Merriest Christmas!

I am thrilled beyond measure at the celebration that is Christmas!  Unfortunately, I'm only mid-way through the little project I had started in the beginning of December.

For those of you who follow this blog, the possibility exists that you may understand the word "warfare" when it comes to spiritual matters.  Let's just say I am battled and bruised but not defeated.

I ended up getting a raging sinus infection this week.

But I will be back.

We'll finish Why the Nativity? by David Jeremiah this coming week.

Enjoy your Christmas celebration.  Whether you've celebrated for years, or this is your first one, or you still have questions...there is no better time than Christmas to slow down and soak it all in.

A great place to start?







  Get this book :)







Blessings for your Christmas!!!

Preparing for Christmas

Remember how this blog first started?  If you're new here, read the story about how it all began:  Nine Little Words.

I still ask the question.

"How can I ask God to bless you today?"

I do know it has been an adventure -- stepping out of my comfort zone to open up conversation.  A question seeming so simple to ask yet so difficult when truly moved and prompted to do so.  It has been a question that has opened up my eyes to a world and people -- His children -- who long for someone to just care even a little bit.

But what I haven't done is venture further out from my local stores and restaurants.  Perhaps it's become too easy and comfortable again.  Could I really make a difference or an impact if I stepped out a little further and really asked, "How can I ask God to bless you today?"

Perhaps I'm too afraid of what God would show my heart. Perhaps.

What if I was in little Bethlehem all those centuries ago?  Who would I ask? How would I respond?  Would I even think to approach shepherds in a field?  Regardless of their faithfulness to their work, they were known to be thieves and foul mouthed men.  As a woman, of course I wouldn't approach them alone but would I look down on them from a distance...judging them?  Would I be a "good" Jewish woman and consider myself too good because shepherds had such a dirty job and they were considered "unclean"?

What if those very shepherds were asked, "How can I ask God to bless you today?"

What do you think their response would be?

Personally, I believe God listened to their hearts every time they were given a look by "good" people when they went into the marketplace to buy food or supplies.  I believe in the loneliness and poverty of their jobs they had time to question God and ask if He would ever bless them.

I believe He answered.

From the book by David Jeremiah, Why the Nativity?

Question #14

"Why the shepherds?"

He writes:

"Men whose skin glistened with sweat, whose clothes gave off the stench of the fields; those who lacked the most basic manners, who used language unfit for your children's ears; minimum wage earners who were unlikely to be admitted to any respectable establishment of the time -- on this night they were favored by heaven."

I don't know about you but the above words brought me to tears.

Instead of giving you more of my insight from Dr. Jeremiah's book, I'm going to give you his discussion questions and suggestion for further reading.  Trust me. They made me think.

1. Who would be the equivalent of shepherds in society today? Why?
2. How do you respond to these people when they intersect your daily life? What could you do to improve that?

For further study: Read John 10:1-11. What other reason might there be for Jesus' birth being announced first to the shepherds?

Continuing to prepare for Christmas.

Next: Why the Angels?

Here is the link for Why the Nativity?




 
  Maybe you'll get it in your stocking?









Blessings for your day,

Preparing for Christmas

For those of us who are parents, most can remember the moments we first saw our children whether they were our own or adopted. We were filled with indescribable emotion.

For those who have adopted, from what I understand, the emotion is usually a combination of nervousness, joy, protection, apprehension, and an overwhelming sense of..."finally the wait is over".  Next comes the paperwork, and until those documents are signed there is always a chance the hopeful adoptive parents and child would have to part ways.

All of my life, I've been surrounded by adoptions and have five in our family circle.  I have friends who have adopted and have counted down the days with them.  All you can do is wait...and pray.

For those of us who have given birth to our own children, we all have similar emotions while waiting but we also wonder who the baby will look like. Some of us secretly hope that the child will look like "our side of the family".  But all of us hope for a healthy baby and we count all fingers and toes when the baby finally makes his or her appearance.

I used to stare at our babies.  I would study their faces and imagine what they would look like when grown up.  I would dream of conversations I would have in raising a little lady.  I would also think of all the ways I would teach our son to be a gentleman.

