Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™!
We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors
who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few
posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog
throughout the next few days.
We’re
giving away a pearl necklace in celebration of the holidays, as well as
some items (books, a gift pack, music CDs) from the contributors! Enter now on Facebook or at the Pearl Girls blog. The winner will announced on January 2, 2013 at the Pearl Girls blog.
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and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of
charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe.
Consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl, Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
***
God with Us . . . And Us with Him
By: Susan May Warren
Every year over labor day
weekend, the Warren family has a MWE. Mandatory Warren Event. It’s a
call to come home and enjoy the long weekend with our favorite people.
Since my children have left for college, I relish every second of this
weekend—the laughter in the kitchen, the long conversations in the
family room, the frenzy of backyard football, the quietness of the
morning as we drink coffee on the deck and watch the sunrise. I cherish
these people, and when they are with me, I drink in their presence.
I’ve been reading the prophecies about Christ this season and came across Isaiah 7:14, Therefore the Lord himself will give you[ a sign: The virginwill conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
I am struck by the word Immanuel.
God with us. The closest I get to comprehending this is reading about
how Jesus’ loved his disciples. Surely they relished the time with him
more profoundly after his resurrection, knowing he would soon leave.
Thankfully, he didn’t leave them for long and sent His Holy Spirit. God . . . still with them. As I consider the magnitude of this God who would come to earth, who would abide with the disciples, and then with me, I have to wonder not only do I relish God’s presence in my life, but does God relish time with me? Am I committed to embracing His entrance into my life? Am I even making the effort to see Him?
Imagine that during our MWE weekend, I ignored my children, and they, me? I would lose the joy of their presence.
It is not surprising to me that
the Jewish people did not recognize their Savior. After all, who would
guess that the Almighty might package himself as a baby and appear among
them, fragile and dependent? But today, we know the story, we know the
miracles, we know the truth, and God invites us into an abundant
relationship, one that He wishes to relish, one that will change us. A
relationship that will slake our thirsts and satisfy our hungers. One
that reminds us that we are never alone.
Because every day we are a mandatory event to our Immanuel.
This season, look for the ways that God is your Immanuel, with you, every day.
***
Susan
May Warren is the best-selling, award-winning author of over 40 novels.
With over 750,000 books in print, her stories of family, romance and
adventure have earned her acclaim and reader fans from around the world.
Visit her website for upcoming books and sneak peeks!
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