Weekly Magazine | Christmas Together
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Dear Friends,
Christmas is a season of connection, but it’s no secret that relationships can feel more challenging this time of year. The pressures of expectations, the ache of unresolved tensions, or the longing to mend what’s been broken often surface in the midst of our celebrations. Yet, Christmas is also an incredible opportunity to let God’s grace transform our interactions and bring peace into our gatherings.
In this week’s magazine, we’re focusing on how to nurture our relationships during the holidays. Whether it’s forgiving past hurts, finding patience in the chaos, or offering grace when conversations turn difficult, these stories and prayers are here to encourage you. May they remind you that God’s love has the power to heal and restore even the most fragile connections.
We pray that you’ll find hope, wisdom, and practical steps to navigate this season with grace and joy.
Encouraging you in God’s truth,
Hugging Your Christmas Cactus
Find a path to healing and peace, even when relationships feel prickly.
Read More
Etiquette for Conflict-Free Holiday Visits
Discover biblical wisdom and practical tips to keep family interactions peaceful and Christ-centered this Christmas.
Read More
Christmas Fruit Prayers for Your Prodigals
Use the fruit of the Spirit as a guide to pray for your prodigal and loved ones, offering them the best eternal gift this season.
Read More
Christmas Grace: Prayers for Your Relationships
Five simple, heartfelt prayers to help navigate family dynamics and strengthen relationships this Christmas season.
Read More
Hugging Your Christmas Cactus
By: Laura Sandretti
The summer before my youngest child left for college, we took a family trip. A friend warned me about having lofty expectations for our last vacation before our nest emptied. She had been disappointed on a similar trip with her family, so she was trying to help temper my hopes.
When we arrived at our vacation rental, everyone scattered to their rooms. I was ready to play board games and share stories, but once my adult children accessed the Wi-Fi, they vanished. As I cried to my husband, I realized that although I’d tried to avoid expecting a Hallmark movie getaway, I’d subconsciously done just that.
Christmas is another time rife with expectations. Whether you’re trying to emulate the Norman Rockwell holidays you had growing up or avoid difficult Christmas memories you vowed never to relive, we often can’t help ourselves. We have expectations for the people, presents, and pasts we’re striving to preserve and retain, or prevent and redeem.
How do we avoid setting ourselves up for disappointment? How do we keep ourselves from having unrealistic expectations for ourselves and others? How do we protect ourselves from the hurt that failed expectations inevitably bring?
HUG YOUR CACTUS
I realized after our trip that rather than looking for fast ways to feel better or shaming myself for not being more thankful, I needed to sit in the pain I was experiencing. I needed to “hug my cactus,” as my friend calls it, and invite the Lord to help where I was struggling as I prayed and read His Word.
We aren’t a culture that practices hugging our cactus. Most of us avoid pain at all costs so waiting on the Lord in prickly places isn’t desirable. But Jeremiah was an expert cactus hugger. He said, “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness, and the gall. I remember them well and my soul is downcast within me” (Lam. 3:19-20). He not only acknowledged the pain the cactuses of life brought, but he also actively waited on the Lord to redeem that pain (vv. 24).
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