Today, I have a gift I want to give you. I’s a gift EVERY WOMAN NEEDS! And it’s tucked inside this short video. I recorded it last week for a friend’s Christmas give-away, but after I finished it, I just knew God wanted me to give it to you too! So, instead of reading about it, please click the arrow below so I can tell you about it.
I’ve got a question and a give-away for you, but first here are some things I want to share::
Printable Christmas Prayer
For those hopping over from my P31 devotion today, welcome! That story I share in the video is the year that led to the writing of my Christmas prayer. If you’d like to receive a FREE printable version of it, please enter your email in the box below and click signup.You’ll receive an email within 24 hours that include links to download the prayer as a printable 4×6, 5×7 or 8×10 you can frame for yourself and give as gifts.
Confident Heart Online Study
I also want to invite you to join me and women from all over who will gather here beginning January 16th to read through my book, A Confident Heart. We’ll walk through each chapter together and discover how we can overcome self-doubts and strong or even subtle insecurity by learning how to to live in THE security of God’s promises! I’m so excited about all God’s laying on my heart for our study, and I’d love for you to be part of this special community where we’ll share encouragement, prayers and stories of all that God is doing in and through us!
To join us, enter your info and click Sign Up..
To find out more details about online study, click here.
Enter Today’s Give-away
How you are going to give yourself grace this Christmas? I’ll share my answer in the comments below. You can share yours and any other thoughts you have about video message or the topic of my devotion and you’ll be entered to win this gift pak just in time for Christmas:
- Copies of my book (for you & two friends)
- 3 Sets of Confident Heart conference calls (optional)
- $10 Starbucks gift card
- Godiva Chocolate Bar
Click below this post where it says “Share Your Thoughts” and do just that. Then be sure to share this post with friends (see those tell-a-friend buttons? They make it really easy). If you do, leave another comment and tell me. You’ll be entered twice! {Update: Congratulations Angel Miller (your were selected in our prayerful yet random drawing for a winner. We’ll email you details! Thank you all for entering. Be sure to sign up for email updates in the sidebar so you don’t any future give-aways!)
This is such a great thing you are doing sharing during these 12 days of Christmas, and I would personally love to be able to share your book with others. Loved your message on GRACE
Love the prayer–
Grace — I think I need to put that on my counter, wall, and mirror.
Thank you for the reminder.
Thank you so much Renee! Your messages inspire me and give me hope for this difficult season I am in right now. My husband and I wanted to give gifts to 3 young children who would not other wise have anything under the tree and we were blessed to hear our 9 yr old tell us that she does not need anything this year in fact she wants to give away several toys she has in her room. Thanks be to God.
My sister sent an email a while back inviting us to do this study. Deb, Dale Katherine and I think it would be so cool to win the books so we can do the study together. Thank you for doing this. Blessings.
Thank you so much Renee, for that sweet reminder; so needed as the days grow full and time is getting short. Just listening to your gentle quiet spirit brought a calm sense of peace in my heart. Your message has strengthened my resolve to MAKE TIME for Jesus, being intentional about structuring the events in each day. There is really no substitute for sitting quietly before Him, reflecting on who He is and all He has accomplished. One thing my husband do (& I regret to say we got a late start on this), is to watch one of our (24) Christmas DVD’s each evening; last night we watched The Nativity. I’ve been listening to Christmas music on my ipod @ work, so my heart was in the perfect place to respond in joy and wonder to that beautiful story. I read some of the comments here & was also reminded that these holidays are difficult for many. May God bless all of these precious sisters.
Giving myself just enough grace to get thru the holidays without my late spouse. Jesus WILL fullfill the rest that I’ll never be able to do.
Pray for those who mourn this season… thank you!
Shared this on Facebook
I am trying to give myself grace by just enjoying the Christmas season. Last Christmas was difficult because my aunt passed away December 13th and we had her memorial service on December 20th. Her’s was the 3rd death in my family since May of 2010 so it was hard to get into the Christmas mood. This year, as I drive home from work in the dark. I listen to my Christian Christmas cds, enjoy the lights that I see, and worship the Lord. I still miss my Aunt Lolly, Uncle Allen, and cousin David that all went to Heaven last year. But as I soak in the music & the lights, God reminds me that they are celebrating Christmas with Him in the best place of all!!!
The other way I want to give myself grace is to take the time to read “Two From Galilee” a love story of Mary & Joseph by Majorie Holms. I’ve had the book for years and haven’t allowed my self the time to read it. I hope to start the new year with doing the online “A Confident Heart” Bible study.
