Do you want to make Christmas extra special this year? To do this, things like giving special gifts, gathering the family in a certain way, or even decorating with intentionality may come to mind. But what if making Christmas special wasn’t about anything you did externally but what you did internally?
What if you took your heart on a journey to see Christmas through new eyes? I asked Ocieanna Fleiss to join me in this episode so that we could go on that journey. Ocieanna is a wife, mom, speaker, and author of multiple books, including her Christmas devotional Awaiting the Manger.
In this conversation, you’ll hear:
- Stories from Ocieanna’s Christmas devotional
- Practical ways you can look at Christmas differently this year
- How you can look for Jesus in the Old Testament
- And so much more!
My prayer is that this conversation will deepen your understanding of Christmas!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- [BOOK] Awaiting the Manger: Whispers of Advent in the Old Testament
- [BOOK] Love Like There’s No Tomorrow: How a Cardiac Arrest Brought My Heart to Life
- Connect with Ocieanna on her website, Facebook, or Instagram
- As a thank you for listening, get your 3 free eBooks.
My Key Takeaways:
1) Advent is a time to focus our hearts and minds on Christmas. Advent is the four weeks leading up to Christmas. Historically, it is the time to intentionally focus our hearts and minds on the expectant waiting for Christ. We are likely most familiar with it from Advent calendars, where we get chocolates and treats. We can reclaim this time by putting the focus back on Christmas and intentionally preparing our hearts leading up to this holiday.
2) God fills our longings. There is evidence of this in both the New Testament and the Old Testament. Ocieanna shared with us the story of Leah and how she longed to be seen by her husband. What is significant about this story is that it is not until Leah stops looking to her husband for approval and instead turns to God that she is satisfied. We can often get wrapped up in relationships, belongings, and things outside of God to fulfill our desires, but it is not until we focus on Him that we find satisfaction.
3) Bethlehem is more than the birthplace of Jesus. It shows up throughout Scripture and even in the story of Ruth. By far the Christmas story is among the most known and popular portions of Scripture. We can often forget that God has been weaving this story throughout the entire Bible. When we study the Old Testament, we can see how God has been writing this story for all of time and it points to the coming of Christ Jesus, which is the true meaning of Christmas.
About Ocieanna:
Ocieanna Fleiss is a wife, mom, speaker, and author. She has taught the Bible for more than a decade and always delights in how God’s love is shown throughout His Word. Ocieanna lives in Washington State with her husband and has four children, three of whom have left the nest. In her spare time, she enjoys the outdoors.
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