One gift. Oh, I waited all week for that one gift. On Christmas Eve, it was our family tradition to each open one gift from under the Christmas tree. During the day one could find me searching under the tree for any gifts that had my name on them. However, being the “rule-follower” I was, I would not disobey the “do not touch” any gifts rule. This made it difficult for me to see if my name was on any of the packages that were buried underneath others. So, I made this concession: if my siblings happened to disobey the “rule” (which I could certainly count on them doing), I would not tattle on them. I’d like to say it was the “Christmas Spirit” that kept me from tattling, but it was actually because I could use their disobedience to my advantage. They move the gifts; I sit behind them and see if I can find my name on any of the underlying gifts. The plan worked quite splendidly. After all, we were all eager to choose the one gift for the night. Our level of excitement exposed our childhood dreams…that one gift was surely going to be something special.

Tonight, we find ourselves just about ready to head into the month of December, where we will begin the 24-day Countdown to Christmas. I don’t know about you, but I get excited about it. I look forward to the month full of all the holiday traditions. I even have some sleepless nights because I am too excited. Yes, that’s a true statement…my husband smiles and nods his head…that’s my girl. It’s just part of who I am; I absolutely love Christmas.

My reasons for this love are vast. Some of them are family-centered. Others tradition-centered. And others Jesus-centered. Most of them are a combination of all three of those areas.

Many years ago, in the Book of Micah, it was written, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.”

That scripture is one of many in the Old Testament that prophetically speaks of the coming of the birth of Jesus. The people waited. They waited for that one gift. They would look for signs. They would listen to the religious teachers. They would anticipate this magnificent gift that would one day come from Bethlehem.

As we countdown to Christmas this year, I will be taking the opportunity to share a story and scripture each day for the next 24 days. They will focus on the much anticipated, eagerly awaited birth of Jesus. I'd love for you to join me on this Countdown to Christmas! Stop by this blog or connect on my social media, and we will do this together. Because the one gift, that one gift given on Christmas Day, was surely something special. It's definitely something we want to get excited about! Let's create an atmosphere of awe in our hearts and our homes, as we countdown to Christmas together. 

Misty Cramer is an author & speaker who recently released her first book. The Every Day God, 40 Daily Devotions for Walking with God through Everyday Moments, quickly made its way to Amazon's #1 New Release and Best Seller lists in multiple categories. In this book, she authentically shares her own story to remind us all that God has a specific plan, even in the midst of life's messes. She has been married to Todd for 39 years and has five adult sons. While they enjoy their time as "empty nesters" in rural Michigan, they also love visits from their sons, two daughters-in-law, and two granddaughters. Misty sends out a monthly devotion as part of her newsletter, and she'd love to send it along to you. The link to subscribe to the devotion, as well as the link to Misty's book can be found below:

Sign up here for the monthly devotion:   https://mailchi.mp/5bc5d49af25f/2w6akp98cg  

Head to this link if you’d like to purchase the book:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH258Y14 

Follow Misty on Facebook to receive daily encouragement:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063109547064

 Misty Cramer © 2023

Day 1: Luke 1

I want you to picture yourself receiving very important GREAT news. I mean news so GREAT that you can’t even believe it’s coming out of the person’s mouth. You are amazed! Dumbfounded! Ecstatic!

And then you respond with, “How can I be sure of this?”

This is what Zechariah said to the angel who delivered the GREAT news to him. News that he was going to be a father after all these years! I think he was amazed. Dumbfounded. And even ecstatic. But he also was like…seriously? Do you know how old I am?

It actually seems like a pretty legit question to me. However, his response wasn’t taken very well. He found himself unable to speak until the baby arrived.

Then we have Mary. She also gets a visit by an angel. The same angel, in fact. The angel tells her she will have a baby. Wow! Crazy news, especially since she is a virgin. Miraculous news. I’m sure she too was amazed. Dumbfounded. And a whole lot more. And she said, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” Again, I’d say a pretty legit question.

The angel goes on to explain more details to Mary, and then Mary sings praises to the Lord.

If we look at the two questions, they really aren’t very far off from one another, are they? And yet unlike Mary, the angel’s response to Zechariah was that he was made mute. This has me considering the heart of the those who were questioning the angel. If the words are similar, but one of them was considered offensive, I’m thinking there was some “tone” in Zechariah’s response that wasn’t quite right.

