"He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with grief; like one from whom people hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not." — Isaiah 53:3 “It doesn’t feel like Christmas, Mom,” my thirteen-year-old said recently. I suggested it might be because she’s getting older. When we’re children, there’s a magical quality to Christmastime. Excitement fills the air as we imagine twinkling lights, warm sugar cookies , and shiny gifts beneath the tree. But as we grow up, life becomes more complicated—sometimes in wonderful ways, and sometimes not. For those blessed with children of their own, the “magic” of Christmas can reappear as we experience it through their eyes. But children grow up, too, and eventually, we may find ourselves back in a place where Christmas doesn’t feel quite as joyful or “Christmassy” (if that’s even a word) as it once did. We all navigate different seasons of life. Perhaps you’re a young adult overwhelmed with little on...
Arise from the past. Adhere to the present. Await the future.