Hi there. I'm Jill Allen and this is find your fierce, the show designed for women to discover your fierce, unlock and unstoppable mindset. Build unbreakable courage and completely transform how you show up every single day. Each week I will bring ideas, methods and strategies that will inspire you to step into your greatness and live life on purpose. Let's be fit, fierce and unstoppable.
(00:33): Hey there, gang. Welcome to find your fear so glad you are here. We are continuing the faithful finish series today. The year is not over today is a new day, a new opportunity, and we are making the most of it. And we're going to talk a little bit about how we can stay connected to Christ and getting back to the true focus of the Christmas season. I believe today, what's been downloaded on my heart. It's going to be a gentle and loving reminder, not to get caught up in the world's expectations of the holiday season. And it may be the permission you have been needing. But before we go any further, I have to say that I just love that you're here listening in and spending time here on find your fear. So honored that I get to be a part of your day. I know you guys are just so all amazing and I have to thank you for your love and support, and I appreciate your feedback and your reviews and the love that you share that this podcast and the set free message with your friends and family.
(01:23): And so if you can keep on doing that, that would be incredible because you are helping this movement as it helps reach more women and it impacts more lives. And that is certainly what life is all about. So thanks so much again for just being here today. So I got to ask you, do you guys remember the Sears catalog or better yet? The JC Penny's catalog that would come in the mail, the big, huge thick book that you get right there before the Christmas season? I just know that that was one of my favorite things to like look through. And I just remember when that book arrived in the mail. I remember I would scan and flip through those pages with so much oohs and AHS. And I had my marker out. I was circling all the things that I wanted, all the sizes, all the colors, all the things that I thought, my little heart desired, all the toys, all the clothes that were in style at that time, you know, I had a lot of circles, gang.
(02:24): I had a lot of circles. I would even fold over the pages for easy access for me to be able to show my parents all that I thought I wanted so badly. I just remember it was so much fun. You know, I was always so excited. I wanted, I wanted everything I mentioned in my book set free. My dad always said I had want nights, but another word might work too, looking back. And greed pops up in my head in my heart and I know it sounds harsh, but it does pop up into my mind. It was like, give it all to me. Oh my gosh. I mean, just think about this. Look how crazy black Friday gets people standing in lines for hours in the middle of the night for sale on an item and the billions and billions of dollars spent by consumers on Christmas or for Christmas.
(03:18): And people don't even really remember what they gifted or what they even receive last year. I don't know about you, but I sure don't and I don't mean to sound as if I don't believe in gifts. Okay. So w when we are diving into this, please hear my heart because there is nothing wrong with things, okay. There's nothing wrong with dreaming about what we want, but, but greets, you gotta be honest here. Greed sometimes takes over, even for me as that little girl, or sometimes even now, like as the grown up adult that should know better and the desire for more and more and more, or never being satisfied, sometimes creeps in. And I know I could go in any direction with this. Like we can talk about not knowing the true meaning of Christmas, or we can talk about how the striving for more continues to rear its ugly, head in all the areas of our life.
(04:18): But since it's approaching Christmas, I'm feeling that in my heart to share that we need to flip the script on Christmas tradition and some may call me a Scrooge or the Grinch, but I want to challenge you to purposefully make Jesus the focus of the Christmas season. But how do we do that when we are expected to shop till you drop or to buy, just to buy all the decorations, or if we get caught up in all the busy and the chaos and the expectation have loads and loads of gifts piled high under the tree on Christmas morning, how do we get back to celebrating the birth of Christ with today's culture? Are we missing out on the good stuff? Here's the thing we need to flip the script. We need to flip the focus. We need to flip the story we're telling ourselves of what Christmas means.
(05:09): We need to flip traditions. Colossians three, verse two. It says set your affection on things above, not on things of the earth. We need to intentionally on purpose to deliberately. Think about things above, not on things of the earth. Now, instead of focusing on that perfect, you know, tree that's trimmed with perfect lights, all the perfect ornaments. And let me tell you, I used to do that. I was so bad. I would have all the perfect ornaments lights or what I thought was perfect on the tree. And then I would have, this is so bad. And then I would have all the homemade crafts and all the things that the kids made and the not so perfect looking ornaments on a completely separate tree, or I would even go so far if I didn't want to set up the second tree, I'd hide the imperfect ornaments on the back of the perfect showcase tree, right?
(06:09): Can you, do you guys like get me here? I mean, totally not focusing on the thing that truly mattered, but it always goes back to our perspective and how we see things, right. Rather than focus on silly things. I needed to lift my thoughts and purposefully. Think about Jesus and what does birth meant to me to flip what I was fixated on, which actually ultimately leads to what our kids and family are fixated on. As I'm sitting here, something popped up in my head, speaking to trees, that perfect tree that I have up each and every year, it's fake, it's artificial. And the Lord just told me not this year to go out and get yourself a real tree, not one you chopped down either, right? A real tree with roots. We've actually even had them at the greenhouse. It's crazy. This is not a sales pitch on that.
