Tag: AChildIsBorn

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Better than Anticipated

I know everyone reading this has probably ordered something on-line, sight unseen. When the package arrived there was an anticipation of what the contents would be like. Was it better than anticipated or was it disappointing?

I wrote these words in my prayer journal this morning, “better than anticipated, Lord, You do not disappoint”.

From those words of heartfelt appreciation this verse came to mind.

“Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1 ERV

Four hundred years before Christ was born Isaiah the prophet wrote these words.

“But the Lord will still give you proof. A virgin is pregnant; she will have a son and will name him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 CEV

“A child has been born for us. We have been given a son who will be our ruler. His names will be Wonderful Advisor and Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 CEV

For hundreds of years the nation of Israel anticipated the Child who was to be born. This was a promise from God and He was coming sight unseen. There was no estimated delivery date, no Amazon tracking that said “you package is 10 stops away”.

But there was a growing excitement. There was faith in God’s promise, hope for the Messiah.

“…The shepherds were very afraid. 10 The angel said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy. 11 Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.” Luke 2:9-12 CEV

Delivery of the package! A gift that changed the world.

Not a dictator with a strict list of rules. Not a tyrant but a Savior. Not a thief but a Shepherd.

“ I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will be able to come in and go out. They will find everything they need. 10 A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good. 11 “I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” John 10:9-11 ERV

This gift, this life, that we celebrate at Christmas came sight unseen, but He does not disappoint. He came bringing abundant life to all who receive Him.

Yes, He’s much better than anticipated!

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Where’s the Baby Jesus?

We used to live near the artisan community of Tubac, AZ. Dave and I loved shopping there – so many beautiful handcrafted items – silver, copper, terracotta and talevera pieces.

One shop we frequented had lovely nativity sets. My favorite.

Most of my decorating at Christmas is done with nativity sets and angels. I would study each figure in the set; their smiling faces, their clothing, the shape of the stall and then I realized there was no baby Jesus! Where did He go? What happened to Him? 

In this shop all the Christ child figures were missing. And then I saw the handwritten sign…If you buy a nativity, ask for Jesus. 

Ask for Jesus!

Wasn’t that the Father’s intent from the beginning? He wanted us to recognize that our lives were not complete without Jesus. 

Ask for Jesus?

When I asked the shop owner why there were no baby Jesus figures he told me this. We never have any problem with theft in this shop except for the baby Jesus. We keep Him in the back until a nativity is sold and then bring Him out and add Him with the rest of the pieces. 

Who would steal the baby Jesus? That is completely counter to the reason He came. When Jesus was born, the angels filled the heavens with the announcement. The shepherds were told to go find Him. The wise men saw and followed His star. Everyone was welcome to come see Jesus!

Jesus came to forgive the sins of all men, even the ones who would steal the baby Jesus.  Jesus wasn’t born in a palace where only a few of the elite would be allowed to enter. He wasn’t born in a monastery where only the religious and the holy would be. No, He was born in a barn; anyone – man, woman, child, elite or poor, educated or unlearned was welcomed at the manger. 

“Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.” 13 Then a huge army of angels from heaven joined the first angel, and they were all praising God, saying, 14 “Praise God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace to the people who please him.”

15 The angels left the shepherds and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this great event the Lord has told us about.’ 16 So they went running and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the feeding box.” Luke 2:11-16 ERV 

I want to encourage you to put Jesus on display. Don’t hid him, let the world see that He lives in you. Love the way He did; reach out to everyone the Father brings your way. The sign on our lives should be “if you want Jesus, just ask”. 

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Forgotten – Forgiven

I saw an image similar to the one I’m using this morning on a friend’s FB page yesterday. I had never seen this verse like this before.

“For unto us a child is born, and unto us a Son is given.” The reason the Son came was to forgive!

As I lay in the dark this morning so many thoughts came swirling through my mind.

“In Christ, he chose us before the world was made. He chose us in love to be his holy people—people who could stand before him without any fault. 5 And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased him to do it. ” Ephesians 1:4-5 ERV

In Christ we were chosen by God the Father before the world was made! In Christ, we can stand before the Father and He sees us as faultless. We are forgiven.

“And I will forgive the wrongs they have done, and I will not remember their sins.” Hebrews 8:12

“ Because we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt—a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:14 ERV

“Christ died for us when we were unable to help ourselves. We were living against God, but at just the right time Christ died for us. 7 Very few people will die to save the life of someone else, even if it is for a good person. Someone might be willing to die for an especially good person. 8 But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.” Romans 5:6-8 ERV

In God’s eyes I have no past. He has forgotten my failings, my sins. He sees me completely cleansed by the shed blood of Jesus.

