completely to Him—the first and only reason for the season. His presence alone can unclutter my thoughts and give me peace.

He tells me to seek Him first, then He will handle the details. He tells me not to worry about tomorrow because it will take care of itself (Matthew 6:33-34). He says if I will trust Him and keep my thoughts fixed on Him, He will keep me in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). And Proverbs assures me that if I commit everything to Him, He will establish my plans (16:3). And whatever God plans is always perfect.

Yes, this will be a different kind of Christmas for our family, and that’s okay. No matter how and when we celebrate, we will  experience His amazing peace, joy, and love whether we’re all together or not.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful, stress-free holiday.

Merry Christmas!

 

Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

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If your Christmas plans aren’t working out the way you’d hoped, commit them to the Lord. He will establish your plans and bless you will peace,joy, and His amazing love. Merry Christmas! via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

Merry Christmas from Words That Matter

 Christmas, as they say, is the most wonderful time of the year. We love the food (especially the sugary sweets), the lights, the music, the decorations. Many even love the shopping ... and the wrapping ... and the baking. 

But we can get so caught up in all the trappings that we forget what Christmas is really all about.

Christ-mas. Christ came. For us. For God so loved the world that He gave.

Jesus Christ, born in a lowly stable, now seated at the right hand of the Father. King of kings and Lord of lords.

Enjoy everything this season brings, but don't forget the reason for the season.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Wishing you a blessed, prosperous, and Jesus-filled New Year.

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Enjoy everything this season brings, but don't forget the reason for the season. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

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Merry Christmas from Words That Matter

This year, as you celebrate the holiday season with friends and family, prepare a special place in your heart for the Christ of Christmas. Rejoice at his birth, but remember ... He is no longer the babe in the manger. He is our risen Savior. King of kings and Lord of lords. Emmanuel. God with us. Celebrate Him, not only at Christmas, but every single day throughout the year.

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a blessed and prosperous New Year.

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Celebrate the birth of Jesus, but honor Him as risen Savior. King of kings and Lord of Lords. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

The Christ of Christmas

By Andrea Merrell

And I pray that Christ will make his home 

in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have 

your roots and foundation in love.

Ephesians 3:17 TEV

The birth of Jesus, the true reason for the season, was a beautiful, wonderful, magical time. An angel appeared to lowly shepherds, and a brilliant star led a trio of wise men to a stable where the savior of the world awaited them. But I wonder what happened after that holy night. Did the shepherds and wise men go back to business as usual with fond memories of the awe they experienced, or did the events change their hearts and lives forever?

This year, prepare a special place in your heart for the Christ of Christmas. He is no longer the babe in a manger. He is our risen savior—King of kings and Lord of lords. Celebrate Him, not only this Christmas, but every single day throughout the year.

May He truly make his home in your hearts through faith.

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.)

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Celebrate the Christ of Christmas. He is no longer the babe in a manger. He is our risen savior—King of kings and Lord of lords. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

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Wishing You a Jesus-Filled Christmas

Thank you so much for visiting my blog and 

sharing my posts over the past couple of years.

By Andrea Merrell

This past weekend, I had the extreme displeasure of watching in amazement as a customer verbally slammed an employee at a local drug store. The man was very angry, very loud, and very much out of line.

After the man stormed off in a huff, I wanted to hug the employee for being such a good sport and handling herself so well. I apologized for the man's behavior and she said, "Oh, do you know him?"

I laughed and said, "No, but if I did, I probably wouldn't admit it."

Hopefully, the man was having a bad day and this was not his usual frame of mind. The woman assured me she had been through this with customers before and, since we were only a week away from Christmas, it would surely happen again. How sad to expect this kind of treatment during such a special time of year.

I silently prayed for both upon leaving the store and vowed to be extra kind to everyone I came in contact with, especially those working in retail. As Christians, we should always let our light shine, but so much more during the holidays as we strive to point others to Him. 

Christmas is so much more than shopping, baking, parties, lights, and decorations. May we never forget the real reason for the season.

As you enjoy this wonderful time of year, I would like to wish you a Jesus-filled Christmas as you celebrate with family and friends.

Christmas blessings to you and yours.


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Merry CHRISTmas! Never forget the real reason for the season. via @Andrea Merrell (Click to Tweet.)

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