(06:57): It just I'm like, you know, it just popped up in my head. One to be planted in our yard. After Christmas, I'm laughing because my husband Rob is going to think I'm off my rocker. I don't want fake the look perfect. Or on this artificial Christmas tree this year, I want the real stuff, a real Christmas experience. And I know it may sound crazy because I just shared with you to fix your eyes on things above. And here I am saying, I want a tree with roots, which are not on things above. They are actually below the ground, right? You're here right now with me, hearing me work this out aloud right now in my out of my mind. But I'm thinking a tree with roots is going to help us to stay connected to Jesus. Because as believers, we are rooted that we are firmly rooted and fixed into this place.
(07:43): Like this tree that is deeply rooted and immovable. Oh my gosh. Okay. This is good. Stick with me here, guys. Okay. So I coached on this tons of times about what our root system looks like and what is it that we are truly rooted in that when our root system is solid, we grow upward, right? We are firmly in place and we are nourished. Do you know those tree? Those tree stands the red and green ones. Maybe you have one for your life tree. If you, if you put a live tree up, you know, those stands where we feel the water to try and help to keep a chopped off Christmas tree with no roots alive, right? We pour that water in because the tree wants to soak up the water. But if we forget to do it, the tree dries up, it dries up actually pretty fast.
(08:30): The needles drop, they turn brown and become brittle. And all we are doing is trying to keep a dead tree alive and looking beautiful. Imagine if we are like Christmas trees chopped off at the roots, fragile and artificially kept alive yet, ultimately lifeless my fake gorgeous tree lifeless. Thank goodness. We are not lifeless. If we are rooted in Christ, we are alive. When we are rooted in him, our doll hearts become shiny and bright. Our dry and brittle lives with deep roots in him would be our source of life to not become dry and brittle. He doesn't want us to live fake and artificial lives. He wants your life to be real roots that lead to him to root ourselves deeply in him. So we can be built up in him. It goes back to what we talked about last week to allow him to refresh us, to renew us to water and to recharge us if, and when we slowed down to continually connect with him to take time, to stop and walk with the Lord, are you staying connected to your root source?
(09:45): So you can have that so that you can live a life alive and vibrant. I think I totally got sidetracked there. Something to think about just throwing that out there. So yeah, I think I'm going to get a tree with roots this year. So heads up, Rob, if you are listening. Yeah. We're going to do it, I think. Or I should say that I know that this is how our family is going to purposefully make Christ the center of our Christmas season to be fixated on the real message, to not only elevate our thoughts on things above, but to also be rooted in Christ at the same time, to set our mind on Jesus and the real message of the season, but also to be rooted in him and to draw strength from those deep, deep roots that we have like automatic access to. And I know I was all over the place today, but to sum it up is greed present in your life, does greed need to be removed so thankfulness for anything and everything takes over.
(10:44): And if you were feeling that nudge to get back to making Jesus, the main thing this holiday season, and to flip the script of Christmas this year, will you fix your eyes on the above? Not on things of the earth, will you not allow yourself to be bogged down with festivities holiday events and the giving and receiving a gifts? Will you choose to meditate on the real reason of Christmas? Will you choose to be rooted and grounded in Christ? A few more questions to ask yourself this week, what will you intentionally and purposefully do this year to make sure Jesus remains the very center of your Christmas? What can you do to help others focus on the real story of Christmas this year? And remember that Christmas is a time to celebrate. God's gift of love is Jesus by gift giving. And some of life's most precious gifts really don't cost us any money at all.
(11:37): Gifts don't have to come from the JC Penney catalogs. How, and in what ways can you give to others that will represent the true meaning of Christmas this year? I'm excited about what is being downloaded in your heart today. I'm excited to see how God we'll work with with you. Please let me know. And if you're wanting more fire in your day, follow Joel Allen on Instagram or join us for the next retreat. We've been all over the place on epic adventures that allow us to step outside our comfort zone. So be sure to go to Jill Allen, coaching.com for all updates and join the just brief Facebook group, we would love to have you join us heads up on the next episode, we are continuing the fateful finished series to end the year of 2021. So be sure to pop back in next week. Thanks so much for joining us today. And I pray that we filled your heart with joy. And if you could let us know before hopping off here today, that would be incredible. Subscribe, share this episode, link on your social media, if you felt encouraged or inspired, as we all know someone that can benefit. And I would love it. If you would give some feedback and it review as well, talk with you next time, beef it be fierce, be unstoppable. See ya.
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