It’s the holiday season! That means that there is shopping, gift-giving, and decorating that needs to be done. Unfortunately, in the midst of all the doing, we can miss out on having a Christmas heart. When that happens, we miss out on the true reason for the season. Today, we’re diving into how we can have a heart that longs for Jesus and holds tightly to Him by looking at Jesus’ mother, Mary.
Helping me explore this is my friend Jennifer Jackson. Jennifer is an author, speaker, pastor, and radio show host. Jennifer, along with her husband, Doyle, leads The Church Next Door in Columbus, OH.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- The characteristics Mary displayed for us
- Practical ways that you can cultivate a Christmas heart
- How to hold tightly to Jesus during the holidays
- And more!
From my family to yours, Merry Christmas! I hope this conversation encourages you today.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Connect with Jennifer on her website, Facebook, and Instagram
- Buy Jennifer’s books and other resources in her store
- Check out my blog, How To Successfully Bake Christmas Cookies With Kids
- As a thank you for listening, get your 3 free eBooks.
My Key Takeaways:
1) Set aside time to ponder. This time of year, we tend to rush to get our shopping done, decorate the tree, and get to all our social interactions. We often forget to take the time to ponder what we are celebrating this time of year. Set aside time to make memories with your kids and reflect on the original Christmas story.
2) Take time to examine your heart. Mary represents a purity of heart. That isn’t something we come across naturally. We have to take time to cultivate it! We can do this by spending time being quiet before the Lord. When you spend time with God, intentionally open up your heart and ask Him to reveal the areas of impurity in your life, heart, and attitudes.
3) Rejoice in Christ’s coming to earth. Above all else, the Christmas story reminds us of the joy that should be in our hearts. Christ came to earth to save us! This was such good news a whole host of angels appeared and rejoiced. This joy should be in our hearts and overflow out of it.
About Jennifer:
Jennifer Jackson is an author, speaker, pastor, and radio show host. Her passion is to make spiritually complicated matters of life simple so that you can enjoy more intimacy with God. Jennifer along with her husband, Doyle, lead The Church Next Door in Columbus, OH. She has authored several devotionals including A Christmas Heart, The Story of Mary. When she isn’t on their rural farm, you can find her overseas in Israel, at a skyline condo, or enjoying time with their two grown sons and daughters-in-law.
