Dr. Jessica Peck is prescribing Hope for healthy families on American Family Radio
Hello and welcome to the Dr. Nurse Mama show, prescribing Hope for healthy families here on American Family Radio. Here's your host, professor, pediatric nurse practitioner and mom of four, Dr. Jessica Peck.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, hello everyone and welcome to my favorite time of day on my favorite day of the week and my favorite time of the year. Friends, it is the most wonderful time of the year and maybe you are not feeling it. Maybe you are just feeling the holiday stress. Maybe you are, ah, a husband who is just on a mission to accomplish the to do list that year, the honey do list that your wife has given you. Maybe you are a mom trying to get that last gift. Make sure that you've gone to the grocery store, you've gotten everything that you need. Maybe your grandparents preparing for visits. Maybe you are just thinking that this Christmas is just feeling a little heavy this year. Wherever you are, even if you are wearing a lighted necklace with Christmas tree lights around and you are full of the holiday spirit wherever you are, however you're doing, I welcome you to this hour of, the show. I'm so grateful to be able to spend some time with you today on this one of the last Fridays of the year. Can you believe it? I encourage you to look back at the journey that we have taken together over this last year. We have endeavored to take a journey of 52 habits for healthy families. Every Friday, we have talked about a different healthy habit. And I look back and I think about the ways that I have grown over the last year. I think about the ways that I've failed and fallen short. My kids would love to line up behind the microphone, I assure you, and tell you all about my mom fails that hopefully they would deliver with affection. But there are a lot of ways that I feel like I've grown and I've gotten closer to the Lord and that he has helped me and things that I have struggled with. And I am convinced that it is not in some magical moment, in some mystical cure, some miraculous life hack, that we are going to suddenly have healthier families. But we know that people who have healthier families in every way imaginable, holistically healthy families, they live longer, they find more joy in life. We want to have those healthy relationships. And if you are coming into this Christmas season and you're looking at your holiday and you're thinking, okay, I'm about to walk into some tough stuff here with my family and, oh, I'm about to be off from work. Kids are about to be off from school or home or visiting, and maybe I'M not looking forward to that as much as I should be. Maybe there's some tensions that you're walking through. Listen, now is the time to start thinking about next year, to start thinking about 2026. And what are you going to do intentionally? So often we just find ourselves frozen in this scrolling, just paralysis that happens. Our eyes are just glued to the blue little square, lighted square that is hold our thoughts captive, that is keeping us paralyzed. I encourage you to be intentional and to set an intentional plan. And that doesn't have to be something that is specifically perfectly planned out. It can just be an intentional commitment before the Lord that I want to do whatever it is that I can do to make my family healthier. And I am here, me personally, Jessica, I am here to help you do that. Every Friday, I'm walking through those simple habits that we have. And I'm concerned and convinced, convinced that it is in those daily disciplines that we have that make all the difference in our families. But here is where the hope is. Because the Lord's grace is so great that I truly believe he blesses even our most meager efforts. We are told we need to have the faith of a mustard seed. And God blesses that far above what we can ask or imagine. And we think about that, we have a good heavenly Father who loves to give good gifts to his children. I think about the time Solomon asked for wisdom, when he was given the opportunity to ask for anything in the world. And it pleased the Lord that he asked for wisdom. And he gave him wisdom and riches and other untold, benefits besides. And we have the opportunity to ask the Lord to help us to invest in our relationships, to make them healthier. And over this last year, we walked through those spiritual disciplines. We'll be starting over in 2026. So if you missed it or you feel like, you know, I want to do that again. We are constantly a work of refinement. He who began a work, and you will be faithful to complete it. And at the beginning of the year, we talked about those basic spiritual disciplines. I encourage you. The first week we talked about was prayer. Second week was reading scripture. Third week was going to church. And you can do all of those things this Christmas season and the end of 2025. It's not too late. I encourage you, whatever you are doing what, wherever you're going for Christmas, whoever you're spending Christmas with, make a plan right now to attend a Christmas Eve service. I encourage you. If you're not in the habit of going, or if you Think, oh, that's too busy. One of my favorite memories was getting together at my grandmother's house. My sweet granny who is now spending Christmas with Jesus, she really is living out that emmanuel God with us. She is with the Lord. But we would have a huge family gathering. I have an enormous family. And we would get together on Christmas Eve. But everybody knew we were going to get packed up and leave. Wherever we were, we were going to be in that church pew handing out the candles, singing Silent Night. And there may be something really, really miraculous that God can do through that small act of obedience. So I encourage you to prioritize going to church with your family and helping remember the real reason for the season. And as we walked through the year, we went from those spiritual disciplines to rhythms for your family that the Lord blesses. We talked about communication. We spent all summer talking about technology habits, which I'll be diving into a lot more in 2026 as the world is techn chronologically exploding faster than we can keep up with it and know what's good for discernment. A lot that is on my heart to share with you for 2026. And then we talked about safety, keeping our family safe, and the Beatitudes. And right now we're ending up in Advent. We've talked about finding peace at Christmas time. we have talked about finding hope at Christmas time in a world that seems probably the opposite of those two things. A world that seems hopeless and peace. Less I am telling. I am going into this holiday season with some really difficult circumstances with some really big stressors. But my heart is hopeful and my spirit is peaceful. I can tell you that now it may, I may falter for a minute or two, but I am going to recover. And today we're going to end with the last two together because we'll have some special Christmas programming with you over the days of Christmas and some music for you to listen to. But we're talking about the last two themes of Advent today, which are love and joy. And we think about that. You know, I think about even the songs that we sing, tidings of comfort and joy. And sometimes it can just seem joyless and comfortless. But let's start by talking about how we can see Christ in so many of the Christmas traditions that we have. Many of us know those songs. We know those decorations. Everywhere I've gone this holiday season, I've really been struck by the Christmas songs that are playing in the mall, it restaurants and the grocery store. Everywhere I've gone, I'm Hearing songs of the gospel Hark the herald angels sing Glory to the newborn King. And it may just be instrumental music, but I know that message is there. And we may know all those traditions, but why do we do them? So I'm going to talk to you for a little bit about some of the stories behind the Christmas tree and the Nativity and Christmas lights and even Santa. And more importantly, we'll talk about how these traditions became Christian focused and how your family can use them to teach the gospel right at the Christian table. Because Christmas is, we know the real reason for the season is Jesus. And over time there were some local and cultural customs, some pagan winter rights, I won't go into all of that, but some medieval pageants, local saints days, these were absorbed and reinterpreted with a Christian framework. But we do have some really rich symbols that date pre modern go before the modern commercial Christmas that were reshaped to tell the story of Christ. And Christmas did not land as a fully formed holiday in December. It evolved. But there are gospel seeds that can be planted during Christmas. There are gospel seeds that you can plant in your family. And even when we look at something like the Nativity scene or a live Nativity, it is Saint Francis of Assisi who is credited with staging the first recorded live Nativity in Italy in, around 1200, around 1223. He wanted to make the Incarnation of Christ tactile and accessible to ordinary people. You have to remember this was a time when we didn't have big screen productions of Christmas pageants. But he wanted worshipers to see and feel the humility of Christ's birth. And we see this through the theology of the Incarnation where the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And the Nativity scene is that visual representation of the Gospel. It reminds us that the infinite God entered a finite world in an earthly manger. And so I encourage you to have an I Spy sort of attitude for nativities. You want see them everywhere. I know that's one thing that's really a favorite for my family to do is we're going to look at Christmas lights. Yes, we see all of the fun lights that are out. And we may see the Grinch or we may see Charlie Brown, or you may see, the Abominable Snowman or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. But look for those nativities and remind your kids that this is the reason for the season. And I know there's some really great nativity traditions that families have shared with me. Like one is setting out the whole Nativity, but leaving the baby Jesus not put in the manger yet until Christmas Eve. That can be a classic devotional practice. But you can read Luke 2, Luke chapter 2, the story of the birth of Christ by candlelight as you place that figure in the manger and invite people, what are ways that God has come near? I know that I've really been convicted this Christmas to remind my family every time I see a manger, every time I see a Nativity scene, to remind them of the name of God, that is Emmanuel, God with us, and to know that God came near. And so I've been asking them and asking myself, how is God near to you in this season? How is God near to you in this moment? How did God come near to you in this year? And we see that, and the Nativity may be an obvious sign, but one that maybe you don't think about is the Christmas tree. And the modern indoor Christmas tree really has roots in medieval or Renaissance Germany. And we see, we saw some paradise plays or paradise trees, but they were later popularized across Europe, Europe and the English speaking world by the 18th to 19th century. But here's the thing. The evergreens, life in winter is really a natural symbol of hope and of life. And evergreens can symbol eternal life in Christ and the hope of new life even in the bleak midwinter. That is a song and a poem by Christina Rossetti. So when we look at those evergreen trees that can symbolize eternal life, just use that simple visual cue as a storytelling prompt for your family to say, hey, I'm looking at this Christmas tree and it's evergreen. And it reminds me of the everlasting life that we will have in Christ. And that is the greatest gift that we will ever get. That's far greater than any gift that I could ever put under the tree. But the gift of having eternal life with you, sharing that with Jesus forever and is absolutely beautiful. And you can look at the lights of the tree and say, jesus is the light of, the world. And there are so many scriptures that talk about that. And so just something as simple as the Christmas tree can point us back to Jesus, the light of the world. Now, when you say these things, if you have teenagers, they might roll their eyes at you. But guess what? My emotional armor is a little tougher than that. I don't care. Push through it anyway and just say it sincerely and just your inner monologue as you're thinking and looking at those things.
