Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas! Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of
Wisdom"! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt
stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND BEST OF ALL ... there's also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at
the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE,
BRACELET AND EARRINGS! Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us
all.
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Hurting Near Christmas? 10 Tips to Hope Again
by Stacie Ruth Stoelting
Feel sad this Christmas? Hey, I know the feeling. In fact, many programs have
interviewed me to share about it! Last year, I tried particularly hard to share stories
and tips on how to cope with grief during the holidays: I wrote a feature for CBN.com,
Coping with Grief at Christmas, visited and counseled grieving people, etc.
Then irony hit: Near Christmas, two people I loved died within two days (December 15-
16, 2009).
Are you or a loved one hurting during the holidays? I relate. But let me encourage you:
Jesus remains faithful! As real as my pain, He met my needs and comforted me with
peace unexplainable. I’m serious. He’s real.
Before I continue with tips, let me share this: If you feel suicidal, contact an emergency
counseling service like the New Life Call Center at 1-800-NEW-LIFE(639-5433).
10 Tips for Hurting Hearts to Hope and Cope at Christmastime
1. Realize and internalize it: God still loves you and wants to hear
from you. He wants you to know that there is a Way out of your pit of despair. The Way
is Jesus.
2. Sometimes, our suffering causes us to forget His. Understand
He understands you. He suffered more than any of us when we bore the weight of every
sin and pain on the cross! In fact, Is. 53:3 describes Jesus: “He was despised and rejected
by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people
hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.” Think of it: He took
your punishment and pain on the cross. He was your capital punishment Substitute! And
your Deliverer -your Rescuer- wants to hear from you. His heart hurts with yours. Will
you pour your heart out to Him now? He’ll pour His love in where the fear previously
resided. Let Jesus inside. Do you know Jesus on a personal, one-to-One basis?
Visit here to learn why Jesus was born to die and how to be born again. (Hey, Jesus said
it: "You must be born again.")
3. Rather than mere gifts, make a Christmas prayer list of other
hurting people. Then pray for them and request prayer for yourself, too. Contact your
church. Tap into ministries (including CBN.com) that offer extra prayer support. And feel
free to join my prayer e-group at www.PrayingPals.org or on Facebook by clicking here.
4. End the Christmas comparison game. Don't compare your
Christmas to your neighbor's. Don't compare your Christmas to past celebrations.
5. Center on the Savior! This year, trade a superficial Christmas for
a real one. Deepen your appreciation for the true Christmas: the arrival of Jesus Christ to
banish the effects of sin and death!
6. Whatever your loss or pain, open up and let God be your Gain.
Maybe your pain comes from another cause: a divorce, a devastating diagnosis, a job
loss...the list extends. God offers to be your Counselor, your Father, your Healer, your
Provider. Let Him answer your heart’s cry.
7. Love on people. Even if you don’t “feel” like it, prayerfully do
something for someone else who is hurting.
8. Remember: Feelings change. God doesn't. Loved ones' deaths
never kill His love for you. God's immeasurable, unconditional love still flows to you!
When you know Jesus, you know eternal love and security. Nothing separates you from
His love! “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor
things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in
all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”
(Romans 8:38-39, ESV).
9. Realize the reality of the sudden reunion. Holidays exacerbate
the feeling of long separation from our loved ones in Heaven. Does it feel like it will take
forever for you to see your loved one in Heaven? Be encouraged: Jesus IS coming again
and it will be a time you don't expect! So the fact that you feel like it won't happen soon
is a good thing! Once reunited, it will feel like no time transpired. All sadness will
be entirely removed!
10. When Jesus comes back to earth, it will be a celebration greater
than any previous Christmas you've ever experienced!
For believers, losses hurt but never win. We will celebrate Jesus together -and it will be
glorious "for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has
overcome the world, even our faith" (I John 5:4, NIV). In that Day, all believers will be
able to jubilantly say, “Merry Christmas to all and to all the true Light!”
Additional Help: Ready for some practical tips for coping with grief at Christmastime?
Here’s one: Rearrange furniture to reduce absence reminders. To read this tip and others
found in another of my CBN.com’s articles: “Coping with Grief at Christmas", visit www.CBN.com.
Going thru a rough time? Join Stacie Ruth’s prayer group at www.PrayingPals.org.
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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day.
All you need to do to have a chance of winning is {FILL OUT THIS
QUICK ENTRY FORM}. The winner will be announced on the Pearl Girls Blog (http://margaretmcsweeney.blogspot.com) on
New Years Day!
12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more
information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info
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