Imagine Mary and Joseph.

They had both waited for the coming of the Messiah.  They had heard the prophecies. They had heard the songs and the poems. They expected so much of the promised King.

Now they were told the Messiah would come, but arrive as an infant.

Imagine Mary and Joseph.

Imagine their anticipation as to who the Child would look like. Would he look like any other infant?

The baby boy is born, Son of God.  The waiting for the Messiah was over.  Mary and Joseph counted fingers and toes.  But what now?  How long before this Child is no longer theirs?  Joseph is now the adoptive father. Do you think they knew the boy Mary delivered would be the One who delivers them both?

Can you imagine waiting as parents..."until further notice"?

I certainly couldn't.

From the book Why the Nativity? by David Jeremiah


Question #13

"Why did Jesus come as a baby?"

He writes:

"In that regard, we have seen that the Virgin Birth is the sign of his [Jesus] divinity. He comes to the earth from outside, pure and clean, and is in no way a product of this world. Now we see that, in the same way, the infancy of the Child is the sign of his humanity.  He is one of us in every way. He arrives from heaven with perfection and godliness of which no man or woman is capable -- yet he takes the full human journey, which even God in heaven had not taken. How could we follow his footsteps as a man if we hadn't seen him crawl as a child? How could we believe he had undergone all the temptation we have faced if he had bypassed the most difficult years in which we struggle to earn our adulthood?

To make the full sacrifice on our behalf, Jesus had to make the full commitment."

Wow.

Get the book Why the Nativity? to read the rest of David Jeremiah's words.


Next:  Why the shepherds?





   Here is the link from Amazon.











Blessings for your day,

Preparing for Christmas

(Forgive me. Battling sickness is not fun...but I'm back and pushing through! And I'm changing the format slightly.)
...

How many times have we read it in an encouraging note, or a bumper sticker on a car?

"...with God all things are possible" (Mt 19:26)

But how many times have I really stopped to think about it and really reflect?  I always hear it. I know it. But have I ever really believed it? 

Have you?

What a perfect time of year to do a little digging into the biblical statement "with God all things are possible" that was spoken by Jesus himself, than while preparing for Christmas!

From the book by David Jeremiah, Why the Nativity?

Question 12

"Why was Jesus born of a virgin?"

He writes (and quotes Oswald Chambers...enough said!)

"The answer centers on the identity and mission of Jesus Christ. Even though Jesus lived among us as a fully human individual, he was also fully divine -- a pre-existing, eternal person.  Human parents are temporal and finite and they can pass on only limiting characteristics. 'He existed in the beginning with God' (John 1:2). He has always existed, and he always will. Therefore, as Oswald Chambers has pointed out, Jesus was born into this world, not from it. He is in no way a product of the natural earth or the union of a human father and mother. Instead, he is the eternal person of the Lord himself, the infinite one who created the universe, taking on the limited form of a human being."

I quoted David Jeremiah's words from the beginning parts of this chapter because as I read his thoughts and observations that followed, I felt like I was watching a rose bloom into its glorious created beauty.

Try to describe a rose to someone who has never seen one.  It's nearly impossible.  You can come close but until that person has actually come face to face with what you are trying to describe, they will not get it.

A similar thing happened to me while reading Dr Jeremiah's insightful answers to question #12 from Why the Nativity?  I've always known about the Virgin Birth. I've always known that Jesus was fully God and fully man. I've always known with God all things are possible.

But I think I missed fully understanding, because I've somehow lost my child-like wonder and overlooked a significant detail.

A Virgin Birth was necessary but impossible with man. But with God all things are possible.

All things.

Not just some things...but all things.

What is more mysterious than the miracle of life? We've already read about the miraclulous babies of older parents who were past child bearing age. But this baby had the absolute need for a Virgin Birth because Jesus was not a new creation.  With our finite human minds, we cannot comprehend how this is possible. It's completely impossible.

But God tells us that with Him...all things are possible.

I believe our Creator is constantly trying to tell us He is faithful and can be trusted. He proves Himself over and over again in words poured out in the pages of Scripture. We simply have to look, do a little digging, open our hearts...and believe.

