Redeemed

Several weeks before Christmas, I opened my front door to a fun surprise - a box from (In)Courage filled with items to review!

I love new Christmas decorations and I especially love ones that focus on the Christ Child.  

If they can also make me think or spark my imagination - even better!

I love the whimsy and fun and excitement and magic of Christmas.

But I really adore the hush and time for reflection.  I love the conversations and the way relationships and friendships deepen this month.  It's probably the time of year when I spend the most time imagining a Biblical story - as a mother I can relate to Mary (on some level.)  I love imagining what she must have felt and wondered at as she gave birth to the Messiah in the stable.  I love watching my children begin to love Christmas and all that it means to our family.

Hallmark's Redeemed Collection inspires my thoughts this time of year.

This pillow reminds me of vintagy quilts and features a verse from Luke 1.

I keep thinking this season about the timing of Christ's coming.  I have thought about the 400 years of silence the Israelites experienced prior to His coming and yet He came quietly.

I've thought too about the Second Coming - how we are to live in hopeful expectation - to wait well for His coming.

Do I wait well?

Probably not.

I want my life to be a life of praise.  I want others to see the good things He has done for us.  I want to live a life of the redeemed.

I'm not sure why, but I've been more emotional this season than I typically am - perhaps its the heightened grief in our nation in recent weeks or perhaps it is my own  heightened stress over upcoming surgeries and expectations for Christmas.

Perhaps my emotions are due, in part, to my depths of gratitude at watching my daughter walk.

Perhaps I've been simply more aware of all that is broken in our world and all that I fear and all that I'm thankful for and it's just all tangled up together.

I placed this item by my kitchen stove.

I find I spend a lot of time daily at my stove- especially in the Christmas season.

As I'm stirring and sautéing and tasting, I read this throughout the day:

my daily Advent calendar from (In)Courage.

I love it.  

Each day features a verse and a simple question to provoke good thoughts and table conversations.

Because I am redeemed, I am so thankful.

Because He is redeeming - I am so thankful.

Because He will redeem - I am so thankful.

He has come.

The Advent Tabletop Calendar is currently on sale at Dayspring for $7.49!

The pillow is on sale for $12.49!

(*this items were provided free of charge for me to review.  All opinions are mine.  Thanks, (In)Courage!)