The Word became human and lived among us.
—John 1:14

I’ve been blessed to have celebrated many Christmases in my life. I won’t tell you exactly how many, but lots. The older I get, the faster time passes. It feels like I just take the Christmas tree down, and it’s time to put it back up again. As I reflect on the years gone by, I have to admit I experienced my first real Christmas in 1999. This was the Christmas I finally “got it.” I was at the Christmas Eve worship service halfway through my chemo treatments and wearing a wig to cover my bald head when our worship leader sang, Emmanuel, God is With Us.  The words pierced my heart. God is with us. The same God who created the heavens and earth, set the stars in place and called them by name, came to earth as a humble baby. Love came down. I couldn’t wrap my mind around a God who would give up His rights as God and make Himself nothing; a God who would take the humble position of a slave and appear on earth in human form (Philippians 2:6-7).

Why would He do such a thing? God sent His Son to earth to restore what Satan stole in the Garden of Eden. It was always His intention to live in intimate relationship with us, but after the “fall,” mankind was banished from His presence. From that point on, generation after generation of people repeatedly turned their hearts away from God to follow their sinful nature, even though He extended His mercy countless times. By the time Jesus came, the Jews were hopelessly oppressed by the Roman Empire, desperately waiting for their long awaited Messiah to come to establish a new kingdom and rule the world with justice.

They had good reason for hope. Over 300 prophesies said He would come to save them. Micah foretold of a Ruler who will “stand and lead His flock with the Lord’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God,” and “He will be the source of our peace” (Micah 5:4,5).  The prophet Isaiah said the people who walk in darkness will see a great light—a light that will shine on all who live in the land where death casts its shadow (Isaiah 9:2). He prophesied the mission of Jesus when He said: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed” (Isaiah 61:1).

The ministry of Jesus officially began when he visited the synagogue in His boyhood home of Nazareth and read the prophetic words of Isaiah that He had come to heal the brokenhearted, release the captives, restore sight to the blind, and free the downtrodden from their oppressors  (Luke 4:18). Then He added: “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day” (Luke 4:21)!  But this was not His only purpose for coming. After He destroyed sin’s control over us by sacrificing His life on the cross, He sent the Holy Spirit to restore the relationship we had with Him in the Garden by dwelling in each believer.

This year, like every year, I’ll enjoy choosing special gifts for my loved ones and carefully wrapping them in beautiful paper and ribbons to put under the tree. With each package I wrap, I never forget that the first gift wrap was swaddling clothes. There are many things you might want for Christmas this year, but there is only one thing you truly need. Jesus satisfies every want and need you will ever have. The best Christmas present you will ever receive is the privilege of living in His “presence.” Love came down. Receive the gift!

Excerpted from Peace For Each Hour by Mary J. Nelson; Copyright © 2013; ISBN 978-1938388170; Published by Comfort Publishers; Unauthorized duplication prohibited.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
—Romans 8:28

Peace for Each Hour, published by Comfort Publishing, hit the shelves and online stores this morning after stirring in my heart for several years. The book follows my first release, Grace for Each Hour (Bethany House 2005) and my second, Hope for Tough Times (Revell 2009). While Grace for Each Hour focused on a woman’s journey through breast cancer treatment, Peace for Each Hour is for the 12 million cancer survivors in the US today, including two million women living on the other side of breast cancer. Virtually anyone who has survived a life threatening health crisis and is seeking God for wholeness and freedom can benefit from this new release.

Who would have guessed 13 years ago that a journey through a devastating disease like cancer would lead to all this? Certainly not me. But God knew. “The enemy intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position” so I could speak peace into lives of many people (Genesis 50:20). And I have been blessed with countless opportunities to do so. I have prayed with and ministered to hundreds of people with cancer over the years, and I know firsthand the emotional challenges faced by survivors. After successfully completing treatment, they often live with the paralyzing fear of recurrence and feeling of uncertainty about their future. Waiting for the next check up or having a simple headache or backache can unleash possibilities that can send them into an emotional tailspin. Many books help them cope with life as a survivor; I wanted to write a book to disciple them into the future by helping them live victoriously over their past.