In your life and in mine...all things are possible. All.

Per David Jeremiah's suggestion in the book Why the Nativity?:

For further study: Read Colossians 1:15-17 and Hebrews 1:1-3.  How do these passages support the necessity of the Virgin Birth?

Next, "Why did Jesus come as a baby?"






   Get this book for yourself or someone you love.








Blessings for your day,

Preparing for Christmas

I am feeling so much better today! So let's get straight to the beautiful business at hand.  I know one thing for sure after thinking about it yesterday -- I'm completely ok with going on with these questions and thoughts after Christmas.

After all, the story of Christmas doesn't end on December 25th.

Can I get an AMEN!

That's what I'm talking about! Let's get started...


I think most of us have wondered at some point or another what our name means.  My name is Elizabeth which translates from the original Hebrew meaning, "God's oath" or "My God is an oath".  Now I don't think my parents ever realized that when naming me, but it's still really cool to think about the translation.

It also doesn't matter that Lisa is the diminutive form of Elizabeth. My parents named me Elizabeth but call me Lisa. It's still a pretty powerful promise.

Have you ever thought of the name, Jesus?

From the book Why the Nativity? by David Jeremiah

Day 11 - December 11th  (ok, so it's really the 15th)

"Why Call Him Jesus?"

He writes:

"The name of Jesus. Easy enough  for a small child to say; simple enough to be the last, hopeful word upon dying lips; powerful enough to bring us through any storm, through all the intervening years. Jesus, 'God saves,' is the greatest and most powerful word humanity has ever known, and it is the final word that will be spoken when this earth and its history are finally closed, and when you and I gather together in a better place."

David Jeremiah goes on to quote Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT).  Read it for yourself.

He finishes off by writing:

"Hope is in that name. So are power and authority, courage and consolation. And yes, there is unity. For together we will join hands and bow knees upon that day - every one of us - and pay homage to the greatest name in heaven or on earth."

There is so much gooey goodness to chew on while reading the words that prefaced Dr. Jeremiah's conclusion.  Not only did the name of Jesus grow in significance for me, but also Jesus himself.  I didn't think that was possible.  But then again, I know everyday is an opportunity to get to know God better.  Christmas is the gift that continues to give.

And I'm not saying I'm the Grinch, but I'm sure feeling my heart grow.

  Put this book on your Christmas list.







Blessings for your day,

I have a Dr's note!

It's a good thing David Jeremiah's book Why the Nativity? is easy and each section takes about three minutes to read.

Why?

Well...because we got hit with a nasty bug.  Our daughter has asthma and it's a battle to keep pneumonia away from her.  So far so good but she went downhill Sunday afternoon and missed school yesterday.  Our son simply relishes in the fact that he is a WARRIOR and can take anything!

"Give me medicine, mom. I can do it!"

He was showing off because his sister can't stand taking medicine and starts to cry...much like her momma.  Poor thing.

Also, my health issues have seemed to take on a life of it's own. I've been to the doctor again and was told to keep a journal of my days over the next couple of weeks.  Then if I don't improve by January, I can see my doctor as a follow up and go from there.

Now, I have a nasty head cold.  Sitting here I feel like I have a vice on my head pressing in through my ears.

Sheesh. Somebody please put me out to pasture!

Add on top of all this...I am surrounded by friends who are suffering tremendous loss.  Some have no food, some are losing everything they've invested in, some don't have money for winter clothing, and some have lost loved ones to cancer...all in the past 10 days.

I am completely heart broken...and feeling helpless.

So my Dr's note?

As per the great Physician himself, I am taking a few more days to rest.  In the meantime, I will keep praying for others...and myself. I will also keep reading and will find a way to share Why the Nativity? with you. Like I said, I'm so glad they are short chapters. We can catch up together.

Did you end up getting one for yourself?








    If not, here is the link again.






Blessings for your day,

Preparing for Christmas

Since I didn't have the energy to form coherent thoughts yesterday, I imagined myself sitting in a room (in my jammies) and reading from Dr. Jeremiah's book Why the Nativity? to all of you...just so you wouldn't miss out on hearing his thoughts and getting your own questions going about Christmas. I know that wasn't possible but I have looked forward to every reading...and post.

