SCRIPTURE:  Matthew 1:1,17, 18-25 Merry Christmas Eve! At long last, the busy season has ended. The decorating is done, the gifts purchased, wrapped, and under the tree; preparations have been made for tomorrow’s dinner, and now, a much-needed pause as you gaze at the twinkling lights on the tree. Right! For some of us, it’s Christmas Eve, and we’re frantically trying to finish the shopping and baking as we hurry past the undecorated tree. No matter which scenario, tomorrow,

On December 1 , I committed to writing a daily devotional for twenty-five days. Since I had written Christmas devotionals, I didn’t anticipate not being able to meet the daily deadline. However, life got in the way, and this morning when I woke up, I needed five devotionals to accomplish my goal.   People remember you for what you finish, not what you start. After teaching for three days at this year’s retreat, Don’t Give Up! Rise Up! And Turn Your Adversity into Advancement

Despite the busyness, I’ve enjoyed this Christmas and have much to be thankful for. Two years ago, we had a strange Christmas. My husband, Ben, spent 16 days in the hospital and then moved to a nursing home for eight weeks, due to a spinal staph infection. We have a Christmas Eve tradition of going to Dunkin' Donuts after the Christmas Eve Service. Although he was in a nursing home, I hoped to keep our tradition alive. I stopped for coffee, but Dunkin' was closed. With Plan B

Craving some JOLLY along with the HOLLY? Possibly, these Christmas Carols will bring that much-needed chuckle. “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) I’m not having a WHITE CHRISTMAS. I got my hair dyed yesterday.   I’m ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRIST TREE in my new  rocking chair. DID YOU KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS? – "What already? Where’s my mind gone?" GRANDMA GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER – Actually, it was our daughter; her car was totaled, but she’s fine. Grandma and

With two Christmas mugs in hand, I said to my husband, "God smiled on us this week." It had been a week of unexpected blessings. Friends stopping by to share Christmas wishes. Earlier that day, a stranger had purchased our lunch. As the final step of His redemption plan began on Christmas morning, God smiled. Approximately thirty-three years later, Jesus, despising the shame, would endure the Cross, making the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. It was a dark day in history, but

Scripture: Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. " Revelation 1:7-8 What image pops into your mind when thinking about Jesus? Naturally, we see Him lying in a manger. However, we want to be careful not to leave Him there.  

SCRIPTURE: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” – Matthew 1:21-23 Merry Christmas Eve Eve! Here’s a thought. Do you ever think about why we celebrate

“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:   And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.” – Matthew 1:24-25 Joseph, a righteous man, planned a private divorce, not wanting to shame Mary publicly. However, while he pondered his decision, God’s angel revealed the missing details to him. “That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring for

SCRIPTURE : “ But while he (Joseph) thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold,

Christmas is fast approaching, with just a week left. Upon entering the department store today, it was apparent that Christmas 2025 would soon come to a close. Everything is discounted, which is excellent for business. I haven't shopped much because I've been busy, and the empty shelves made me feel like I “missed Christmas.” Not so much the busyness of the season, but the joys of Christmas time. Jesus's birth is a time of great joy. There was an excited angel; after nearly

SCRIPTURE:  “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38) When watching TV, I'm elated by a sudden plot twist. As a writer, I immediately want to cheer and praise the author's talent. Entertainment plot twists are fun, but real-life surprises are not so much.     Mary was filled with happiness, eagerly awaiting her marriage to Joseph, when suddenly an angel’s greeting, “Thou art highly favor

SCRIPTURE:  Luke 2:1-5 Mary resided in Galilee, a ninety-mile journey from Bethlehem, the prophesied location of Jesus' birth, and her delivery was imminent. (See Micha 5:2) Did Mary become anxious and concerned, pondering God's plan for her situation? Or did she rest, trusting God to guide her to where she needed to be? Although we know Scripture teaches not to “take thought about tomorrow,” how difficult is it to “stay in the moment and leave the rest up to God?” I recently

SCRIPTURE:  “And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth” (Luke 1:39-40). After receiving astonishing news that she had found favor with God and would “conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus,” Mary needed to share with someone, but who could she trust? She didn’t dare broadcast her news to just anyone, fearing she'd become an out

How frustrating is it to untangle a string of tangled Christmas lights? The purpose of today's blog is to remind us that, although at times it appears our lives are a mess, we'll discover they're never beyond God's control. As we continue reading through Luke 1 and 2, we'll discover that the God of the Universe meticulously designed the unfolding of His plan. The fulfilment of Jesus’ birth began with a priest and his wife who were “stricken in years” (according to the natura

SCRIPTURE:  Luke 1:13-17 KJV - “But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.   And many of the children of Israel shall he tu

Throughout scripture, God guides His children to pray. “Call to Me, and I will answer  you , and  show   you  great and mighty things, which  you  do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3 KJV) “And whatever things you  ask  in prayer, believing, you will  receive .” (Matthew 21:22 KJV)   The blog post from yesterday, ME and My Big Mouth, discussed Zacharias’ reaction to Gabriel’s words, “thy prayer is heard.” He and his wife, Elisabeth, had been praying for a child, “because Elisabeth wa

SCRIPTURE:  “But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  14  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.  15  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.  16  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to

SCRIPTURE:  “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious,” (Isaiah 11:10 NKJV). Christmas is just two and a half weeks away! How is it going? Are you still thrilled, or has your excitement waned?   I usually celebrate to the fullest during the holidays. I didn't get to put up as many decorations this year, due to time constraints. But I am enjoying the light

Scripture:  “Thus hath the Lord dealth with me in the days wherein he looked on me” (Luke 1:25 KJV)   “You need to go to sleep! Santa won’t leave you presents if he finds you awake.”   Using a familiar Christmas song, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, year after year, my parents persuaded us to get into bed and go to sleep. I now see they had quite a task ahead of them, preparing “Santa” gifts for five kids. I tried everything I knew to quell my excitement. I definitely didn’t w

Scripture:  “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7)   Immediately entering Bethlehem, searching for a suitable room for Mary, Joseph frantically rushes to the front desk, only to hear those dreaded words, “There’s no room in the inn.”     “What do you mean, no room? Mary … is about to deliver her child …”   Feeling forlorn and defeated, Joseph turns to l