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

Amazon:  Beginning with Jesse, the father of David, The Greatest Gift retraces the epic pageantry of mankind, from Adam to the Messiah, with each day’s profound reading pointing to the coming promise of Christ, so that come Christmas morning you find that the season hasn’t blurred past you but your heart’s fully unwrapped the greatest gift you’ve always yearned for.

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 ErikaAndrea & NarciOh Hey FridayHigh Five for Friday,  Awesome Life Friday , The Blended Blog Loves

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