Thanks for letting me back in your inbox this week. Truly. I believe this is such a privilege it is to show up in your personal spaces and share these private moments with you. It’s an honor to know you and walk with Jesus alongside you…
This week I wanted to share five words that are leading me through the end of the year. These theme words came to be as a result of reading through Luke 2 several times with the intention of seeing it anew. I wanted to find pockets of ‘story in the ordinary’ within the familiar words.
It started with the thought of the straw in the manger, the muslin wrap, the frankincense essential oil, and the leather strap of the donkey’s halter. The straw becoming the padding to the stone manger used to feed the livestock, allowing baby Jesus a soft place for His body to lay. The cloth wrap swaddling His body in order to be close to Himself and His mother. The oils and gifts from the Magi celebrating that He is here— God with us, Immanuel! The leather halter, showing the donkey where to go, guiding them in the direction of God. Four simple items that, to me, represent Comfort, Closeness, Celebration, and Calibration.
These four words have already been impactful to me in my study and personal relationship with God. Knowing that even in the simplest of items, the simplest of terms, God’s story is told. We don’t need to over complicate it. We don’t need to dress it up. We don’t need to distract from it.
We just need to be in it.
#jointhestory
If you’re looking for a practical way to #jointhestory— consider grabbing an Advent Guide. This guide is for anyone, in any stage.
It's meant to be a helpful resource for an intentionally simple Christmas focused on the intentionally simple ways of Christ.
This magazine version will be perfect to keep handy. It makes a great gift and can be used year over year. It will make a lovely companion for the holiday season!
Also available is the PDF version for phone or iPad use or to print at home!
Church Ladies is our new women’s conference option for 2023 & beyond; a deep dive into what it looks like to be a woman in the church according to God’s Word looking at three of the ladies of the early church in Acts.
January 28: Church Ladies, Grand Island, NE
February 18: Church Ladies, Broken Bow, NE
February 25: Church Ladies, Chadron, NE
March 25: Church Ladies, Mitchell, NE
April 14-15: Legacy Retreat, Alma, NE
April 28-29: Legacy Retreat, Ashland, NE
May 6: Church Ladies, Imperial, NE
June 3: Church Ladies, Gandy, NE
August: OPEN (email dianemathis85@gmail.com for booking options)
September 16: Church Ladies, Marysville, KS
September 29-30: Legacy Retreat, Valentine, NE
October 21: Church Ladies, Plattsmouth, NE (at Mahoney State Park)
November 4: Church Ladies, Ogallala, NE
November 10-11: Legacy Retreat, Burwell, NE
If you’re in the Christmas spirit but not ready to go all in yet, maybe this playlist will be the soft launch you need…