The Gift of Grief

    Christmas is a time of year that we associate with gifts. I mean, other than Birthdays it's probably the only time of year we get gifts and give them. It's a time of year where we think about hope, peace, joy, love, and Jesus who came to bring that all. This year I was struck by something different than I was usually this season. Sure, I thought about all those things Christmas usually brings but something else happened that made me think of something new: grief.

   On Thanksgiving Day, my family went to visit my grandmother at a rehabilitation facility where she was at for physical therapy. While there, across the hall, a man died. After leaving, my husband and I both said in an odd way it made us more thankful for what we had. 

   Later, toward the middle of December, a family friend who was a part of my parent’s church for as long as I can remember, suddenly died. It was a shock to everyone. And it made me think of how hard it was for me and my family, let alone his family, to deal with his passing.

   Yes, Christmas and Thanksgiving are times we remember to be thankful, have joy, give gifts, and that Jesus came to be our Savior but sometimes it's hard for people to have those things and remember them. Grief is real and it's okay to have. Jesus even grieved over the loss of his friends. But it's also a time to remember the good. To remember the gift that life is. That God gives us this life so we can get to know him, grow in him, help others know about him, and help others grow in him. 

   This life has pain and sadness. This life isn't always easy. We have hurts and hang ups. But God is with us through it all. He sent Jesus so we could have hope in a future eternity with him. So, we could have peace in this life and the next. He came so we could have joy in knowing everything will be okay. That we can spread his love to others so they can have eternal life. Isn't that an amazing privilege and gift?

   So, yes, grief can be a gift. It is a reminder that this world is filled with sorrow, but this world is not the end. We can rest in knowing that God is with us in Spirit here and one day we will be with him in heaven. Thank Jesus that he came as a baby, with the plan in place to eventually die as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, so we could be with him forever. He is the perfect Christmas gift

https://youtu.be/Du0ZsDLwH_0

An Unexpected Story: Christmas

     I enjoy stories. I like, reading them writing them, and hearing them from others. Nowadays many stories, whether they be movies or books, have become predictable. However, there is one story in the history of the world that had a plot twist so unexpected that no one saw it coming: the story of Christmas.

   Many times, stories this unexpected are untrue. But not only is the Christmas story true, it is the beginning of the most important story in history. Think about it: if you were God, which you are not but hypothetically, how would you save those you created?

   Maybe you would come down and declare yourself ruler over all that way you could fix human's mistakes. Or you could come down with the sword of justice and destroy all who oppressed your people. You could have just left them alone to figure out on their own how to save themselves. After all, they did betray you and choose to sin. Perhaps you could just end them all and start again? Would that be the answer?

   Whatever you think you would do if you were in God's shoes, I am pretty sure you would not have done what God did. He sent his Son to become one of us. Jesus went through everything we went through. He chose not to sin. He followed his father's word. And he showed us his father's love. Then, he chose to die on the cross for us. He became the perfect sacrifice so we could spend eternity with him.

   See, if God would have come down and declared himself ruler, we would not have free will and thus there would be no love. If God would have come down to destroy those who oppressed his people, then he would have killed those he loved. And only the Israelites, who also did not always follow God, would be alive today. If God would have left us alone, we would be dead and have no hope. And, obviously, if God would have ended us all then it would have broken his heart because he loves us.

   That's what the Christmas and Easter stories are about: love. God sent his son in a unique way to save us because he loves us. Anyone else may have tried to fix the world through force which is not love. And God is love. 

   So, this Christmas I encourage you to think about the Christmas story. Think about how special it is. Think about how God sent his son FOR YOU. He did it because he loves you. He wants to be with you forever and he gave up his Son so he could be with you. It is an unexpected and amazing story, isn't it?

