The End of the World

So it is supposed to end today. The world, that is. A rather drastic interruption to a month of  blog posts about beginnings.

Or it would be. But really, it's not happening.

Be ready. Always be ready. Because Jesus is coming.

But there is no particular indication that he is coming today. Could be today, could be tomorrow. Could be 40 years. Could be a thousand.

We don't know and Jesus said we wouldn't know. He also said not to be deceived. So I like this meme. Memes used to be for Monday's on this blog and maybe I'll get back to that. But this one is for today. Jesus does have feelings, being real and all. I suppose that false predictions of the end would bother him.

Are you ready for the end of the world? Whenever it might come?

This Year's Creche

Every year, I write a post about the creche Jordan puts together for our home. Since he was four years old, Jordan has set up the manger scene for us. We've had some interesting ones.

Jordan's Strange Creche
A Broken World ... Seeking Peace
Jordan's Creche for this Year 
Creche 2014 Edition
Jordan's Creche: 2015 Edition 

This year has another unusual narrative.

Mary and Joseph are in a small camp on one side of the room. They have lost the baby Jesus and are discussing how best to look for him.

Meanwhile, the manger is on the roof of the stable on the other side of the other side of the room. The donkey and the angels know where Jesus will be Christmas morning and are set to look after him, until his parents find him.









My son is definitely imaginative. This isn't the biblical Christmas narrative.


Then again, maybe what we should be doing this season is looking for the baby. Looking for Jesus.

A Very Merry Christmas 

to You and Yours!!

Meme-ic Monday: Memorial Day

I don’t know much about my Grand-Uncle Russell. He died in WWII long before I was born.

I do know that he was adopted, meaning that he joined my great-grandparents’ family. There were no formal or legal proceedings, because that wasn’t the way things were done then. Not all the time, anyway.

I know what he looked like as I have a picture of his army unit, each head shot displayed separately and labeled with a name.

I know that after he died he was laid out in my great-grandparent’s living room. Decades later I would play and visit in that room. I know that his birth parents attended his wake and funeral.

I know that it was in his honor that the Gold Star hung in the house.

I don’t know much about my Grand-Uncle Russell, but I do know that he died in war and so we honor him on Memorial Day. I also know the truth of this meme:

and this one:

On Memorial Day and always, let us honor the Fallen.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On Mondays, I will be posting and responding to memes, one each week. They will be ones that grab my attention, perhaps either resonate with me or annoy me. If you see a meme you would like me to react to, let me know.

Meme-ic Monday: When Syrian Refugees Move In

Refugees are big on the political scene and sometimes it's hard to remember that they are not "statistics" or "issues" but mothers, fathers, grandparents, teenagers, infants... people.

Many countries have blocked Syrian refugees or limited the number that can enter the country. They have done this for a number of reasons, but big among them is safety. There is a fear that DAESH members or other terrorists will slip in among them.



This meme captures attention by responding to people's fear... what should you do if Syrian refugees move into the neighborhood? There are those who would expect there then to be advice on how to protect yourself. But this means goes the other way. It calls us to reach out.

Subtly, with a picture of the Statue of Liberty, it reminds us that America has been a welcoming place for immigrants and refugees, whether they are fleeing hunger or hostile political regimes.

It also references a Biblical Parable: "The Good Samaritan," found in Luke 10. The statement is correct that we have the choice to be like the Samaritan or "some other guy." In Jesus's story, there were two other guys, both Jewish religious leaders, who walked on by. The Samaritan was the hero.

He also was unsure of the outcome when he intervened. The man who had been robbed may have been using the 1st century equivalent of ketchup to fake injuries. He may have harmed the one who tried to help. But the Samaritan helped anyway.



Back to those people who want to shut out refugees as a safety measure: that seems to be backfiring on them. DAESH (ISIS) is now taking advantage of the desperate situation of the tefugees and their sense of helplessness. They are recruiting in the refugee camps, promising great rewards. A man who can't feed is family is vulnerable to such advances. So policies that keep people out are leading to a more unsafe situation.

So let's be "Samaritans." For safety... and because we should.







Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jesse-andreozzi/turning-away-syrian-refugees-is-exactly-what-isis-wants_b_8585084.html
http://www.businessinsider.com/syrian-refugee-backlash-isis-2015-11
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/isis-terrorists-exploiting-migrant-crisis-6694992

Thoughts on a Prayer Service

I attended Evensong at Westminster Abbey yesterday. Pretty amazing, eh? I am very blessed to have this 10 days of visiting family and seeing important historical and literary places in England with my son. We will then, with my husband,  get to visit family all over England with a few more educational trips thrown in.

