As we grow older, life changes and Christmas changes, too. When I was younger, my family and I would order pizza, wear Santa hats and turn on some Bing Crosby to decorate the Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. Well, due to crazy schedules, my husband Ryan and I rushed through the whole tree decorating experience this year… And I was a little sad as I reminisced about years past.
Since Sunday night, I have been thinking a lot about Christmas and ways that Ryan and I can make it special for our family, even without little ones running around. I keep coming back to dedicating more time to meditate on the birth of Jesus.
Many of you may follow the Advent calendar already. To be completely honest, I always say that I’m going to, but I usually end up getting distracted halfway through the month. Then, I stumbled upon this Advent podcast from John Piper.
I’m very excited about it and wanted to share it with you! There’s one podcast available right now, but it will begin on December 1.
I love what Piper says on the first podcast:
“What I want most for us this Christmas is seeing Christ in all his fullness and together loving what we see with a love far beyond our own half-hearted human capacities — a love made possible by the Holy Spirit.”
Christmas will always look different every year. This may be your first Christmas as empty-nesters. Perhaps someone you love will not be around for the first time this year, or maybe your home will be overflowing with grandchildren and new traditions.
But there’s one thing about Christmas that will never change and it will never cease to bring you joy: The true story of God coming to earth as a man in the person of Jesus Christ to save all sinners.
This Christmas, I hope to grow in adoration of the gift that changed history. Will you join me?
Now read this: One question that will simplify your busy holiday season
Caitlin Jordan is the assistant editor for TheCourage. While she loves small towns and the great outdoors, she lives with her husband, Ryan, in the big city of Dallas, Texas. She is passionate about the importance of transparency and loving those that disagree with Christian beliefs. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