There are Christmas carols that have historically taught gospel truths
We've been talking about Christmas, carols. We've been playing Christmas music for you. And there are Christmas carols that have historically taught gospel truths. Now, a lot of these were used for people who cannot. Who cannot read at the time because it's easier to remember a song than to remember text that is written to you. And we talked even in January of having Habit 4 was about being very intentional about the music that you listen to and using it as a discipleship tool. Music is a primary vehicle for confession and proclamation, and carols are theology and melody. So anytime you're hearing a Christmas carol play, I want you to think about that Christmas carol and share the words of it with your family. One of my favorites is Hark the Herald Angels Sing. It is a beautiful theological work of the story of Christ and teach your family the theology behind that. Those carols. When we come back, I'll talk about some more Christmas traditions and where we can find Christ in that, and we'll talk about how do we find Christ in the secular parts of Christmas. And we'll talk some more about love and joy at, Christmas. I'll see you on the other side of this break with Christmas music.
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O Come, O come, Emmanuel by Steven Curtis Chapman: M. Oh come, oh come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the son of God appear. O come thou day spring come and cheer our spirits by thine adventure Disperse the gloomy cloud of night. And death. Stark shadows put to flight Rejoice. Shall come to thee, O Israel Rejoice Rejoice. Amen. You. Shall, come to thee. Rejoice.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Welcome back, friends. That is oh come, oh come. Emmanuel by Steven Curtis Chapman. I confess it is one of my favorites from one of my favorite albums. I love Christmas music that reminds me of the real reason for the season. And listen, Christmas is right on the horizon. It is next week. It is happening really soon.
We're talking about Advent and finding love and joy this Christmas
And today on this Friday, we're talking about Advent and finding love and joy this Christmas, seeking it be just as the wise men sought the baby Jesus, seeking love and joy. And that gift of love, the greatest gift of love that we were ever given was the gift of God's son who came to the world in a manger to grow into a man who would die on a cross to save us from our sins. And it is and go to rise from the dead and to conquer sin and death in the grave forever. Listen, if you are behind, you are not alone. And if you feel like. I meant to have an Advent practice this year, but I didn't, it's not too late. You can, you can fast track it. Instead of doing one theme a week, you can do one theme a night. In the four nights leading up to Christmas, you still have time for that. And we've been talking about Advent actually since November. We've given you some different resources, some Advent books, some Advent blogs, and we've talked about Advent as a season of waiting that really reaches back to very early Christian practice. And the modern Advent wreath and calendar were developed later again in Germany. They really, they had a lot of good Christmas traditions come from Germany, but it centers on preparation, on repentance, on expectation. Advent is an embodied rhythm of waiting. Just as the people, waited in a period of silence, they waited so long for the birth of Christ, we are now waiting for the return of Christ. And you can light an Advent candle to tie each candle to a theme. We have talked about hope. We've talked about, We've, talked about joy. We're talking about joy and love today. We talked about hope and peace the last two weeks. And as we're looking at those themes and we're thinking about what we're seeing in the world with Christmas, one of the things that you'll see the most of is lights, lights everywhere Christmas light. Lights that can be candles to electric strings of light. They may be. Maybe you're the classic, you're the purist. You use the, the white lights or the yellow lights. Maybe you like the colorful lights, maybe you just like the blue lights, but these echo the ancient human responses to darkness that happens in winter. And Christians have long used light imagery to symbolize Christ as the light of the world. And we can talk about Jesus as light. And every time you see Christmas lights, just say to yourself that Jesus, the light of the world. And I wanted to share with you a, devotional from one of our previous guests this season who wrote a an Advent devotional called Christmas through the Heart. This is from Cheryl Barker. And I said that I was going to use this as my Advent devotional. And I have done that this Christmas season and Light Night two. I, read about the light of Christmas and I wanted to share it with you because it was so encouraging to me. So let me share with you the words of Cheryl Barker. As December's earliest hours peek over the holiday horizon. Horizon with a faint glow of the days to come, our yearning for the Christmas season to be filled with magic and light is birthed once again. At the same time, the unspoken hope that the season itself will brighten our lives, whatever our current circumstances makes its annual debut as well. We long to set aside our cares and enjoy a fairy tale Christmas, one that offers every heartwarming touch possible. But if we look just beneath that surface longing, we'll see a deeper longing for abiding joy and everlasting light for our souls. Often we manage to manufacture or stumble upon some of that surface holiday magic and light scenes from a fairy tale Christmas. But even then, the merry feelings are often short lived. Real life intrudes like clockwork, like the monthly bills that arrive without fail, like the last day of summer vacation. Womp, womp. Yeah, that's mine. That's my addition. But kids whoop and holler with glee over their gifts and play in noisy harmony, will soon commence quarreling, ending up in tears while still clutching their new toys. The harmony has now evaporated. A couple returns home one evening still shining with the glow from a lovely holiday outing and steps into a growing puddle. As the kitchen floor floods from m a leaking pipe under the sink. Sink. Their contented smiles drop like those of two kids finding coal in their Christmas stockings. And even more common, many of us, after experiencing a splendid Christmas, find our holiday joy melting away. After everyone goes home and we return to everyday life with its everyday challenges, our temporarily forgotten struggles have surfaced again. We come face to face once more with our real need. Need. Our need for true light and life. I'm reminded of the passage in God's word known as the Love chapter. If I speak human or angelic tongues, but do not have love. I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. The same kind of discerning insight can be applied where our deepest Christmas longing is concerned, if we have a home filled with twinkling lights, gaily wrapped packages, the merry strains of holiday classics and our loved ones laughing nearby. But we do not have in our hearts the adoration and worship of Jesus, the true, true light of Christmas. We have nothing lasting, nothing that will satisfy our soul's deepest longing, nothing that will never fail us. Today and during each holiday season, may we renew our focus on that perfect and everlasting light who burst upon the world scene centuries ago and has been shining an unparalleled light for us ever since. In the NewSong Testament, Matthew 4:16 quotes from the prophet Isaiah and says, the people who live in darkness have seen a great light. And for those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. Oh, how I thank God for that great light. So remember with me, won't you, that no magic, no joys, no light the world can offer offer will fill the deepest yearning of our hearts. Only Jesus, the true light of Christmas Only Jesus, the Savior of the world. May we let the wonder we seek be found in him. May we let him satisfy our longing hearts.
