Mary was a virgin, engaged to a godly man by the name of Joseph, yet she was to be made pregnant supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. People talk, shame would be attached to the pregnancy, and Joseph would probably leave her. But by faith Mary said to Gabriel," I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said"( Luke1:38).
Mary accepted God's will for her life, no matter what it might cost her. Following her example, I pray that God would give me grace and courage to be faithful to Him, no matter what price I may be called to pay.
" The angle said to her." Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!...And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS."-Luke 1:28,31

Christmas is such a busy time, and our spending can easily get out of control. Instead of a season of peace and goodwill, it becomes a season of exhaustion and resentment. Of course Christmas shouldn't be this way- nor does it need to be.
There is a deeper solution to having a good Christmas- and it is to rediscover its true meaning. At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who came down from Heaven to save us from our sins. May you see His glory this Christmas season.
" When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped." Matthew 2:10-11

Jesus said that noting-absolutely nothing -must stand in the way of being His disciple. Many people are willing to have Jesus as part of their lives- as long as it doesn't cost them anything. They may even profess faith in Jesus and join a church. But Jesus to them is almost like an insurance policy- something they obtain and then forget about until they die. But Jesus calls us to follow Him every day. What keeps you from being His disciple?
" Another disciple said to him," Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus told him," Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead."- Matthew 8:21-22

It's true; life is short, and the older you get the more you realize it. Events that happened thirty years ago seem like they took place just yesterday- but when your mind turns to the future, you realize just how short life is, None of knows how much time we'll have, but even if God gives us a long life by most standards, our time is brief. In the Psalmist's word," Each man's life is but a breath"(Psalm 39:5).
Don't waste your life on things that have not eternal value.
Draw closer to Christ, and make each day count for Him.
" Show me , O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is." -Psalm 39:4

How do you draw the line between your own desires and God's will for you? It isn't easy. The question of our motives- why we do what we do- is always with us. It's not wrong to enjoy something, as long as it's good and honorable. God may even have gifted you in certain ways, and it would be wrong to deny those gifts. But always commit your motives to Christ Jesus and seek His will in everything- even in things you enjoy.
" Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4