This amazing blessing shows how much I have. Which brings me back to Sung Evensong at Westminster Abbey.

The general confession from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer was read in unison. It goes like this:

O God, Our Father, , we have sinned against in thee in thought, word, and deed:. we have not loved thee with all our heart; we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. Have mercy upon us, we beseech thee; cleanse us from our sins; and help us to overcome our faults; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Later in the service we heard this reading from the New Testament:

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. ²⁰ At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹ and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
²² “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴ So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
²⁵ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
²⁷ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, ²⁸ for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
²⁹ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
³⁰ “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
³¹ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”



The juxtaposition struck me, especially in light of my "wealth." (I am a lower middle class American by income.Globally, that's a lot of wealth.) From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Time for prayer and loving my neighbor more.





CYC is a two week conference for high school teens on the beautiful southern coast of Maine. August 2-15. Check it out here.

Forgiveness: How?

Of all the "wh" questions, this is the one I struggle with most when it comes to forgiveness. I am a practical-minded person. I want concrete steps. The Bible doesn't get into detail about those, but it does point us in the right direction. There are other resources that I have found give good insight.

One, I just found. It's Wiki-Hows "How to Forgive." I like their suggestion of sending a blessing to the offender whenever the hurt they caused comes to mind. This can be through prayer and entirely unknown to them or you can wish them well with a card or an email, whatever is appropriate to your situation.

The idea to "stop telling the story" of your hurt to yourself or others is also a good one, I think. Rehearsing the details is unhelpful in most cases.


Another idea came via our church newsletter. This is adapted from what a member wrote. Put the name of a person you need to forgive into this prayer. "Forgive me my debts as I forgive____________." Asking God to start the process of forgiveness in us is also helpful.


What steps have you found work in the  process of forgiveness?



Previous posts in this series: Forgiveness Thoughts and Quotes, Forgiveness - Definition,  Forgiveness: The Who of It, Forgiveness:When?, Forgiveness: Where does it come from?

This is my 23rd post for the April 2015 Ultimate Blog Challenge.

I have learned a lot about forgiveness at the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park, a  two-week experience of Christian community for high school teens. Held every August, for 100 years so far, on the beautiful southern coast of Maine. Check it out!

Forgiveness: Where does it come from?

"So the next time someone wrongs you, don’t think, “I’d better forgive them if I want God to forgive me.” There’s no power in that. Instead, remember what Jesus has already done for you. Mull it over. Appreciate his gift of forgiveness."

This quote is from "Where does forgiveness come from?"  A blog post by Paul Ellis. He's written some other stuff about forgiveness, too.


Paul contends that forgiveness comes from God.. He uses the the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant to show us that forgiveness starts with God. This is a parable about Heaven and how it transcends our lives.

No one is perfect, We all need forgiveness -- I know that I do. But God freely forgives those who ask. In this parable, we see that Jesus when we truly understand that we need and have received forgiveness, we overflow with mercy and forgiveness toward others. God's forgiveness is a gift and it should change us.

Have you experienced God's forgiveness?




Previous posts in this series: Forgiveness Thoughts and Quotes, Forgiveness - Definition,  Forgiveness: The Who of It, Forgiveness:When?






This is my 20th post for the April 2015 Ultimate Blog Challenge.


I have learned a lot about forgiveness at the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park, a  two-week experience of Christian community for high school teens. Held every August, for 100 years so far, on the beautiful southern coast of Maine. Check it out!

Knitter's Devotional: Persistence

    

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  ~Hebrews 12:1-2

Most of us knit because we enjoy it. It's relaxing and helps us keep our hands busy at meetings or while we chat with friends. It's fun to see a project take shape. 

However, there are times for many of us when the enjoyment goes out of it for a while. The yarn tangles, the pattern is confusing or we reach a stretch that is boring and tedious. We could give up, but if we want to complete what it is we are doing, we have to slog our way through.

It can be like that in the Christian life. Sometimes the work is hard. Sometimes things go wrong, sometimes we have a season we just have to get through without much excitement or change or even real rest. 

Paul compares our spiritual lives to a race. We don't need to be the fleetest or the most stylish. We have to set our eyes on the goal and get to the end. 

May you sense Christ's presence as you move along the course. 

We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command.  May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:4-5

Song for Sunday: There is a Season

Ecclesiastes 3 contains one of the prettiest poems in Scripture. There have been numerous adaptation of it into song. One of the most famous is the folk tune Turn, Turn, Turn  by the Byrds. Our church choir sang a beautiful anthem based on the passage this morning. As  I listened to them practice, it really resonated with me. So I share it as today's "Song for Sunday."

