The reason that I think that Matthew's Gospel is so important is because this is the shadow side.

We are so immersed in the Lucan version of Christmas.

And we've romanticized it. The Christmas card version.

So it's a kind of a Norman Rockwell Hallmark thing. And the problem with that is that that invites those around the major for whom their life is really Norman Rockwell and Hallmark-like.

And that isn't so for many, many people.

You're listening to God Hears Her, a podcast for women where we explore the stunning truth that God hears you, he sees you, and he loves you because you are his.

Find out how these realities free you today on God Hears Her.

Welcome to God Hears Her.

I'm Erin Atkins.

And I'm Elisa Morgan.

Christmas is coming up so soon while we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

We want to look at what Scripture tells us a little differently.

Today we are talking with Kathleen McKenna's kickline, the author of Why These Women,

about four unlikely women in the genealogy of Jesus. We're going to dive into learning about

Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. And let's start out by talking about how we can prepare

our hearts for the Christmas season during this conversation on God

Here's Her. We are close to the Christmas season. You know, we are entering it. How do you prepare

your heart for Christmas? I mean, besides the list, you know, besides the tree, besides the shopping,

you know, how do you prepare your heart? I prepare what you just said,

which is besides all those things, I put aside those things. It's important for me because I can get

stuck in the details or comparing what other households are doing, traditions are doing what traditions

we aren't. Maybe we should be doing something different.

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