This causes me to consider how often my heart, my tone, is not properly lined up with God. I may respond to something someone said or did with a reaction that is offensive. Ungrateful. Unpraiseworthy.

It’s often not our words that are the problem. Perhaps it is our tone. And our tone reflects the condition of our heart. Something we might think we can hide, and yet, who can see our heart? The Lord. He always sees the heart.

As we go about our day, let us consider the condition of our hearts when we respond to the words and actions of others. Will we choose to respond in the tone of Zechariah? Or will we choose to respond in the tone of Mary? I choose Mary. How about you?

This is Day 1 of the Countdown to Christmas Luke Challenge. Join me and others as we read one chapter each day from the book of Luke. Then return here each day for a breakdown of one piece of the chapter. The entire book of Luke is filled with wonderful news, so it is a challenge to choose only one thing per day to touch on, but that’s what I will do. And I’d love to hear what part of the chapter impacted you most. Share in the comments, so we can all learn from one another. Did you read Chapter 1 of Luke yet today? There’s still time! Have a wonderful day, Friends!

Misty Cramer is an author & speaker who recently released her first book. The Every Day God, 40 Daily Devotions for Walking with God through Everyday Moments, quickly made its way to Amazon's #1 New Release and Best Seller lists in multiple categories. In this book, she authentically shares her own story to remind us all that God has a specific plan, even in the midst of life's messes. She has been married to Todd for 39 years and has five adult sons. While they enjoy their time as "empty nesters" in rural Michigan, they also love visits from their sons, two daughters-in-law, and two granddaughters. Misty sends out a monthly devotion as part of her newsletter, and she'd love to send it along to you. The link to subscribe to the devotion, as well as the link to Misty's book can be found below:

Sign up here for the monthly devotion:   https://mailchi.mp/5bc5d49af25f/2w6akp98cg  

Head to this link if you’d like to purchase the book:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH258Y14 

Follow Misty on Facebook to receive daily encouragement:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063109547064

 Misty Cramer © 2023

The last of the visitors left the hospital room. Todd (my hubby) and I cherished a few more minutes of sitting with our newborn baby, soaking in the miracle of birth. We admired his tiny fingers and toes as we unwrapped the blanket a bit. The gift that laid before us wiggled, and made “baby noses” that once again brought tears to our eyes. After one more kiss on the baby’s head, Todd gently kissed me. Brushing the hair from my face, he whispered, “great job, Babe. I love you and I will see you in the morning.” He quietly made his way out of the room, glancing back at me one more time; love streaming from his eyes.

The hospital no longer rang with activity echoing through the hallways. Only the hushed voices of nurses could be heard from across the hall. One look at the clock on the wall told me I should be exhausted. It had been a long day. My body had just birthed another human; that thought still boggled my mind. And yet, the sleep that was calling me would need to be patient. I was holding my baby.

I stared at him. I unwrapped him again, and marveled at this gift, this tiny human that had been placed under my care. Swaddling him once again in the blanket that wrapped tightly around his body, I began to speak to him. And to God, I suppose. After all, it was just the three of us in the room now. I spoke hopes and dreams over this little man. I spoke prayers over this little body. I spoke truth over him, assuring him that he would always be loved…yes, by me. By his family. But most importantly by his Creator. His Savior. He would always be loved. Forever loved.

Our time together, just my baby and I, left me pondering. Wondering what plans God had for this little guy. Our time together, just my baby and I, left me treasuring. Savoring this moment. Storing up every second, tucking it tightly into a spot in my heart where it would remain forever. This moment would etch its way into my heart, marking me in a way that I didn’t fully understand.

That was the scenario for the births of each of my five sons. Those moments during the late-night hours in the hospital truly were a gift to me. When I allow my mind to go back to that place, I feel only peace. It’s as if the arms of God had my baby and I enveloped in His love. It was tangible. As a mom, it will remain one of the highlights of motherhood. It’s sort of strange in a way; because it’s a time that my little men will never remember. A time they will never remember, but a time I will always treasure.

Our reading today for our Christmas Countdown is Luke 2. And in it I found myself relating to Mary. Soon after she had given birth to Jesus, the shepherds made their way to the stable. They were amazed and began to spread the word concerning this birth. And then verse 19 says, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”  The world was hearing about and celebrating the birth of her Son, and she was quietly treasuring, pondering. She most certainly had the heart of a mom; I believe her thoughts went far deeper, far further than the thoughts of the others in the stable.