Thank you so much for this timely voice of truth into my heart and day. As a lady in ministry as you are life can rush ahead and balance between home and ministry can be a challenge~right now where I do ministry in the kitchen we are undergoing a major re-tiling and repainting renovation. Keeping focused on the Word and being realistic in my expectations of myself and others is a struggle, but His Spirit urges me to look to Him who loves regardless me of how many tasks get checked off my “to do” list in a day. This season e-mail cards have saved time and still spreads the joy of Jesus from our hearts and home to others~great time saver!! 🙂 Merry Christmas to all! May His GRACE continue to capture each of our hearts this season.
Hi Renee,
I have just finished reading Breaking Free by Beth Moore. God has led me to your book a confident hear. I cant wait to stat. I am so thankful for your blogs about Christmas. See we have had a lot of changes this year and one of them being down to one income. I have two boys and have been trying to explain to them we will have a different focus this year and it will be on giving. This will be a new experience for them but I know God is asking that we do this. Im excited to see God use my family to bless others! Thanks for sharing.
Shared on Facebook too
I am giving myself grace today by allowing myself to seek help medically for the depression I have been dwelling in for over a year. I know that I no longer need to have everything together at all times, and it’s okay to acknowledge I cannot do it all. Being a perfectionist has not been easy, but I’m realizing that He has graced me to be flawed. I have hope that my weariness will end, and I will be still in His presence! Thanks for letting us follow you!
I am giving myself grace by not putting as much pressure on myself to do everything this Christmas season. We probably won’t send out Christmas cards and we are really watching what we spend since we are also remodeling our kitchen somewhat. We don’t have our tree up either but we will get to it. My husband has been so busy lately so I am trying to be patient. I can’t wait to do your study. I have already started the book. It is awesome!
Bought your video “Unwrapping His Christmas Presence” and loved your testimony! How may women need to hear about the freshness of God’s gracious presence to give us hope and rest! I know I do! I’m like the one looking in a mirror (God’s Image!!!) and as soon as I look away (from His Word, Jesus Christ!!!) I fall prey to Satan’s lies and lose confidence in who He created me to be! Oh! I can hardly wait to do your study with my girlfriends! Merry Christmas Renee!
This year I can honestly say that the Christmas is all about the gift of Jesus as our Savior. In the past I have stressed, rushed and exhausted myself before Christmas even began. This year, all that matters is that Jesus is with us and he fights for us. It’s an honor to know that he prays for us. My 6 year old told me last night, that Jesus is the best gift ever and that who ever believes in him will have eternal life. She has no problems sharing the message with her classmates. What an example to follow! So blessed this Christmas because of Immanuel in our hearts!
I’m giving myself grace this year in that my Christmas cards are store bought and going out late this year. It’s only 10 days until Christmas and though they’re bought they haven’t even come out of the box. And that’s okay. Usually, I do them first before the tree and presents, but I wanted to see my tree up. Christmas cards are next as soon as I find the time and energy : )
Thank you , Renee … the video is a perfect gift to share with girlfriends and “boy”friends. I watched the video on my break at work and it helped because there are times during the work day that we need to remember to give ourselves grace.
Thank you again, Renee.
Lisa
I am going to share this on Facebook with my friends.
Thank you for sharing your past experiences & encouragement in the video. It has blessed me today.
Thank you for sharing your personal experiences & encouraging comments in the video. It has blessed me today.
Your message was exactly what I needed this morning and really blessed me. I shared it with several friends I believe will also be blessed because of it. I so appreciate your obedience to the Lord and His words of encouragement spoken through you.
I shared this link with my mother and 4 of my really good friends who I believe need to hear your message as well. I am so blessed by my family and friends and we need each other to encourage us and remind us of all of His blessings each and every day! Thank you again!
I am going to give myself grace this year by spending some time alone with him first thing on Christmas Morning, which is not what I usually do. With all the hustle and bustle of the day I often don’t get any moments alone with him on Christmas Day. I am planning to sit with him in solitude and rest before I start the day. Thank you so much for the reminder to open my gifts (His plans, His presence and His promises) first and then to share them with others throughout the day! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Grace! That word keeps coming up time and time again 🙂 I’m giving myself grace by focusing on my children and allowing them to lead the holidays and our activities. We’ve decorated, we’ll bake together, but I will not rush the next 10 days. I will also take time between Christmas and New Year to study grace. It has come up too many times this past year to avoid it any longer!
