A Response to the Christmas Story

Responses, we all have them. It's how we act, or react, in a given situation. In the Christmas story, There are many different reactions. Mary and Joseph humbly accepted the news of the baby Jesus without questions. The story says that Mary was troubled- I think terrified would be an appropriate word- yet they submit to God's plan for them. Mary "treasured all these things that happened in her heart." She, as a parent, never forgot that day, but she thought about them. I imagine, she wanted to understand; to see the big picture. Herod heard the news of the birth of a king and was "greatly troubled." His reaction was to kill all the boys in the vicinity that were under three years old. He was upset, and he made everyone else upset as well. He was not going to let someone else be king. And what of the innkeepers, who had no place for the baby and turned them away; leaving Mary and Joseph to have their baby in a stable. Their reaction is cold and indifferent. Perhaps it was just a fact; there was no room. Perhaps, they could not be bothered to make extra room for a couple of young parents with little money. Either way, their response was to shut them out; just ignore the situation in hopes that it will go away. The shepherds also heard about the birth of a baby in Bethlehem. Their response was quite different. They left their sheep, their livelihood, and went to see the baby. They went back to their fields rejoicing that they had seen this miracle. The response of the shepherds is priceless. They were excited and joyful that this baby had been born. The Magi, when they saw the star, traveled for miles so they could see the one who was born, "King of the Jews." They knew what the star meant and came to worship him. I am not sure if any of them completely understood the implications of the baby born on that first Christmas, but each of them had a life changing Christmas. Yes, I imagine even Herod's life was changed, not necessarily for good, He wanted no part of Christmas, but I bet he never forgot that day. Jesus is still changing lives today and all of us at some point is brought to the stable and we must decide how we will respond to Jesus. How will you respond?

Celebrate the Child
Celebrate the Child who is the Light
Now the darkness is over
No more wandering in the night
Celebrate the Child who is the Light

You know this is no fable
Godhead and manhood became one
We see He's more than able
And so we live to God the Son

First born of creation
Lamb and Lion, God and Man
The Author of Salvation
Almighty wrapped in swaddling bands

Thank you God for Leading us

Thank you God for how you lead us. Like a shepherd leading his sheep. Sometimes through the words you spoke in the Bible, your written word. at other times, it was the wise words from friends, coworkers,or neighbors spoken at just the right time. Still other times it was a gentle tug, a whisper to our heart to move in one direction or another; intuition or a sixth sense that one way or another was right or wrong Yet, when I listened and obeyed I found the way was clear, distinct and easy to follow. You never leave us to guess which way to go. ...

Grow Old Gracefully

I’d like to tell you about a lady I visited yesterday. She is ninety-five years young. She recently moved into nursing home. She asked one of the workers how many times she would have to walk around the outside of the building in order to walk a mile. She said the person told her about ten. Then she leaned in really close and whispered, “I walked around twelve just to be sure I walked a mile.” Hahahaha! What a lady! She loves to keep active, even in a nursing home. As we talked, I saw no anger or bitterness in her speech or actions. There was only a love for God, a heart of compassion, and a sense of humor. She has befriended the one "prickly pear" at the home because as she said, “I have to love her, so she knows Jesus loves her too.” Wow!!! I need to live like that! I want to show that much compassion for those around me that need Jesus. She loved to talk about God and what he was teaching her. ...

What’s That Smell?

To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. 2Corinthians 2:16 Last break! The shift was almost over. Then the unthinkable happened, this man appeared out of nowhere wanting to know where the flashlights were kept. As we were on our way to the flashlights, I noticed that this man had a very strong odor. I thought perhaps I could get in front of him so that the smell would not be as strong. That, however, was not to be either since; he insisted on keeping pace and walking right beside me. By the time we got to where the flashlights were; I was practically running just to keep ahead of him. I showed him the flashlights and made a hasty exit. If you’re like me, you shower and even put on perfume or cologne so that you will not stink. We are concerned that the smell coming from our body is not offensive to others. As I write this, I wonder if we are as concerned with our spiritual aroma as ...

Inspirations

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