By Linda Evans Shepherd
As I write to you, my Christmas tree is glowing softly in the corner—
each light a tiny reminder of the miracle we celebrate this time of year. The scent of gingerbread is drifting from my kitchen, and for a moment, the world feels hushed … almost as if heaven itself has leaned closer. I know this season can feel busy and hurried.
But before you turn the page, I want to offer you something simple: a moment to breathe. A moment to remember that Christmas is not found in what we accomplish… but in Who came to set us free.
This issue of Leading Hearts is filled with stories of miracles—some sparkling and immediate, others quiet and slow like snow falling at dusk.
They invite us to pause and consider the greatest miracle of all: that the Son of God stepped into our world, wrapped Himself in humanity, and chose to dwell with us.
Emmanuel. God with us.
Not far. Not distant.
But right here.
When Jesus arrived in Bethlehem, He didn’t come to overwhelm us—He came to be with us.
To be our peace in uncertainty, our hope in longing, our joy in sorrow, and our steady light when the world feels dim. And the beautiful truth? His presence has never left.
As we turn the page into a new year, I want to gently invite you to carry this miracle with you.
Not the busyness of the season, not the pressure to make everything perfect—just the miracle of His nearness. Let this be the year you slow your steps just enough to notice Him.
Let this be the year you invite His peace into the corners of your life that feel hurried or heavy. Let this be the year you remember that the same Jesus who arrived in a manger now walks with you into every tomorrow.
May I pray a simple blessing over you?
“Lord Jesus, as we celebrate Your birth and step into a new year, settle our hearts with Your presence. Quiet our worries, brighten our hope, and draw us close enough to hear Your gentle whisper: ‘I am with you always.’ Fill our homes with Your light and our days with the sweetness of Your love. Amen.”
May your Christmas be full of wonder, your new year full of grace, and your heart full of the miracle that Jesus is still—beautifully, faithfully—with us. With love and warm gingerbread thoughts and Happy New Year blessings!