Jesus is the Star

   The day is finally here. It is the day where hope entered the world. It is the day where the person who created true peace came into the world. It is the day where a baby's cry sounded so joyful to those there on that special night. It is the day where God showed his love to us by sending his Son to earth. God had many different signs happen that day. He had many different people involved in the day that his Son was born on earth.
   One group that he had involved was wise men. Now, contrary to typical manger scenes the wise men were not actually there the night Jesus was born. In Matthew 2 we find the wise men visiting King Herod asking if he knew where the King of the Jews was. Long story short they found the child, presented him with gifts, and left.
   Out of all the people involved in the Christmas story I find the Magi some of the most interesting. We don't know how many of them there were. We don't know where they came from. We don't know what religion they followed. We refer to them as kings, but they were just astrologers. Granted, they were astrologers who were rich enough to buy expensive gifts but astrologers, nonetheless. These men saw a different star in the east, knew that it was a sign of the King of the Jews, got gifts for him, dropped everything they were doing, traveled for who knows how long to find the King, went to Herod who was not the nicest man, finally found who they were looking for, gave him gifts, and left.
   It seems a bit anti-climactic doesn't it? They spent all that time and money just to spend a bit of time with Jesus. Do you think they thought it was worth it? It may be difficult for you to answer that question from their perspective so let me ask you a different question: would you have dropped everything to follow the star?
Before I continue pause and actually answer that question honestly please. Think about the fact that it is going to cost you time and money to follow a star. Think about the fact that you don't know when that star is going to go away so if you are going to follow it you had better do it soon. Think about the fact that there is no guarantee that you will actually find the King of the Jews.... Would you still follow the star?
   New question: what if that star was Jesus? Would you follow the star if it was Jesus? You still will lose time and money, but you will be giving it up for Jesus. You will get to see Jesus. I believe that's why the wise men decided to drop everything and follow that star. They wanted the chance to see Jesus, even if it was just for a day.
   Many of us have wondered what it would be like to meet Jesus face to face. Well, we may not see Jesus face to face on this earth; but, if we have accepted Jesus as our savior, we will see him in eternity. But once we accept Christ, our job isn't done. We must continually choose to follow Christ each day. Matthew 16:24 says: "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'"
   I must wonder if the Wise Men understood this verse even before Jesus said it. They dropped everything to follow the star. They denied themselves comfort, money, time, etc. Just to follow a star in order to see Jesus.
   Nowadays we say that Christmas is about Jesus' birth. However, I feel we tend to forget that with all the decorating, present buying, crafting, parking space issues, caroling, and general hustle and bustle of Christmas. We forget with all that going on that Jesus is the star of Christmas. He is the reason why we celebrate. He is the reason we have hope, peace, joy, and love in our lives. He is the reason why we are saved through God's grace. Why shouldn't we want to deny ourselves to follow Him?
   This Christmas day I encourage you to take some time to ponder if you are truly following Christ. Are you choosing each day to deny yourself to follow Him and show others His love? If you are not, what are you going to do to remember to follow Him each day?
   Matthew 2, Matthew 16:24

   Here is a little video to remind you about how Jesus is the Star of Christmas: https://youtu.be/WjIGPSIFEBA

It's About the Cross

   It’s About the Cross is a song by Go Fish. The song talks about how Christmas isn’t just about the manger, angles, shepherds, star, or wise men. Christmas is about the cross. We celebrate Christmas as the day that Jesus came to earth as a baby. God sent his Son down to be a human so that he could be with us forever.

   The whole Bible is a love letter to us. The Bible centers around the story of Jesus. Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. God made the law to show that no one can be holy and perfect. God cannot be with anything that is not holy so he required blood sacrifices as atonement for sins. That is, until God sent the perfect sacrifice.

   See, Christmas is great. It is the start of Jesus’ story on earth. It is the start of our redemption. But, if Jesus wouldn’t have completed his work on the cross we wouldn’t have the greatest gift of eternal life with God. Matthew 20:28 says: “Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Without Jesus’ ultimate act of service we would perish.

   That’s why we need to thank God for what he did for us. Not only that, but we need to share this message with others as well. Matthew 28:19 says: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We need to share the news that God loves everyone. He does not want anyone to perish. He wants all to come to him.