Listen to it here:

And the words, describing the appropriateness of various things to the stages of life, and how God weaves them altogether into something beautiful.

3 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet^[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³ That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.

What song do you find beautiful?

I am participating in the January 2013 Ultimate Blog Challenge. 

Seeking Wisdom and Knowledge

S.W.A.K.

When I was a kid, we used to put that on the back of envelopes. Then it meant "sealed with a kiss." Perhaps young girls still do that. My son emphatically does not.

Be that as it may, S.W.A.K can also stand for "Seeking Wisdom and Knowledge." That is something worth putting time into. Studying, reflecting, discussing.

I found a few quotes about it:

The doors of wisdom are never shut. ~Benjamin Franklin

 

Science investigates religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power religion gives man wisdom which is control. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
 

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. ~Thomas Jefferson

 

The doors of wisdom are never shut. ~Benjamin Franklin

 

Wisdom I know is social. She seeks her fellows. ~Thomas Jefferson

 

This last one says something to me. I think we find wisdom as we study together, pointing out new views to each other, struggling with ideas, thinking our thoughts aloud. That's why I love study and discussion groups, especially ones that go deep into profitable topics.

 

The Bible has a few things to say about wisdom and knowledge:

 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

                                                                                                 ~ Proverbs 1:7

 

 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:2

 

My friend Dan Ledwith tweeted about that verse yesterday: 

If the knowledge we amass be it ever so great, if it does not result in a life of love, as Paul says, you have nothing, you gain nothing.

 

So we begin by knowing God and we strive to use our wisdom and knowledge to live a life of life. That is what Christ calls us, too.

 

Have a blessed day!

 

Thanks to Brainy Quote for the quotes.

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/wisdom.html#MUFfFgREmflSFVXw.99

 

 

 

Following the Pattern

I have been going crazy sewing the past two days. In fact, I'll be getting back to it in a few minutes. I have a dress I need to finish.

The reason I am doing so much sewing (with help from two great friends who have excellent seamstress and costuming skills) is that I will be re-enacting Ann Hasseltine Judson again this Sunday. I'm excited. :)

But about the sewing. I am not the most experienced seamstress in the world and I picked an easy pattern. There  is only so much that can be done to make a regency dress easy to sew, however, and sometimes I find myself confused with the directions. Like with sleeve binding this morning. I have never made one of those before and the instructions did not seem to make sense. As I got started though and worked with the fabric, things became clearer, until finally they clicked. At points I was tempted to abandon the written words and just jump ahead, but that would have been disaster. I stuck with what I was told and it worked. Now I know how to make a seam binding.

Sometimes, I think it is like that with the Bible. What we see written seems to make know sense. We might not get how to obey never mind why. But as we move ahead, things become clearer. We begin to see what it is that God is asking us and something of what his reasons are. We grow closer to understanding.

Take the concept of Sabbath, for instance. We are asked to take one day in seven to "rest." How do we do that when there is always something else to accomplish? Some things like that will solve themselves. Once working on Sunday is not an option, we find solutions.

A friend of mine and I were chatting about the old Massachusetts Blue Laws that were repealed about 20 years ago. They used to prohibit most businesses from opening on Sunday. Setting aside going to church, the law gave (almost) everyone a common day off, a sort of forced relaxation day. Nobody ran errands on Sunday and kids' activities weren't usually scheduled for that day.

Once it became possible to work and shop on Sundays, people did. We lost the idea of Sabbath rest. Life got a little crazier and a little faster.

I don't think we'll ever get back to that concept as a state, but if we commit to it as individuals, I think we will find a way. When we start to follow the pattern it begins to make sense.

How have you found that to work in your life?




I am participating in the Ultimate Blogging Challenge. This is post 17 of 30 I need to write in April.

Wednesday Encouragements: Psalm 139

God put this Psalm on my heart yesterday. Not sure why.

Here it is with some reflections. Hope they are a blessing to you.

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
 ¹ You have searched me, LORD,
   and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
   you perceive my thoughts from afar.
                                                           God knows us. Completely. And yet He loves us anyway.

