Dec 24, 2020 | Inspiration
When Christmas Isn’t Joyful On the morning of December 14th, 2012, I sat by the soft glow of my Christmas tree in the pre-dawn stillness. The tranquility of the moment stood in direct contrast with the scene unfolding before me in scripture as I read Matthew chapter...
Dec 23, 2020 | Inspiration
An old man stoops and grabs a weathered hardback off the shelf. He handles the volume gently, careful not to disturb the fragile binding while returning to his favorite chair, glasses perched on his nose. As he slowly turns the yellowed pages, his eyes dart around the...
Dec 22, 2020 | Inspiration
Elizabeth sat on the ground, heels tucked beneath her, and kneaded the dough in the bowl in front of her. A strand of gray hair slipped from beneath her head covering and clung to the perspiration running down her temple. After a moment she grimaced, sat up straight,...
Dec 21, 2020 | Perspectives
I was sitting on a hillside in Israel when I first believed God loved me. I spent a good portion of my early life in church. My mother tells me I attended my first service when I was no more than two-weeks-old. After that, I was there for Sunday School, Sunday morning...
Dec 18, 2020 | Inspiration
If you listened to my Christmas playlist, you’d quickly get bored. It’s essentially every version of O Holy Night available on Spotify. Even though they’ve left out some verses, my favorite version is still the *NSYNC cover. Oh, holy night! The stars are brightly...
Dec 17, 2020 | Uncategorized
The word “nativity” is derived from the Latin nativus, which means “arisen by birth.” Although technically we could use the word to describe any birth, it has become synonymous with the birth of Jesus. Nativities created as art, models, carvings, or even live...
Dec 16, 2020 | Inspiration
We are the reason for the season? It struck me while reading that popular Christmas phrase one more time. I know I’ve read it hundreds of times. “Jesus is the reason for the season.” But reading it this time made my head tilt to one side with one eye closed. “We are...
Dec 15, 2020 | Inspiration
There are many reasons and places to experience a first Christmas away from home. If you have, you understand. Have you thought of the first time anyone spent Christmas away from home – the very first time? Have you thought of Mary and Joseph in this way? ...
Dec 14, 2020 | Refreshment
When we hope for something, the timeline is usually very simple. We want whatever it is we’re hoping for, and we want it now. Or better yet, yesterday. The idea of spending days, much less years, patiently hoping for something sounds nearly unbearable. This is why a...