   As the season comes to a close I encourage you to remember that the Christmas story is great, but it’s only the beginning. Without the cross the work isn’t complete. I also encourage you to spread the good news with those around you.

   It’s about the Cross by Go Fish (video here).

   Image from here.

All I Want for Christmas Is You

   All I Want For Christmas Is You is a song about a woman singing all she wants for Christmas is a certain person. All she wants is that person. She doesn’t want any presents. Christmas is a time where we think of gifts. When we think of those gifts we usually think of things. We don’t usually think of wanting a person. However, this song proves that sometimes all you want/need is one special person.

   If you were to sing this song, who would you sing it about? Would you sing it about your child, significant other, or a relative that lives far away? Hopefully, some of you see where I am going with this. The only person that we need in our lives is Jesus. All of the things on earth are temporary. If we don’t have Jesus we will perish.

   John 14:6 says: “Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" There is no other way we can have eternal life. We should be singing All I Want for Christmas Is You about Jesus. If we are not singing it we are going to perish. God loves us so much that he sent his Son to die for us. John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God loves us that much that he would give us the greatest gift. He gave us his Son.

   This Christmas I encourage you to think about what God has done for you. He has blessed you with everything you have. He has also given you eternal life. All you need to do is choose to accept his gift.

   All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey (video here).

   Image from here.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

   We Wish You a Merry Christmas is a song about wishing others a merry Christmas, go figure. It is a song we typically hear and think of during Christmas. It is a short song and one that we may get tired of hearing by now in the season. By this time kids are hyped up, which mean you probably are dead tired because you have to keep up with them. Also, traffic is horrible. Christmas music and movies have been playing for almost 2 months and you may be saying “can this just be over?”

   This is when we need a reminder of why we celebrate Christmas. Luke 2:8-14 says:

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

   This is the reason we celebrate Christmas. We celebrate because God sent his Son to be our savior. We can have joy through the crazy commercialized Christmas nowadays because we know that that’s not what Christmas is really about. Christmas is celebrating that God came to save us. That’s why we can still sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas with joy even though we may be tired of the Christmas crazy.

   I encourage you to remember the reason for the season; and to have an attitude of joy through the crazy.

   We Wish You a Merry Christmas by the Muppets (video here).

   Image from here.

Jingle Bells

   Jingle Bells is a song about riding in a sleigh. It sounds like a merry time. Few of us have actually taken a ride in a sleigh pulled by a horse. I know I have not. However, I have seen some movies where people do take rides in sleighs pulled by horses. Many times those people enjoy the sights. They get to slow down, see the Christmas lights, see the snow, and cozy up with a blanket.

   Jingle Bells reminds us to slow down. You may be thinking “how does a song about loud bells help us remember to be silent and have solitude? I am up to my neck in Christmas crazy right now.” That’s the point. Around this time of the season many people are fed up with Christmas. That’s why, when we start to feel overwhelmed, we need to stop. We need to slow down, take some time for ourselves, and spend time with God.

   Matthew 6:6 says: “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” This verse is hard for some of us to follow. It is especially difficult when we are very busy, like around Christmas. That’s why we may need to carve out time for just relaxing. If we don’t slow down and spend time with God, then we run the risk of burnout and hurting those we love.

   So, I encourage you to spend time in silence and solitude this week. Take some time to read the Bible. You could even refresh your memory on the Christmas story. Just make sure you take time for you and God so that you can be ready to face the Christmas crazy.

   Jingle Bells by Oh My Genius (video here).

   Image from here.

Deck the Halls

   Deck the Halls is about decorating for Christmas. The song talks about being jolly and merry. Some people love decorating for Christmas, others tolerate it, and some just don’t like it period. I enjoy decorating for the most part. However, sometimes it can be a pain. Sometimes it just becomes something else I need to add to my list. Sometimes it just makes my family argue instead of focus on how lucky we are to have each other. What does the Bible say about how we are to feel about decorating?