It's not too late to reclaim the sacred this Christmas
And then it's followed by a poem called the Light of Christmas. What's that on the horizon? The light of Christmas drawing near. Possibly the promise of a miracle, maybe the drying of a tea year. Near and far. People look for the light of Christmas to be theirs, Yearning for the hope it holds, longing to cast aside their cares. Some seek the light in merry making, Others in the warmth of home. Some think that things can offer comfort Some choose the world to roam. But the light of Christmas that satisfies the hope that will never let us down is the miracle found in a manger the Christ Child born in Bethlehem temple down John 8 Ah 12 tells us, I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light and life, the light of life for lasting and eternal light. I am encouraging you today to fix your eyes on Jesus, on the Christ child, the light of the world, the only source of love and joy that you will ever Find that is satisfying, that is lasting, that is eternal, and that is so important to do. And so as you're looking at those Christmas lights, lights, or looking at those other secular traditions, that can be really fun. We can have an opportunity to really reframe the narrative in every way that we can in our own hearts and in our families. We don't have to reject every cultural, secular, celebration of Christmas, but we can redeem it because those objects and practices, they can become such extraordinary means of grace when we intentionally point them to Christ. And so thinking about, listening, even out loud, what brings you joy, what are ways that you have felt God's love that is so important. Taking those actionable steps to look at, even when you're shopping, thinking of that as a stressful task, ask. It's really an act of service. Who are you buying for? Who are you trying to show the light of Christ to? Through your love for them, through your service to them, through your care for them? There are always opportunities to really transform the narrative in our homes and in our hearts this holiday season. And when we have those family liturgies, just do something. Just, that is five minutes a day from now until Christmas. Maybe that's an Advent devotional. Maybe that's just reading scripture out loud. You can start in Luke chapter two. Maybe that's just gathering together as a family, whether that's in person or over facetime or over text message to have a family prayer time. Maybe it's just one question that you ask. Where did you see God today? Where was God with you today? Do you have time to reclaim this Christmas? Even if up until now it has been an absolute disaster and your best laid plans have just absolutely gone out the window? It is not too late and we can really use those moments to reclaim the sacred and think about the rest of your Christmas. You just have a few days left. How are you going to stew? How are you going to steward your budget? How are you going to steward your calendar? How are you going to steward your emotional energy? It's still not too late to say no to some things, to just stay in. It's not too late to return something if you overspent your money. It is not too late to take something off of your calendar if you overspent your time. It's not too late to pull back from a commitment that you've made that's going to cost you too much emotionally to put some guardrails around it. And I talked about that last week and look at, what is one tradition that you could add this year that would point your family to the Lord. And you can have that Sabbath reset on Christmas Day already. Plan now to treat Christmas like your Sabbath. I encourage you right now, even when you're thinking about it, to throw away your phone as much as you can on Christmas. I know some of you are saying, but what am I going to take pictures with? Well, here's a radical thought. Maybe you take pictures with your mind this year. Maybe you'd be like Mary and who didn't have a camera to put on social media. What happened in that. In that stable that night. But it says Mary treasured these things and she pondered them in her heart. Don't watch Christmas through the little light of a blue screen. Watch it. Make eye contact with the people that you love. Be fully present. Because all of these customs that you're working so hard to provide to give your family a good Christmas. You want the tree to be perfect. You want the candlelight to be perfect. You want the songs. Maybe you're even planning a playlist for your family Christmas Day. These are all pointers. They become good teachers when they point to the one who lived, who died, and who rose again.
Christmas is a personal invitation to receive the greatest gift that will ever be given
And it is so important for us to share the best gift from the best story that was ever told. This is the best gift that we'll ever, ever receive. And we know that we are separated from God by sin, that God created the world man sinned and broke. Our fellowship with God broke the world. We live in a broken world where there is so much wrong with it and. And so much that is broken by sin. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But the good news is that God stepped into our world. God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that no one should perish, but that all should have everlasting life. And he sent his son. He sent his son, Jesus, Emmanuel, to be with us, God with us. And the manger is God's way of coming near, rather than coming as a king ruling from afar. He came to a manger to rescue us from our brokenness, from our sin. And that cost of the rescue is a free gift to anyone. And we know that if you believe in your heart, confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, that you will be saved. We know that when you recognize the wages of your sin is death and that the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. All you do is pray and ask God to forgive you, to admit that you're a sinner, to believe that Jesus came to rescue you and to confess that sin and to accept his son as the Lord of your life. And the gift of. Of that is eternal life. And I invite you, if you don't know this Jesus personally, Christmas is a personal invitation to you to receive the greatest gift that will ever be given. And if you know Jesus, celebrate that gift by sharing it with others and God. We just, we are so grateful for the gift of your son, Jesus, and the gift of being able to steward that story to our families and to all of those who are around us. Even if it's a clerk who's waiting on you, a service person, everyone needs the gift of Jesus. We'll talk more about love and joy when we come back.
Pastor Erwin Lutzer: Pastor Erwin Lutzer from the American Family Studios documentary the God who Speaks. When Paul said to Timothy, preach the word, what Paul was saying is, everything that you teach in the church has to be rooted in Scripture. Now, I believe very strongly that it has to be rooted in Scripture. It has to be applied to each generation. So the applications may change. But the basic doctrines, the teachings have to be the foundation of everything that we preach. So it's not a matter of human ideas. It is actually a matter of being committed to the integrity of scripture, studying it in context so that we can say with authority that what we are teaching is based on God's word, not our ideas, nor our word. Visit thegodwhospeaks.org M.
The First Noel by Mark Schultz: the angel did say was too sudden Poor shepherds in fields and as they lay in fields as they lay keeping their sheep On a cold winter's night that was so deep Nowhere, nowhere, nowhere nowhere Born in is the King of Israel. As they looked up and saw star shining in the peace beyond them far and to the earth it gave great light and so it continued both day and night Nowhere, nowhere nowhere. Born. Is the king of Israel Nowhere, nowhere nowhere Born is the king of Israel Then entered in those wise men three forever upon their knee and up there in his breath presence their gold and myrrh and br. Is the king of Israel. Then let us all with word of go sing praises to our heavenly Lord that.
Dr. Jessica Peck: With his blood mankind Nowhere, nowhere, nowhere nowhere but is the the King of Israel who will now. Born is the king. What is the King of Israel?