I am giving myself grace on little details. I am the kind of person who likes to have EVERYTHING planned out to a T and not leave anything up in the air. This weekend, however, we have scheduled my daughter’s 1st birthday party on Saturday, followed by a family Christmas in my home. Then Sunday we are having another family Christmas in my home and my husband has to work until 2. That leaves me alone with 2 little ones to prepare everything. I have been feeling very overwhelmed and lost in all the plans – so I am giving myself grace on little details. We’re going to have birthday cupcakes for Christmas dessert. We’re going to have frozen rolls rather than the homemade rolls I usually make. I’m going to use my crock pot. And I may have a pile of dishes while we visit after dinner. But I’m going to enjoy this weekend. I’m going to enjoy being together with family and friends to celebrate the birth of my baby girl and even more, the birth of our Savior. And I’m really liking the idea of birthday cupcakes for Christmas dessert – it is a celebration of Jesus’ birthday after all!
Thank you so much for the permission to share grace to myself as well as to others. I forget that I can do that! The relief I have now as I start my day and all of its struggles, pain and disappointments is tremendous and now I can look forward to the future with hope that it won’t always be this way… God is near to me.
P.S. – I shared this great message on my facebook page!
I am giving myself Grace by not sending out Christmas cards as well. My first time ever. I also am not going to second guess myself in the gifts I give my loved ones. I love them and desire to show them this through the gifts I buy them and then I don’t think the gifts are good enough. Please…give me your grace Lord and the Grace to give it to myself. You are the most treasured Gift that we all need to receive.
I wasn’t able to read your devotion until this morning and I know that it was God’s timing! He was already working on my heart on this exact topic and I had just prayed this morning to be reconnected to Him. I felt grieved that at this time that should be all about the Lord Jesus had become a time of year where I feel the furtherest from Him. We all need to take a deep breath and re-focus on Him. He promise when we seek first His kingdom all these things will be added unto us…Thank you for the beautiful words that can help me this year and every Christmas to come keep my focus on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!
I am giving myself grace this year by not sending Christmas cards as well. Also, I am trying to focus on Jesus and the true meaning of this wonderful holiday instead of all of the gifts and such. I am allowing grace for myself as well as other people.
I shared this on facebook with my awesome sisters, (so blessed to have 2 older sisters who love me and have been my greatest mentors and friends even though we live so far apart). We are hoping to do this Bible study together over the internet…perfect for long distance sisters:-) 3 books would be awesome!
I sat down with the purpose this morning of “getting it together”. Thank you for starting my time with the reminder of extending grace to myself in this time of so many expectations. I have so many hopes for our family time together this season but want the overwhelming theme to be receiving God’s gracious gift and bringing Him glory in all that I do and say. I want my family to see Him in me but for it to be natural and not me stressing to do this. I will post the word “GRACE” around the house as a reminder to focus on God and rest in his amazing grace. (no tree and minimal decorations at this point here too:-)
Thank you, Renee, for your message! It truly spoke to my heart as I had begun to focus on some of these things in my life. Christmas feels a bit different this year in that I have not been so focused on all the outward stuff. We just barely put up our tree last night (and it is not decorated yet!) and our family is scaling back gift giving this year. I want to focus on God’s GRACE and be filled with his presence more than anything else this year. What a gift that will be!
I’m gathering grace this Christmas by making our church services our priority. We’re taking birthday cake and my kids are excited about the possibility to share Jesus’ birthday cake with their friends at church (my husband’s quest to stay home all day has been overruled). My kids got an early Christmas present, new Bibles, and have been reading US the Christmas story. They found it all on their own and have been blowing me away with what they already know about the Bible and how to find things in it. Thank you God… and Happy Birthday Jesus!
Dear Renee,
Thanks for that special message today. I am from Kenya. This has been a particularly difficult year for me to get through. I will be spending Christmas with my two children – Nathan and Ryan – away from my husband, their father. It is the first year apart after a painful separation and I know it will not be an easy one. I am praying for grace from our sweet Lord, to steady my frail heart and help me leave all my cares behind. There will be less gifts for the children but hopefully enough love to go around. It would be a great blessing to receive a gift copy of your book this holidays as I start a new leaf, with a Confident Heart in Christ.
I’m receiving Grace to slow down and spend more time in the moment with my children. Focusing more on Christ than on running from one activity to another. I want to enjoy the spirit of Christmas without so much rush and shopping.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. And I love your Christmas prayer. I pray you and your family have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
Thank you for your thoughts and reminder to give ourselves grace. I’ve been trying to slow life down to enjoy the true gift of Christmas this year…and it is tough…with all those expectations others and I have for the season. But I have decided to not make a full-blown Christmas dinner this year. Christmas cards may get cut as well. I just got the Christmas decorations up…and I’m trying to cut details that aren’t necessary to my family & I…so that we can see and experience the true gift of Christmas! I can already see the stress melting and feel the joy filling. Thank you again!