   The Bible doesn’t specifically say anything about decorating for Christmas, or even Christmas in general. However, it does talk about how we are to do tasks in our everyday lives. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

   When we get the lights out and they are all tangled it gives us a headache, is our attitude showing that we are doing this to reflect God’s glory? When the mixer and oven both are not working when we are making Christmas cookies, is our attitude showing that we are doing this to reflect God’s glory? When the tape isn’t cooperating when we are wrapping presents, is our attitude showing that we are doing this to reflect God’s glory?

   It’s not always easy to have a good attitude when things are not going the way you expect. If we don’t have a good attitude then we won’t be reflecting God’s glory. This Christmas I encourage you to remember that when you are decking your halls that you are not just doing it to make it look nice or have fun, you are doing that to reflect God’s glory.

   Deck the Halls by Reliant K (video here).

   Image from here.

12 Days of Christmas

   The song The 12 Days of Christmas is about a person giving his true love gifts each day. Each day the girl would receive gifts from her true love. This song reminds us to give gifts to others.

   We all have gifts. And, around this time of year especially, we think about giving and receiving gifts to and from others. However, sometimes I think we focus too much on receiving gifts instead of giving them. And, if we do think of giving them, we may also think about what we will get in return.

   Matthew 25: 35-40 says: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

   Jesus calls us to give to others. It is true that people cannot always repay us for what we give them. But, that’s not why we should give gifts to them. We should give gifts because God calls us to. We should give gifts because that’s how we show love to others. We should give gifts because God gave us the greatest gift: his Son died for us so we could have eternal life.

   This Christmas when you hear the song The 12 Days of Christmas I encourage you to think about giving to others, without expecting anything in return.

   The 12 Days of Christmas Straight Note Chaser (video here).

   Image from here.

We Three Kings

   It is good to finally be back in the desert. I know that sounds odd but if you just dealt with what I dealt with you would know why I say that. It’s not that our journey didn’t have good things happen; actually the greatest thing happened in the world. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Who am I? I am one of the Magi.

   About two years ago I was looking up in the sky. You see, I enjoy watching the stars. I looked and I saw a new star had appeared. I conferred with my other Magi friends and we realized that this was the star of prophecy. The king of the Jews had been born. We set out immediately. We knew the journey would be long so we prepared our food and servants. We traveled at night and rested during the day. This helped us stay cool and helped us see where the star was.

   We arrived in Jerusalem. We decided to ask the ruler if he knew where the King of the Jews was. I thought that maybe the King would know where the child was. I was wrong. King Herod was a proud man. He talked like he actually cared about the child but my friends and I could see the greed and jealousy behind his eyes. But, who were we to judge this king? Herod asked us many questions and we answered him to the best of our ability. Then Herod told us that the child would be in Bethlehem. He asked us to come back to him after we found the child because he wanted to worship him too.

   We hastened our way to Bethlehem. The star went ahead of us. Finally, the star stopped. We were overjoyed. Then we saw the child. He looked about two years old now. We bowed down and worshiped him. This was the child of prophecy. This was the savior of the world. We were so amazed that we almost forgot our treasures for him. We opened the gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh. Then we left the family. Our journey was accomplished (Mat.2.1-12).

   We found a place to stay. While I was sleeping a dream came to me. I was told not to go back to Herod. I knew that my fears back in his palace were right. We returned to our country a different way.

   Looking back at it, people may have thought we were crazy to travel so far. We gave up our time, money, and treasures just for one glimpse of this savior. To me, it was worth it. This was the king of kings born and I got to see him face to face. For that, I would give up any treasure.

   So, would you give up time and money to see the savior? Will you go tell others about the gift God has given us?

   We Three Kings-Go Fish video

   Image from here.

Oh What a Glorious Night

   “Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God forever.” Oh, sorry I didn’t see you there. I was just singing praises to my Lord. I get to do that every day. Isn’t that amazing? That’s my purpose in life, to sing praises and glorify him. I’m an angel of the Lord.

