Joy in the Journey

  How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called   children of God. 1 John 3:1 Last night my husband and I were watching a TV show where a young woman told a group of her friends that she planned to change her name to avoid using her famous father’s influence. She wanted to make it on her own merit. An older, more experienced woman in the group told her not to do that. “Forget that! Use whatever you’ve got to help you get ahead.” This morning I read a devotional message about Mary. It said that at the time she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus she was “ordinary, unqualified and young.” Hm, I’m not young but I immediately related, ordinary, check, unqualified, check, and old, which in these times is as bad or worse than too young. But wait, I have a pretty influential Father and I am not afraid to use his name. More to the point I embrace his name. I pray that everything I do is for God’s glory. Very often I ask for opportunities to share

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity that were two years old and under in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Matthew 2: 16   Every year the children in our family watch the Grinch. This year there was a new version that I saw in the theater with my sweet daughter-in-love and two of our precious grandchildren.   The draw of the Grinch story is redemption.   It is wonderful to see that love is the answer. The Grinch is evil! Or is he? It turns out that maybe he was just sad and lonely.   He didn’t feel love because his life was devoid of it. He is shocked when he sees that the Whoville citizens are still full of joy even though all of their celebratory finery is gone. The key is in the line that says they are happy as long as they have “hands to clasp.” In other words, all is well as long as they have each other.   Hearing that loving sentiment, seei

  The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Luke 1:28 Uh-oh. The greeting starts with flattery. Shouldn’t Mary be a little suspicious? Have you gotten those phone calls or greetings? When my children start out with some form of flattery I know I’m in for a request. Any version of “Hi wonderful Mama” and I wait for the follow-up favor. So there’s an angel in the room and he says, “Greetings you who are highly favored.” Now we know that Mary is a bright young woman because the next verse, verse 29 says this, “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.”   Keep in mind, Mary is not married yet, (oh honey, you look so pretty today) nor does she have children (there’s my sweet mama) so she is not familiar with this type of greeting... yet. In the history of all the favors/requests I’ve had come my way, none, not one, not a single request comes anywhere near, “we’d like you to be

  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.   Luke 1:36-37* What seems like “old age” to you? Most likely it depends on how many birthdays you’ve enjoyed. How about this, how old is too old to be pregnant?   Add quite a few more years to that and you’re probably at Elizabeth’s age. For Elizabeth and Zechariah the baby train had long since left the station. Except for… it hadn’t! It’s one of those circumstances that I dearly love when two words, “but God” change the whole picture. Elizabeth is entirely too old to have a baby, but God had other plans.   Zechariah was so shocked he questioned the angel and was mute from that moment until the birth of his son John. Elizabeth most likely was equally shocked but her thrill at being pregnant surpassed all else. Just a bit later Elizabeth’s cousin Mary would hear the same news, “you’re having a