12th Day of Christmas Giveaway with Renee Swope

I can’t believe we’ve come to the end of our 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!

Remember—-if you have missed commenting on any of the days, you may still catch up through the end of the weekend.

And, one gal who comments on all 12 posts will win the grand prize. (You can scroll down below to day one to see it.)

Comment on any of the 12 posts until midnight EST, Sunday December 11th.

All winners announced Monday, December 12th. Then, on Tuesday, December 13th we’ll have one final giveaway based on a Proverbs 31 devotion I will have running.

Oh….I LOVE Christmas!!!!!!

For our final Proverbs 31 guest, we have my all-time favorite friend (:->), (Ahem….that is the last time I give out my password so a guest can “help me out” and load her own post!) national speaker and co-host of Proverbs 31 Ministries radio show, Renee Swope.

Renee’s passion is to encourage women and help them replace self-doubt with lasting confidence in Christ by showing them how to live in the security of God’s promises every day. She’s author of the best-selling book,  “A Confident Heart”, and currently serves as Executive Director and Sr. Editor of Radio and  Devotions.  Renee is also a contributing writer for Encouragement for Today devotions and www.roomag.com.

BUT her greatest joy and favorite titles are wife to J.J. and mom to Joshua (16), Andrew (14) and Aster (3) who they adopted from Ethiopia two years ago.

Renee has a short video message for us about the importance of giving ourselves the gift of grace and receiving God’s gift of rest.

Don’t miss her encouragement!

It is about how God came to us so that we could come to Him- and find rest in His presence, His plans and His promises – at Christmas and all throughout the year!


Renee’s Christmas Give-away

  • 3 Copies of her book (for you & two friends)
  • 3 Sets of Confident Heart conference calls (optional)
  • $10 Starbucks gift card
  • Godiva Chocolate Bar

Renee is hosting a FREE online Bible/Book study of A Confident Heart starting January 16th on her website/blog.  To find out more and consider being part of it, click here. To hear more from Renee, find some great FREE resources and read a Christmas prayer that will help you prepare your heart from Christmas, visit her website/blog at www.ReneeSwope.com.

OKAY—for our last question: Based on Renee’s message, where do YOU need to give yourself some grace at Christmas?

Me? The infamous full-color, photo-laden, annual Christmas letter.

I have been giving myself grace for four years now on that one. With Facebook and my blog, most of the nearly 100 people that I sent the letter to already know what we’d been up to all year.

So, with that one grace-filled decision, I saved SEVERAL hours time, a lot of stress and envelope-stuffing, and about $75.

And you?

Have a WONDERFUL, grace-filled weekend!

483 Comments

  1. I need grace on decorations. Decorating is not my cup of tea, and altough I would love for my home to look like the cover of better homes and gardens, have decided to not stress myself out by going overboard.! And, I’ve found, that I like it simple!

  2. I need grace in every single area of my life, and when I say EVERY area I mean EVERY area. I need to have more grace with myself, and it is so hard when you battle ms since 03, but I am way better than most. I was not healed instantly but I have been progressively. It makes me tired, have a lot of fatigue, but God is my strength when I am weak. Stress makes it worse, and so God has been teaching me grace and mercy and the difference. .

  3. I need to give myself some grace that everyone will get baked goods from me and not “big presents”, as I am unemployed right now & baked goods is what my husband and I can afford to give! Christmas is about Jesus, not our gifts to each other and as long as I remember that, that is all that matters! :)

  4. would love to do a small group study on this book with some women from my church without having to ask them to buy the book…. I, personally, have L-O-V-E-D the study online. It has opened my eyes about things, and I do think I am more confident now… I want to share that with others…..

  5. This year my Grace will be to not worry about finding the perfect gifts for my kids. Will they like what I picked for them? Did I get them too much? Did I get them too little? Will one of the four feel cheated? By the time we actually open gifts I’m so stressed out it I can’t wait for it all to be over. With the recent unexpected passing of my young brother in law last week, I’ve decided to take the time to truly enjoy being with my family in Jesus’ presence, instead of getting so worked up about the presents. God is faithful. Merry Christmas.

  6. I give myself grace with housework and not getting all of the “special” Christmas activities that I have planned for my kids accomplished.

  7. I need grace in remembering contentment in my season. My house may not look exactly like I would like it to, my schedule may not be as free as I appreciate, but I know I am where God has me and I am doing what He desires of me.

  8. Keeping the house tidy, definitely. Just in case someone drops by – as if everyone doesn’t know I have three little ones and a new puppy. Magazine cover house is not it this year!!

