Listening with Compassion

From the pages of A Wreath of Snow…

On their long walk through the snowy countryside, when she’d bared her soul to him, Gordon had caught a glimpse of Margaret at fourteen. Vulnerable. Innocent. Fragile. However polished and grown-up her appearance this morning, he still saw a brokenhearted young lass with tears in her eyes.

I’m sorry, Margaret. He not only understood her pain; he shared it many times over.

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Any time of the year, but especially at Christmas, the greatest gift we can give someone is a listening ear with a generous measure of compassion. Who might you offer that gift to this holy season?

“Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

An original devotion by Liz Curtis Higgs, author of A Wreath of Snow

Humble Beginnings

Jesus didn’t come to earth in a chariot. Nor was He wearing royal robes. Instead Jesus arrived naked, a baby in need of care. His cradle wasn’t lined with purple silk. No, the King of Kings was laid in a manger. The braying of donkeys, not trumpets, announced Jesus’ arrival.

That night in Bethlehem, more than 2,000 years ago, God humbled Himself to come to our sinful world, a rejected Savior.
     
In Ripples Along the Shore, the Civil War has come to a close. But Caroline Milburn is still engaged in a raging battle of her own. A battle for control. In devastating circumstances, Caroline questions God’s sovereignty, refusing to humble herself in His sight and step out of the way of God’s plans for her.   

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the [ … ]

“A Wreath of Snow” Wins Christian Manifesto’s Lime Award for Excellence in Fiction

A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs is the winner of  Christian Manifesto’s Lime Award for Excellence in Fiction in the Historical Fiction Category. Congratulations Liz!  Reviewer Rachel Brand said, “This is definitely one of the best Christmas novellas I’ve read.”

 

Kerry Shook in Christian Post “Time to Be All There for Our Kids”

In an interview in the Christian Post, Woodlands Church Pastor Kerry Shook, co-author of One Month to Love with his wife Chris, encourages parents in the wake of the Newtown tragedy to be “all there for our kids.”  “…What we all hope would come out of such a terrible tragedy is that parents all over the country will see that we need to be totally engaged with our kids, totally there for them when they need us the most.  Being over-protective is not the answer. The answer is being overly-engaged, completely into their lives.”

The Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree is a beautiful reminder of why Jesus was born in the first place—to die for you and me. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24, NIV). As we put up the Christmas tree in our homes, it can only deepen our joy if we remember His death at this time of His birth. It is because He died for us that we can receive the eternal life represented by the evergreen boughs.

Have you ever noticed that the boughs of your tree extend out like the arms of Jesus stretched upon the cross as He offered His life to anyone who would come to Him in faith? And your Christmas tree is very definitely pointing toward heaven and, as [ … ]

Dr. Mary Neal Featured in “Christianity Today”

Mary C. Neal, MD, author of To Heaven and Back, is featured in  Christianity Today’s cover story on heaven in the December 2012 issue.  Christianity Today examines the surge of interest in stories about personal encounters with heaven, such as Mary Neal chronicles in her New York Times #1 bestselling book.  Neal further describes her experience in heaven in this web exclusive interview with Christianity Today Editor Mark Galli

NEWS: Dannah Gresh interviews with “Focus on the Family”

 

Focus on the Family is re-airing its broadcast with Dannah Gresh, author of What Are You Waiting For? Click here to listen to Today’s Broadcast.

SNEAK PEEK: The Blessed Woman by Debbie Morris

Discover the True Meaning of Being Blessed

Click here to download chapter one of The Blessed Woman.

It’s not easy being a woman. The demands and expectations of us, and those we place on ourselves, can be overwhelming. While trying to navigate this thing called “life,” have you ever longed for a close friend, confidant, or mentor to walk alongside you and encourage you in Biblical womanhood? Debbie Morris did. And yet even as a young minister’s wife, she found herself without someone to fill this all-important role. So she turned to the Bible. Biblical women such as Eve, Sarah, and Miriam had always fascinated her. But now they also became her friends, sisters, and teachers. [ … ]

Don’t Circumvent Your Training

Our Father knows the best training course for each of us. And although He doesn’t author the hardships, He permits them in order to strengthen us for the destiny He has for us.

Don’t circumvent your training process. The trials you face today are preparing you for the great feats you’ll accomplish tomorrow. Always remember, my friend, that God will not bring you into a challenging place without first making available the training you need to come through it successfully.

Learn to cast your cares on Him in true humility so that you can go from glory to glory, faith to faith, and strength to strength.

Excerpted from Relentless by John Bevere

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Daily Reflection:
What challenges are you facing today? What training have you been provided to come through it?

Are You on Board?

“To joyfully choose to make our lives count for His renown is to join His cause and to get on board with what He is already doing with or without us. In so doing, we make sure our lives count for what matters most while enjoying for all time the very best God has to offer.”

Excerpted from I Am Not But I Know I Am by Louie Giglio

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Daily Reflection:
How are you helping God in His work?