For many families, Christmas becomes a very emotionally complicated season
Dr. Jessica Peck: Welcome back, friends. That is the first Noel by Mark Schultz. And yes, I let the whole song play because I think the Christmas hymns are some of the most beautiful. And I could, could not let Cut that off. Before we got to the last verse, which is my very favorite, I used to sing. Actually, fun fact for you, I used to sing in a Victorian caroling group and we would go to Dickens on the Strand and we would get all dressed up, the men in their top hats and the women in their capes and big hoop skirts, and it was so fun. But even more than fun, it was such a blessing to be able to go into single these Christmas carols that are so widely accepted in secular culture, but yet have such a powerful gospel message. And that last verse of the first Noel says, then let us all with one accord sing praises to our heavenly Lord that hath made heaven and earth of not, and with his blood mankind hath bought. That's what I was sitting there seeing on the street streets to anyone who would listen. The gift of God, the gift of salvation, is a free gift to anyone who will listen. And maybe you're wondering even about that word, Noel now, because it is such a word that is closely associated with Christmas. You see it in Hobby Lobby, on decorations everywhere. But it comes from an old French word meaning birth or birthday. And so in the context of Christmas, it's specifically referring to the birth of Jesus Christ. And there are some scholars who trace it even further back to a language, Latin word, meaning of a birth or relating to a birthday. And that word is Natalis. I'm not sure if I'm saying it right. So you people who speak Latin, you can feel free to correct me, but it is very closely related to the Nativity. And so in Christian tradition, Noel is a word of joyful proclamation. It is a way of announcing good news. And so when you're singing Noel, Noel, just imagine yourself singing good news, good news. It almost brings me to tears because when people, people sing or they cry out Noel, or they put it on their mantle, they're celebrating the arrival of the Savior and echoing the angels, announcements to the shepherds, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. So when we sing the first Noel, we are singing the first good news of Christ's birth. And we know that because of that, Christmas is meant to be joyful. But for many families, as I've been talking, you were so close to my heart. It quietly becomes a, very emotionally complicated, complicated season where expectations are sky high, often unspoken. Your calendar is jam packed with school events and church programs and parties and obligations, many of them good, but still taxing nonetheless. Your finances are stretched thin by gifts, by travel, by end of year experiences, Your relationships, maybe especially with extended family, can feel tender or very tense. And beneath all of those twinkling lights and the festive music and the carefully curated traditions, emotions you're carrying those invisible burdens. Maybe it's grief. That empty chair at the table. Ah, a first Christmas without someone. Maybe you're anxious, exhausted, or disappointed that it's just not ending up the way that you hoped that it would. Maybe you're just worn out and you're just tired and you're thinking, okay, can we just get to Christmas already? Joy can feel elusive. But friends, it's not too late. And this is not because it's. Joy isn't elusive because families don't love God, but because the season is too crowded with pressures that we put on ourselves from culture, from advertising, even well meaning or well intended, intended things. This should be the happiest time of the year. But when it's not, we feel sad and we feel like we failed. And we wonder, why did we lose our joy once again?
At Christmas, families often lose their joy, not because they lack gratitude
But listen, Advent gently reminds us of something different, something that is deeply freeing. Joy doesn't begin with your circumstances. It's not about the circumstances of your Christmas. It is about the eternal hope of a Savior. And before, Christmas was a celebration. It was a promise that was spoken into darkness. Before joy was felt, it was announced to fearful shepherds. And before families could experience peace, God himself stepped into our broken world in tremendous love. And you still have time, friend. You still have time. Time to slow down long enough to remember that joy cannot be manufactured or scheduled or purchased or just willed into existence. It's meant to be a gift that is received. Luke 2 tells us, do not be afraid. As the message went to the angels, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. John 15:11 says, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. And Nehemiah, one of my favorite verses, 8, 10 says, the joy of the Lord is our strength. It's not our feel good Christmas magic. It is our strength. Joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness rises and falls with circumstances. How the day goes, how your family behaves, how your Christmas plans, so carefully constructed, unfold. But biblical joy is rooted in something unchanging. It's not rooted in what you're doing for Christmas. It's rooted in who Christ is and what he has done for Christ. You. It's not fragile. It's not seasonal. Seasonal. It is permanent. And at Christmas, families often lose their joy, not because they lack gratitude, but because we shift it from being centered in the presence of Christ to, driven by the performance of our Christmas that we put on. We measure success by how everything looks, how smoothly everything goes, whether the traditions meet our expectations. We feel pressure to recreate the perfect memories we had in our childhood. Or maybe to create perfect memories from our children, to erase the imperfect memories in our own brains. We have old wounds. We have unresolved family dynamics. We have financial stress, we have grief and loss. And we are trying to produce and manufacture joy instead of just receiving from God. The angels did not announce a perfectly planned holiday. I doubt they had drones that performed a light show for the shepherds. Okay. They announced a savior. Joy. Joy entered the world not through comfort, not through wealth, not through control, not through a perfectly curated Christmas card, but through incarnation. God stepping into human weakness and messiness and need. And that same joy can still be yours today. It's not too late for Christmas. It's not for the put together for the perfect. It's for the weary. So.
Dr. Jessica Peck: So you can apply this to your family. It's not too late. Name that pressure that is still trying to steal your joy and create some space to talk about it honestly as a family and what we can do, how we can still salvage our Christmas. Even if you feel like everything is not gone the way it is. And just practice waiting. Try to build some intentional moments of stillness us into these days before Christmas. Just short pauses to remember why we are waiting and, what we are waiting for. We're waiting for the return of Christ to make all things new, to make all things right again. And so just have that joy anchor.
To steward Christmas well is to protect your margin, guard your heart
What is it that you need to do to reclaim your joy? Is it a scripture you need to say? Is it an Advent candle? It is. It. Is it just. Just gathering together with your family? We can steward Christmas without losing our own soul. Matthew 6:21 says, where your treasure is, there your heart will be. Also Luke 10 says, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed. Philippians 4. Rejoice in the Lord always stewarding Christmas isn't about doing less because we're trying to be minimalistic. We're trying to do the right thing. It's just choosing. Actually, it's not choosing less, it's choosing more because it's choosing what matters more. So many families today, we don't lose our joy because we're celebrating. We're losing our joy because that celebration turns into consumption and comparison and constant activity. So ask your family, what are we truly celebrating? How are we Living that out. What are our families learning about what we value most and life. And what. What do we need to let go? To steward Christmas well is to protect your margin, guard your heart and remember most of all this central truth. Christ is not a part of Christmas. He is all of Christmas. And that is really important. The gift of love that God gives us. God's love changes everything. I have shared with you. You. John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. And first John 4 tells this is how God shows his love among us, that he gave his one and only son. And Luke 1 tells us, because of the tender mercies of our God. God, love is not something that we were meant to manufacture at Christmas. It is something that you have the free gift to receive. The gift of God's love. It did not arrive as an abstract idea. It's not a list of expectations. God's love came to this world as a child born into an ordinary family in a very broken, imperfect, messy world. Sounds very familiar. And the Gospel is the ultimate Christmas story. It is the greatest story ever told. God saw our need, he moved toward us and he gave Himself for us. I think about the conversation I had earlier this month with Lee Strobel and saying that differentiates us from every other world religion that has ever existed, that God gave Himself for us. When families receive that kind of love, love, it's undeserved, it's sacrificial. It will reshape the way that you see your Christmas, the way that you steward your time together, the way that you treat each other. I encourage you to live out God's love in your home in these last few days before Christmas. Choose grace over perfection. Choose to extend mercy even when tensions rise, when expectations fall short. Choose presence over perfection. Be fully present even when your schedule is demanding. Be emotionally present. Be mentally present. Be mentally and spiritually present in addition to being physically present. Choose forgiveness over resentment. Let Christmas be a turning point, not another layer of unresolved hurt. And open your heart before you open your home. The joy of Christmas is not found under the tree. It was laid in a manger. Joys name is Jesus. He did not come to give us a better holiday, but redeemed eternal life. And he came for you. The weary, the anxious, the broken and the hopeful. I pray that the Lord will bless you and keep you and that this Christmas your home will be filled with joy and love. Merry, merry, merry Christmas. Friends.
