For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given. Isaiah 9:6 NKJV Here we are, a few days away from Christmas Day. The stress is rising, fatigue deepening, and frustration mounting as we wonder how we will get it all done. Today, let’s take a deep breath, close our eyes and … Continue reading Advent – Week 5
“For God so loved the world…” John 3:16 NIV Most of us get a thrill from giving gifts to those who are precious to us. Our hearts look forward to blessing them with something that will make them smile, comfort, or help them. God made us in His image. Therefore, it stands to reason God … Continue reading Advent – Week 4
“He was despised and rejected by men, A man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” Isaiah 53:3 NIV The faint sound of an infant’s cries, intermingled with the bleating of sheep, draws you toward the opening where the flickering of lantern light emits. The air, pungent with the lingering scents of animal waste, dampness and … Continue reading Advent – Week 3
"and they will call him Immanuel" -which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:23 NIV In the next five weeks, I will be sharing a mini-devotional on the meaning and significance of celebrating Advent. In this first week, we will examine the word and its meaning. Advent. A word we often hear at this time of … Continue reading Why Advent? – Week 1
Recently, my sister sent a cartoon meme. The picture is the nativity scene, but instead of three wise men, there are three women with diapers, formula and casseroles. The title is ‘if there had been three wise women instead’. While amusing on the surface, a red flag went off in my soul. Several lies lurk … Continue reading Good Gifts
The decorations are all down and lovingly tucked away in their respective boxes. Walking into my restored living room, the ghost of my beautiful, twinkling, ornamented tree lingers in the corner of my eye and I sigh longingly. Christmas has always been my favourite time of year. Brightly coloured decorations and lights bring pleasure to … Continue reading That Christmas Feeling
Do you remember back in the mid-1980s when the Cabbage Patch doll came out? They became a huge success and I remember people lining up at Christmas frantic to 'adopt' one for their child. It became madness with people fighting each other for the last one on the shelf, stealing them from other people's carts … Continue reading Cabbage Patch Kid
"Joy to the world, the Lord has come." These are the first few words of a well known and often sung Christmas carol. For many, however, joy may feel far away, especially at this time of year. But what is joy, really? The Merriam-Websters dictionary defines joy as; a: the emotion evoked by well being, … Continue reading Joy in the Circumstance
Growing up my favourite things about Christmas time were decorating the tree and looking at all the Christmas lights on the houses. One fond memory I have of my stepfather is when, one evening, we walked together, my small hand in his large, calloused one, all the way to the grocery store, shortly before Christmas. … Continue reading Twinkle, Twinkle