Well, y'all happy December and welcome to the messy table, an ordinary space where we can show up and remember

that God is really at work in our mess. And I know, guys, I know you are right in the middle

of making that Christmas magic while still making everyday life happen and trying to stay

focused on why this season matters without getting lost in the clutter. And I know this

because I feel it too. So if we haven't yet had a chance to meet, my name is Jen Jewel,

and I consider it such an honor to host this faith-fueled conversation-style podcast,

which aims to unleash a fresh story of hope into your world, your speakers, every other Tuesday. And that is still

completely true, but today with a slightly different angle. As we've occasionally done in the past,

instead of pressing into a personal story and highlighting truth, we're just leaning into truth

and letting scripture tell the story. And today, we've decided to take a deeper

look at Christmas. Because yes, we are all busy. But if you're listening to this podcast,

chances are that you want to intentionally make Jesus the center of your life. But just like

anything else, it actually takes intention. Well, digging into this topic with me today

are two of my favorite Bible nerds. And I mean that in the best way possible. Devinabress and

Shannon Crawford are genuinely faith-filled women who are just passionate about God and passionate

about the Word of God. They have both shared pieces of their own redemptive stories back on

episodes 18 and 23, which we will definitely link in the conversation notes. And in both of their

stories, God met them in their darkness and brought them into light. So most of us are familiar

with the basics of the Christmas story. Like at one time or another, we've all looked

on curiously at a nativity set, where there were angels and shepherds and Mary and Joseph, and of

course, baby Jesus lying in a manger. Honestly, I'd recommend pausing this episode and reading the

entire biblical story for yourself. It's found in Matthew 1 and 2 and Luke 1 and 2, and it really doesn't take that long to read.

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