Hey Reader,

Is it too early to say “Merry Christmas”?

I have always loved the Christmas season. In fact, my tree has been up since October 13 (yeah, I’m one of those people). I did transform it into a friendly-looking ghost to fit Halloween… but mostly it was a way to start the Christmas joy early.

I debated celebrating Halloween because of its history and some of the scary imagery. But watching my boys enjoy decorating, wearing and spotting fun costumes, and of course trick-or-treating won me over.

Now Halloween is done until next year (when I will inevitably wrestle with whether we’ll celebrate it again), and Christmas is in full swing in my home.

There have been plenty of times in my life when I’ve been made fun of or groaned at by the Grinches around me, but I never let that steal my joy.

I want to encourage you not to let anyone steal yours either. Someone will always roll their eyes at the early tree or have opinions about what makes you happy. Especially if it's related to your religion.

If your joy depends on their approval, it will always be up for grabs. But joy that comes from the Lord was never theirs to give, so it isn’t theirs to take.

This Christmas is different, though. Sure, I believed in Jesus last year, and for many years before that. But I have never been this close to Him.

God makes a promise in Jeremiah 29:13:

He doesn’t ask for a perfect heart, just a whole one. When we stop holding parts of ourselves back and actually go looking for Him, He lets Himself be found. That’s the difference I’m feeling this year.

So I implore you to take the next few weeks leading up to Christmas to embrace what brings you joy and to seek God with your entire heart, so you can see Christmas the way I’m seeing it this season.

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NEW PODCAST EPISODE

Does your child call "Mom" from down the hall the minute the lights go off?
Want them to know they're not alone in the dark, even when you're not in the room?
Wondering how to teach a preschooler that God is with them when they can't see Him?

If bedtime is the hardest part of your preschool bedtime routine because your child is afraid of the dark, this episode gives you a faith-filled way to help. We'll look at Psalm 139 and why the dark is never dark to God, plus Hebrews 11:1 and what faith really looks like to a little kid.

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LESSON PLAN

This month's lesson plan is all about faith over fear. It won't make every scary thing disappear for your little one, but it teaches them that God covers them and carries them through it. Simple weekly activities help you Teach It, Act It Out, and Pray It together (TAP).

Here is the Faith Over Fear lesson plan for episodes 91-94!

Now, go be mighty mom!

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