   I had just finished singing praises to God. When I noticed Gabriel had just come back from his mission. God had us do our normal defending against demons but it had been a while since any of us had been called to show ourselves to humans. Gabriel told us he had gone to see a woman named Mary. She was going to have the son of God. Jesus was going to leave heaven to save the humans. We knew that God, in his infinite wisdom, was planning something from the beginning. He loved humans enough to save Adam and Eve from death right after they disobeyed Him. God is mysterious. We didn’t know what he was planning exactly but we knew it would be something great. One thing we did know was that God keeps his promises. Many prophesies would be brought about and soon (Dan.7.13-14, Ps.2.1-12. Is.7.14, 2 Sam.7.12-16, Genesis.3.15).

   The heavenly host were all amazed with God; then one day I received a mission. It turned out that the earthly father of the Son needed some encouragement. I visited Joseph in a dream and told him to take Mary as his wife. I could tell he was nervous about being the father of the son of God. If he wasn’t nervous I am sure God would not have chosen him. After the encouragement he was given, he married Mary.

   The day for Jesus to be born was getting closer. God had told us that we were going to have another special mission soon. We watched as Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem for the census. We could not imagine the pain that Mary was in but we knew that God had Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem to bring about the word of the prophets (Micah.5.2). Then, the child was born in an area meant for animals. God was born in one of the lowliest places on earth. Then God told us to visit some shepherds and tell them the news that the savior had been born. Never questioning God we went. We told them that the baby would be found in a manger and praised God. The shepherds found the baby then sang praises to God all the way back to their flock.

   I began to see God’s purpose in all of this. God is love. He loves these humans and he wants each of them to know that he loves them. Maybe that’s why he sent us to the people that humans believe had a lowly job: shepherds. He wants all to be redeemed so that he can be with them. We know that the son of God has a hard road ahead of him. According to the prophecies he will die a painful death. It really does prove how much God loves humans. He sent his son in the most humble way and knew that he would die all for love. That’s what should be celebrated about this day: love.

   So, do you realize that God sent his son out of love for you? God brought all of these events for our good. Do you believe that he has a plan for your life?

   Oh What a Glorious Night-Sidewalk Prophets video

   Image from here. 

The Shepherd's Praise

   The day started out like any other day. I was out in the field watching my flock. Of course, I had to defend them from a wolf that day, which was a little odd. Also, many people were in town for the census that Caesar called for. I was just thankful that I didn’t have to go anywhere because my family was from Bethlehem. However, a change of scenery may have been nice. It gets a little boring when all you do is watch sheep all day. Hi, I’m a shepherd.

   Now, before you go running off because I smell so bad and because I have a very underappreciated job hear me out. As I said, the day started out like any other. My shepherd friends and I were out watching the sheep. The sun had gone down a while ago and I was about to lay down for a nap while the other shepherds watched the flock. I had just shut my eyes when a bright light flashed. I thought one of my friends was playing a joke. Then I saw their faces. They looked frightened.

   I looked up in the sky and I saw why they were frightened. There was an angel of the Lord there. I fell on my face and covered my eyes. We had no idea why the angel was there. I wasn’t sure if we did something wrong. It had been so long since anyone wanted to talk to us, let alone an angel of the Lord. Then the angel said “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke.2.10-12). I was a tad overwhelmed. The Savior was a baby? And, he was in Bethlehem? I didn’t have long to be overwhelmed by that because suddenly there was a great company of angels praising God. Needless to say my friends and I stood there for a while after the angels had left with our mouths open.

   More questions came to my head. Why was the savior here? Why hadn’t anyone heard about it? Why were we the ones to hear about it? I shook these thoughts from my head. Why did those questions matter? They didn’t, all that mattered was that we had to find this baby. We left our flock, which is a big no, no for shepherds if you didn’t guess. But, it’s not every day you are told by angels that the savior was born. We searched the busy streets of Bethlehem. We had a good idea that he would not be in an inn because the angels told us that he was in a manger.

