How Could It Be?

The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 

“Joseph, son of David, 
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.

For it is through the Holy Spirit 
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, 
because he will save his people from their sins.”

It's the Fourth Sunday of Advent.  Christmas is almost upon us!  Today, I am considering Joseph.  He had all kinds of choices before him.  He could have abandoned Mary, sent her away, shamed her.  But, no, he held true to his commitment to her, he stood firm in his love for her, even in circumstances that probably seemed beyond belief to him.  
Joseph had to have great faith and trust in his God  as he ventured into this journey with Mary.  As parents we often feel inadequate to deal with all that life puts in front of us with our children - how much more would these feelings be magnified if we were raising the Son of God!  What an honor!  What a responsibility!  What a gift! 
Perhaps the song below, "Joseph's Song" by Michael Card, expresses some of the emotions that Joseph must have felt.

REJOICE!

The Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally Rejoice Sunday!  We light the pink candle in the Advent Wreath!  One reading the weekend is from Isaiah 35....

1The wilderness and the parched land will exult;
the Arabah will rejoice and bloom;2Like the crocus it shall bloom abundantly,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
They will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.3Strengthen hands that are feeble,
make firm knees that are weak,4Say to the fearful of heart:
Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
With divine recompense
he comes to save you.5Then the eyes of the blind shall see,
and the ears of the deaf be opened;6Then the lame shall leap like a stag,
and the mute tongue sing for joy.
For waters will burst forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the Arabah.7The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water;
The abode where jackals crouch
will be a marsh for the reed and papyrus.8A highway will be there,
called the holy way;
No one unclean may pass over it,
but it will be for his people;
no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray on it.9No lion shall be there,
nor any beast of prey approach,
nor be found.
But there the redeemed shall walk,10And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
They meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning flee away.

As I read these words, I'm reminded of the song "Blest Are They" by David Haas.  We have reason to be joyful.  Walking beside us, even sometimes carrying us, is Jesus through our joys and our sorrows.  What I may see as a hindrance or something that holds me back, God sees as a chance for redemption and freedom for my soul!  Life is not going to be entirely good or bad...it's a mixture of both.  We are human, we were created as imperfect individuals.  Can we live with the duality of the light and darkness found in our lives?  Do we know that Jesus' forgiveness and redemption can encompass it all?

Advent!

We enter into the season of Advent today.  There are so many images, phrases and feelings that come to my mind when I think of Advent.  I made the Wordle above for an artistic rendition.  How do you think the Nativity story would have played out if Mary and Joseph had been on Face Book?  The video below has been around for awhile, but I still enjoy watching it.  I also love the music, O Come Emmanuel, by Folk Angel, Hope you will also!

The Christmas Story

This is delightful! The story of Christmas as told by the children of St Paul's Church, Auckland, New Zealand.

Gentle Woman

Luke 1:39-45New International Version (NIV) Mary Visits Elizabeth

 ³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, ⁴⁰ where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

What an honor it would have been to know Mary personally.  To be able to visit with her, share pregnancy stories, prepare for the impending birth, share fears and joys of this new venture of motherhood!  I bet she is right there beside all of us mothers as we bear and raise our children, praying for us as we make our way through parenting. 

But the rejection will force honesty...

Luke 2:25-35

The Message (MSG)

^25-32 In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God:

God, you can now release your servant;
    release me in peace as you promised.
With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation;
    it’s now out in the open for everyone to see:
A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations,
    and of glory for your people Israel.

^33-35 Jesus’ father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words. Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother,

This child marks both the failure and
    the recovery of many in Israel,
A figure misunderstood and contradicted—
    the pain of a sword-thrust through you—
But the rejection will force honesty,
    as God reveals who they really are.

Jesus' birth brings with it contradiction.  Pain will bring honesty, sorrow will bring joy, rejection will bring love and acceptance, poverty will bring the Kingdom of God, death will bring LIFE!  Often in my life things have happened that seem to be negative, hurtful, painful.  Yet, so often, as I travel through the pain, learn from it, make it my own experience, it is then that the gift of life is given.  It is then that the phoenix rises out of the ashes.  It is then that the power of the Risen Christ is revealed.  Jesus' earthly life ends in crucifixion - but that is not the whole story, is it?  His resurrection is the REAL story, who HE REALLY IS!  Jesus, you are my life, my joy, my reason for living!  Thank you for the assurance of everlasting life in YOU!

Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord!

Estes Park, CO, 2011

Isaiah 2:1-52The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 
² In days to come
   the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
   and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
³   Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
   to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
   and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
   and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
⁴ He shall judge between the nations,
   and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
   and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
   neither shall they learn war any more. 
⁵ O house of Jacob,
   come, let us walk
   in the light of the Lord!

What a beautiful place, the mountains!  Beautiful in the peak of summer fruitfulness as well as the white of winter snow blankets.  I always think of the opening scene of the Sound of Music....green hillsides, God's beauty everywhere!  What a perfect environment to praise and learn God's ways! If our world leaders could all meet, together, on a mountaintop, and learn together God's ways, take them into their hearts, then perhaps "nation shall not life up sword against nation" and we would all be truly walking in the light of the Lord!

A Light has dawned

14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." ---Matthew 4:14-16

 A sunrise is a beautiful thing.  What is the sunrise in my own life?  I think we probably have many sunrises throughout life - as we learn, grow in faith and maturity, more and more of ourselves is given to God's will.  For me, it took many years to realize that I am not in control of things around me.  I am not responsible for everyone else's happiness.  God is ALWAYS in control.  The assurance of putting my life in His hands, of accepting His love and security, that is my sunrise.

The Shepherds....

Luke 2:8-20
New International Version (NIV)
⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Can you imagine, being in your field, farming or herding cattle and suddenly angles appear??  I wonder if the shepherds at first thought that aliens were approaching!  It's just not something that a person expects to happen!   We read about angels, we talk about angels, we believe in angels, we even make snow angels!  But it is rare that we actually SEE and HEAR from one!

They must have felt totally excited with the news that the angels brought!  I am sure they told this story over and over to their friends in years to come...one never knows what excitement God has in store for us!  And we can also, as Mary, treasure these things, ponder them, in our hearts!

Here's a video of  my granddaughter Mia, making a snow angel!
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/117564377025764584502/albums/5560258158497897377/5560258355870633218

Then there is Joseph...

Matthew 1:18-25

New International Version (NIV)

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

 ¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

 Joseph must have been a man of GREAT faith and trust in God.  And he LISTENED to God.  He was an honorable man, wanting to protect the reputation of Mary...yet what God asked of him was even more...to trust that God was at work in Mary, that she was actually bringing into the world the Son of God!  What a responsibility that would have been for him as well!  To be the earthly father to this little baby...to be the spouse of a woman as holy at Mary.  It seems that God was asking quite a lot of Joseph, yet, he didn't argue or procrastinate!  He took the responsibility that was given to him, and lived his life in service of his God!

SING!

Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel!  Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has cast out your enemies.  The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more.On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:  "Do not fear, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. --Zephaniah 3:14-17

What an appropriate verse for today!  Tonight our students at school perform our Christmas concert!  There is not a better way to celebrate, I think, than by singing!  "When you sing you pray twice" is a phrase we have heard, and I think it's true!  When I am singing, my heart is alive, is full.  My entire being is praising God!  As we all sing in celebration this Christmas season, our hearts are lifted in praise and thanksgiving for the gift of Jesus, our Savior.  Thank you, Lord, for the gift of music, and especially the gift of song!

REJOICE SUNDAY!

The Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally Rejoice Sunday!  We light the pink candle in the Advent Wreath!  We are rejoicing at the anticipation of the upcoming birth of Christ!  One of the readings for today comes from Isaiah 12:2-6....

     God indeed is my salvation;

I am confident and unafraid.

For the LORD is my strength and my might,

and he has been my salvation.

With joy you will draw water

from the fountains of salvation,

And you will say on that day:

give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;

Among the nations make known his deeds,

proclaim how exalted is his name.

Sing praise to the LORD for he has done glorious things;

let this be known throughout all the earth.

Shout with exultation, City of Zion,

for great in your midst

is the Holy One of Israel!

We will rejoice today!  Many opportunities present themselves to us during this holiday time - concerts, plays, gatherings.  As you enjoy these activities, remember, it is Christ that is the reason for rejoicing!