I'm so glad to be back sharing with you!

But since we have two questions to reflect on today, I have to make this brief.

So get your thinking hats on! I'm praying your hearts warm up to the thoughts God gives you about your preparation for Christmas.

Without further waiting, from the book by David Jeremiah Why the Nativity?

Day 10 - December 10th

"Why the stable?"

He writes:

"Christ chose a stable in order to identify with the least of us, with the poor and the vulnerable. He demanded none of the world's comforts nor protections. Jesus came exposed, from the first moment, to all the dangers the world could offer, and so he remained until they led him to the cross."

My thoughts before having read Dr. Jeremiah's conclusion:

When reading the words in any passage of the Bible, there is no more powerful moment than when those words seem to leap off a page and are meant just for you. You may have read over those very words dozens of times BUT this time it finally made sense. They find a place in your heart and you seal it away as your hidden treasure.  I love that.

That's the power of something that is active and alive.

I also love reading the words by those who love my Jesus.  Their words open up my thought processes and paint pictures in my mind and if done right, I can be transported right into the historical time period itself.  That is what happened to me while reading Dr. Jeremiah's thoughts in this chapter.  But as I was reading, I thought to myself, "Didn't I read this last year?  How could I have forgotten?"

And that is what happens to us during our busyness. We forget.

There is no other time of year when so many Christians are busier, than Christmastime itself.  How ironic that the event we celebrate as Christians is the event we can so easily overlook and forget because of our busyness?

Grab your bible and read those passages in the Gospel of Luke.  The words are active and alive. Let them grab a hold of your heart. Ask your questions. Get answers. This year make Christmas a time of remembering and celebration.

Don't understand scripture?  Find someone who loves the Lord and have them breathe the words for you.  Get the book Why the Nativity? and let David Jeremiah guide you in his simplistic yet beautiful approach.

If you attend my church, New Life Christian Church, find me. Let's talk.






  
    I'm so happy to be sharing this with you!









Blessings for your day,

We interrupt this progam...

...to tell you I will return tomorrow.

I've been sick for awhile and have been pushing through every night to post. Today has been especially difficult and I'm heading to bed now.

Today's question is: Why the barn?

If you've gotten the book we've been going through together, I hope you are enjoying it!

In case you still need the link, here it is:
















Blessings for your day,

Preparing for Christmas

Have you ever wanted to go to the Olympics as a spectator?  Or how about World Cup Soccer?  They only come around once every four years and people all over the world look forward to the event...and plan. Then plan some more.

I'm a huge Winter Olympics fan.  I also love World Cup Soccer.  If I wanted to attend either of these events it would require planning and saving money over a period of time.  I remember when the World Cup was here in the US and I hadn't saved enough, so I couldn't go.  I also remember when the Winter Olympics were going to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah.  I was going! I had four years to plan and save.

Then the time came and I was left wanting.  I missed out because I had waited too long and didn't do what I had said I was going to do.

The closest I ever came to an Olympic Park was when we went skiing in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.  We made a stop where the 1988 Winter Games were held in Calgary and went to the top of the lift for the Ski Jump.

See?

That's me and my little Lauren. Cold and windy.

Well, at least we got to ski the gorgeous mountains where all the Olympic skiers had been!

Not the same is it?

Has there ever been a time when you felt like you missed out because you didn't plan properly?  Do you think that is how Joseph felt when he arrived in Bethlehem with Mary who needed a place to rest and give birth and found nothing available?  Do you think God messed up that one little detail?

From the book Why the Nativity? by David Jeremiah:

Day 9 - December 9th

"Why was there no room in the inn?"

He writes:

"Accepting humanity's rejection even in his birth, Jesus sent a message of stubborn, unbreakable love to the world. We would not afford him so much as a cramped closet; we had no room for him, no time to stop and worship, no interest in a peasant child. But that same Child came to find room for us. He would, one day, reserve accommodations for each of his own children at the Inn that awaits us on eternal shores.