   Finally, one of my friends found him. He was in a place meant for animals. His father stood to make sure we meant him no harm, I assume. His mother was leaning over the manger. But, once I saw the baby I couldn’t take my eyes off him. This was the savior? I looked at him and he seemed to smile at me. I wondered what that baby was thinking. What would his future hold? Then I suddenly got the urge to do something I never do. I knew I had to tell everyone about what happened here tonight. I was usually very quiet because I was a shepherd and no one wanted to hear what a shepherd had to say. However, we shepherds were told about this child for a reason. The savior was here. We ran through the streets praising God and telling others that the savior had come. After a while we went back to our flocks.

   That night was so magical. I knew that God had great plans for this child. And, maybe he told us about it because that baby came to save us too. I realized that night that God cares for me. I think that’s why I risked losing everything to gain so much more. And, I’m glad I did.

   So, if God asked you to drop everything and do something, would you do it? Do you believe that God sent Jesus to save you?

   The Shepherd Song-Hearts of Saint video

   Image from here. 

Such a Strange Way to Save the World

   I was so excited; my wedding day was coming up. Soon I would get to marry Mary. She was such a kind woman and she loved the Lord. I knew she would make a great wife. Then one day my thoughts about her changed. Who am I? I am a simple carpenter from Nazareth. I am Joseph.
   The day started out like most. I was working in my workshop. But, my thoughts were not on the project I was working on. They were on Mary. The next thing I knew Mary was walking through the door. I was so happy to see her. I dropped what I was doing and ran over to embrace her. But, this embrace was different. She was holding back; no, did she seem larger? How could she seem larger in such a short time? I looked down and saw that Mary was pregnant?! I had so many questions but none of them came out of my mouth. 

   Mary told me that the child came to her by the Holy Spirit and that he would be the son of God. I was speechless. I had so many thoughts running in my mind. Could Mary be lying? She was a godly woman. I never thought she would do something like this out of wedlock. But, if she was telling the truth then that meant that, if I married her, I would raise the son of God. Why would I be worthy enough to raise the son of God? I was just a simple carpenter. I knew nothing about raising a king, let alone the son of God. But, if I didn't marry Mary she would be ruined. I could divorce her quietly that way she wouldn't be punished. That seemed like the best option so I divorced her quietly then and there. She looked crushed but I couldn't raise God's son.
   I left and went into my home. The home I was to share with Mary. I couldn't stop thinking about her and what she said. Mary was definitely worthy to have the son of God. She loved God with all her heart. But, it was strange that God's son would be born to a common girl. I could not sleep I was thinking about this so much. Finally my body gave way and I fell asleep. While I was sleeping an angel came to me in a dream. He told me, "Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife...She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus" (Mat.1.20-21). I woke up and realized I must do what God called me to do. I still didn't understand why God chose me; but who was I to question the will of God? I went to Mary and married her.
   Months went by and it was very close to the time for Mary to have the baby. Then we got the news that Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census would be taken. I really didn't want to to take Mary to Bethlehem, my family's home town, because it would be a hard journey. But, we knew that this must be part of God's plan. We packed up and headed to Bethlehem. The journey was rough, especially on Mary. I tried to make it as easy as I could for her. 

   We finally made it to Bethlehem and it was so crowded. I kept Mary with me as we tried to find an inn. Mary looked at me and told me it was time for the baby to come. I panicked. We had to find a place for her to have the baby. I ran from inn to inn but each time we got the same answer. There wasn't any room. We came to a place for animals that wasn't very crowded. It smelled horrible. I couldn't let the son of God be born there. I told Mary I would keep looking. She grabbed my cloak before I could run off and said the baby was coming now. I didn't like it, but she laid down and gave birth to the son of God there.
   When I first saw the baby I was in awe. He was so tiny. How could the son of God come like this? Then I touched his finger and he looked at me. It felt like he was looking into my very soul. I gave Mary the baby and she held him so gently. Then she wrapped him in cloth and laid him in the manger. I heard a noise as Mary was looking at the baby and stood ready to defend us. Shepherds walked in. They said they were told by angels that the Lord would be laying in a manger tonight. They bowed to the child then left praising God (Luke.2.1-20).
   Mary was quiet for a long time after that. I knew she was thinking about everything that happened. I was thinking about that too. It was all so strange. I never would have expected God to come as a baby in a manger. I also promised myself that I would take care of this child as best I could. Little did I know how many dangers were to come.
   So, do you ever feel unworthy to do something God calls you to do? Do you ever feel like you don't deserve God's grace? What can you do to encourage others who may feel unworthy?
   Such a Strange Way to Save the World video.