Jeff Chamblee: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
Dr. Jessica Peck is prescribing Hope for healthy families on American Family Radio
Hello and welcome to the Dr. Nurse Mama show, prescribing Hope for healthy families here on American Family Radio. Here's your host, professor, pediatric nurse practitioner and mom of four, Dr. Jessica Peck.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, hello everyone and welcome to my favorite time of day on my favorite day of the week and my favorite time of the year. Friends, it is the most wonderful time of the year and maybe you are not feeling it. Maybe you are just feeling the holiday stress. Maybe you are, ah, a husband who is just on a mission to accomplish the to do list that year, the honey do list that your wife has given you. Maybe you are a mom trying to get that last gift. Make sure that you've gone to the grocery store, you've gotten everything that you need. Maybe your grandparents preparing for visits. Maybe you are just thinking that this Christmas is just feeling a little heavy this year. Wherever you are, even if you are wearing a lighted necklace with Christmas tree lights around and you are full of the holiday spirit wherever you are, however you're doing, I welcome you to this hour of, the show. I'm so grateful to be able to spend some time with you today on this one of the last Fridays of the year. Can you believe it? I encourage you to look back at the journey that we have taken together over this last year. We have endeavored to take a journey of 52 habits for healthy families. Every Friday, we have talked about a different healthy habit. And I look back and I think about the ways that I have grown over the last year. I think about the ways that I've failed and fallen short. My kids would love to line up behind the microphone, I assure you, and tell you all about my mom fails that hopefully they would deliver with affection. But there are a lot of ways that I feel like I've grown and I've gotten closer to the Lord and that he has helped me and things that I have struggled with. And I am convinced that it is not in some magical moment, in some mystical cure, some miraculous life hack, that we are going to suddenly have healthier families. But we know that people who have healthier families in every way imaginable, holistically healthy families, they live longer, they find more joy in life. We want to have those healthy relationships. And if you are coming into this Christmas season and you're looking at your holiday and you're thinking, okay, I'm about to walk into some tough stuff here with my family and, oh, I'm about to be off from work. Kids are about to be off from school or home or visiting, and maybe I'M not looking forward to that as much as I should be. Maybe there's some tensions that you're walking through. Listen, now is the time to start thinking about next year, to start thinking about 2026. And what are you going to do intentionally? So often we just find ourselves frozen in this scrolling, just paralysis that happens. Our eyes are just glued to the blue little square, lighted square that is hold our thoughts captive, that is keeping us paralyzed. I encourage you to be intentional and to set an intentional plan. And that doesn't have to be something that is specifically perfectly planned out. It can just be an intentional commitment before the Lord that I want to do whatever it is that I can do to make my family healthier. And I am here, me personally, Jessica, I am here to help you do that. Every Friday, I'm walking through those simple habits that we have. And I'm concerned and convinced, convinced that it is in those daily disciplines that we have that make all the difference in our families. But here is where the hope is. Because the Lord's grace is so great that I truly believe he blesses even our most meager efforts. We are told we need to have the faith of a mustard seed. And God blesses that far above what we can ask or imagine. And we think about that, we have a good heavenly Father who loves to give good gifts to his children. I think about the time Solomon asked for wisdom, when he was given the opportunity to ask for anything in the world. And it pleased the Lord that he asked for wisdom. And he gave him wisdom and riches and other untold, benefits besides. And we have the opportunity to ask the Lord to help us to invest in our relationships, to make them healthier. And over this last year, we walked through those spiritual disciplines. We'll be starting over in 2026. So if you missed it or you feel like, you know, I want to do that again. We are constantly a work of refinement. He who began a work, and you will be faithful to complete it. And at the beginning of the year, we talked about those basic spiritual disciplines. I encourage you. The first week we talked about was prayer. Second week was reading scripture. Third week was going to church. And you can do all of those things this Christmas season and the end of 2025. It's not too late. I encourage you, whatever you are doing what, wherever you're going for Christmas, whoever you're spending Christmas with, make a plan right now to attend a Christmas Eve service. I encourage you. If you're not in the habit of going, or if you Think, oh, that's too busy. One of my favorite memories was getting together at my grandmother's house. My sweet granny who is now spending Christmas with Jesus, she really is living out that emmanuel God with us. She is with the Lord. But we would have a huge family gathering. I have an enormous family. And we would get together on Christmas Eve. But everybody knew we were going to get packed up and leave. Wherever we were, we were going to be in that church pew handing out the candles, singing Silent Night. And there may be something really, really miraculous that God can do through that small act of obedience. So I encourage you to prioritize going to church with your family and helping remember the real reason for the season. And as we walked through the year, we went from those spiritual disciplines to rhythms for your family that the Lord blesses. We talked about communication. We spent all summer talking about technology habits, which I'll be diving into a lot more in 2026 as the world is techn chronologically exploding faster than we can keep up with it and know what's good for discernment. A lot that is on my heart to share with you for 2026. And then we talked about safety, keeping our family safe, and the Beatitudes. And right now we're ending up in Advent. We've talked about finding peace at Christmas time. we have talked about finding hope at Christmas time in a world that seems probably the opposite of those two things. A world that seems hopeless and peace. Less I am telling. I am going into this holiday season with some really difficult circumstances with some really big stressors. But my heart is hopeful and my spirit is peaceful. I can tell you that now it may, I may falter for a minute or two, but I am going to recover. And today we're going to end with the last two together because we'll have some special Christmas programming with you over the days of Christmas and some music for you to listen to. But we're talking about the last two themes of Advent today, which are love and joy. And we think about that. You know, I think about even the songs that we sing, tidings of comfort and joy. And sometimes it can just seem joyless and comfortless. But let's start by talking about how we can see Christ in so many of the Christmas traditions that we have. Many of us know those songs. We know those decorations. Everywhere I've gone this holiday season, I've really been struck by the Christmas songs that are playing in the mall, it restaurants and the grocery store. Everywhere I've gone, I'm Hearing songs of the gospel Hark the herald angels sing Glory to the newborn King. And it may just be instrumental music, but I know that message is there. And we may know all those traditions, but why do we do them? So I'm going to talk to you for a little bit about some of the stories behind the Christmas tree and the Nativity and Christmas lights and even Santa. And more importantly, we'll talk about how these traditions became Christian focused and how your family can use them to teach the gospel right at the Christian table. Because Christmas is, we know the real reason for the season is Jesus. And over time there were some local and cultural customs, some pagan winter rights, I won't go into all of that, but some medieval pageants, local saints days, these were absorbed and reinterpreted with a Christian framework. But we do have some really rich symbols that date pre modern go before the modern commercial Christmas that were reshaped to tell the story of Christ. And Christmas did not land as a fully formed holiday in December. It evolved. But there are gospel seeds that can be planted during Christmas. There are gospel seeds that you can plant in your family. And even when we look at something like the Nativity scene or a live Nativity, it is Saint Francis of Assisi who is credited with staging the first recorded live Nativity in Italy in, around 1200, around 1223. He wanted to make the Incarnation of Christ tactile and accessible to ordinary people. You have to remember this was a time when we didn't have big screen productions of Christmas pageants. But he wanted worshipers to see and feel the humility of Christ's birth. And we see this through the theology of the Incarnation where the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And the Nativity scene is that visual representation of the Gospel. It reminds us that the infinite God entered a finite world in an earthly manger. And so I encourage you to have an I Spy sort of attitude for nativities. You want see them everywhere. I know that's one thing that's really a favorite for my family to do is we're going to look at Christmas lights. Yes, we see all of the fun lights that are out. And we may see the Grinch or we may see Charlie Brown, or you may see, the Abominable Snowman or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. But look for those nativities and remind your kids that this is the reason for the season. And I know there's some really great nativity traditions that families have shared with me. Like one is setting out the whole Nativity, but leaving the baby Jesus not put in the manger yet until Christmas Eve. That can be a classic devotional practice. But you can read Luke 2, Luke chapter 2, the story of the birth of Christ by candlelight as you place that figure in the manger and invite people, what are ways that God has come near? I know that I've really been convicted this Christmas to remind my family every time I see a manger, every time I see a Nativity scene, to remind them of the name of God, that is Emmanuel, God with us, and to know that God came near. And so I've been asking them and asking myself, how is God near to you in this season? How is God near to you in this moment? How did God come near to you in this year? And we see that, and the Nativity may be an obvious sign, but one that maybe you don't think about is the Christmas tree. And the modern indoor Christmas tree really has roots in medieval or Renaissance Germany. And we see, we saw some paradise plays or paradise trees, but they were later popularized across Europe, Europe and the English speaking world by the 18th to 19th century. But here's the thing. The evergreens, life in winter is really a natural symbol of hope and of life. And evergreens can symbol eternal life in Christ and the hope of new life even in the bleak midwinter. That is a song and a poem by Christina Rossetti. So when we look at those evergreen trees that can symbolize eternal life, just use that simple visual cue as a storytelling prompt for your family to say, hey, I'm looking at this Christmas tree and it's evergreen. And it reminds me of the everlasting life that we will have in Christ. And that is the greatest gift that we will ever get. That's far greater than any gift that I could ever put under the tree. But the gift of having eternal life with you, sharing that with Jesus forever and is absolutely beautiful. And you can look at the lights of the tree and say, jesus is the light of, the world. And there are so many scriptures that talk about that. And so just something as simple as the Christmas tree can point us back to Jesus, the light of the world. Now, when you say these things, if you have teenagers, they might roll their eyes at you. But guess what? My emotional armor is a little tougher than that. I don't care. Push through it anyway and just say it sincerely and just your inner monologue as you're thinking and looking at those things.