Before leaving on that final journey, he told his disciples, "There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?" (John 14:2). Homeless no more, he would throw open the doors of heaven, so that no one might be left in the cold."

The manner in which Dr. Jeremiah prefaced his final thoughts, painted a vivid picture for me of what little Bethlehem must have looked like around Jesus' birth.  I saw myself in a sea of people trying to get from one place to another.  I saw myself trying to get to a stadium to watch a match during the World Cup.  I saw myself traveling with all of my cold weather gear to watch Olympic downhill skiing.

Would I really have slowed down enough to enjoy where I was?

Are you?

God didn't miss a single detail in the timing of Christ's birth.  He knew every part of how it would unfold and how it would be received. There is no such thing as bad planning on God's part.  He just wants you to slow down and find the beauty around you.

Christmas is coming. Prepare. It just wont' be the same if you don't.

The book Why the Nativity? is a wonderful tool I am using to remind myself to slow down and prepare my heart to celebrate Christmas.  Here's the link:

  Get a copy for yourself if you can.









Blessings for your day,

Preparing for Christmas

I live in Northern Virginia.  We have a nice rambler which is perfect for our little family.  Add a decent size yard and an annual vegetable garden and you would probably think our home is no big deal compared to so many other houses in Northern Virginia.

Actually, our home is right in the heart of where some of the most historic battles from the Civil War were fought.  My husband has even found some artifacts in our backyard.

Shhh...finders keepers!

So with a different perspective...it IS a big deal. Well, to my husband anyway :)

The point is, you would never know about the historical significance of our town unless someone told you or you did some research on your own.  It's incredible what my husband and I have discovered simply by spending an entire day at a local preserved battlefield and museum. Fascinating stuff.

Have you ever thought about doing a little digging to discover Bethlehem?

From David Jeremiah's book Why the Nativity?

Day 8 - December 8th

"Why Bethlehem?"

He writes:

"Why Bethlehem? Why your heart or mine? City and soul, they are equally silent, equally mixed in their histories, equally thirsty. Just as the Child quietly arrived in that town of towns, he longs to be born again in the hearts of every one of us."

Reading Dr Jeremiah's conclusion, it's almost as if he is saying, "Does it really matter where Jesus was born?"  But what is so brilliant is that he's not.  We so often miss all the connections in Scripture over this little town because the stories are spread over hundreds of years. Only once you lay them one after another, the town of Bethlehem seems to have a huge neon sign saying, "Messiah, We'll Keep the Light On For You".

If you haven't gotten the book Why the Nativity? to read about the significance of Bethlehem, do a simple search on Biblegateway.com to see how many times this little town comes up.  Start here.

Go on.

I'll wait.

[...tapping fingers]

Cool huh!?!

Doesn't that make you want to do a little digging of your own to find out why?  David Jeremiah is correct when he says that Jesus longs to be born again in the hearts of every one of us.  And when you find Him, you too can say,

FINDERS KEEPERS!


For further study: Read 1 Samuel 16:1-13. List three interesting things that happened in Bethlehem in this account.

And...here is the link for Why the Nativity? through Amazon.com:






 
  Many of you have told me you've gotten it.










Blessings for your day,

Preparing for Christmas

Have you ever wondered if God really listens to prayers?  Have you kept yourself from making small requests because you thought it wouldn't matter?  Have you then not said the big mountain moving prayers because you thought it would be too much to ask for?

What if you do have the faith and aren't afraid to ask, but you've been asking for years and there is still no answer? 

From the book by David Jeremiah, Why the Nativity?

Day 7 - December 7th

"Why Elizabeth and Zechariah's miracle baby?"

He writes:

"The faithless priest and his wife show us that God is listening to our prayers, he is faithful to his Word, and he is preparing the way for something more wonderful than we can imagine. And he rewards even feeble faith."

I am a woman of faith and prayer but what I find even more astounding in Dr. Jeremiah's words which prefaced his conclusion, was the little gem I discovered for myself. (Stick with me for a second.) It wasn't that Mary said "yes" to the message from the angel Gabriel and then Elizabeth became pregnant too.  Elizabeth was at least six months along in her pregnancy when her cousin Mary, with immense faith, said "yes" to doing God's will.