³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
   you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
   you, LORD, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
   and you lay your hand upon me.
                                                        This puts me in mind of a friend whose little girl loves to wrapped
                                                       up in a prayer shawl and prayed for. It makes her feel safe and    
                                                      loved. Don't we all want to feel like we are being held sometimes?
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
   too lofty for me to attain.
                                                      Too great, too awesome for human understanding.
 ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you.
                                                 God truly is everywhere.
 ¹³ For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.
                                                      We are God's, His design, right from the beginning.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
   How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
   they would outnumber the grains of sand—
   when I awake, I am still with you.
                                                       God's thoughts are to be treasured.
 ¹⁹ If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
   Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
   your adversaries misuse your name.
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
   and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
   I count them my enemies.
²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
   test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting.

                                                   Keep us, Lord, in your way, despite our imperfections.


Have a blessed day!



This post is part of Wednesday Encouragements: A Christian Blogging Challenge. This challenge involves posting a blog that edifies the Church each Wednesday from Easter to Pentecost.

I am also participating in the Ultimate Blogging Challenge. This is post #16 of the 30 I need to do in April to meet the challenge.

Wednesday Encouragements: Being Perfect

Today is the first day of Wednesday Encouragements: A Christian Blogging Challenge. The idea is for Christian bloggers to write posts to edify other Christians. Cali  Villanueva started us off with a great idea for an activity -- Youth Group Game: The Lost Sheep. Now's it time for me to write mine, so here goes.

Be perfect, therefore, as your Father in heaven is perfect.

                          Matthew 5:48

I had a friend -- he's since died -- who used to try to be perfect on Wednesdays. That was his goal. He based his idea of pefection on Jesus, certainly, using the "four absolutes" as a guide. The four absolutes are absolute love, absolute unselfishness, absolute honesty and absolute purity. This friend of mine would set out each Wednesday to live these ideals. He would fail - he said making it twenty minutes was good-- and start over repeatedly throughout the day. He never gave up. 

Maybe I should tell you a little more about this friend of mine. His name was Rev. Robert E. Baggs, but we just called him Bob. As a Baptist pastor he inspired many with his teaching, sacrificial service and love of youth. He was over 80 when he died and well up into his 70s he actively volunteered with the New England Baptist Youth Conference, now known as the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park.  He was a passionate teacher and spoke with directness to his students. He was both respected and loved -- I once saw a roomful of teens give him a standing ovation when, at 75, he was introduced as the vesper speaker.

But back to his habit of trying to be perfect on Wednesdays -- a habit he tried to get us all to emulate. I always assumed that the purpose of such exercises was to help us realize that we couldn't be perfect on our own and show us our need for Christ. I suppose that is one purpose. At our faculty retreat this year, though, we were discussing Bob's habit. One of the teachers talked about how such an exercise would help us to identify with Christ, who was tempted in every way but never sinned. By trying to be perfect ourselves, we could understand a little more of what Jesus went through for us. I'd never thought of that, but it is very true. 

Godly conversation can lead us into new ideas, help us to see from new perspectives. It is a holy gift and a real blessing. 

I think I might try being perfect once in a while. To remind me I can't do it on my own, to help me identify with Christ and to develop good disciplines.

Your turn:

Who has been a role model of Christian living for you?

When has Godly conversation brought you new insights?

Have you ever tried to be perfect? How'd it go?

I am participating in the Ultimate Blogging Challenge. This is post #11 of the 30 I need to do in April to meet the challenge.

A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the LORD.

This was part of my daily reading today and I just thought I'd share it. Perhaps it will encourage someone.

Psalm 102

    A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the LORD.

 ¹ Hear my prayer, LORD;
   let my cry for help come to you.
² Do not hide your face from me
   when I am in distress.
Turn your ear to me;
   when I call, answer me quickly.
 ³ For my days vanish like smoke;
   my bones burn like glowing embers.
⁴ My heart is blighted and withered like grass;
   I forget to eat my food.
⁵ In my distress I groan aloud
   and am reduced to skin and bones.
⁶ I am like a desert owl,
   like an owl among the ruins.
⁷ I lie awake; I have become
   like a bird alone on a roof.
⁸ All day long my enemies taunt me;
   those who rail against me use my name as a curse.
⁹ For I eat ashes as my food
   and mingle my drink with tears
¹⁰ because of your great wrath,
   for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
¹¹ My days are like the evening shadow;
   I wither away like grass.
 ¹² But you, LORD, sit enthroned forever;
   your renown endures through all generations.
¹³ You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
   for it is time to show favor to her;
   the appointed time has come.
¹⁴ For her stones are dear to your servants;
   her very dust moves them to pity.
¹⁵ The nations will fear the name of the LORD,
   all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.
¹⁶ For the LORD will rebuild Zion
   and appear in his glory.
¹⁷ He will respond to the prayer of the destitute;
   he will not despise their plea.
 ¹⁸ Let this be written for a future generation,
   that a people not yet created may praise the LORD:
¹⁹ “The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high,
   from heaven he viewed the earth,
²⁰ to hear the groans of the prisoners
   and release those condemned to death.”
²¹ So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion
   and his praise in Jerusalem
²² when the peoples and the kingdoms
   assemble to worship the LORD.
 ²³ In the course of my life^[b] he broke my strength;
   he cut short my days.
²⁴ So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
   your years go on through all generations.
²⁵ In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
   and the heavens are the work of your hands.
²⁶ They will perish, but you remain;
   they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
   and they will be discarded.
²⁷ But you remain the same,
   and your years will never end.
²⁸ The children of your servants will live in your presence;
   their descendants will be established before you.”