There are Christmas carols that have historically taught gospel truths
We've been talking about Christmas, carols. We've been playing Christmas music for you. And there are Christmas carols that have historically taught gospel truths. Now, a lot of these were used for people who cannot. Who cannot read at the time because it's easier to remember a song than to remember text that is written to you. And we talked even in January of having Habit 4 was about being very intentional about the music that you listen to and using it as a discipleship tool. Music is a primary vehicle for confession and proclamation, and carols are theology and melody. So anytime you're hearing a Christmas carol play, I want you to think about that Christmas carol and share the words of it with your family. One of my favorites is Hark the Herald Angels Sing. It is a beautiful theological work of the story of Christ and teach your family the theology behind that. Those carols. When we come back, I'll talk about some more Christmas traditions and where we can find Christ in that, and we'll talk about how do we find Christ in the secular parts of Christmas. And we'll talk some more about love and joy at, Christmas. I'll see you on the other side of this break with Christmas music.
Preborn has helped save 38,000 babies this year
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O Come, O come, Emmanuel by Steven Curtis Chapman: M. Oh come, oh come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the son of God appear. O come thou day spring come and cheer our spirits by thine adventure Disperse the gloomy cloud of night. And death. Stark shadows put to flight Rejoice. Shall come to thee, O Israel Rejoice Rejoice. Amen. You. Shall, come to thee. Rejoice.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Welcome back, friends. That is oh come, oh come. Emmanuel by Steven Curtis Chapman. I confess it is one of my favorites from one of my favorite albums. I love Christmas music that reminds me of the real reason for the season. And listen, Christmas is right on the horizon. It is next week. It is happening really soon.
We're talking about Advent and finding love and joy this Christmas
And today on this Friday, we're talking about Advent and finding love and joy this Christmas, seeking it be just as the wise men sought the baby Jesus, seeking love and joy. And that gift of love, the greatest gift of love that we were ever given was the gift of God's son who came to the world in a manger to grow into a man who would die on a cross to save us from our sins. And it is and go to rise from the dead and to conquer sin and death in the grave forever. Listen, if you are behind, you are not alone. And if you feel like. I meant to have an Advent practice this year, but I didn't, it's not too late. You can, you can fast track it. Instead of doing one theme a week, you can do one theme a night. In the four nights leading up to Christmas, you still have time for that. And we've been talking about Advent actually since November. We've given you some different resources, some Advent books, some Advent blogs, and we've talked about Advent as a season of waiting that really reaches back to very early Christian practice. And the modern Advent wreath and calendar were developed later again in Germany. They really, they had a lot of good Christmas traditions come from Germany, but it centers on preparation, on repentance, on expectation. Advent is an embodied rhythm of waiting. Just as the people, waited in a period of silence, they waited so long for the birth of Christ, we are now waiting for the return of Christ. And you can light an Advent candle to tie each candle to a theme. We have talked about hope. We've talked about, We've, talked about joy. We're talking about joy and love today. We talked about hope and peace the last two weeks. And as we're looking at those themes and we're thinking about what we're seeing in the world with Christmas, one of the things that you'll see the most of is lights, lights everywhere Christmas light. Lights that can be candles to electric strings of light. They may be. Maybe you're the classic, you're the purist. You use the, the white lights or the yellow lights. Maybe you like the colorful lights, maybe you just like the blue lights, but these echo the ancient human responses to darkness that happens in winter. And Christians have long used light imagery to symbolize Christ as the light of the world. And we can talk about Jesus as light. And every time you see Christmas lights, just say to yourself that Jesus, the light of the world. And I wanted to share with you a, devotional from one of our previous guests this season who wrote a an Advent devotional called Christmas through the Heart. This is from Cheryl Barker. And I said that I was going to use this as my Advent devotional. And I have done that this Christmas season and Light Night two. I, read about the light of Christmas and I wanted to share it with you because it was so encouraging to me. So let me share with you the words of Cheryl Barker. As December's earliest hours peek over the holiday horizon. Horizon with a faint glow of the days to come, our yearning for the Christmas season to be filled with magic and light is birthed once again. At the same time, the unspoken hope that the season itself will brighten our lives, whatever our current circumstances makes its annual debut as well. We long to set aside our cares and enjoy a fairy tale Christmas, one that offers every heartwarming touch possible. But if we look just beneath that surface longing, we'll see a deeper longing for abiding joy and everlasting light for our souls. Often we manage to manufacture or stumble upon some of that surface holiday magic and light scenes from a fairy tale Christmas. But even then, the merry feelings are often short lived. Real life intrudes like clockwork, like the monthly bills that arrive without fail, like the last day of summer vacation. Womp, womp. Yeah, that's mine. That's my addition. But kids whoop and holler with glee over their gifts and play in noisy harmony, will soon commence quarreling, ending up in tears while still clutching their new toys. The harmony has now evaporated. A couple returns home one evening still shining with the glow from a lovely holiday outing and steps into a growing puddle. As the kitchen floor floods from m a leaking pipe under the sink. Sink. Their contented smiles drop like those of two kids finding coal in their Christmas stockings. And even more common, many of us, after experiencing a splendid Christmas, find our holiday joy melting away. After everyone goes home and we return to everyday life with its everyday challenges, our temporarily forgotten struggles have surfaced again. We come face to face once more with our real need. Need. Our need for true light and life. I'm reminded of the passage in God's word known as the Love chapter. If I speak human or angelic tongues, but do not have love. I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. The same kind of discerning insight can be applied where our deepest Christmas longing is concerned, if we have a home filled with twinkling lights, gaily wrapped packages, the merry strains of holiday classics and our loved ones laughing nearby. But we do not have in our hearts the adoration and worship of Jesus, the true, true light of Christmas. We have nothing lasting, nothing that will satisfy our soul's deepest longing, nothing that will never fail us. Today and during each holiday season, may we renew our focus on that perfect and everlasting light who burst upon the world scene centuries ago and has been shining an unparalleled light for us ever since. In the NewSong Testament, Matthew 4:16 quotes from the prophet Isaiah and says, the people who live in darkness have seen a great light. And for those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. Oh, how I thank God for that great light. So remember with me, won't you, that no magic, no joys, no light the world can offer offer will fill the deepest yearning of our hearts. Only Jesus, the true light of Christmas Only Jesus, the Savior of the world. May we let the wonder we seek be found in him. May we let him satisfy our longing hearts.