The strong faith of one brought the biggest blessing to another.

You see, God is always at work and He is not trapped by time.  Very often He is already ahead of us when preparing the answer to a prayer.  He is not hindered, perplexed nor confused by our thoughts or decisions or lack of faith.  He knows our hearts.  And in the case of Elizabeth, God knew Mary's heart and He chose to make a profound statement by not waiting until He received an audible human response.  Elizabeth and Zechariah were gifted a child to fulfill the prophecies Zechariah knew well because Mary's faithful response would come...in its time.

There are prayers I have prayed that when they are answered, I am often amazed at how I see it unfold before my eyes.  I am so grateful for this reminder in today's devotional that God is always listening and He does care very much for us.  I've been encouraged to pray with fierce faith for myself and others.

You never know when your faith can bring the biggest blessing to another.

Please get the book Why the Nativity?  I can't share all of David Jeremiah's thoughts and today's was especially powerful for me as a woman who ministers to other women.  As you will see in the following days, this book could also be read in preparation for Easter.







  
     Get it. Read it. Ask your own questions.







Blessings for your day,

Preparing for Christmas

When I was growing up I was not a fan of history.  As a matter of fact, I hated it.  "Pointless garbage and a bunch of useless information.  Who cares what happened all those years ago? They're all dead anyway."

Wow.

Thankfully I graduated High School and have a much wiser outlook on how important our history, any history is.  We learn lessons from the mistakes and gain a perspective lost because of how well important events were documented.  There is such a delicate thread that it seems if one thing were to be lost, the risk of losing the entire account of an event could be gone...forever.

Myself, as a member of a first generation family to the United States, I have no records of anyone past my own parents.  Sure, we know the birth dates of the grandparents but nobody knows where they were born and they are long gone already.  That's it. No other information available for our family to pass on. Forever.

So what about Jesus? Why is it that we have information about a simple man who lived approximately 2000 years ago?  Why do we know so much about Him and hardly know anything about leaders in other parts of the world...from the same time?

David Jeremiah gives us a small taste of the answer in his book Why the Nativity?

Day 6 - December 6th

"Why did Jesus come when He did?"

He writes:

"In a world ruled by the sword, this teacher spoke of perfect peace. In a world of violence and retribution, he spoke of loving ones' enemies. In a world of death, he offered hope of new life - for now and for beyond the grave. The Romans dominated through the power of terror, lifting high a cross that performed it's deadly task with unimaginable pain. Jesus accepted that cross, submitted himself to it, and lifted it high as a bridge from the grief of earth to the joy of heaven - and that bridge, he made it clear, was available even to those who persecuted him.

...In the fullness of time, just when his truth and love could spread with greatest impact, Jesus came to bring the most radical, most wonderful message that has ever been presented. What began in a stable in little Bethlehem would redefine history - at the perfect time, and for all time."

Dr. Jeremiah's conclusion is after he gives us a glimpse of what historians know about this period of time.  He comments on the Greek spoken and the use of roads and waterways.  While reading, I myself had asked the question, "Couldn't Jesus have come at a later time?".  Yes, I'm sure He could have. God isn't hindered by our perception of "perfect timing".  However, just in these few pages in Why the Nativity?, I began to see how the history I had studied and despised so much during my childhood, formed the perfect stage for the greatest story ever told.

My perspective broadens with each page I turn and history isn't so boring anymore.

I'm so happy to be reading this book again this year.

  I know you'll be happy to read it too.








Blessings for your day,

Preparing for Christmas

There are snapshots of time in my memory that I will always look back on as the moments I loved my husband the most.  Aside from when we exchanged our vows, the hours after the birth of our children were when I have felt a love so deep for my husband that I do not believe there will ever be words to describe it.

I will never forget it.

How about Mary and Joseph?  What could it have possibly been like for Joseph to receive the news that the woman he was to marry was pregnant?  After all, he was a simple man...a man who worked with his hands to earn a living.  How would a scandal affect his business? His livelihood? His reputation?

