Edition #47

"Write Your Life Forward" Christmas Edition!

Are you here for the first time? Come in, Friend! We are a community seeking change, breaking free from what's holding us back, and rewriting our lives forward. We do this by studying our life story in the light of God's love story. A change in narrative and a shift in perspective can go a long and beautiful way. Welcome to our Christmas edition!

A Different Christmas

Advent, Advent! It's here, and we're getting our hearts ready to celebrate the most beautiful season of the year!

Today we begin simply with Genesis 1-2, Day 1 of our reading plan, and I gather our family close, reading them what I wrote --- words we've learned to hold onto through all these years...

Seeing Yourself Through Christmas

Christmas begins at Creation —

because it was Love that founded the firmaments.

He spoke, and the dust swirled, and the galaxies whirled into their place.

The stars He scattered to burn the dark of heavens.

The planet — each to orbit in their own intended track.

Who would imagine that by His uttered words the lights appeared?

That waters and lands would be filled, vegetation would sprout, and creatures would come into being.

He who is from the very beginning — is the beginning.

He begins every single beginning.

The story of Creation is essentially the narrative that forms the bedrock of our identity.

We tell the kids, that the heart of the Christmas story traces back to the story of Creation.

When we meet God as the central figure of Creation, we get to know the Creator, and write our unique kind of story because we know of His greater story.

This Big Story unfolds on this one premise:

Despite persistent debates challenging the foundation of our origins and the frequent arguments that the universe lacked a definitive starting point, a scientific breakthrough in 1965 revealed otherwise.

This discovery not only provided evidence supporting the idea of a beginning but also invites us to consider how science can affirm our genesis and transform the way we view ourselves, especially when aligned with the biblical narrative.

Because if there truly exists a Creator who meticulously fashioned everything with precision and sovereignty, who takes a profound interest in you, then perhaps—there is a divine purpose for our existence beyond the mere struggle for survival.

The story of Christmas therefore begins back with Creation —

With a Creator who created the universe and takes a love interest in us, His creation.

Right there as He births the cosmos, He births our sense of purpose and identity.

Before we ever do anything or become anyone, He bequeaths our sense of dignity and identity: we are created in love and for love.

Yes, it’s true – we are made for a relationship with Him.

And when our bond is broken by sin, this God --- the Everlasting One, with eternal beginnings and endless futures — steps in our finite passage of time and puts himself within the speck of our universe.

The Light of the world becomes the life of man, shining in our world so that darkness can never extinguish it.

The Son of Man who once walked our dusty roads is the Son of God who breathed life from the heaven He left behind.

Because you see, to truly appreciate the wonder of Christmas, it’s not about tallying what the year has been to us — not about counting our gains or cussing our losses, but about holding onto this truth closely:

Christmas begins at Creation because the babe in the manger is the Creator of creation, the Word in the beginning who made all beginnings --- and the One who forms our beginnings.

He is the God of the “I was, I am, and I will forever be.”

And celebrating Christmas revolves around embracing this gift of identity about us: we are known, we are wanted, we are loved.

So we can get this straight, deep in our bones and into our kids:

We are not formed from random collisions of matter and energy.

We are not mere clusters of accidental, incidental reactions in an aimless universe.

When it comes to our creation, the Creator went from: “Let there be” to “Let us make!”

When He looks at us, He sees a triune of love, the affinity of His deepest affection, the joy of His highest elation.

Believing in the Christmas story then isn’t a form of scientific suicide, but an invitation to embrace genuine faith.

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath is the everlasting arms”. (Deuteronomy) 33:27

So wherever we find ourselves today: singing carols, standing in hallways, or sitting under the sweeping stars, we can know that:

Love slips into the curvature of time and space to give us life and hope —

He truly is the God behind the story who ultimately became the story so we can have a true love story.

So we can know that whatever we are facing, we are still truly loved, fully owned and wholly claimed.

Your Turn

How does your understanding of the origin of creation and your place within it shape your perception of personal identity? How does this perspective influence your actions and decisions in your current life season, both in your role as a parent and as a worker? Check out this reel by an 80-year-old Christian scientist!

Our Prayer

Wherever you are today, and whatever you may be facing, know that:

Love slips into the curvature of time and space to give us life and hope because

He truly is the God behind the story,

who ultimately became The Story,

so we can have our full story.

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Love and blessings,

Liza

A Family Christmas Get Together

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Worship along with the kids :)

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...this will bring tears to your eyes :)

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