December 1st! Twenty-four days until that most wonderful day of the year, Christmas. I don't care how cliche it is to say - this season is undeniably my favorite one. The smells, songs, and sights leave me with a month-long smile in my heart. Cheesy, I know, but it's true. For the Faus family it really is the most wonderful time of the year. Patrick loves the cold, and I love that the cold equals extra cuddles, so its win-win! We are so excited to celebrate our first Christmas together as a family of three, even if 6 month old Emery won't really know how much fun she is having. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures to remind her later ;)
I am seeking to really savor this special time as a month of reflection and preparation for the year ahead. For the third year in a row, I will be reading Good News of Great Joy: Daily Readings for Advent by John Piper. The length of this little devotional belies its depth. Each day's reading is centered around a scripture and it never fails to focus and excite me as it shepherds my heart to recall Jesus's first coming to earth. Holy, infinite God, born as a baby. That reality alone is enough to make my mind explode! If you happen to be in search of something to help you meditate on Christ during this season, it can be downloaded as an ebook or Kindle book for free off of the Desiring God website.
Despite being my favorite season, this time of year can also become one of the most stressful ones when I get caught up in trying to impress others through the gifts I give, the goodies I bake, or the decorations that dress-up my little home. While decorating, baking, and shopping are some of my favorite December past-times, when they become my focus I can become disheartened by all the areas where I find myself falling short of the Pinterest standard, and the warm feelings of yuletide joy that I get from holiday Hallmark movies are superficial at best. But when those same things are used as means to celebrate and accentuate the glorious reality of God's redemptive plan for man, my heart is filled with a genuine joy and peace that surpasses all understanding. I am learning more and more each day how Christ's past work affects the here and now of my life, and I am looking forward to sharing more about that with you later. For Christmas 2015 I am making a particular effort to choose simplicity, to love those in my sphere of influence, and to point others to our humble Savior as I remind my own heart first and foremost. I hope you are able to stop in the midst of all the busyness and savor Him with me. He is all-together worthy.
Merry Christmas,
Amanda
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