Ellen Chauvin | Soaked & Sprouting

Soaked in God's Word, Sprouting Seeds of Faith

Abide

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(Today, I’m letting you in on a little preview of Abiding Joy – Pondering the birth of Jesus. It’s a 20 day advent devotion I wrote this past year, after feeling like the Christmas season was RUSHING past me, and I had no time or space to ponder Christ’s birth. I hope you enjoy this sample. Click the graphic to receive Abiding Joy in your inbox!)

Day 1

Abide 

Today’s Reading: John 15:1-11

A perfect scenario of the days and weeks leading to Christmas would be this: A slower pace, making time to be with loved ones. Time to sit and listen to them spin tales of days gone by; time spent dreaming of days yet to come.  Time listening to their stories. Time to BE, and not DO. Abiding with those we love.

To abide is to remain with, stay, or dwell. This takes time – time that we never seem to have during the rush of the Christmas season.

Dwelling conjures images of lingering by a warm fire, embers glowing orange, sipping hot chocolate with white, fluffy marshmallows. Of being together with those you love. Talking, spending quality time. Not in a hurry to leave. Not in a hurry to move on to the next thing.

Yet it happens every year. Time gets away from me. The frenzy of shopping for just the right gift; rushing here and there searching for ingredients for that perfect Christmas dessert; seeing white space on the calendar one day, disappearing the next.

Click this graphic to receive Abiding Joy in your inbox!

Oh, don’t get me wrong. Everything is fun. Great food, great friends and family visits. But before you know it, Christmas has come and gone and I feel like I’ve missed the most important parts of it:

Time abiding with Jesus. 

Time listening to His story. 

Just being. 

With Jesus. 

And Him with me.

Now, that’s Christmas!

Together, let’s purpose to make this year the year we slow down and abide with Jesus in joy!

    Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. John 15:4 (NASB)

Points to Ponder:

*Spend time each day being with Jesus in His word. Don’t rush.  Enjoy the story of His birth. See it through fresh eyes. Let it remain in you all day.

*Is there someone you could spend time with this week? A nursing home resident? A veteran? Someone who needs a listening ear. Give them the gift of time this Christmas. 

Your Heart’s Longing

by 2 Comments

(Today, I’m letting you in on a little preview of Abiding Joy – Pondering the Birth of Jesus. It’s a 20 day advent devotion I wrote this past year, after feeling like the Christmas season was RUSHING past me, and I had no time or space to ponder Christ’s birth. I hope you enjoy the introduction. Come back next week for Day One!)

What does your heart long for this season?

This year (and every year it seems) I hope for a slower pace. The busyness of the season always seems to do me in. Usually the end of November and the beginning of December find me already rush, rush, rushing around with a to do list a mile long. There is no extra time, and the weekends are booking up fast. There are a lot of fun things on the calendar, times for fellowship with others.  

But I find that I don’t leave enough margin in my schedule to slow down. To ponder the miracle of Christ’s birth; the babe in the manger; Immanuel, God with us. I long to be filled with childlike awe and wonder.

I want to treasure the truth of Christ this year, pondering in my heart who He is. I want to see Jesus with the eyes of a child, beholding Him for the first time. 

This season I want to behold Jesus, not looking at all I have to do, but remembering all He has done.

Join me this year, as we joyfully abide with Him. 

You can click on the graphic below to receive this free, 20 day PDF devotion in your inbox on December 1. It’s my gift to you. I pray it blesses you tremendously!