Hello, My Elegant Family

Happy New Year!
We are starting a new year, and I pray it will be filled with abundant blessings. Maybe 2024 did not turn out as you wanted or planned. But know that God is just and faithful. He will never leave you or forsake you. He is always there to comfort you and give you the encouragement to continue the journey through life. I am reminded of these verses in Lamentations;

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
(Lamentations 3:22-23)

Knowing that God loves us so much and cares deeply about us is a wonderful thing. His grace is sufficient to sustain us through it all. No matter what comes our way, God gave us His Son Jesus for us.

One of the ways that our family does not lose hope in God’s blessings is to focus on the Christmas story for more than just the Christmas season. It is so easy to get caught up in the moment of the holidays, with gift-giving and social gatherings, that we fail to remember that the season is truly about the birth of Jesus. Without the birth of Jesus, we have no basis for our Christian faith. Learning who Jesus was as a man and knowing the context in which He lived has become an essential part of our spiritual growth. When we began reading the Christmas book by Bible scholar Rick Renner, our eyes were opened to the whole context of Jesus, His earthly family, and the area where He grew up. If you are looking for a book that offers a complete context of the Christmas story that cannot be found in the Bible, we recommend getting a copy of this book HERE. In addition to the book, you will also purchase audio and video recordings of Renner going into further detail about the book.

Giveaway Winner Announcement
In the spirit of giving for Christmas, we offered our community a chance to win a copy of Renner’s book. Congratulations to

~~ SUE E. ~~

Congratulations, Sue!!! We will contact you via email about getting the book to you.

Once again, we want to say THANK YOU for being a part of our blogging community. Your support means so much to us. Be on the lookout for more extraordinary things coming to our blog in 2025. More Giveaways! Fashion Tips! Movie Reviews! Motivational Messages! Lifestyle Tips! In the comments, let us know what you want to see more of in 2025.

Disclaimer:
This giveaway IS NOT sponsored by Rick Renner Ministries.

Hello Elegant Friends,

Happy New Year!

Photo by Jill Wellington

If 2024 was not all you wanted it to be, don’t give up. If you have breath in your body, you have a dream in you. Never, Never, Never Give Up!
Thank God for His love and His goodness.
On New Year’s Eve, my hubby and I discuss what God has done and is doing in our lives. We also discuss goals we would like to add to our vision board.

It’s crucial to have daily declarations to build our faith and share some scriptures you can declare and add more to this list.
Scriptures to Declare
My God will supply all my needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

I don’t worry about anything; instead, I pray about everything, telling God what I need and thanking Him for all He has done (Philippians 4:6 NLT).

I will commit to the Lord whatever I do, and He will establish my plans (Proverbs 16:3 NIV).

I throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles me. I run with perseverance the race marked out for me, fixing my eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1).

Please watch this New Year’s Day video JTwisdom would like to share from the Living An Elegant and Graceful Life Channel.

The Bubbling With Elegance And Grace team is thankful and grateful for every Elegant friend of this blog. We pray for you every day, and if you have a prayer request, please share it in the comments.

Thrive in 2025!

Hello, Elegant Ones,

Happy Kwanzaa!

What is Kwanzaa?
Dr. Maulana Karenga, a Black Separatist Professor and Chair at the University of California, created the African-American-themed holiday in 1966. The week-long celebration began on December 26th and continues until January 1st. Many people who celebrate Christmas will also observe Kwanzaa because it is not considered a religious holiday.

Photo by Askar Abayev

For more information on the holiday, check out these resources:
Wikipedia
History.com

What are your thoughts? Do you celebrate Kwanzaa? If so, please let us know how you celebrate in the comments.

Hello Beautiful People,

Photo by Robert Thiemann on Unsplash

Have a Blessed, Happy Hannukkah!

My family celebrates Christmas and Hannukkah. We are also Christians who pray for the people of Israel. This was a good article on Worship 1 about praying for Israel and the Middle East.
Psalm 122:6 NIV Bible version says, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.”

To learn more about Hannukkah, check out Chabad.org.