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86: YES Moments - A Christmas Devotional
217 Plays2 years ago
As we prepare for Christmas, Jill Devine wanted to remind everyone the importance of being present this holiday season. She read part of a devotional plan from the Bible App. The devotional plan she chose; Remembering Christmas, A 5-day Bible Plan from The Messy Table Podcast.
Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Join us for Season 6, which will debut on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.
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Two Kids and A Career: https://www.jilldevine.com/podcast
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Transcript
Introduction to Faith Journey
00:00:00
Speaker
The following podcast is a Jill Devine Media production. Christianity has become known for judgy people, strange words, ancient stories, confusing rules, and a members-only mindset. This is why I stayed away from the church for so long, but it's not supposed to be that way. I'm Jill Devine, a former radio personality with three tattoos, a love for a good tequila, and who's never read the entire Bible.
00:00:24
Speaker
Yet here I am hosting a podcast about faith.
Purpose of the Podcast
00:00:28
Speaker
The normal goes a long way podcast is your home for real conversations with real people using real language about how faith and real life intersect. Welcome to the conversation.
Holiday Devotional Plans
00:00:40
Speaker
Over the next few days, the hustle and bustle will definitely increase as we prepare for Christmas. I'm Jill Devine and I thought that I would read a devotional for you from the Bible app. So one thing that I try to do every single day is open up my Bible app and read the scripture of the day.
00:01:00
Speaker
It's an intentional time that I get to spend, even if it's just a couple minutes, but in scripture and then sometimes I'll go a little bit deeper and do the guided prayer that there are prompts for, or I will participate in a plan where I'm reading scripture every day with a friend or by myself and then I have some reflection questions. And so I thought, okay.
00:01:25
Speaker
As we prepare for Christmas, sometimes even though we know what Christmas is all about, we don't.
00:01:33
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spend that intentional time with the Lord. And so I am going to give you this time right now to spend with
The 'Remembering Christmas' Plan
00:01:42
Speaker
the Lord. And if you want to do the entire plan, it's called Remembering Christmas, a five-day Bible plan from the Messy Table podcast. Again, it's Remembering Christmas, a five-day Bible plan from the Messy Table podcast. And I will have this linked in the show notes at normalgoesalongway.com. But I wanted
Presence Over Presents Discussion
00:02:02
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to just
00:02:02
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Give you one and have you be present because this devotional is called The Gift of His Presence by Andra Pinkston.
00:02:16
Speaker
When you think of Christmas and finances, what comes to mind? For me, it's shopping malls, shopping lists, and the stress of thinking of and finding the perfect gift. I also think about whether our budget will recover in January once all those packages are unwrapped. For some, the loss of a job or an unexpected medical bill can overshadow the stress of any gift exchanges.
00:02:40
Speaker
This time of year can be full of wonder and full of challenges, but what if our hearts could shift from what we are buying to what we are doing? I recently asked our boys to tell me what they loved about Christmas. Their responses included mentions of celebrating Jesus' birthday and seeing family, but eventually and expectedly they said presents!
00:03:03
Speaker
I then asked them to tell me about the presents they received last Christmas. Our middle son named a special gift he had received, but before long the responses became mostly general descriptions of toys that covered our playroom floor. Then I asked them about their favorite memory of Christmas.
00:03:21
Speaker
Immediately, they started spouting off details about the gingerbread houses we made with the tiniest candy canes, the night we drove to see the light display that played a Star Wars song, and the time their friends came over and watched a Christmas movie in a tent in our living room. That's when it hit me. Our boys can and will be excited about presents.
00:03:43
Speaker
but their lasting memories involve our presence as we celebrate this season and the one whose birth brings us together.
Reflection on the Wise Men
00:03:52
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So how do we balance gift giving? Limit the stress on our budgets and focus on being present with our Savior and those closest to us. In Matthew 2, we read about the three wise men who came to see Jesus after his birth. Matthew 2, 11 tells us,
00:04:08
Speaker
They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and mirror. What did the wise men bring? They brought presents. But what did they do first? They spent time in his presence.
00:04:30
Speaker
Look for ways to incorporate new traditions that will not negatively affect your financial standing. This Christmas, let's enjoy giving those we love a few treasures as the wise men did. But let's remember that our presence and being in his presence are most important gifts.
Encouragement and New Year Announcements
00:04:48
Speaker
As a reminder, there are four other days of devotionals with this plan, Remembering Christmas, a five day Bible plan from the Messy Table podcast that you can find on the Bible app.
00:05:01
Speaker
And I just want to wish you a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and thank you for supporting this podcast and listening to it. I will be back in the new year with a new season, season six, but until then, thank you for your support, like I said, and just be present this holiday season.