God Notions

On my Facebook page, I have been sharing on Sundays, my thoughts for preparing my heart and mind for Christmas. My intention was to avoid getting overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle, that can so quickly and easily come in and steal the very thing I am trying to create for my family…the miracle of Christmas. I love everything that goes into making this time, the most wonderful time of the year. But, most years the peace, joy, and love get shoved into a corner and I find myself looking exhaustedly at the leftovers of Christmas, promising myself to take it slower next year.

Thinking how I want to always give the best I can to my family…I realized the best gift I could ever give is the gift of Eternity. The Peace, Joy, Hope, and Love found patiently waiting in the manger.

I wanted to share this week’s Facebook post with you. If you happen to be my FB friend, I am sorry for the repeat. ( If you are not my FB friend, I welcome your friend request)

I want to wish all of you, near and far, a very wonder-filled Christmas. May your heart be filled with the Hope, Peace, and Joy only Christ can provide. May you and your loved ones find yourselves sharing in sweet fellowship with our Lord, as you celebrate His birth, the Birth of our Savior, Emmanuel- God with us! 

love~ Mia Bella

Preparing our hearts and minds for Christmas.

It is Christmas and let’s face it, the gift giving is the first that comes to mind. I know some people who shop all year to find the perfect gift, or to have more time for the festivities. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become “holidays” of their own in some circles. Finding that perfect gift at the best price is exciting and part of the fun of gift giving. Black Friday shopping isn’t just about the gifts and prices…it is an event! People plan days, weeks…and some plan months in advance for this night. Thanksgiving is planned around Black Friday with some families! Matching outfits, headgear with antlers or jingle bells, Santa hats, and strategic plans of attack on which store, mall, or aisle is in hand. It is in part, the beginning of making the best Christmas for our family, our friends, those less fortunate, and a little left over for ourselves.

When the New Year has been welcomed in and all the gifts and decorations have been carefully packed away, we will get back to our daily lives. But don’t we give the best we can to our loved ones year round? From clothes, and food, education, and entertainment we give from our hearts the very best we can provide to those we hold dear.

One of the things I find hardest to give is the answer for my Hope and Love, the reason for my Peace and Joy with the very ones I hold dearest and love more than life itself. I find myself holding back because of fear of another rejection or confrontation. Though isn’t the best gift I could ever give be the gift of eternity?

There in the manger is where we find the best gift of all…

Let’s not leave baby Jesus in the manger. Let us share the reason He is our hope and where we find peace and joy where so often it seems absent. Let us show why we love and how we can love even the unlovable…especially the unlovable.

We have been given the gift of life everlasting for all eternity…it is not our gift to keep to ourselves.