Years later, as Jesus had grown into a twelve-year-old boy, Mary and Joseph had “lost” him. When he was later found in the temple courts, his parents questioned his disappearance. Jesus said, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (vs 49) Following this discussion, Mary once again finds herself pondering. Scripture tells us in verse 51, “But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” Once again, I see the heart of a mom. Her thoughts went deep. Her thoughts went far. She was treasuring these things in her heart, wondering about his future. What did life hold for him? Perhaps she found herself reflecting back to the moments in the stable. A time when she was able to protect and nurture her son in a way she no longer could do.

I am not sure my exact point with today’s scripture. I only know what God placed on my heart within Luke Chapter 2. He took me back to a place, decades ago, where I had moments in a quiet hospital room with each of my five sons. A place I can never physically go again, but a place that still brings tears to my eyes when I visit it in my minds-eye. A place where God filled my heart with a love for another person in a way that can never be explained. A place where God was so present that I could feel Him pour Himself upon my life and the life of the little man I held in my arms. A place where love and hopes and dreams and prayers seeped out of my pours, landing on the heart of a baby who would never remember this moment, but who would one day catch a glimpse of all that was poured over him in that dimly lit, quiet, hospital room. A place where the three of us experienced a moment in history that would serve as a foundation for the days and years ahead.

My prayer for you today is that you feel the presence of the Lord. I pray you take time to treasure and ponder, as Mary did, about the Son. The Son, who was born in Bethlehem all those years ago. The Son who was born with a love for you that can serve as your foundation in the days and years ahead.

You can find Day 1/Luke 1 of our Christmas Countdown on this blog too. And connect on Facebook or here each day leading up to Christmas for a new message. Thanks for joining in on the Christmas Countdown. Feel free to leave a thumbs up or comment if you're joining me on the Countdown. Enjoy your day, Friends! May you experience the love of the Son today and always.

Misty Cramer is an author & speaker who recently released her first book. The Every Day God, 40 Daily Devotions for Walking with God through Everyday Moments, quickly made its way to Amazon's #1 New Release and Best Seller lists in multiple categories. In this book, she authentically shares her own story to remind us all that God has a specific plan, even in the midst of life's messes. She has been married to Todd for 39 years and has five adult sons. While they enjoy their time as "empty nesters" in rural Michigan, they also love visits from their sons, two daughters-in-law, and two granddaughters. Misty sends out a monthly devotion as part of her newsletter, and she'd love to send it along to you. The link to subscribe to the devotion, as well as the link to Misty's book can be found below:

Sign up here for the monthly devotion:   https://mailchi.mp/5bc5d49af25f/2w6akp98cg  

Head to this link if you’d like to purchase the book:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH258Y14 

Follow Misty on Facebook to receive daily encouragement:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063109547064

 Misty Cramer © 2023

You can find Day 1 & 2/Luke 1 & 2 of our Christmas Countdown on this blog too. And connect on Facebook or here each day leading up to Christmas for a new message. Thanks for joining in on the Christmas Countdown. Feel free to leave a thumbs up or comment if you're joining me on the Countdown. Enjoy your day, Friends! May you experience the love of the Son today and always.

Misty Cramer is an author & speaker who recently released her first book. The Every Day God, 40 Daily Devotions for Walking with God through Everyday Moments, quickly made its way to Amazon's #1 New Release and Best Seller lists in multiple categories. In this book, she authentically shares her own story to remind us all that God has a specific plan, even in the midst of life's messes. She has been married to Todd for 39 years and has five adult sons. While they enjoy their time as "empty nesters" in rural Michigan, they also love visits from their sons, two daughters-in-law, and two granddaughters. Misty sends out a monthly devotion as part of her newsletter, and she'd love to send it along to you. The link to subscribe to the devotion, as well as the link to Misty's book can be found below:

Sign up here for the monthly devotion:   https://mailchi.mp/5bc5d49af25f/2w6akp98cg  

Head to this link if you’d like to purchase the book:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH258Y14 

Follow Misty on Facebook to receive daily encouragement:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063109547064

 Misty Cramer © 2023