Have a blessed day and may you know the presence of God in any affliction.

Sometimes I get little reminders...

Today I was thinking over breakfast and remembered an accolade that was given to a friend of mine once, a great tribute really.  "Whenever you are talking to him, you always have his full attention."

I didn't think much of remembering that at first.

Then, I started reading my Bible chapters for today. And at the same time making tea, wiping the counter, thinking about a recipe.

Whoa! Suddenly that memory didn't seem so random. Maybe God brought it to mind, so that I would see that I need to give Him my full attention during my devotions. For this morning, I did manage to focus in and finish my reading without doing anything else. I'll endeavor to continue to do that.

Has God ever given you a gentle reminder?

Psalm 139

Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

The Twelfth Day of Christmas

So here we are at Epiphany. The verse for this last day of Christmas is Matthew 2: 12, again about the Wise Men:

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.


(For the whole passage go to Matthew 2:1-12)


Once again, the Wise Men get very specific guidance from God. This time in a dream. They understood this dream as a message. They must have been open to such things. Dreams are a common method of divine communicaiton, appearing several times in the Bible.


They obeyed that dream. Whether they already suspected Herod or not, whether they all had the dream or just one of them, they believed what they were told and and acted on it. This story is marked by these men's obedience.


It is unlikely that I will ever be given instructions that have such eternal consequences as saving the Messiah from death. However, if I am given any "marching orders" from God. I hope I will obey.




Merry Christmas, everyone!! And a blessed year until this season rolls around again.

The Eleventh Day of Christmas

For the eleventh day of Christmas, we read Matthew 2:11:

"On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh."


(To see the whole passage, go to: Matthew 2:1-12)

They have arrived, And the first thing they do is bow down and worship. Keep in mind these men aren't Jews. If they were indeed from Persia, they would likely have been followers of Zoroaster (or in their language, Zarathushtra as in Also Sprach Zarathustra of 2001 fame). So it would seem that from their perspective this wasn't their God.

But they recognized him and they worshipped.

They also opened their treasures and gave him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold was for royalty. Frankincense was burned for deities. Myrrh was used in the wrappings of bodies at burial and also in ointments for healing. Were these given specifically because he was King, God and Sacrifice or were they given because they were treasure? Possibly both.

Worship and giving. Two of the hallmarks of Christmas, right here at the beginning. The Wise Men have again set us quite an example.


Merry Christmas!!

The Tenth Day of Christmas

Today's verse is Matthew 2:10, once again about the Wise Men:


"When they saw the star, they were overjoyed."


(Whole passage at: Matthew 2:1-12)



I bet they were.


They are away from the crowds and political intrigue of Jerusalem. On their final leg of a long journey. And suddenly they have a clear sign from above.



Christmas is a time of joy, even that first Christmas.


Mary must have been simply overwhelmed with joy at the birth of her son. Joseph, too. even if for both of them it was tinged with fear and uncertainty.


The Shepherds were overjoyed, spreading the news they heard from the angels.


Even the angels were full of "great joy."


And now the Wise Men, too.

Joy is a central theme of the Christmas message, part of what we seek and share.


What has brought you joy this season?


Merry Christmas!

The Ninth Day of Christmas

So today our family reads Matthew 2:9 about the Wise Men's actions after they spoke with Herod:

"After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was."

(For the whole passage, go to: Matthew 2:1-12)


What strikes me about this passage is that the Wise Men didn't need directions. Herod had sent them to Bethlehem but God led them right to the spot. He used a method they would comprehend and look for, too. The star that had brought them to Jerusalem returned.

God "spoke" and they listened and understood.


I am afraid I am not as attentive as the Wise Men, not as attentive as I should be. There are times when I wish God would make his will clearer and direct me in a more definite way. But I wonder if it is just that I have not learned to listen properly.


Has God sent you any "stars" lately?


Merry Christmas!!