{"id":1353,"date":"2019-12-22T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-22T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shop.honestreflections.net\/?p=1353"},"modified":"2019-12-09T09:24:10","modified_gmt":"2019-12-09T14:24:10","slug":"rest-by-getting-outside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/2019\/12\/22\/rest-by-getting-outside\/","title":{"rendered":"REST BY GETTING OUTSIDE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cAfter Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem,  <\/strong>saying, \u201cWhere is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.\u201d Matthew 2:1-2 CSB<\/a>
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After Jesus was born, the wisemen took a trip to worship Him.  One of my favorite things about Christmas is candlelight church services.  My fondest memories are of singing \u201cSilent Night\u201d with the lights dimmed and the candles burning.  I always try to attend a Christmas Eve service, my time to get out and worship Jesus on the eve of His birth.
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If you don\u2019t attend church, this is one time of year you should go.  Every newspaper has lists of services for your area. From contemporary to traditional, there is something for everyone.  This isn\u2019t a time to watch online. This is a time to be with other believers, celebrating the Saviour. Put aside past hurts, don\u2019t let anyone stop you from enjoying the beauty of a candle lit service, a time to sing the songs of Christmas that worship Him.
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And, weather permitting, step outside and look to the stars.  Let yourself be swept back in time and join the wisemen on their journey as they follow the star to baby Jesus.  Close your eyes and imagine laying your gifts at the base of the manger, Mary and Joseph watching. Fill your mind with the miracle that has happened, let it\u2019s vastness sink over you as you think of Jesus.
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Jesus wasn\u2019t born in a cozy house, with electric heat.  He was born in a barn, surrounded by animals. I have never given birth, but I know many of you have.  Can you imagine giving birth in a barn, without a doctor, just your husband? I am grateful God didn\u2019t call me to that specific purpose.  But He did call Mary to that purpose, she was a woman of great strength who fulfilled it well, even has a teenager.  
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As you find a moment of solitude today, beginning to reframe your thoughts with intentional gratitude, do it outside.  Let the weather around you heighten your senses to the birth of Jesus. Let yourself marvel at the wonders of the world He created, and worship Him.
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Today I\u2019m going to find rest by going outside.  How can you find rest today?
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\u201cAfter Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem,  saying, \u201cWhere is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.\u201d Matthew 2:1-2 CSB After Jesus was born,… Continue reading REST BY GETTING OUTSIDE<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","without-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1353"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1353\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1459,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1353\/revisions\/1459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1353"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}