14: Does God Still Give Good Gifts at Christmastime?


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This is the story of a Christmas baby.

This season is all about gifts. We give gifts to one another, and we remember the very good gift of God's son, given to a weary world on the first Christmas Day.

But is God still in the business of giving good gifts?

Lisa-Jo tells the story of her own Christmas baby. It's a story of how shame and sorrow gave way to peace and joy. It's a story of good gifts freely given, no strings attached.

If you feel discouraged, if God's goodness feels a little hard to grasp, we hope you'll listen and be reminded that something as small and ordinary as a baby can change everything.

See more of Maplehurst and meet Christie here.

See more of Lisa-Jo's daily, ordinary chaos over here.

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Discover Lisa-Jo's books here.

Special Free Gift for You: Thanksgiving through Christmas only

An Illustrated Guide to the Four Seasons at Maplehurst.

Like Book Pages Pulled from a Vintage Treasure.

Printed in full color on quality paper, these prints are like illustrations pulled from an old almanac or diary. The separate black and white prints are ideal for adding your own artistic touch in watercolor or pencil.

This illustrated guide, with inspiration for the kitchen, the garden, and the bookshelf, would make a meaningful gift, perhaps with a clipboard for display, bundled with art supplies, or included in a notebook of seasonal inspiration. If you package or display these creatively, I would love to see! Use the hashtag #weareplacemakers and tag me @christiepurifoy on Instagram.

This is a special gift celebrating the upcoming release of Christie's new book: Placemaker. Only available during this gift-giving season. Pre-order your book before December 25 and we'll pop these lovely prints into your email inbox right away!

Click here to get your free gift now.

7 Comments

  1. Naomi on December 20, 2018 at 6:31 pm

    For a grittier Christmas carol, listen to Andrew Peterson’s “Labor of Love”.



    • Christie on December 21, 2018 at 10:42 am

      I love Andrew Peterson. Thanks for recommending this song!



  2. Naomi on December 21, 2018 at 8:35 am

    I loved this episode! My first baby boy was also born on December 27, 2007. Being that pregnant during the Christmas season truly brought the story to life.



    • Christie on December 21, 2018 at 10:39 am

      Happy birthday to your son!



  3. Sarah on December 28, 2018 at 8:34 pm

    I’m so sorry! It’s December 28th and I pre-ordered the book today. Is it too late to get the prints? If so, I totally understand 🙂 I can’t wait for the book!



    • Christie on December 30, 2018 at 8:56 am

      Thank you so much, Sarah! I am grateful and really do hope you’ll love it. I’m afraid the Illustrated Guide was only downloadable through Christmas Eve, however, here’s a little secret: I’ll be giving the prints (among other gifts) to everyone who participates in my Placemaker launch team. If that’s something you might be interested in keep an eye out for more info coming later in January. I would love to have your support!



  4. Jules on January 4, 2019 at 10:14 am

    I enjoyed this and hearing another relate to a December baby. My first born (previous late miscarriage at 18 weeks) arrived on Dec 10. Granted she is now 33 y/o (gasp!!!) but it is a cherished memory of being pregnant at Christmas. When she was little we didn’t put up our Christmas tree until after her birthday b/c I didn’t want her to think it was for her. As an adult, she remembers loving having a December birthday because she “got to open presents first”. 🙂 I’m thankful God gave her a good spirit about it!!

    I must say tho, that none of my babies cried at birth. My December baby was the one I carried the longest (39 weeks) and it was a fast delivery and she was just mellow. Doctor laid her on my chest and she just looked at my eyes. It was beautiful. I wish I had a million digital photos of those moments!! She cried when I had visitors and had to leave her in the nursery while they were in my room (back in the day…) and she was ignored and left to learn to cry. Our son (now 26) was 36 weeks and didn’t cry until a few mins later when he finally took a big breath! That was OK as he went from ashen-gray to pink and loud! 🙂 NICU had just rounded the corner so that was a blessing that he was fine. Our 20 week twins were born live but only lived a few hours in our arms. They didn’t cry but maybe not able at that time either. We just held them and grieved for what wouldn’t be.

    Don’t be too jealous of my fast deliveries and quiet babies. So many physical reasons and that is why we’ve buried 3 and only raised 2.

    Thank you for all you do for the podcasts and visiting with us. I appreciate your insights into life as “ordinary”. We are empty-nesters but always hearing good things to encourage my walk with God. ♥