Gifts

Merry Christmas from the Watkins' Family.


This is a photo of the gifts we are donating tomorrow to the family we adopted from the Salvation Army. We had a family of 7, mom and 6 kids all under 18. It has been fun to collect the items. We did this in lieu of gifts for each other within my family. We only exchange small stocking gifts with each other.

This advent season has had more focus on Christ for me than in years past. Our church is very intentional about the focus of our services each week and even more during this time. I wanted to share a quote from our church bulletin this past week.

"Christmas is the end of thinking you are better than someone else, because Christmas is telling you that you could never get to heaven on your own. God had to come to you. It is telling you that people who are saved are not those who have arisen through their own ability to be what God wants them to be. Salvation comes to those who are willing to admit how weak they are." - Tim Keller

This is hard to remember as I easily fall into a "striving" mentality. This past weekend Grant and I attended a wedding and for the first time, I heard this applied to marriage as well. I "get" it that I can't work my way into heaven. I also heard this weekend that I can't work my way into being a good wife. That was helpful for me. Especially at a time where buying the perfect gift, having the perfectly decorated house, and making the best Christmas goodies can be so tempting to compare and fall into. I am thankful that I don't have to try to get to heaven on my own OR be a good wife on my own.