It's not too late to reclaim the sacred this Christmas
And then it's followed by a poem called the Light of Christmas. What's that on the horizon? The light of Christmas drawing near. Possibly the promise of a miracle, maybe the drying of a tea year. Near and far. People look for the light of Christmas to be theirs, Yearning for the hope it holds, longing to cast aside their cares. Some seek the light in merry making, Others in the warmth of home. Some think that things can offer comfort Some choose the world to roam. But the light of Christmas that satisfies the hope that will never let us down is the miracle found in a manger the Christ Child born in Bethlehem temple down John 8 Ah 12 tells us, I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light and life, the light of life for lasting and eternal light. I am encouraging you today to fix your eyes on Jesus, on the Christ child, the light of the world, the only source of love and joy that you will ever Find that is satisfying, that is lasting, that is eternal, and that is so important to do. And so as you're looking at those Christmas lights, lights, or looking at those other secular traditions, that can be really fun. We can have an opportunity to really reframe the narrative in every way that we can in our own hearts and in our families. We don't have to reject every cultural, secular, celebration of Christmas, but we can redeem it because those objects and practices, they can become such extraordinary means of grace when we intentionally point them to Christ. And so thinking about, listening, even out loud, what brings you joy, what are ways that you have felt God's love that is so important. Taking those actionable steps to look at, even when you're shopping, thinking of that as a stressful task, ask. It's really an act of service. Who are you buying for? Who are you trying to show the light of Christ to? Through your love for them, through your service to them, through your care for them? There are always opportunities to really transform the narrative in our homes and in our hearts this holiday season. And when we have those family liturgies, just do something. Just, that is five minutes a day from now until Christmas. Maybe that's an Advent devotional. Maybe that's just reading scripture out loud. You can start in Luke chapter two. Maybe that's just gathering together as a family, whether that's in person or over facetime or over text message to have a family prayer time. Maybe it's just one question that you ask. Where did you see God today? Where was God with you today? Do you have time to reclaim this Christmas? Even if up until now it has been an absolute disaster and your best laid plans have just absolutely gone out the window? It is not too late and we can really use those moments to reclaim the sacred and think about the rest of your Christmas. You just have a few days left. How are you going to stew? How are you going to steward your budget? How are you going to steward your calendar? How are you going to steward your emotional energy? It's still not too late to say no to some things, to just stay in. It's not too late to return something if you overspent your money. It is not too late to take something off of your calendar if you overspent your time. It's not too late to pull back from a commitment that you've made that's going to cost you too much emotionally to put some guardrails around it. And I talked about that last week and look at, what is one tradition that you could add this year that would point your family to the Lord. And you can have that Sabbath reset on Christmas Day already. Plan now to treat Christmas like your Sabbath. I encourage you right now, even when you're thinking about it, to throw away your phone as much as you can on Christmas. I know some of you are saying, but what am I going to take pictures with? Well, here's a radical thought. Maybe you take pictures with your mind this year. Maybe you'd be like Mary and who didn't have a camera to put on social media. What happened in that. In that stable that night. But it says Mary treasured these things and she pondered them in her heart. Don't watch Christmas through the little light of a blue screen. Watch it. Make eye contact with the people that you love. Be fully present. Because all of these customs that you're working so hard to provide to give your family a good Christmas. You want the tree to be perfect. You want the candlelight to be perfect. You want the songs. Maybe you're even planning a playlist for your family Christmas Day. These are all pointers. They become good teachers when they point to the one who lived, who died, and who rose again.
Christmas is a personal invitation to receive the greatest gift that will ever be given
And it is so important for us to share the best gift from the best story that was ever told. This is the best gift that we'll ever, ever receive. And we know that we are separated from God by sin, that God created the world man sinned and broke. Our fellowship with God broke the world. We live in a broken world where there is so much wrong with it and. And so much that is broken by sin. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But the good news is that God stepped into our world. God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that no one should perish, but that all should have everlasting life. And he sent his son. He sent his son, Jesus, Emmanuel, to be with us, God with us. And the manger is God's way of coming near, rather than coming as a king ruling from afar. He came to a manger to rescue us from our brokenness, from our sin. And that cost of the rescue is a free gift to anyone. And we know that if you believe in your heart, confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, that you will be saved. We know that when you recognize the wages of your sin is death and that the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. All you do is pray and ask God to forgive you, to admit that you're a sinner, to believe that Jesus came to rescue you and to confess that sin and to accept his son as the Lord of your life. And the gift of. Of that is eternal life. And I invite you, if you don't know this Jesus personally, Christmas is a personal invitation to you to receive the greatest gift that will ever be given. And if you know Jesus, celebrate that gift by sharing it with others and God. We just, we are so grateful for the gift of your son, Jesus, and the gift of being able to steward that story to our families and to all of those who are around us. Even if it's a clerk who's waiting on you, a service person, everyone needs the gift of Jesus. We'll talk more about love and joy when we come back.
Pastor Erwin Lutzer: Pastor Erwin Lutzer from the American Family Studios documentary the God who Speaks. When Paul said to Timothy, preach the word, what Paul was saying is, everything that you teach in the church has to be rooted in Scripture. Now, I believe very strongly that it has to be rooted in Scripture. It has to be applied to each generation. So the applications may change. But the basic doctrines, the teachings have to be the foundation of everything that we preach. So it's not a matter of human ideas. It is actually a matter of being committed to the integrity of scripture, studying it in context so that we can say with authority that what we are teaching is based on God's word, not our ideas, nor our word. Visit thegodwhospeaks.org M.
The First Noel by Mark Schultz: the angel did say was too sudden Poor shepherds in fields and as they lay in fields as they lay keeping their sheep On a cold winter's night that was so deep Nowhere, nowhere, nowhere nowhere Born in is the King of Israel. As they looked up and saw star shining in the peace beyond them far and to the earth it gave great light and so it continued both day and night Nowhere, nowhere nowhere. Born. Is the king of Israel Nowhere, nowhere nowhere Born is the king of Israel Then entered in those wise men three forever upon their knee and up there in his breath presence their gold and myrrh and br. Is the king of Israel. Then let us all with word of go sing praises to our heavenly Lord that.
Dr. Jessica Peck: With his blood mankind Nowhere, nowhere, nowhere nowhere but is the the King of Israel who will now. Born is the king. What is the King of Israel?
