Christmas is for celebrating the birth of Christ. It makes me think of hope and new beginnings, even in turbulent times. It causes me to ponder what it’s like to receive an unconditional gift of love even though I might not feel worthy.
How much stock do you actually put in joy, hope, love and acceptance? Or do you invest more in anxious thoughts, your mistakes and blunders? When I think of the phrase “the living Christ,” I try to think of the ways that I’m actively seeking these positive, inspiring qualities of Jesus rather than focusing on my own sense of lack and inadequacy. Sometimes as Christians, we focus so much on the redemptive message of Christianity that we often overlook—right there in the Bible and the life of Jesus—the choice to love, to celebrate, to laugh and to give ourselves completely to the moment.
As editorial director of Guideposts Books, I’m genuinely excited about a new devotional we’ve published for 2012 called Mornings with Jesus: Daily Encouragement for Your Soul. The idea behind the book is to focus on the living, breathing person of Jesus, every day, all year long. While it assures us that our belief in Christ brings redemption, rest and rebirth, it also reminds us of so much more: daily positive faith; loving others as we would want to be loved; wisdom; grace; tolerance and compassion; risk and courage.
The title itself, Mornings with Jesus, helps you think about your day in a “morning way.” What’s new about it? What’s fresh? It’s not just starting over but seizing the opportunity to live like Jesus.
We received some terrific response to this book from readers and have had to go back and reprint more. I am excited, indeed, and hope you’ll consider checking it out.