“His love for his followers is as high above us as heaven is above the earth. 12 And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. 13 The Lord is as kind to his followers as a father is to his children.” Psalms 103:11-13 ERV

Completely cleansed, forever forgotten.

That’s the message of Christmas. “For unto us a child is born, and unto to us a Son is given.”

We are forgiven and our sins are forgotten because of Christ. His gift to us is forgiveness. I pray you have received it and are sharing this wonderful gift with others.

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No Room

Have you had those moments when a simple conversation has become a profound lesson?

We had moved back to Arizona from Montana, and we lived close to a small artisans’ community called Tubac. It became my favorite place to shop. We were decorating our home, and I found so many unique pieces there.

For years, I have collected angels and nativities. The shops had a myriad of those two items, but I found one thing very strange. In one particular shop there were nativities from around the world but there were no baby Jesus’.

Then I saw a small handwritten sign. “Please ask for the baby Jesus.” So, I did. I asked Max, the shop keeper, where’s the baby Jesus? He told me they had to keep them under the counter and in the back area of the store because people would steal the baby Jesus.

Steal the baby Jesus! Yes. Who would steal the baby Jesus? I couldn’t imagine that.

“ While they were there in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to give birth to her baby. 7 Her first son was born. She put cloth around Him and laid Him in a place where cattle are fed. There was no room for them in the place where people stay for the night.” Luke 2:6-7 NLV

I was taken back by the thought of someone stealing Jesus but I shouldn’t have been. Remember, that first Christmas when Jesus was born? There was no room for them except in a stable.

If the Innkeeper had known that Mary was carrying the Messiah would he have evicted one of the other guests and given her a room? But there was nothing about this young expecting couple that set them apart as holy and God-chosen. They were just weary travelers.

No room.

A stolen baby Jesus.

People have been taking Jesus out of the picture for years. He’s been replaced by Santa, stolen from society by the Grinch and an Elf. Yet, He still comes to each heart looking for a place to stay.

“See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and we will eat together.” Revelation 3:20 NLV

Don’t let Jesus be stolen from your Christmas celebration. May we always have room for Jesus!

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And the “Advent”ure Begins

I have a confession to make that may surprise you. I didn’t grow up in a church that focused on Advent during December.

Oh, we had the typical Sunday sermons on the Christmas story, but the word Advent was not a part of our Christmas vocabulary. In fact, several years ago, when I wrote The Best Gifts of Christmas someone asked me about my advent book, and I wasn’t really sure what they meant.

However, each year after Thanksgiving is over my mind shifts to the activities and events of the Christmas season and I found myself writing in my journal today, “Let the Advent-ure Begin”.

And what an adventure it was!

“One day Zechariah’s group of priests were on duty, and he was serving God as a priest…11 All at once an angel from the Lord appeared to Zechariah at the right side of the altar. 12 Zechariah was confused and afraid when he saw the angel. 13 But the angel told him: Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayers. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you must name him John. 14 His birth will make you very happy, and many people will be glad. 15  Your son will be a great servant of the Lord. He must never drink wine or beer, and the power of the Holy Spirit will be with him from the time he is born.

16 John will lead many people in Israel to turn back to the Lord their God. 17  He will go ahead of the Lord with the same power and spirit that Elijah had. And because of John, parents will be more thoughtful of their children. And people who now disobey God will begin to think as they ought to. This is how John will get people ready for the Lord.

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this is going to happen? My wife and I are both very old.”…23 When Zechariah’s time of service in the temple was over, he went home. 24 Soon after this, his wife was expecting a baby, and for five months she did not leave the house. She said to herself, 25 ‘What the Lord has done for me will keep people from looking down on me.’” Luke 1:10-25 CEV

Zechariah and Elizabeth were godly people. Little did they know they had a part to play in the coming of the Messiah. Old Testament prophecy said that the Son of man would be proceeded by “one crying in the wilderness”. This would be their son.