For many families, Christmas becomes a very emotionally complicated season
Dr. Jessica Peck: Welcome back, friends. That is the first Noel by Mark Schultz. And yes, I let the whole song play because I think the Christmas hymns are some of the most beautiful. And I could, could not let Cut that off. Before we got to the last verse, which is my very favorite, I used to sing. Actually, fun fact for you, I used to sing in a Victorian caroling group and we would go to Dickens on the Strand and we would get all dressed up, the men in their top hats and the women in their capes and big hoop skirts, and it was so fun. But even more than fun, it was such a blessing to be able to go into single these Christmas carols that are so widely accepted in secular culture, but yet have such a powerful gospel message. And that last verse of the first Noel says, then let us all with one accord sing praises to our heavenly Lord that hath made heaven and earth of not, and with his blood mankind hath bought. That's what I was sitting there seeing on the street streets to anyone who would listen. The gift of God, the gift of salvation, is a free gift to anyone who will listen. And maybe you're wondering even about that word, Noel now, because it is such a word that is closely associated with Christmas. You see it in Hobby Lobby, on decorations everywhere. But it comes from an old French word meaning birth or birthday. And so in the context of Christmas, it's specifically referring to the birth of Jesus Christ. And there are some scholars who trace it even further back to a language, Latin word, meaning of a birth or relating to a birthday. And that word is Natalis. I'm not sure if I'm saying it right. So you people who speak Latin, you can feel free to correct me, but it is very closely related to the Nativity. And so in Christian tradition, Noel is a word of joyful proclamation. It is a way of announcing good news. And so when you're singing Noel, Noel, just imagine yourself singing good news, good news. It almost brings me to tears because when people, people sing or they cry out Noel, or they put it on their mantle, they're celebrating the arrival of the Savior and echoing the angels, announcements to the shepherds, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. So when we sing the first Noel, we are singing the first good news of Christ's birth. And we know that because of that, Christmas is meant to be joyful. But for many families, as I've been talking, you were so close to my heart. It quietly becomes a, very emotionally complicated, complicated season where expectations are sky high, often unspoken. Your calendar is jam packed with school events and church programs and parties and obligations, many of them good, but still taxing nonetheless. Your finances are stretched thin by gifts, by travel, by end of year experiences, Your relationships, maybe especially with extended family, can feel tender or very tense. And beneath all of those twinkling lights and the festive music and the carefully curated traditions, emotions you're carrying those invisible burdens. Maybe it's grief. That empty chair at the table. Ah, a first Christmas without someone. Maybe you're anxious, exhausted, or disappointed that it's just not ending up the way that you hoped that it would. Maybe you're just worn out and you're just tired and you're thinking, okay, can we just get to Christmas already? Joy can feel elusive. But friends, it's not too late. And this is not because it's. Joy isn't elusive because families don't love God, but because the season is too crowded with pressures that we put on ourselves from culture, from advertising, even well meaning or well intended, intended things. This should be the happiest time of the year. But when it's not, we feel sad and we feel like we failed. And we wonder, why did we lose our joy once again?
At Christmas, families often lose their joy, not because they lack gratitude
But listen, Advent gently reminds us of something different, something that is deeply freeing. Joy doesn't begin with your circumstances. It's not about the circumstances of your Christmas. It is about the eternal hope of a Savior. And before, Christmas was a celebration. It was a promise that was spoken into darkness. Before joy was felt, it was announced to fearful shepherds. And before families could experience peace, God himself stepped into our broken world in tremendous love. And you still have time, friend. You still have time. Time to slow down long enough to remember that joy cannot be manufactured or scheduled or purchased or just willed into existence. It's meant to be a gift that is received. Luke 2 tells us, do not be afraid. As the message went to the angels, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. John 15:11 says, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. And Nehemiah, one of my favorite verses, 8, 10 says, the joy of the Lord is our strength. It's not our feel good Christmas magic. It is our strength. Joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness rises and falls with circumstances. How the day goes, how your family behaves, how your Christmas plans, so carefully constructed, unfold. But biblical joy is rooted in something unchanging. It's not rooted in what you're doing for Christmas. It's rooted in who Christ is and what he has done for Christ. You. It's not fragile. It's not seasonal. Seasonal. It is permanent. And at Christmas, families often lose their joy, not because they lack gratitude, but because we shift it from being centered in the presence of Christ to, driven by the performance of our Christmas that we put on. We measure success by how everything looks, how smoothly everything goes, whether the traditions meet our expectations. We feel pressure to recreate the perfect memories we had in our childhood. Or maybe to create perfect memories from our children, to erase the imperfect memories in our own brains. We have old wounds. We have unresolved family dynamics. We have financial stress, we have grief and loss. And we are trying to produce and manufacture joy instead of just receiving from God. The angels did not announce a perfectly planned holiday. I doubt they had drones that performed a light show for the shepherds. Okay. They announced a savior. Joy. Joy entered the world not through comfort, not through wealth, not through control, not through a perfectly curated Christmas card, but through incarnation. God stepping into human weakness and messiness and need. And that same joy can still be yours today. It's not too late for Christmas. It's not for the put together for the perfect. It's for the weary. So.
Dr. Jessica Peck: So you can apply this to your family. It's not too late. Name that pressure that is still trying to steal your joy and create some space to talk about it honestly as a family and what we can do, how we can still salvage our Christmas. Even if you feel like everything is not gone the way it is. And just practice waiting. Try to build some intentional moments of stillness us into these days before Christmas. Just short pauses to remember why we are waiting and, what we are waiting for. We're waiting for the return of Christ to make all things new, to make all things right again. And so just have that joy anchor.
To steward Christmas well is to protect your margin, guard your heart
What is it that you need to do to reclaim your joy? Is it a scripture you need to say? Is it an Advent candle? It is. It. Is it just. Just gathering together with your family? We can steward Christmas without losing our own soul. Matthew 6:21 says, where your treasure is, there your heart will be. Also Luke 10 says, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed. Philippians 4. Rejoice in the Lord always stewarding Christmas isn't about doing less because we're trying to be minimalistic. We're trying to do the right thing. It's just choosing. Actually, it's not choosing less, it's choosing more because it's choosing what matters more. So many families today, we don't lose our joy because we're celebrating. We're losing our joy because that celebration turns into consumption and comparison and constant activity. So ask your family, what are we truly celebrating? How are we Living that out. What are our families learning about what we value most and life. And what. What do we need to let go? To steward Christmas well is to protect your margin, guard your heart and remember most of all this central truth. Christ is not a part of Christmas. He is all of Christmas. And that is really important. The gift of love that God gives us. God's love changes everything. I have shared with you. You. John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. And first John 4 tells this is how God shows his love among us, that he gave his one and only son. And Luke 1 tells us, because of the tender mercies of our God. God, love is not something that we were meant to manufacture at Christmas. It is something that you have the free gift to receive. The gift of God's love. It did not arrive as an abstract idea. It's not a list of expectations. God's love came to this world as a child born into an ordinary family in a very broken, imperfect, messy world. Sounds very familiar. And the Gospel is the ultimate Christmas story. It is the greatest story ever told. God saw our need, he moved toward us and he gave Himself for us. I think about the conversation I had earlier this month with Lee Strobel and saying that differentiates us from every other world religion that has ever existed, that God gave Himself for us. When families receive that kind of love, love, it's undeserved, it's sacrificial. It will reshape the way that you see your Christmas, the way that you steward your time together, the way that you treat each other. I encourage you to live out God's love in your home in these last few days before Christmas. Choose grace over perfection. Choose to extend mercy even when tensions rise, when expectations fall short. Choose presence over perfection. Be fully present even when your schedule is demanding. Be emotionally present. Be mentally present. Be mentally and spiritually present in addition to being physically present. Choose forgiveness over resentment. Let Christmas be a turning point, not another layer of unresolved hurt. And open your heart before you open your home. The joy of Christmas is not found under the tree. It was laid in a manger. Joys name is Jesus. He did not come to give us a better holiday, but redeemed eternal life. And he came for you. The weary, the anxious, the broken and the hopeful. I pray that the Lord will bless you and keep you and that this Christmas your home will be filled with joy and love. Merry, merry, merry Christmas. Friends.
Jeff Chamblee: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
It's Ask Dr. Nurse Mama Friday! Jessica discusses Joy (Advent Week 3) and Love (Advent Week 4). With Christmas one week away, she talks about how we can seek joy and love as we gather with family to celebrate the birth of the Savior.
Rx for Hope: Seek Joy and Love This Christmas
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