Christmas Encouragement for Me and You

Hello! Happy December to you, dear ones. My boys and I have just begun our Winter Break from school (hooray!) which means Christmas is almost here!  Whether your season so far has felt like a typical December or not, I hope that these recordings might encourage you this week. 

I took a break this month from creating new studies and instead I'm re-sharing a couple of the very first Sister Studies videos I recorded back in 2018. 

Christmas Sisters (20~ minutes long)

Reflecting on Mary & Elizabeth and their interaction during their pregnancies, I'm encouraged by how God blessed them through each other. They both received companionship, confirmation, and courage as they spent time together because they took the risk of being together, they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke truth to each other. These are all ways we can bless each other today!

Watch here: Video Link

Listen here: Podcast Link

The Perfect Christmas (13~ minutes long)

Reflecting on Romans 5:1-5, I see all of the Advent themes: Peace, Hope, Joy, Love, and Jesus. I also see that afflictions are part of what God uses to shine glory through our lives the same way that fire makes candles shine brightly.

I finish with remembering that the Christmas Mary and Joseph experienced was nothing like the polished, clean, "perfect" Christmas many people dream of today. Perhaps our Christmases don't need to be Pinterest-perfect to be perfect after all.

Watch here: Video Link

Listen here: Podcast Link

May God bless you as you walk by faith and celebrate Christ's birth this coming week. (And remember if you don't feel "ready for Christmas" you're in good company. Mary and Joseph weren't ready for Christmas either!)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,

Melissa 

Photo by Davies Designs Studio on Unsplash

DIVINE: Knowing Our God of Peace - Reflection

Are you searching for peace? What is peace, anyway? Who is our God of Peace and what will He do? How do we respond? 

In this Sister Studies video, I share my reflections after spending a few weeks listening to and studying these verses seeking to know God more deeply as our God of Peace. 

Here are a couple of the lessons God has been teaching me:

Having a mindset of the Holy Spirit that leads to life and peace is less about WHAT I'm thinking about and more about the PERSPECTIVE I'm looking at things from.

When I need peace and God hasn't yet calmed the storms in or around me, I can find peace in His nearness instead of being frustrated that He's not doing what I want.

The Bible gives us some specific steps to take to help us find and hold onto peace:

Click here to download this image.

Watch the video recording here.

(Don't see the video? Click here.)

Want audio only? Listen to this reflection here or on your favorite podcast app by searching for Sister Studies. This recording is episode 07 - Knowing Our God of Peace.

Click here for the printable video notes: Knowing our God of Peace Video Notes w/verses

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

The Lord be with all of you.

(2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV)

Simply Scripture: Knowing Our God of Peace

Hey, friends. In a few days I'll be sharing a reflection recording based on what I've been learning or remembering about knowing our God of Peace. In the meantime, I would love to encourage you to spend some time listening to or reading this collection of verses about our God of Peace. Listen to the audio in a podcast app (or right here). Watch the video. Print out the verses and read them slowly and meditatively. You can read them all or just pick one at a time to focus on. Listen to how the Holy Spirit speaks to you. God wants us to know Him and His peace.

Simply Scripture - Knowing Our God of Peace printable pdf

(Can't see the video? Click here.)

You can also listen to the audio recordings by looking for the Sister Studies podcast on most podcast apps or by visiting anchor.fm/melimayens.