Through short chapters and prayers in the style of my other books, Peace for Each Hour uses personal stories as a platform to speak Biblical truth into the fears many people experience after surviving cancer. If you are one of them, my deepest desire is to help you face the future with renewed hope and expectation. The book will help you keep your eyes focused on God and His goodness so you can “get past the past.” Unlike the Israelites who lingered at the border of their promised land because they didn’t believe God would do what He promised, you will be encouraged to step into your future in faith and tend to your blessings through gratefulness, praise, worship, daily devotion, prayer, and simply resting in His love. My hope is for you to understand that your identity is in Christ, not as a cancer survivor. In Him, your future is certain, regardless of what tomorrow might bring.

May you walk in the fullness of life and receive all that Jesus died for–healing for your body, deliverance for your soul, and forgiveness for your spirit! May you freely give back what you have been freely given. And may God continue to cause everything to work together for good, all for His glory!

He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.
—Psalm 23:2b-3a (NKJV)

This past weekend was our semi-annual trek with the “up north gang” to our friend’s cabin on the Gunflint Trail. We gathered at Starbucks early in the morning with our motorcycles packed up and ready to ride. We made a quick exit through the city, headed north on the freeway, and before long, we were meandering up Minnesota’s North Shore drinking in the majestic beauty of Lake Superior along the way. When we finally arrived at the cabin, we settled into a weekend of laughing, eating, and enjoying each other’s company.  Highlights this year were hiking up to a beautiful scenic overlook, fishing, laying on the dock looking at the stars, napping in the hammock, and simply enjoying the pristine unspoiled waters of the boundary waters canoe area interrupted only by the laughing sounds of a family of loons gliding silently across the lake. We like to call this cabin a “healing place” because we have all been touched by God’s grace there, and His very presence has restored our souls. Being there reminds me not to take life too seriously and to find child-like delight in every blessing.

One of my personal highlights this time was learning to kayak. My friend is a great teacher.  Kayaks can be easily tipped and I don’t swim. (No, I really don’t swim. Thank God for life jackets.) She taught me how to position my feet and knees, rock my hips, keep my head up, and look straight ahead to maintain my balance. I learned how to start, stop, and steer the kayak with the double-ended paddle. The thought of tipping and trying to wiggle out of the kayak while upside down with my head under water was a great motivator to follow her guidance and direction. Once I got the hang of it, I was struck by the serenity of the kayak gliding over the top of the glassy lake surface.  I could hear the sounds from the dock as people called out directions or encouraging words, but the words didn’t penetrate my secret place. Head up and eyes forward, it felt as if I was moving to the rhythm of the kayak and in perfect tune with the water itself. Losing my focus and letting their voices or anything else distract me could have easily turned me upside down into the lake.

It reminded me of Peter walking on the water. As long as he kept his eyes focused on Jesus, he was in perfect harmony with Him and able to access the full power of God. Peter and the Lord were one and he transcended from the natural into the supernatural realm. When he took his eyes off Jesus and looked around at the high waves crashing around him, Peter was terrified and began to sink (Matthew 14:28-30).  His faith wavered and he focused on his own inadequacies instead of fully receiving the peace and promises of God. The reality of his circumstances pulled him into the lake, just like the voices from the dock could have easily distracted me and caused me to capsize my kayak.

There’s a good life lesson in this. Jesus is your Shepherd and Teacher. If you follow Him in obedience, and completely depend on Him for provision, guidance and protection, He will lead you to a place of contentment where the roaring waves or the voices of the world can’t touch you. You will glide along life in perfect tune with the Lord Himself, looking straight ahead into His loving eyes.  In the still waters of His presence, you will find a supernatural peace in the worst of life’s storms. Try it sometime. I guarantee you won’t tip the kayak.