“Someone is shouting: ‘Clear a path in the desert! Make a straight road for the Lord our God. 4 Fill in the valleys; flatten every hill and mountain. Level the rough and rugged ground.
5 Then the glory of the Lord will appear for all to see. The Lord has promised this!” Isaiah 40:3-5 CEV

“ It began just as God had said in the book written by Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am sending my messenger to get the way ready for you. 3 In the desert someone is shouting, ‘Get the road ready for the Lord! Make a straight path for him.’ ” 4 So John the Baptist showed up in the desert and told everyone, “Turn back to God and be baptized! Then your sins will be forgiven.” Mark 1:2-4 CEV

The arrival of Christ was not happenstance. It was designed and orchestrated by God. The cast of characters was many, each had a part, not knowing that others were being enlisted in this grand plan. It was all designed to reconcile us all to God.

We also have a part to play. We are called to share the good news of the Gospel.

Let the Advent-ure Begin!

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Christmas Eve

The family has all arrived; four of us came by plane, nine by car and three live here. Thank God for modern conveniences. Mary and Joseph didn’t have those.

It’s only been about the last 15 or 20 years that I have begun to see what that trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem was really like for them. 155 kilometers or approximately 96 miles. This trip would have taken many days, walking and riding a donkey.

“So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee, and went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. It was known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David. 5 Joseph registered with Mary because she was engaged to marry him. (She was now pregnant.) 6 While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have the baby. 7 She gave birth to her first son. She wrapped him up well and laid him in a box where cattle are fed. She put him there because the guest room was full.” Luke 2:4-7

If they were able to keep a steady pace of 20 miles per day, it would have taken at least 5 days. Sleeping on the ground, cooking food over an open fire.

I do love to camp, sleeping in a tent – being around a campfire under the stars but breaking camp each morning and setting up again each evening would be a bit tedious and then add to that the discomfort of being nine months pregnant.

Dave and I used to travel a lot and it was always so nice to get to the hotel after twelve hours on the road, get something warm to eat and crawl into a nice bed. But when Mary and Joseph got to their destination their accommodations weren’t quite as welcoming.

Those of us who’ve had livestock know that even when we clean the stalls each day – removing the manure, putting down clean bedding- it still isn’t a place that we would like to give birth. Joseph was Mary’s birth coach and delivery team – he was the midwife! Just the two of them bringing God’s Son into this earthly home.

“Think how much the Father loves us. He loves us so much that he lets us be called his children, as we truly are.” I John 3:1

God loved us so much that He sent His Son so that we could become His children. AMAZING!!

And what manner of love Mary and Joseph had for God and for each other to go through this difficult journey and less than “perfect” birthing experience. Still they glorified God and gave Him thanks for His wondrous gift.

Is your Christmas this year difficult, not exactly what you had planned?

When our hearts are open God can, and does, fill them with His wonderful love. He can and will fill the loneliness, ease the ache and give us a reason to be thankful. May you experience that love in a very special way.

From our home to yours, Merry Christmas Eve!

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Christmas Wrapping

Today I’ll start wrapping some presents. It’s a task I put off because it’s really not my thing. I have friends who do an amazing job. Their gifts are so beautiful that you almost hate to open them, almost.

I’ve had the wrapping paper in the closet for weeks but I couldn’t find the gift tags. I was determined not to run out to the store just for that so I was going to make some however, the other day, while going through my file cabinet, I found them. Thank you.

I got to thinking about some of the Christmas gifts I have received over the years. The simple gifts that came from the kids when they were little. The gift tag was written in crayon and the gift bows were yarn or string. Dave had a way of making Christmas gifts special – he loved to do leather work and for several years I received hand tooled and hand stamped leather coasters. He would place them on my gift as a “To/From” but really, they were and still are the gifts I cherish most.

There’s one other gift that means the world to me. Understated and wrapped in the most unique way. Looking at it from the outside there was no hint as to the real value. Priceless in fact! But the gift tag was beyond expression – flamboyant, glitzy, a real eye catcher.

“ That night, some shepherds were out in the fields near Bethlehem watching their sheep. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining around them. The shepherds were very afraid. 10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy. 11 Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.” Luke 2:8-12 ERV

The gift tag filled the sky with wonder! The To: and From: were written boldly by the hand of the Father.

“ Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ERV

To: Everyone From: God

The gift: small and non-descript. A baby boy wrapped in cloth laying in a feeding trough on a mattress of hay.

The gift: extraordinary!! The Son of God in human form, left heaven, came to earth to be the Savior of all who believe.

From: The Father’s Heart. To: All Who Believe.

The gift has been wrapped; the tag has been written. Receive the gift that completely changes our lives!

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