   Image from here.

Mary Did You Know?

   Imagine you were minding your own business, you know doing your chores during the day, and then suddenly you see a man in white. Then you realize it's not a man it's an angel. What would you do? That's the question I asked myself because I was visited by an angel one day. My name is Mary.
   Of course, you can imagine I was so frightened. It's not every day you have an angel come to you and say, "Greetings, to you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you" (Luke.1.28). I had no idea what this angel wanted with me. But he said, "Do not be afraid...You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus" (Luke.1.30-31). Needless to say I was shocked because I wasn't married yet. The angel reassured me that the Holy Spirit would be upon me and the child would be the son of God. Well, who was I to get in the way of God's plan? I am his servant after all.
   Now, I knew that soon I would start to show that I was pregnant so I went to see my cousin, Elizabeth. She was also with child and when she saw me she exclaimed that I was blessed for believing that I would have God's son. I was reassured and filled with joy that I was carrying God's son. I sang a song of praise to my Lord because he was bringing about his perfect plan.
   A while later I went home and told Joseph, my betrothed, everything that happened. He was amazed and frightened. He knew that I was pregnant, it was hard to miss. Joseph said he wanted to call off the marriage quietly. I was heartbroken. I wondered how this could be part of God's plan. Would I need to raise this child on my own? Many questions ran through my mind but I knew God's plan would come about. This child would be born one way or another and he would save us all. Joseph came back to me one day and said he was visited by an angel too. He said he wanted to go through with the wedding (Mat.1.18-25). I was relieved; I wouldn't have to go through this alone. For a time, I thought that we had gotten over our biggest mountain so to say. Boy, was I wrong.

   Caesar Augustus was the ruler of our land. He called for a census. Joseph told me we would have to travel to Bethlehem for it. I could see the worry in his eyes. I was very pregnant at the time. I was also scared but I knew this was part of God's plan. We packed up and left. The road was hard, and painful, but I just kept saying to myself that God's plan would come about.
   We reached Bethlehem and the place was packed! I could hardly step anywhere without accidentally bumping into someone. Then I realized that the baby was coming. You should have seen Joseph's face. He went running about from inn to inn looking for a place for me and the baby. But, there was not any space left. Finally, we found a small space meant for animals. Joseph said this is not the place for the son of God to be born. But, I said, "this baby is coming now!" I can't remember ever being in so much pain.
   Then, in one moment the pain stopped. I saw the child, the son of God, look up at me. He was so precious. His eyes were so loving and I thought I could see power in this child. I carefully wrapped him in cloth and I laid the son of God in a manger, no less.
   I watch the child with wonder. Then I looked up and saw some shepherds come to us. They told me that angels had told them to find a baby in a manger. That baby is Christ, the Lord. They bowed down and worshiped Jesus. I could hardly speak, much less comprehend why these things happened this way. The shepherds left and I could hear them praising God all the way. It was an amazing journey, that was just beginning.
   Did I know what would happen next? No, but I knew this child would do great things. I was just honored to be a small part of his story.
   Do you trust in God's plan when the road is hard? Do you believe that Christ did great things and God is still doing great things?
   Mary Did You Know-Pentatonix song.

   Image from here. 

