I'm really excited to share this Christmas Message with you—it's all about the incredible depth of the heartfelt message from God to us through His Son, Jesus.

You may or may not have heard the news that my husband, Tyler and I recently had to permanently close the coffee shop we owned and operated for almost seven years. We have poured our life into Innova Coffee and the experience has been indescribable! This was an unexpected turn in the path that God had planned for our future all along but the closing was extremely unexpected by us! Listen to the story and also hear the truths that have kept me feeling stable and secure throughout. I hope God's Word will encourage you today.

I recently engaged in a heartfelt conversation with a close friend and precious believer in Jesus, D'Anna Lundstrom, who graciously shared her sacred encounters and wisdom about how she spends time with God.

Why does this holiday often seem flat falling on my deaf ears, ceasing to touch and ignite me with emotions of excitement to genuinely celebrate with joy? What has stolen the cheer in my heart? Why is true joy so hard to find or muster up? Some might say what steals the true meaning of Christmas is the tinsel filled world that surrounds us in our culture making material things the temporal reason for the joy.

It seems that many of us have been and still find ourselves in tough seasons of life. It seems common to struggle almost daily to believe the truth that we know about and read in God’s Word. I've wrestled with God, begging Him to give me relief in certain areas of my life that I do not want to accept. I can’t help but think you can relate. You know those areas where you feel like you will never be okay, things will never change?

That night as I drove home, I felt thankful that I could reassure these two young international students that everything was okay in the confusion. Maybe the look in my eye let them see His image coming through. Maybe we should remind ourselves of those kinds of opportunities of purpose by putting on our WWJD bracelets! You see, Jesus lived fully into God’s purposes for Him on earth hour by hour, village by village, soul by soul.

Recently, I sat working on my laptop in a local coffee shop. The morning sunlight streamed in, providing crystal clear vision, but still my perception of life blurred. I pondered my current and future struggles, and I wondered if others also wrestled with day-to-day life issues.

You know the games you play when you are in love, crushing out on someone and dying to know if they are feeling the same way about you as you are about them? This is a story about the curious and exciting way we, as humans, go about the beginnings of a romantic relationship.

It was the first day of November. The colorful leaves welcomed me as I set out for a day of work. Driving, I prayed, “God, I want more. Give me life. Give me a glimpse of your kingdom here on earth.”

Easy to pray, harder to believe.