Melissa Michaels
About the Author

Melissa Michaels is the NY Times Bestselling author of Love The Home You Have and The Inspired Room book. Her blog, The Inspired Room, was voted Better Homes & Gardens Readers' Favorite decorating blog in 2014 and 2015. Melissa is a church planter's wife and a mom to three human kids and...

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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Comments

  1. Melissa,
    I appreciate your post and even the picture of those unmentionables I’m imagining in my mind’s eye. I’m glad you didn’t mention them! 🙂 I have over thirty women descending upon our less-than-perfect house in just five hours (and I haven’t practiced my talk or solo enough or shoved all my books and papers into closets–but I won’t mention that! Ahem….) But what I will mention is my appreciation of your emphasis to forget perfection and to look to the One who *is* perfect and powerful, and to ask for *His* strength to share the true meaning of Christmas today with women who love Him and with some, perhaps, who are seeking to. I am praying, asking Him for His grace to mention Him joyously in Scripture, in song, in laughter and food shared, and in joy multiplied. I am asking to let go the “unmentionables”–that bitter baggage that seeks to divide mankind–like hatred, arguments, racism, and judgmentalism, and to rejoice in the Child who came to save us from every unmentionable sin. God bless you, Miss Melissa, for a wonderful post and timely reminder. I hope that you have a blessed Christmas!
    Fondly and gratefully,
    Lynn

    • I’m sure the women are being blessed, praying for your group right now! Thank you for sharing and opening your heart and home.

      • That is so sweet of you, Melissa. THank you! It really was such a blessed day (some women left at 9:00 PM!!! from the luncheon). I believe that the Lord was glorified!

  2. Melissa,
    Yes, may we look beyond the bright lights and the tinsel to see a rough hewn feeding trough made of wood. The same timbers that would hold Jesus as He suffered and died for our sins. Lord help me not to get so caught up in the pretty that I miss the magnificent. Blessings to you this Christmas!
    Bev

  3. Melissa,
    I loved this post! Thank you for pushing us past the Pinterest of “perfection” and pointing us toward the lowly birth of our Savior!! I’m tired of perfection and twinkling lights! I want a simple Christmas – like the First one. Just family, friends, Jesus and the lone star in the sky!
    Blessings 🙂

  4. Perhaps a perfect Christmas isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Wouldn’t everyone feel uncomfortably on guard, lest they mess it up? And what fun stories would we have to tell in the years to come, were it not for the disastrous cookies or the tree falling over or the forgotten present found two weeks after Christmas? You are so right, Melissa: we can and must set aside the Norman-Rockwell expectations and embrace something better: expressing our love to Jesus in word and song and JOY–with those he’s given us to love here on earth.

  5. Oh yes the biggest Amen I can give. What a wonderful inspiring post and it came just at the perfect time thank you for that. We could all learn from the story of Mary and Martha, It is so important to all of us that everything be so perfect that before we know it the Christmas is gone and we didn’t get to enjoy it. I learned years ago that no matter how hard I try it is never perfect I’m not perfect and that is ok now I can relax and enjoy the holidays with friends and family.
    I always smile when I see pictures of your furbaby’s, my best friend in the whole world has two Goldendoodles, and every time I talk to her she has new story’s of their funny antics, I think they are forever pups and have the best dispositions for little ones.
    Your home looks so warm and inviting, and your Christmas decor is beautiful.
    Merry Christmas to you and your wonderful family.