discovering joy in the journey

Joy to the Heart

This just in…

It may just be me, but doesn’t she sound like a little news reporter?

Our family has been trying to memorize Luke 2:1-20 this Christmas season.  It was intended to be just for my husband and I with the oldest three kids.  However, our 2 1/2 year old has often been present while we are reciting it and has quickly caught on to the words.  (Well, most of them.)  I am pleasantly surprised each day at how much the littlest lives in our home are able to learn and process in their hearts and minds.

Our little one only attempted the first 11 verses and wasn’t able to say all of the words, so here is Luke 2:1-20 (NIV, 1984 version) in its entirety…
(Free printables to use with the verses can be found here.)

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were
just as they had been told.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!  The Savior has come!

Each December, we work our way through the Nativity Story as found in the Bible.  We do daily, sequential readings and related crafts with our three young children.  No account of the Christmas story would be complete, however, without knowing and sharing why Jesus came and why His birth was and continues to be so important to each one of us.

In 1 John 4, verses 9 through 10, it states that, ” This is how God showed His love among us:  He sent His One and Only Son into the world that we might live through Him.  This is love:  not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ”  1 John 4:14 continues to say, “…we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the World.”
Without Christ, we would still be heaped in our sins and completely seperated from God – without HOPE.

This was recently written from the heart of our 5 1/2 year old daughter right before delivering Christmas Gospel Cookies to our neighbors…
‘I hope you will know God the Father in Heaven and He will forgive…I hope that you will know that He is the Christ.’

Lord, December seems to be such a  busy time – with gift giving and cards (and this year preperation for a new little one joining our family).  Please help me to keep in the forefont of my mind this busy Christmas season the gracious gift of Your Son, Jesus – My Savior.  Help me to continually see Christ in Christmas.