Thankfully we know that Joseph was a good man, and according to the gospels he tried to privately separate from Mary to avoid hurting her and any additional public shame.

Then came the dream.  Joseph was to wed Mary and name her son, Jesus.

Yup, and that's it. Because finding out that you are raising the Son of God makes all things better. Ummmm...no.  Can you imagine?

From the book Why the Nativity? by David Jeremiah


Day 5 - December 5th

"Why Joseph?"

He writes:

"[God] needed a man who was sturdy, stable, and practical, yet sensitive to the voice of God. He needed one who would stand quietly with a young virgin who might have seemed an object of ridicule, yet who carried in her womb the hope of the world. Joseph was strong but compassionate; he was able to lead the tiring expedition to Bethlehem and to the stable, to love and encourage the mother of Christ. Joseph, as the man of the house, was the teacher to give Jesus his first lessons in the law of God. And in Jerusalem, when the boy was twelve and it became evident that his first allegiance must be to another Father, Joseph was the man to humbly and silently step back and let God step forward."

Wow. For a man often known as the "forgotten man", his silence is quite powerful.  I may always remember the moments after the birth of our children and how much I loved my husband, but the love and respect Mary must have had for Joseph could only be known by God himself.

Personally, after reading the words written by Dr. Jeremiah about Joseph, I am so thankful to gain this loving perspective on the adoptive father of the One who claims us all as His own.

For further study suggested by David Jeremiah: Read Matthew 1:18-2:23 and list the things Joseph did  following each instruction.

Oh how I hope you will get a copy of Why the Nativity?.  There are such precious gems in these short readings that you'll be encouraged to talk about these discoveries with others.  Here is the link again. I will have it with every posting.







 
   It is such an easy read.









Blessings for your day,

Preparing for Christmas

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by love that when you receive a gift from the object of your affection, you seem to glow and nothing could ever take away your joy? Have you ever had the pleasure of experiencing God in such a way that all you can do is be in a state of euphoria and praise?

From the book Why the Nativity? by David Jeremiah:

Day 4 - December 4th

"Why the song of Mary?"

He  writes:

"At the beginning of an amazing journey - one no other woman would ever travel - Mary's focus was in the right place. She knew, and expressed through her song, that all the resources of God are unlimited. His strength makes all things possible, and his love makes any burden a joy to bear."

Dr. Jeremiah comes to this conclusion after pointing out in bits and pieces of Mary's Song, also known as the Magnificat, that she was a young woman who knew her God.  One of the observations he makes is that even though Mary was caught by surprise, she searched for words from the psalms she had hidden in her heart. 

Reading through Mary's Song is breathtaking.  It is so clear that she knew her Creator. Go to the first chapter in Luke and find it for yourself. Read it and ask your questions.

For further study: Compare 1 Sam 2:1-10 with Mary's praise song.







   Have you gotten this book yet?









Blessings for your day,

Preparing for Christmas

As a young teen, I couldn't possibly imagine the actual simplicity of my life being thrust into a world where I would carry the burden of promised salvation...for the human race.  As a young woman preparing for my wedding, I couldn't imagine what type of news could shake me to the core and damage my chances in marrying the man I love.  As a mother, I couldn't imagine what it could possibly be like to watch my grown son suffer and be murdered for something he had absolutely no guilt in.

For some reason, Mary experienced these things.

From the book Why the Nativity? by David Jeremiah

Day 3 - December 3rd


Today's devotional asks the question:

"Why Mary?"

He writes:

"Mary herself must have wondered, why am I a 'favored woman'? Why me?  Indeed, the reasons she was chosen are known only to God. But it is clear that she was no random selection. Though an ordinary, small-town girl, she must be obedient and courageous, and she was. From her song (see Lk 1:46-55), we know that she was a woman of Scripture, a woman of faith.  She must be a virgin, that the glory of God might be miraculously demonstrated. She must be a peasant, in keeping with the humble nature of the Lord's birth.

Mary was all of these things.  ... Mary was favored by God for a task that would finally allow each of us to be favored."

After reading all Dr. Jeremiah had to say about Mary, it reinforced for me the power behind simplicity and obedience.