  9. I need to give myself grace when it comes to wanting everything perfect–decorations, gifts, goodies, wrapped gifts, etc. It just isn’t about that. I need to let go and focus on CHRISTmas for what it is.

  10. Normally December is a month of depression for me. But so far, by the grace of God, I am doing well. Loved Renee’s message.

  11. This was so timely. I need 80 gazillion cups of Grace currently. I had a melt down this morning. I just lost it. God quietly whispered to me, your focus is on the wrong thing and you’ve been trying to do it yourself.

    Grace I need lots of it. I can’t do anything without God. Jesus Christ, He’s the greatest gift I’ve ever received. No present under the Christmas tree compares to that.

    Grace, Grace, and more Grace Lord because I sure need some today.

    Alicia Roark

  12. I am learning that it is okay to be still in the month of December. Grace is allowing others to be free of our expectations of them during this Christmas time. I am learning more and more that it is about being with the ones we love. And serving those who are really struggling during this time! Thank you Renee for your encouraging word.
    Shelley

  13. Thank you for sharing this needed truth, Renee! Thank you also for this giveaway! I could certainly use a confident heart in 2012!!

  14. “Come unto me all who are weary, and I will give you rest.” Thank you, Renee, for sharing this verse. This is the grace I will be calling upon this Christmas: taking time to be still and rest in the Lord.

  15. Thank you for this. I’ve been struggling with all this for months now, not just at Christmas. My husband and I are separated and going through a divorce, so this Christmas will be especially difficult. So many days I feel confused and unsure as to what I’m supposed to hold onto. Every “hope” I have God seems to be stripping away from me. Rest and peace are not something I have right now. I try, but I’m not sure how to have it all the time. My hurt and my head take over and drown out any grace and peace, so then I tend to doubt God and His goodness. I’m having to keep devotionals and the Bible in front of me at all times because the emotions and anger often catch me out of nowhere and comepletely unawares so that I have to keep the truth before me at all times. I learned about your book from a friend of mine who is battling breast cancer and I’ve given my copy of your book to another friend who is a single mom and struggling as well. So thank you for your words of encouragement, for the truth you speak, and for your consistancy in keeping the Word of God before us. It means more than you could ever know.

  16. I am giving myself Grace this year with writing … I love doing Christmas letter, Time for letting everyone know how the family is doing … I love getter letter myself.

  17. I am giving myself Grace this year with writing … I love doing Christmas letter, Time for letter everyone know how the family is doing … I love getter letter myself.

  18. Oh today is probably the worst day for me to be answering this question because I just can’t forgive myself (yet!) for having such a bad day. You know those days that no matter what plans you had in mind, nothing you put your hands to do happens. I’m still in shock sitting here wondering how this day was what it was. An utter disaster! Needing a HUGE attitude adjustment. So yeah I’m needing to extend some major grace to myself today. However specific to Christmas, I just need to not set my mind on grandiose plans, and be OK with not being perfect.

  19. I so NEEDED this message of grace, hope, promise and presence of God especially in the midst of our crazy month and lives. I would love to do this book study with some close friends of mine!!
    Blessings,
    Ronel

  20. I need to give myself grace to be okay with stopping and taking time for “me”. To linger longer with my Savior equals added strength and stamina to fulfill all that must be done during this season. I know that the things I don’t do will be okay and God will bless the time and actions I do and are able to accomplish! I’m excited about celebrating “Him” in my everyday life!

  21. I need to give myself grace and be OK with my financial situation and what that means. I am not worried about gifts but about just paying my bills. We have plenty of food and toiletries and household items since I learned to coupon–what a blessing. My daughter comes home from college for the holidays on Mondayand I have to go back to crying in the shower so she won’t know I am crying. Please pray for me. Thank you!

  22. I need to give myself grace in the area of being my own worst critic. I spend way too much time feeling like I’m not a good mother, friend, wife, church member and not enough time thanking God for that I am “fearfully and wonderfully made”. Thank you so much for this reminder!!!!!

  23. Thanks for the reminder Renee about enjoying Jesus this season. Here in America, we have so many expectations we put on ourselves to live up to the “Joneses”. While sometimes it’s nice to get out those Christmas cards, we need to allow ourselves space not to feel like we have to or we don’t meausre up. I struggle with this…Grace is just the message I needed!

  24. I’ve been trying to figure out how to make Christmas more about Christ…but I think that we can only truly do that within our own hearts (by His grace)…. I need to make things simple, focus on resting….His Word, His Presence, His Promises…. If I put my focus on these things then I will carry His Spirit in my heart to those around me. I won’t have to try to “make something happen”….Thank You, LORD!

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