Tagged: Christmas

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  When Joseph woke from sleep, he… Read More

The angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you!” Luke 1:28 In honor-shame cultures throughout history, women have been honor-burden bearers for their families, tribes, and nations. Men have served as honor guards. Honor-bearers and honor guards have learned their roles from childhood. Avoid shame at all costs. Preserve the honor of the group by doing your part. This is the essence of the honor-shame worldview.  Mary knew her role, even as a young girl. By all cultural standards, she was a beacon of honor. Like other Jewish girls her age, Mary carefully maintained this position in her family and community by doing the expected things: following religious law, fulfilling household duties, and accepting her family’s careful arrangement of… Read More

He will stand and shepherd his flock     in the strength of the Lord,     in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness     will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be our peace (Micah 5:4, 5). Our Peace is a person. His name is Jesus, and His coming was foretold by the prophet Micah, whose name in Hebrew means “Who is like Yahweh?” Micah was a contemporary of the better-known prophet Isaiah, who magnificently prophesied about the Prince of Peace who would be also be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and the Everlasting Father (See Isaiah 9, and click here to read 55 Old Testament prophesies of Jesus.) What Micah and… Read More

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured…so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:2-3). I discovered an early Christmas gift this week, tucked away in the pages of Hebrews. Jesus wrapped it Himself for each of us in His own humanity when He was born on Christmas Day. And this is a gift we need now more than ever. Jesus learned Endurance from the moment He took his first frosty breath as a newborn, gulping in the frigid night air of a stable in Bethlehem.… Read More

[caption id="attachment_3700" align="aligncenter" width="596"] For my mother-in-love, a Master Gardener who taught me the fruitful practice of hard pruning.[/caption] I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful (John 15:1-2). Well, it seems we are all going to have a holly, jolly, pruning Christmas. The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines pruning in various degrees: trim (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to increase fruitfulness and growth. cut away (a branch or stem). reduce the extent of (something) by removing superfluous or unwanted parts. December is a bit… Read More

For my mentor, her family, and all who hurt this holiday season. The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). No one wants to spend the holidays in a hospital.  No one ever wishes to spend Thanksgiving planning a loved one’s funeral.  No one ever chooses to spend Christmas unwrapping bandages instead of gifts, tending wounds instead of Christmas dinner. Wounds on their child’s burned body so deep they don’t even bleed. Such thoughts are horrifying. But they are a reality for many people this holiday season. The word holiday derives from the old English “holy-day”. How ironic for those who hurt on the holidays, those in excruciating circumstances they never chose. How could a day meant… Read More

Lord, how magnificent is your reputation throughout the earth! You reveal your majesty in the heavens above.Psalm 8:1 (Jesus), being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.Philippians 2:6-8 In the quiet night sounds of the little town of Bethlehem, among softly rustling sheep and the gentle munching of hay, the God of all Creation laid aside His magnificent reputation.  In the prickly straw of a manger, He yielded His praise.  Within rough-hewn homespun… Read More

And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.1 Kings 19:7 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.Matthew 2:13 Sometimes the journey is just too great for us. We would never be able to make it without supernatural intervention.  Both the… Read More

It was Christmastime in a land far from home, I was expecting our third child, and my sense of smell was working overtime. Nauseated and homesick, my attitude was anything but joyful. I was pretty sure I was inadequate for the tasks in front of me at that time in my life, and a sick pregnancy was not helping me feel courageous or motivated.  Bundling up one afternoon, I sought solace and fresh air outdoors where I could ruminate alone with my thoughts. The small dirt path behind our bungalow wound up and over a hill, inviting me to explore. I climbed the hill slowly, avoiding the mud. Rounding a bend I came upon a rudimentary stable where a despondent donkey and two wooly sheep huddled… Read More

@audreycfrank Tears streamed down her face as she tried to explain between sobs what was causing her so much woe.  “Jusdhat siadillf mmmeisgah wumph!” I do not speak Sobbing Hiccup very fluently, and I truly had no idea what was making my child so upset. One minute we were driving happily down the road on a sunny afternoon, talking about Christmas. The next thing I knew she was unintelligible and crying her eyes out. Turning my rearview mirror so I could look directly at her splotchy sweet face, I implored, “Calm down, and tell me what is wrong.” “I-I-I-I’m a bad girl. I know I am on the naughty list! And now I won’t get any presents on Christmas morrrrrrnnnnning,” she wailed. I took a… Read More