“The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you,’” Luke 1:28 NIV Startled, young Mary was scared at the sudden appearance of an angel. She hadn’t received a written notice of Gabriel’s impending arrival. Her mother probably never instructed her on how to entertain angels. Mary…
Category: Christmas
The Wisdom of Wise Men
“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him.” Matthew 2:11a, NIV After endless months of treacherous travel, the star stopped over a humble home. With great reverence, we slowed to a stop. Dusting our clothes and wiping our hands we unpacked the gifts…
Seeking Him Wisely
“Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews?” Matthew 2:2a, NIV Arising from my mat I glanced outdoors. Another day had already begun. The stillness of the morning peacefully greeted me. I wondered what the day had in store. As my thoughts meandered to the daily tasks at hand, I recalled…
Welcoming Interruptions, Welcoming Jesus
Mary was a young lady with a special light in her eye. She would soon be the wife of an honorable man. As a young woman with God’s will on her heart and His laws on her mind, she knew she desired only to live for God. Her reactions to an angel’s pronouncement would indeed…
Just Give Me Jesus
“What do you want for Christmas?” my husband asked in preparation for his quick Christmas shopping trip. “Nothing you can buy,” I answered. He stopped at the door, his hand resting on the knob. He watched me as I tried to explain. It has been a long, hard year. Besides the emotional expenditure of situations…
Treasures Unseen
“For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.” Luke 12:34 How do you respond to surprises? Words gushing like a waterfall? Stunned silence? Emotions erupting like a volcano? Mary’s response in both Luke 2:19 and 2:51b was silence. And her silence spoke volumes. In Luke 2:19, Mary had just received shepherds who…
Too Busy for a Holiday
The sweet sounds of Christmas carols filled the air. The grocery store’s music reminded me of the upcoming season. In year’s past, the reminder overwhelmed me. For the woman of the house, the to-do list is endless: Menu planning. Grocery shopping. Cooking. Cleaning. Baking. Pinning ideas. Crafting. Decorating. Floral arranging. Preparing the guest room. Buying…
Christmas Presence
Are you ready for Christmas? The golden question I have been asked so frequently the past week. As of today, not all the presents are home, the live tree is still standing in a random field, no wrapping has occurred, and baking, well about tomorrow I will begin a Betty Crocker day! But I have…
In Need of a Silent Night
Final exams. Dinner to make. Children to bathe. Dog chewed the steak. Laundry to fold. Papers to grade. Lord why did I think I could do all this today? Floor is filthy. Classroom’s a mess. Lab exploded. Broken glass creates a mess. Christmas décor blew away. My Olaf popped on a thorn in the fray….