Em Hogan
About the Author

Em is a married mother of three and a lover of words. She lives on the beautiful east coast of Australia, loves spending evenings at the beach and early mornings holed up in her little backyard office writing words and drawing letters.

(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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  1. I am so enriched by this description of your summer hemisphere Christmas! I have a friend in Australia, and I often think of the fact that so much of the world is oriented toward expressing life in terms of Northern Hemisphere living. I’m thankful for this reminder that Jesus came so that both hemispheres could know the glory of “God and sinners reconciled.”

    • I definitely have a confused preschooler this year, wondering when the snow will come that’s mentioned in a lot of the songs he’s hearing! 😉
      I’m so thankful to know the God who came for all of us!

  2. Em,
    Advent greetings to you down under! I would think that would be strange preparing for the birth of Christ when it’s 90 outside. But, you know, nothing about Christ’s coming is what we would expect. We expected a king riding in on a valiant horse. He came as a helpless babe in the manger. We expected that this king would be loved and adored (He was to be our rescuer after all). Instead, he had a ransom on his infant head. Everything about Jesus is upside down. We want revenge. He says offer grace and forgiveness. We want to be first. He says that the first among you will be last and the last, first. His royal lineage includes prostitutes. Everything about this picture screams, “Wrong”, but everything that He IS is so right. Maybe here in the States we get too caught up in the trappings, but you get to see Christ’s birth for the unfathomable, upside down, miracle of mercy that it is. Thank you for sharing this wonderful perspective!
    Blessings,
    Bev xx

  3. Yes! We live in Florida and I can relate to so much of your experience! Im “that” mom who bribed my kids to wear long sleeved shirts for our Christmas photo (it was 80 degrees). Tonight we are heading to our annual light parade with our cooler and flip flops. My kids have yet to experience snow! We hang stockings down our hallway because we don’t have a fireplace. So much of our world seems so “off” to the pictures I see all over Facebook. But I love being different. I love how Christ’s coming unites all of our differences. Upside down to one is inside-out to another. To Him, He sees only His children with cookie frosting smeared all over our face. Come, oh come Immanuel!

  4. I understand what you are talking about- I live in South Africa, so we too have the rose beetles, the cicadas, the long sunny days, the heat, the rain. And as we call it here, the braai’s ( barbecue) , swimming in the pool, and sitting around chatting to friends in the wonderful warm weather. And yet the reason for the season is the same- our joy and gratitude at what our Father did fo
    r us all in reconciling us to Himself.

  5. If we focused on our surroundings, without giving regard, that Christmas will come no matter where or who we are, than we wouldn’t be focused on the true meaning. Thank-you Em for the reminder, Christmas is not about us, it’s about celebrating the birth of our Lord.
    Blessings to all,
    Penny

    • That’s so true Penny. We started singing carols in church this weekend (we sing some the whole month and I love it) – I think “the thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices” will be resounding in my soul all week.

  6. Em,

    I get your upside down Christmas. I lived in Florida for twenty years. Jesus came in an upside down way. He challenged & changed the thinking of many. He came to unite the high holy ones with the lost sinners. I believe the world has Christmas all wrong. We think it has to do with gifts, trees, Santa, etc. It really is about a savior born in a lowly manger. We have lost the true meaning of this season. I say we all unite no matter how we celebrate Christmas-in snow or on sandy beaches. All that matters is that we all celebrate the birth of our savior & Lord.

    Blessings 🙂

  7. Em, I loved reading your description of preparing for Christmas in the summer season! Thank you for broadening thr perspective of a girl stuck in the winter season at Christmas. 🙂

  8. It is warm in Ga. too, last year I had on shorts for Christmas, little cooler this year. I sent an Aussie friend on of those upside down Christmas trees. Strange to me, it’s supposed to children and pets off it. I never had pets to bother it. Children definitely need to learn the word ” No. ” You can’t hang everything for from the ceiling.

  9. That is so interesting – at least too experience an upside down Christmas from your comments. It does not usually snow here in Maryland for Christmas, but it definitely gets cold. I have heard of an upside down Christmas tree. The ladies in one of the churches here always hung one upside down in the Parish House (Sunday School lobby). I’m not sure why they did it that way. Someone said that it was a custom!