Heart & Home for Christmas. Victoria Duerstock

of His glorious return to carry His bride home to heaven.

      Do you ever feel like the waiting takes forever? Do you remember as a child, how it seemed to take so long for Christmas morning to arrive? Or Christmas mornings with little ones who can’t seem to wait to open their next gift? They open so quickly that without intervention they don’t actually get to enjoy the gift they opened because they want what’s next.

      How often do we react the same way? Anxious to move forward to the next thing, we grow weary waiting for God to do something. But time is of no matter to God—He is timeless, but we are impatient. Yet God always fulfills His promises.

      Thank You, God, for being faithful to fulfill Your promises.

      I praise You for Your faithfulness.

      SEASONAL DÉCOR TIP

      Let your home be warm

      and welcoming and

      inviting. Let it say, “Come!

      Spend time here and feel

      comfortable.” Don’t be

      so focused on decorating

      that guests are afraid to

      sit and relax. One of my

      favorite decorations are

      pillows because you can

      just throw them on the

      ground to make room to

      sit. Or we just sit on them!

      —Jenny Scholten

      IG @scholten_family_ceo

      SILENT NIGHT STILLNESS

      “Be still, and know that I am God.”

      psalm 46:10 (kjv)

      Nighttime quiet and predawn darkness are my quiet solace. It’s in the quiet that I can still my restless mind and focus. These days, I mostly rise early to enjoy a quiet house, hot coffee, time to read my Bible, and prayer. This focused time of concentration allows me to dig deeper and really listen. Whether the night of Christ’s birth was silent or not, we can appreciate the reminder to be still and listen!

      What about you? Do you experience stillness from time to time? Do you embrace it or run? Do you need to be always busy? I have to admit that I crave the stillness and calm. This doesn’t mean I’m not tired when I wake up early, but I find that it’s easier to get moving when I know the precious sacredness that awaits me. Let’s be honest, sometimes I still struggle to push myself to get out of the bed, but the effort is valuable. Making this early quiet time a priority and doing it consistently gives me a strong foundation to facing my day.

      Lord, I thank You for the quiet I find in the night.

      Thank You for drawing my attention and centering my thoughts in this season on You.

      SEASONAL TIP I make it a point to get up early Christmas Eve morning, while everyone else

      is sleeping, just to sit quietly by the fire with a hot cup of tea and meditate on the meaning of

      the season. It helps me stay focused and not get too consumed in the hustle and bustle of the

      coming days.—Pamela Saumure IG @pamela.saumure