The stone...has become the Cornerstone

1 Peter 2:5-9

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁵ you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

⁷ So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”

⁸ and

“A stone of stumbling,
    and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

⁹ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

We made stones this summer.  As you can see by looking closely below, they don't always come out of the mold perfectly!  Sometimes they break, they are imperfect. Perhaps those broken stones would have been rejected by some.  After all, there were those that came out of the molds perfectly!  Why keep those others around?  Instead, we repaired, we painted, we made beautiful all of the stones, even those with injuries.  The girls took pride in their creations.

Jesus was rejected, put to shame...yet He did not succumb to those voices.  Instead, he literally rose above it all.  He is our cornerstone, our light, our life.  When we ourselves are rejected, we do not have to accept that verdict. We can choose to make our lives a spiritual cornerstone to a house (life) dedicated to doing God's will.

The Light...just a little while longer

John 12:35-36
New International Version (NIV)
³⁵ Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light,before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. ³⁶ Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

When I read this, I thought of my husband, Jerry, and his farming.  I know that many times, he works "till dark" when in a tractor that doesn't have lights.  Usually there is some sense of urgency to his as well.  Something needs to be planted, tilled, harvested before the weather changes, or before an insurance deadline, or before he has to be gone somewhere.  A person, of course, can continue to work after dark, but without good lighting, it's a guessing game if you are going in a straight line!  

You might look out a month later to some very crooked rows of crop coming up!  Or see strips of grain that didn't get harvested!  Many combines and tractors these days do have pretty good lights on them.  But if you happen to be working with one that does not, the LIGHT from the sun is of great importance.  It's not wise to delay in getting the job done, or in trying to finish the job in a sloppy way.  

The light is with us only so many hours of our day.  Jesus was on this earth for only a short time.  I wonder how many regretted not taking advantage of His Light while he was physically there!?  Jesus is with us now, also...do I take advantage of His Light in my life?  Our moments here are fleeting...

Wake up, sleeper!!!

Ephesians 5:6-14

New International Version (NIV)

⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷ Therefore do not be partners with them.

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.¹² It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. ¹⁴ This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”

Many of the readings this Advent talk about WAKING UP!  Wake up to those around me who are in need...HELP THEM!  Wake up to what is important in my life...PRIORITIZE!  Wake up to who is Lord of my life...HONOR HIM!  Wake up to my own shortcomings....CONFESS THEM!  Wake up to the beauty around me....ENJOY IT!  

WAKE UP!

Psalms 119:105-106

Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to observe they righteous ordinances.

If I am to find my way through this life, I need to see my path!  How can I do this?  By reading God's Word, and saving it to my heart!  What better way to prepare for the celebration of Christ's birth!

To dwell in the house of the LORD!

“The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? ...

Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war should rise against me,
In this I will be confident.

One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple."

Psalm 27:1-4

No matter what the circumstances, my strength lies in the Lord.  That is all that matters.  To know that my anchor, my light, my safety, lies in Jesus, my Savior. 

Psalms 43:3-6

Psalms 43:3-6

3 Oh send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me, let them bring me to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling!

4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise thee with the lyre, O God, my God.

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.

God's light is within ME!  I don't need to go searching for it, it's here already!  How can I use that Light and Truth to lead my own life in better service?

Luke, Chapter 3

The Preaching of John the Baptist.1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.3 He went throughout [the] whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,4as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one crying out in the desert:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

make straight his paths.

5Every valley shall be filled

and every mountain and hill shall be made low.

The winding roads shall be made straight,

and the rough ways made smooth,

6and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

We hear from John the Baptist this morning!  Prepare!  Make straight!  Sometimes (a lot of the time) I need to slow down, and take the time to prepare!  Take time to reflect, to pray, to LISTEN.  My world is filled with activity and people.  What I need at times, though, is SILENCE.  Silence to wait, to listen to what God is saying.

Take time to be silent.  To listen.  Here is Waiting In Silence, produced by Matt Kawei Studio.

The LORD will be your everlasting LIGHT!

Isaiah 60:19-22 (New International Version)

19 The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. 20 Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. 21 Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. 22 The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly."

 

I love beautiful sunsets and sunrises!  Does this verse mean they are to one day be no more?  That would be the assumption in physical, human terms...but what does it mean for my SOUL? "The LORD will be your everlasting light"?? 

 Light=Peace.  Confidence.  Love. Patience.  Calm.  Truth.  Kindness.  Integrity.  Joy.  Gentleness.  Self-control.  This is what it looks like when the LORD is my LIGHT!