Merry Christmas, friends!

Can you believe it's Christmas already?! I certainly can't. This morning, I remarked, "Wow, this year is over," to which my dad replied,

"Yep. And it just gets faster and faster every year." He looked at me, and I'll bet he was thinking about how little I used to be.

 I chuckled somewhat. "Yeah, I've noticed that."

"I mean, how does the time pass this fast?" Dad continued. "You just really gotta cherish every moment."

I totally agree. Jesus, in His short, thirty-three year life span, definitely cherished every moment and used them all for the glory of God. We should follow His example and live every day as if it's a miracle. We should give without worrying, pray without ceasing, and love without fearing. I believe, if everyone in the world did this all year, it would feel like Christmas everyday, everywhere.

I have one more song for you. Here's "Heaven Everywhere" by Francesca Battistelli.

Do you feel sad when the festive and bright Christmas decorations and lights come down? It's easy to forget what the holiday is really about. Sometimes, it feels like we're de-festivizing (I made that word up) our houses by physically removing the markings of the season. We can get caught up with the visible things, that we forget the invisible, more important things. "For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal," as 2 Corinthians 4:18 puts it. Though the decorations will waste away, Jesus will not. Christmas doesn't have to be in December only. You can carry the truth and joy of it in your heart by remembering Jesus' birth and life, always.

This Christmas, I pray that you would draw nearer to Christ. That you would understand and appreciate Christ's sacrifice of coming down to our lowly earth. Christ came to earth for YOU. He came so that you could have a personal relationship with God and spend eternity with Him if you simply believe. Do you believe it? I do! I have the assurance that I am His child. And because of that, Christmas is even more special to me.

I hope you've enjoyed reading the 12 Days of Christmas 2016 series, because we've drawn to its end. May you and your family be filled with God's true love that sacrifices, His peace that assures, and His joy that multiplies. Have a blessed Christmas. Wishing you all the best in 2017!

~ Kaitlyn

For the record, I'm a very traditional person. I love keeping traditions, and I hate skipping them. Especially when it comes to Christmas. Here are the top five traditions my family does each year.

1. Setting up and decorating the Christmas tree the Friday after Thanksgiving

2. Stocking Notes

Every year, instead of just Christmas cards, our family writes stocking notes and places it into each family members' stocking. We don't do stocking stuffers with toys and little gifts; instead, we fill them with cards and keep each years' cards in the stocking and read them on Christmas Eve.

3. Opening one gift on Christmas Eve

Who doesn't like opening presents? :) One year, when I was, like, eleven or so, I nearly begged my parents to let us open one gift on Christmas Eve cuz I just couldn't wait.

4. Christmas lights

I feel like, in the winter, it can get pretty dark and gloomy, especially after daylight savings. When we put up lights, it illuminates the darkness, and turns the drear into cheer. In the same way, we, as Christians, should be lights in this dark world and culture. We especially should be the ones sharing the joy and hope of our blessed Savior.

5. Christmas Eve service


I always loved going to Christmas Eve service at my church. There's just something really special about celebrating the birth of our Savior with fellow believers.

Christmas is nearly here! What are some of your favorite traditions?

"Joseph's Lullaby" is a raw song in the perspective of Joseph, Jesus' adopted earthly father. In the song, Joseph is cherishing this moment with his newborn son and talking to Him about His future and His destiny to save the world. It's so beautiful and it just makes me melt every time I hear it. I hope this song directs you closer to Christ as you listen to the lyrics.

I still remember unwrapping this CD from my best friend (hi, Rachel!), also a Francesca Battistelli fan.

Favorite tracks: "Heaven Everywhere," "What Child Is This? (First Noel Prelude)," "Christmas Is"

2. "Christmastime" by Michael W. Smith

Ever since I was a little girl, I have memories of perking up in the car, whenever my dad played this album, and dancing to the tracks. It's just built in me, and connected with Christmas. 

Favorite tracks: "Christmastime," "Welcome To Our World," "(Medley) I Saw Three Ships/Joy To The World"

3. "A Pentatonix Christmas" by Pentatonix

My mom just surprised my siblings and me with this a few days ago! All the songs are amazing, as usual.

Favorite tracks: "Coldest Winter," "Up On the Housetop," "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays"

What are some of your favorite Christmas albums? I'd love to hear from you!

© The SoCal Gal

As Christians, we should feel the most joy of all. After all, we personally know how Christ's birth has affected us. It gives us a reason to live in these dark times, brings us joy in troubled times, redeems us from sin's punishment, and ultimately united us with God. We should spread that joy, not only in this season, but always. It should be on our faces, in our thoughts, and in our words. This joy that God gave us? It should be infectious! Think of it this way: when was the last time your whole family was sick? Honestly, everyone in my family right now is either recovering or still sick. The first person who got it first spread that sickness pretty fast. And you could tell she was sick by her sagging face, her mumbly words, and her sluggish pace. It was evident she was sick, and it ended up spreading to everyone. Okay...not exactly the same tone as that, but we should be spreading the joy of Christmas like that as well. It should be in our hearts, in our thoughts, influencing our actions and words, and lighting up our lives. We should do it because we want to spread the joy, and because Jesus wants us to do so. Dare to infect the people around you with the joy of Jesus!

This quote is like a palindrome. Here's one way to break down this quote: Jesus became a man so that we could be like Jesus. I like to go to the Bible to check things like quotes, since it's the ultimate truth. Galatians 3:26 (ESV) says,

This verse backs up Mr. Lewis' quote, and really thinking about the statement that we can be sons of God just blows my mind. Being sons of God doesn't just mean being God's child - it means we're heirs of Christ, like Paul in Roman 8:17 (NIV) writes.

When I read that, all I can say is wow. For me, at least, it's amazing that I can even say I'm God's child. Think of it this way: what if you met a kid, and that kid told you she was the daughter of one of your favorite bands? The fact that that girl's parent is in that band kind of ties to her identity. If you were related to a celebrity (or maybe you already are!), how would make you feel? I personally would feel, well, kinda special...maybe set apart even. The same way is with God -- even more so with Him, actually. If you are a Christian, then you are already a child of God; an heir of the Most High God. Do you live like you're the child of a King? Are you aware of what Jesus had to go through so that you could live as God's child and heir? Think of the quote. Jesus became a man so that you could live like him. I encourage you, especially during this Christmas, to really think over what it means to be a child of God and to live like it. Live like sons of God.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year." In this season, it's not hard to notice that. There's the cheery red and green decorations. The songs that everyone knows the lyrics to. The happy spirit. The time together with family. The joy of giving. That's what Christmas is all about.

© The SoCal Gal

At least...that's what most people say it's about. Is Christmas really about Jesus' birthday? It does have "Christ" right in its name. Originally derived from the words "Christ's Mass," "Christmas" means the festival of commemorating Christ's birth. But why would we celebrate this baby's birth? A few weeks ago, I performed in a skit about holiday vacations. The main character, a client, was exploring different vacations. As the skit unfolded, the main character realized that Christmas isn't about just chillaxing on the couch doing nothing, but it isn't about busying ourselves with seasonal activities either. It's about celebrating Jesus' birth because of the rebirth He granted us by coming down to lowly earth as a man, as 1 John 4:9-10 says.

"In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

See, just because Jesus was born thousands of years ago doesn't mean it doesn't affect us now. Instead, it's actually the opposite! Jesus' birth not only affected humans during his time, but it also affected humans living before him as well as after him. Not only that, but His birth fulfilled a host of prophecies. Read these verses from the Bible about Christmas:

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14).

"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

"And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn" (Luke 2:7).

"Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).