It has the power to bring heaven to earth.

For further study:

• According to the following Scriptures, what qualifications did Mary have to be the mother of Jesus?
• Luke 1:27
• Luke 1:28, 30
• Luke 1:38
• Luke 1:47

I certainly hope I am peaking your interest enough to want to get Why the Nativity? However, it's not just this book, nor is it about any book.  I prayerfully hope your interest is to investigate what Christmas is all about and to start asking questions of your own. I am simply providing a suggestion for an easy tool to help you get started.

Get the book. Here's the link again.

   You just might use it every year.








Blessings for your day,

Preparing for Christmas

From the book Why the Nativity? by Dr David Jeremiah, I'm sharing with you as I continue to use it to prepare. Take this path with me...follow along...you know you want to.

[whispers...] get the book

...


Day 2 - December 2nd

Today's devotional asks the question:

"Why did God become a man?"

He writes:

"All of this must happen if God and humanity were ever to be reconciled. So the Lord of the universe invaded this world.  He entered our world through a doorway called Bethlehem, and the world was changed forever."

Dr. Jeremiah prefaced this conclusion by attempting to paint a picture of the grandeur of a good God who is perfect and faithful.  I believe he accomplished it in his brief thoughts on those three and a half pages. This, devoted God of ours, is the one who stepped into flesh to experience the world from our perspective and show us a way...the way. He is the King who walked in order to restore and redeem.

As I said before, I can't share everything so here are his suggestions for further study.

• How can people have a relationshp with the God of the universe?  Read these verses to see God's plan for you:
• John 3:16
• Rom 3:23
• Rom 6:23
• Rom 10:9, 13

It's not too late to get a copy of the book for yourself.  Here is a link for you through Amazon.com






    You'll enjoy it.










Blessings for your day,

Lisa

Preparing for Christmas

I love preparing my heart for Christmas and helping our children experience the fullness of it as well.  It broadens our perspective and reminds us it's not all about the gifts we receive.  Christmas is truly about the enormity of love given to us as a gift through the vulnerability of the birth of a child -- a baby boy.

One way I prepare is by reading a Christmas devotional.

The book I am reading again this year through Christmas is a book by David Jeremiah called  Why the Nativity?  It's not a heavy bible study. Instead the book offers short and concise answers to many questions about why Christians celebrate Christmas.  Some critics of Dr. Jeremiah's work like to point out that this book doesn't dive deeper into the theology behind all of the "whys".  Personally, I don't think he needed to.  These questions and answers are written in such a way that it can be shared with anyone. 

A neighbor. A friend. Your children.

I love the simplicity of it and it's the perfect amount to read. One question a day.

So without further waiting...

Day 1- December 1st


Today's devotional asks the question:

"Why the prophecies?"

He writes:

"They show us that even as Jesus was fully a human being like us, he was also 'one whose origins are from the distant past.' By reading the prophecies we see the entire mountain range in a breathtaking glance; we behold a magnificent God who works his purposes out through the march of time, patiently but faithfully, down to the smallest detail. We know that this is a God who can be trusted, and this is a Messiah who fulfills every hope in our hearts."

Dr. Jeremiah does a beautiful job prefacing his conclusion by giving several examples of prophecies fulfilled and what it meant to those who could start to "connect the dots" and see them all pointing to the one Messiah. 

Of course I would love to share with you everything written, but I can't.  However, I can encourage you like David Jeremiah does by providing the additional reading he recommends for further study.  Feel free to look for yourself.

Is 9:7 together with Lk 1:32-33
Is 53:12 together with Mt 27:38
Zech 6:13 together with Heb 7:24-25

In case you're interested in getting a copy for yourself, I have provided a link where you can purchase through Amazon.com



   Get it. And enjoy preparing yourself for Christmas too.












Blessings for your day,

Lisa

It's been so long...

...way too long.

I miss writing.

I miss this place.

And I miss you.

So, to get back on track with you I will share the devotional I do in preparation for Christmas.  Maybe I'll share it everyday. Maybe not. But hopefully I can.

Anything to get back to writing.

To get back to this place.

To get back to you.