Daily Christmas Devotions

Monday, December 25, 2023 “God’s Gift Box”   I can’t believe that it’s finally here. It seems like it’s been forever since the last time we arrived at Christmas. Does it feel any different this year? This past year brought lots of wrapped Boxes to our doorsteps, didn’t it? When we opened...

Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24, 2023 “Get Ready! Christmas is Coming!”   Happy Christmas Eve! We are just one day away from the big day. We are almost there. Though we are ready, this is the time when the mind starts playing tricks on us. Some of us will start thinking about all the...

Saturday, December 23, 2023 “Preparing for the Big Day”   In the Christmas Story, Mary and Joseph are about to embark on an important journey. Mary is super-duper pregnant and a census has been ordered. Since both Mary and Joseph are from the house of David, they must travel to their family...

Friday, December 22, 2023 “Better Days Ahead”   My goodness! The first twenty-six days leading to Christmas are already gone! I meant to catch this yesterday when it was the 25 days of Christmas Past but my heart and mind were wandering elsewhere. Now, I’ve landed on 26 Already Gone, which...

Thursday, December 21, 2023 “Christmas Ain’t a One-and-Done”   If you’ve ever taken a few moments to really think about the Christmas Story, you’ve probably realized that the Holy Family could not have had an easy time with their situation. Joseph’s story is definitely one to take a few...

Wednesday, December 20, 2023 “Blessings and Responsibilities”   On this fifth day before the arrival of Christmas, I’d like to take a moment to reflect upon something the Church calls, “The Annunciation” (Luke 1:26-38). It’s the moment when the Angel appears to Mary and delivers the news that...

Tuesday, December 19, 2023 “I Don’t Know and That’s Okay”   Just six more days and we’ll arrive at Christmas! The creeping clock has crept by very quickly this year, and these next six days will be no slow-running faucet. It’s an important six days for lots of reasons, not the least of which...

Monday, December 18, 2023 “Saving the Best for Last”   One more week to Christmas! Today is the last Monday before Christmas but it’s also the first day of the week. This allows us to have the best Christmas experience by Saving the Best for Last. Since this is the final week before...

Sunday, December 17, 2023 “Skipping with Guilt”   Today is the third Sunday of Advent. Almost all of the population could care less about that little factoid. What most people will care about is that they have a full week of shopping before Christmas arrives, giving them one more excuse to...

Saturday, December 16, 2023 “Proof that You Are NOT Ready for Christmas”   It’s here and it’s all about you! Today is the first “Last Call” to send mail and packages through the USPS for on-time Christmas arrival. Sure, you could spend some extra cash tomorrow or the next day for packages to...

Friday, December 15, 2023 “Make Your List and Check It Twice!”   Are you a List Maker? If so, the Holidays must be your favorite time of the year. The list of “to-do’s” is huge, but, since you’re so organized, you have no worries. Your shopping is probably already finished (or very close)....

Thursday, December 14, 2023 “Cheers to Eleven”   Barely on the outside. #11. I’m not sure why people still think that 13 is an unlucky number. It would seem like 11 is the one that creates more agony. If you’re the 11th best, you probably don’t get the front-page story. In fact, you may not...

Wednesday, December 13, 2023 “Twelve Days…Yuck!”   Woohoo! It’s the “Twelve Days of Christmas!” Yuck. Though I am a Christmas Geek, that song and all of its variations and arrangements is my least favorite of all the carols. The counting makes it worse, not because I’m bad with numbers, but...

Tuesday, December 12, 2023 “Christmas Geek”   Am I a Christmas Geek? Ouch, those words hurt. When I was in school, “Geek” wasn’t a label anyone wanted! Considered an insult then, I now hear the word used frequently in a more positive context. One of my colleagues uses that term quite often...

Monday, December 11, 2023 “National App Day?”   Every Monday in the Holiday Season should start with something completely ridiculous. Today is National App Day. Really? Do we need a national day to celebrate all the wonderful Apps in the world? For us old folks, this is absurd. We hate Apps....

Sunday, December 10, 2023 “Second Sunday of Advent: A Piece of Peace”   Today begins the second week of Advent, the four-week season of preparation for Christmas. This week, we focus on the theme of Peace. Although conflict has existed since the first disobedience recorded in the Holy...

Saturday, December 9, 2023 “Get ‘Er Done!”   Look! It’s the second of the four Saturdays before Christmas! I’m assuming that those of us who are employed or schooled in Monday through Friday gigs are preparing for extreme adventures in the streets, shops, and stores. It’s gonna be a madhouse...

Friday, December 8, 2023 “Happy Hanukkah!”   Hanukkah has begun for our Jewish friends! Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. In case you’re unfamiliar with it, here’s a brief explanation: The Seleucid Empire (Greek-speaking Syrians)...

Thursday, December 7, 2023 “Is the Wait Better than the Reality?”   Just 18…the thoughts cause my mind to wonder! Each day is one step closer. Soon enough, we’ll be able to wish each other a Merry Christmas on Christmas Day! Of course, that’s assuming that we’re still in the Christmas Spirit...

Wednesday, December 6, 2023 “Feast of St. Nicholas”   Today is the Feast of Saint Nicholas, honoring Nicholas of Myra, most legendarily known for the three dowries he provided to a poor farmer whose three daughters were in danger of being taken into slavery. Saint Nicholas sneaked up to the...

Tuesday, Dec 5, 2023 “Deliver Some Love!”   This past Friday evening, my awesome postal carrier brought a letter to my door at 6:30 pm. Usually, I see her making the rounds about noon, but on this day, she was still hard at work well into the evening. After that, I paid attention. On Saturday...

Monday, Dec 4, 2023 “Which is Santa’s Favorite?”   One of the most endearing Christmas traditions involves leaving cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. Do you leave cookies for Santa? If so, what kind of cookies do you leave? Leaving cookies (and milk) for Santa in America became popular...

Sunday, Dec 3, 2023 “Holiday Hope”   Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the season of preparation for Christmas in the Church. Christian Churches across the world will celebrate this season in lots of different ways, including the lighting of candles, special prayers, and Scripture...

Saturday, Dec 2, 2023 “Just Announced: Christmas Sabbath Needed!”   Aha! It’s already the second Saturday of the Holiday Season! Can you believe it? After today, we only have three more Saturdays to finish it all. Where will we invest our time, especially our time at rest? As for me, I’ve...

Friday, Dec 1, 2023 “When The Bumble Lost His Bite”   Hooray! Not only is it Friday but it is also the beginning of the “25 Days of Christmas” hosted by Freeform and other broadcast networks. We can begin watching all of our favorites if we haven’t started already! In the Christmas Garden at...

Thursday, Nov 30, 2023 “Letters to Santa”   The Chapel is one of the unofficial postal stops for letters to Santa. Our Santa mailbox (located in the Christmas Garden on The Chapel’s grounds) has already collected a number of Letters to Santa. Though some people may be “Scroogish”, considering...

Wednesday, November 29, 2023 “Surprise! It’s Wednesday!”   Woohoo! We’ve arrived on the first of four Wednesdays of the Christmas Season. Can you feel the excitement yet? I mean, really…when was the last time you were excited about a Wednesday? I get it. Other than hosting our birthday and...

Tuesday, Nov 28, 2023 “We Haven’t Figured It Out---Yet”   The first Tuesday of the Christmas Season begins with #GivingTuesday, a day created over ten years ago to call attention to providing for the needs of others. For some non-profit organizations, #GivingTuesday has become an important...