Love the Simple Things: Christmas

   The other day I was sitting at home alone. I had just finished up working on a PowerPoint for my K5 class and was sitting on the couch sipping coffee and watching a Christmas movie.
   At first I was just sipping it slowly and then I thought about all of the other things I had to get done that day. I began to drink my coffee faster. Then a thought occurred to me: why was I drinking my coffee so fast all of the sudden?
   I have been watching Christmas movies where people either don't care enough about family and the simple pleasures in life, or where people care too much about those things. And, I have also been reading books about slowing down and enjoying the simple things; because if we don't enjoy the simple things how can we truly enjoy the major things?
   During Christmas time we have a tendency to rush, rush, rush. We need to get the presents. We need to decorate our house. We need to get things done for our job. We need to cook the meal for family. We begin to feel overwhelmed and forget that Christmas is also a time to slow down and think.
   Way back when the first Christmas came to pass Joseph and Mary needed to get to Bethlehem. There was no room at the Inn so they had to stay in a simple stable. Then when Jesus was born he was laid in a simple manger. These were not extravagant things, but they became important items in Jesus' life. 

   Next, it wasn't anyone super important who came to see our Savior first. It was the people who were considered the lowest of the low, shepherds. They were told by the angels to go see the baby, Jesus. The shepherds could've said "we will go as soon as we get this done." Or, "we don't have time to go see a baby because we have to watch our sheep." They didn't do that though. They got up and went to see the baby. 
   They realized something we don't nowadays. That the simple pleasures bring major joy. They went to see a baby that wasn't extraordinary on the outside, but was extraordinary on the inside. They went to a simple stable and saw a baby laying in a manger. An odd way for a baby to come into the world, yes; but, nothing was really extraordinary about any of the simple items or people in this story. However, now those people and items are so special and remind us about how Jesus came to the world as one of us. His story wouldn't be complete without these things and people.
   This Christmas I encourage you to slow down and enjoy the simple things that happen this season. We have a tendency to look forward to the major events but not the little events that led up to those events. Yet, if you ask people what are their fondest memories they tend to say little events. Take a lesson from the shepherds and choose to push work off to the side for a little so you can enjoy big events with your family. 
   So, will you choose to slow down and enjoy the simple things? Will you reflect on how simple events/things can become extraordinary?

   Romans 8:25, Philippians 4:6, Luke 2

Christmas From the Perspective of a Child

   Last Christmas Eve I sat in the back of my church watching all the people walk in. it was dark except for the Christmas lights up front and the light from the candles around the church. Before the service started I was reading, but then I looked up. I saw one of my preschoolers. She looked at me shyly, put one hand up to her mouth, and the other hand quickly grabbed for her mother’s hand. Her mom said, “look it’s Miss Scheuing. Are you going to say hi?” Quickly the little girl looked up at me and said “hi.” I smiled at her and said “hi, Merry Christmas.” Her family then sat in the pew diagonally in front of me.

   The service then began. During the service the little girl kept looking back at me. She also looked around the church. Finally I saw her staring at the manger. Her eyes seemed to be filled with wonder and excitement. I heard her ask her mom: “where is the baby Jesus?” Her mom explained that Jesus was coming the next day.

   I couldn’t help but smile at her childlike wonder. Here was a child not asking about when Santa was coming; but asking when Jesus was coming. I marveled at the innocence and wonder this child had on Christmas Eve. And then I wondered, when did I lose that innocence and wonder?

   I don’t know about you but I feel like sometimes we take the Christmas season and story for granted. We forget to have Childlike wonder toward a story that is the reason why we are saved. I feel like it is a sad fact that people forget the reason for the season; and how important it is that Jesus came. Because, without the manger and Jesus’ birth there would be no cross, without the cross there would be no tomb, without the tomb there would be no resurrection, without the resurrection there would be no salvation, and without salvation there would be no need for the second coming of Christ.

   We need to look at the Christmas story with wonder because it began the climax to the greatest story in history.

   So, how have you been viewing the story of Jesus’ birth? Do you still have childlike wonder when it comes to stories in the Bible?

   Matthew 18:3, Isaiah 9:6, Luke 2:7