GRACE……honestly I haven’t taken hold of this word at all in the past few months. I have beat myself up over things that are not even important. The biggest lesson I learned was yesterday. I have stressed about not being able to give many gifts for lack of finances. Then yesterday when I got home, a tennis racket that had been thrown on our roof by one of my boys was placed in a Christmas bag along with two tubes of tennis balls and the card was signed “Santa’s helper”. 🙂 The smile on my kids faces and the joy that it gave them to see what someone else did for us hit me right in the stomach. I thought to myself and asked for God’s forgiveness for being so focused on giving a “monetary” gift instead of just a gift of doing something special for someone that they weren’t expecting. So today, I accept God’s grace into my life in the area of giving. Not monetary giving this time but giving of myself to Him to be used to bless others. What a beautiful word…..GRACE!
I just shared this via Twitter, my third post!
I have to allow myself not to get caught up in the money spent at Christmas. I don’t have it this year and am making some things for my husband this year. Sometimes it’s enough just to offer myself to others.
I am going to give myself grace by not trying to please everyone over the Holidays. Thank you for your message. Looking forward to your online bible study!
Renee, what a beautiful thought. The comments are amazing. So many wonderful women out there that you are impacting. I am an intercessory prayer warrior, it is only through God’s wonderful grace that I can do this. I have allowed myself to have grace lately by cancelling or postponing obligations that are important, but not urgent. I go to bed earlier than I normally would so that I can get up refreshed and ready to meet with our Lord between 3:30 and 4:30 am. Since I have to be to work by 7:00 am, I shower and dress before I spend my time with the Lord. I really need that extra few hours to prepare for the day and what better way to prepare than to be in the Word and in prayer. Though, I do have to say that I need to remember to purchase waterproof eye make up next time, I always have to start over! LOL. May God continue to bless you and keep you strong so you may continue to share. Thank you so much for your wonderful words, your vision and your willingness to share. ~Deb
Sorry; I forgot to respond. I am going to give myself grace this year by not beating myself up if someone doesn’t seem to like the gift I bought them; if the meal doesn’t turn out just perfect; whatever it may be….I am NOT going to beat myself up over it. I will choose to love….both myself and others. Their presence is the most important; their presence and mine.
Merry Christmas!!
I would love, love, love to win the three books. It would be so awesome to go through your study with a couple of other women. I can only imagine the growth; the bonding, and the healing. Powerful!
I love that you are so generous. Whoever wins, will be a very lucky lady, indeed.
I am giving myself grace this Christmas by remembering “the reason for the season”. No crazy last minute shopping or trying to squeeze one more thing in. Instead, we are just going to work on loving each other well and serving God. One of my dearest friends just had her 5th son after losing her husband a few months ago. Instead of fretting about all the details and obligations of the holidays, we have decided to just hang out with her and all of our kids and just love on her. This also reminds me that busy and spending are not the ways that God desires for us to celebrate his Son…
I am giving myslef grace this year by taking the day as it comes. I get done with what I get done and “try” not to get frazzled and enjoy the moment.
-Colleen G.
I am giving myself grace in the area of gift giving. Stepping away from the need to feel that everyone in my life needs a gift, isn’t JESUS the gift anyway?!
One year ago I lost my husband, 46 years old. My young children looking to me for answers, I started on a journey that was enveloped in Gods plan for my life. Hard pressed to see that plan through the tears I began to walk close to my Lord, closer then I had ever. In the last several months I have overcome an illness that is undiscribable, through it I was made to REST!
This grace you speak of is so very real, and so very necessary if we are to be raised up as true daughters of the King. Without finding our place at the feet of Jesus we can not give within the capacity he wants for us. I am blessed beyond measure, through it all!
Sandy G
Am giving myself the gift of grace by remembering that it was during Christmas a year from now that i received the gift of Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior.
Christmas for me had always been a time when the family got together and we enjoyed a good meal ,but last year i had to work during Christmas so i dint go home for the holidays and i ended up being sick and alone and i thought i was dying but i got better and gave my life to Christ and the journey has been amazing.
So this Christmas i will remember even more the gift of Our Lord Jesus Christ .
Hi Renee,
Your message is so right on time for me at this time of my life. God knows the details…I am so looking forward to this study in January. Thank you so much for writing this book and know that many, many women will be blessed. I have shared on facebook with friends and family and know lot’s of women that will be interested.
God Bless You and Yours This Christmas and Always
Cherie