Friday Favorites – Devotionals
Welcome friends and happy Friday! I don’t know about you but the holidays are coming at me swiftly and I’m totally unprepared. This week I caught myself in the middle of a big anxiety spell and it always makes me so darn angry when I cannot pinpoint exactly what the issue is. Tis the season for cheer and joy and, boy, the stress! While I love the holidays and the joy they can bring, I do tend to stress a little over getting it “all” done.
Two years ago I participated in a devotional which really helped me stay focused on the reason for the season and it was amazing how much less stress I felt. It seems from watching insta-stories lately, I’m not the only one feeling a little stressed, so today I thought I would share the devotional which helped me as well as a few others I’m considering.
Christmas Devotionals
The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas
As I already said, I loved following along with this book and I truly was moved to read the story I thought I already knew. Ann also has the following two books which are more family in nature with some activities.
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas
The Wonder of the Greatest Gift: An Interactive Family Celebration of Advent
Because of Bethlehem: Love Is Born, Hope Is Here
Amazon: Max Lucado loves Christmas. Let the sleigh bells ring. Let the carolers sing. The more Santas the merrier. The more trees the better. He loves it because somewhere someone will ask the Christmas questions: What’s the big deal about the baby in the manger? Who was he? What does his birth have to do with me? And the answers he’s found give us all hope. God knows what it’s like to be a human. When we talk to him about deadlines or long lines or tough times, he understands. He’s been there. He’s been here. Because of Bethlehem, we have a friend in heaven.
I’m leaning towards ordering this one to read during the Christmas season this year!
Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ
Amazon: Even people who are not practicing Christians think they are familiar with the story of the nativity. Every Christmas displays of Baby Jesus resting in a manger decorate lawns and churchyards, and songs about shepherds and angels fill the air. Yet despite the abundance of these Christian references in popular culture, how many of us have examined the hard edges of this biblical story? By understanding the message of hope and salvation within the Bible’s account of Jesus’ birth, readers will experience the redeeming power of God’s grace in a deeper and more meaningful way.
This one also has 5 stars and seems like an impactful read.
Do I believe these books will relieve all the stress from the holiday season? Not a chance! But they will help me stay more focused on the true meaning of Christmas and maybe that means I’ll give a little more grace, let a few things that “would be a nice touch” go and just enjoy the time with my family and friends. Maybe, just maybe, my heart will be so full I will appreciate my blessings and be grateful for the hope the birth of Jesus brings.
And speaking of full hearts, if you haven’t stopped by the blog this week I shared the whos and whats I’m thankful for! In the spirit of giving, I also shared 5 ways you can serve others with lots of great ideas for being compasionate. I also shared two Target treasures you do NOT want to miss!
I’m going to have a little quiet time to myself on Saturday before heading to share a Thanksgiving meal with my Mamaw on Sunday. My goal is working on a few gift guides for next week! Let me know if there is a particular someone you are looking to buy for.
Have a super weekend friends!
Linking with||Friday Favorites with Erika, Andrea & Narci, Oh Hey Friday, High Five for Friday, Awesome Life Friday , The Blended Blog Loves
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These all sound wonderful! I may have to use some Amazon points and snatch some up! xo
The first one was really, really good…and because it was broken down one day at a time it was easy to get through. The story we all know…be seriously by the last day I was moved to tears. Hope you have a super weekend!
Liking the look of the Max Lucado book!
Me too Coreline!
that Ann Voskamp cover is drawing me in! I’ll have to grab these books next time I need a few !
So fun! And you could probably easily do one of these with Leighton
Wonderful ideas! I’m unprepared too, with the house going up, just too much so I definately need my quiet time! Love these, Love you! Happy weekend!
Love you too momma…thanks for being a little light! 🙂
I love these ideas! Honestly, I’m not even kidding when I tell you I’ve been constantly feeling like my heart is racing and not in a good way lately. I think I’m just generally anxious and there’s really no good reason. (feeling like that even as I’m typing) Last Spring our Sunday school class did one of Ann’s books with a gratitude journal (which of course I mostly forgot to fill out hustling around everyday) I should really check out one of these books. Have a wonderful weekend Shelly. I’ve got some gift guides on my to do list too. XOXO
I’m confident things (people) I can’t control causes mine…and my fear of losing control of myself when things aren’t going the way I think they should created so much anxiety. I really don’t wanna be the bitch the thoughts running wild inside my head are trying to get me to be. :). And i truly think some of mine is driven by hormones.
Thanks for the devotional tips! This holiday season feels extra hectic. Usually by this time of year, I have most of my gifts either bought or picked out. Not this year. Maybe everyone will be getting gift cards…ha, ha! I can’t wait to see your gift guides…they’re always so good!
Tanya I have zero bought! And I honestly just am not feeling it. I want time…time with those I love having fun, laughing, doing things together. After doing some of the remodeling here (and I’m sure you can relate on a much bigger level) I just want to minimize the “stuff”.
I went to order The Greatest Gift and found that I ordered it and didn’t finish reading it last year! Ooops. Great suggestion to get started. Hey – if you are coming over to The Woodlands to shop, I’d love to meet up with you for coffee or something. We need to meet in person!
I would love that Cathy! I will certainly let you know if I head that way!
I’m gonna blame the hormones for all the anxiety! Ha, I’d like to blame them for everything! But I always do feel better when I am immersed in a devotional. I’ve been reading the same one for years, it’s time to upgrade and one focusing on Christmas would be ideal. Thanks so much for the recommendations. You are an inspiration my sweet friend!
xo,
Kellyann
Shelly, I love this post! It’s so easy to get caught up in the busy, busy of the season and forget what it’s all about! I’ve been trying, too, over the last several years to chill out a little! For Thanksgiving this year, that means I made a reservation for my family to go out to eat! LOL
These are some GREAT ideas for keeping Christ the center of Christmas. I LOVE to find a little something new to read each year. I’ll have to check out that Tim Keller book.
Always glad to have new ideas for devotionals. Thank you for sharing.