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From all of us at Woman to Woman Ministries,
we wish you a blessed and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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So that our writers can focus on their families this holiday season, we will be taking a two week break from the blog. We will be back on Monday, January 5, 2026. In the meantime, we will still be active on social media and invite you to follow along.
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By: Lauren Thomas
Christmas décor trends come and go. This year, it’s all about “Ralph Lauren Christmas.” I’m also seeing a lot of paper chains and a focus on DIY décor. But ironically, both of these trends have to do with timeless Christmas decorating. And what is more timeless than a beloved nativity set?
As a child, one of my favorite parts of decorating for Christmas was getting to set up and arrange our Precious Moments nativity set. I remember delicately handling the rough, unglazed porcelain. I remember imagining the scene and story. I remember the reverence I had for the pieces, specifically, the tiny manger holding the baby Jesus.
A couple years ago, I was on the hunt for a nativity set for my family. Somehow, between thrifting one and being gifted two, I ended up with three sets! None of these sets were what I would have selected for myself at a store. They aren’t aesthetic. They aren’t fancy. But they fulfill an important function.
And what is that function?
Nativity sets are great teaching aids! When decorating this year, my 7-year-old daughter asked if she could arrange the pieces. We talked about each piece and how they are representative of the Biblical accounts of Jesus’ birth. If you have young children at home, you need an inexpensive set that they are allowed to touch. My 2-year-old likes to pick up the manger. I teach him the importance of being gentle – not with an heirloom figurine – but with the Christ-child in a manger. It’s a step toward teaching him reverence for the Lord.
But a nativity set isn’t just for teaching my children. My nativity set teaches my heart. It teaches my heart to remember. When I look at our Christmas tree – warm white lights, a woodland theme with gold accents – I think of the holiday. But when I see our nativity, I remember Christmas. I slow down and contemplate what each piece symbolizes. And what that means for me.
This year I am struck by the variety of people to whom God chose to reveal His son’s birth: Mary – a young and humble girl; shepherds – social outcasts, smelly, dirty, rough; wisemen – Gentiles that God nevertheless included. And I am reminded that the favor God showed toward these unlikely individuals, he also shows to me: a Savior has been born for me.
10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:10-12 ESV
So, when I see a figurine of a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger, it is a sign that good news of great joy is for me too. And this reminding, this teaching for the heart, is why we need a nativity set.
Reflection:
Do you have any special memories attached to a nativity set?
If you have a nativity set at home – and I hope you do! – go sit near it and contemplate Christ’s birth. Put yourself in the sandals of each piece, there to witness the miracle. What might each person have been thinking, feeling?
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"Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
~John 8:12
In our series on the names of God, we come next to a name He attributes to Himself - The Light of the World - which points to His being the Source of Truth and Life, reminding us that He leads us out of darkness.
C.S. Lewis once famously declared, "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen - not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
This brings to my mind the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 119:105 - "Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path."
Jesus is the Light of the World, which has a few implications for us.
For one thing, it means that He is able to free us and rescue us from the darkness of sin, hell, and the enemy. It also means that He is able to light our path, making it clear for us which way we are to go an which steps we are to take in life. We never have to lean on our own understanding (and, truly, shouldn't do that, anyway!). We never have to look to ourselves for answers. We never have to wallow around in the darkness of confusion trying to find a way out of our troubles. No, because Jesus is the Light of the Word, He is and can be our Light every moment of every day. After all, Jesus Himself declared in John 8:12, "“I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
Which brings us to something else Jesus once said, this time about us as His followers in Matthew 5:14-16:
"You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
As incredible as it is that Jesus is the Light of the World for us, it is even more astonishing that He uses that very same phrase to describe us ourselves! We, too, made in His image, redeemed by His blood, and commissioned by Him to go out into all the world as His hands and feet, are to be the light of the world to the lost. We are to live in such a way that those who see us would give glory to our Father in heaven.
So not only is Light of the World one of our God's names, it is one of ours, as well!
Reflection Questions:
1) What stands out to you about the fact that Jesus declares Himself to be the Light of the World?
2) What stands out to you about the fact that He declares you to be the light of the world, as well?
3) Are you currently living as the light of the world? If not, why not? What needs to change?
It is hard to believe we are already in the last few days of Advent. The waiting is almost over.
Reading Advent devotionals and Scriptures, I moved into the Gospel of Matthew yesterday. It was there the wise men grabbed my attention. These wise men:
Jesus was worshiped by these wise men, who Scripture tells us “came from the east” (Matthew 2:1). It is likely they were Gentiles. They came and they worshiped.
One commentary said they pointed to the truth that Jesus would be worshiped by all nations. This brought to mind:
“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him,
and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow,
of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”
(Philippians 2: 9-11, NASB)
Jesus.
His Name above every other name.
Every knee will bow – in heaven and on earth and under the earth. May we remember this when we need to press on in prayer and wage battles in this life.
Every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord. Every single tongue. Every tongue and tribe. No matter the country. No matter the continent.
May we be like these wise men and follow where He leads,
giving our all,
for this is how our hearts will be filled with great joy.
Reflection:
What do you need to focus on during this time of waiting, Advent, so that your heart will be filled with joy?
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