Goodness Comes from Nazareth. The good news out of Nazareth was calculated to be fourteen generations. The Israelites longed for the promise from God that a Savior was coming. Their hope was shaky in times of crisis, as is our country and world today. People are divided, disappointed, angry, hurting, suffering, afraid, and corruption and […]

The Vessel – If I knew nothing of the Bible and was put on a task force to help God come up with a plan for the arrangements for his Son becoming human, I know just what I would recommend. A well-established family with some influence. Proven parents who showed evidence of doing the job […]

When is the last time you rejoiced? Not just be happy or pleased, but really rejoiced? And what was the circumstance? For me, I only rejoice when a dream or passionate desire is fulfilled. Always after the event has happened. But Mary is told to rejoice before Jesus is even conceived. How can a young […]

I can only imagine how overwhelming this moment must have been for Mary. One minute, she is living her quiet, ordinary life, and the next she is standing before an angel who brings a message that will change the world. Yet the angel’s first words are not instructions or demands, but they are comfort. “Do […]

While I haven’t given birth to a son, I have given birth to two daughters — one of whom chose both her and her sister’s names all on her own. Right after Genevieve was born, the doctors laid her on my chest. Mike and I ooooh’ed and ahhh’ed, as new parents do, and then I […]

I try to put myself in Mary’s place and imagine my reaction to Gabriel’s message.  A young, virgin, unwed girl is told by a stranger that she will give birth to a son who will be Son of the Most High and a king on the throne of David.  I believe that my reaction would […]

As we draw closer to Christmas, this verse reminds us that everything about the birth of Jesus began with the Holy Spirit. The angel’s words to Mary reveal that it was not through human strength or effort, but by the divine presence of God’s Spirit that this holy miracle would take place. Mary’s response was […]

Then Mary said: ​“I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” ​Mary’s life took a dramatic turn when God sent His messenger, Gabriel, to announce that she had been chosen to bear Jesus, the Son of the Most High.  Mary is a virgin pledged in marriage to Joseph.  She […]

Poor Joseph. Advent arrives each year with angel choirs and candlelight, but Joseph’s story begins with awkward silence and confusion. He’s an honest, law-abiding man who just learned his fiancée is pregnant—and he knows he’s not the father. This is not the “Joy to the World” moment he had imagined. Yet even in heartbreak, Joseph […]

In this verse from Matthew’s Christmas story, Joseph is struggling with a difficult decision: how to handle the unexpected and inexplicable pregnancy of his fiancée.  His initial inclination was to solve the problem on his own, as quickly as possible, based on his own assessment of what he thought best for Mary (as is the tendency […]