The Favor of the Lord

"And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him" (Luke 2:40, ESV).

The favor of God was on Mary. The favor of God was on Jesus. Jesus grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom. Mary and Joseph taught Him, modeled a life of commitment before Him, and took Him to be taught.

"And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52, ESV).

As women, we are to pass on the truths of the Word of God to those who come behind us. Whether we are moms or not, we look for younger women and pass on the faith we have in Christ. As we live out our lives of commitment to Christ, the favor of the Lord is upon us. We have influence in so many ways.

As we conclude one year and begin another, let's commit to be women of influence. Let's keep our focus on Christ and make a difference in the lives of others. God gave us Jesus as a free gift. We have the gift of Christ to go change the world.

May God give us favor. May God give us a "Mary" new year!
You are being prayed for today!

His Name is Jesus!

"And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb" (Luke 2:21, ESV).

I wonder what Mary had always dreamed about naming her first child? Was it Adam or Moses? Maybe Harry or Paul (maybe not)? The angel of Lord told her to call His name Jesus, and she did. She gave her plans to the Lord, even though they were not her plans.

During the past few weeks, I have been able to catch up with many younger family members and their friends. All of them have dreams. All of them have plans on what they will do in life. It has been great to listen and encourage each one. As I encouraged, I hope I have communicated that God's plan trumps our own plans.

Sometimes God speaks in a whisper, sometimes He shouts it from the rooftops. Sometimes He speaks through friends and family, and sometimes He is known through quiet reflections on His Word. No matter what He is saying you...listen. Stop. Do what He says. Change your plan to His plan. You may not see or understand it, but it will be the best plan.

God's plan was for Mary to birth and name His Son Jesus. It was the name above all names. He is the plan! Choose Him.

Have a "Mary" end-of-the season!

Praise God!

"And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them" (Luke 2:20, ESV).

As it was told to them, the shepherd glorified and praised God. During the hectic days of Christmas we praised God. During the lazy days that follow (maybe for you, not for me), we are to glorify and praise God.

As I write this, the computer I am writing on is barking at me! I am trying to glorify God in the process and I admit, it has become a humorous ordeal. I am determined not to let it get to me. I'm sure the shepherds had things to catch up on. Maybe some sheep had gone astray. Who knows what happened while they were gone. Yet, they kept their focus on the important things.

Let's continue to glorify and praise God. Let's keep our focus on the importance of Christ in our lives. Let's glorify and praise God - even while computers bark.

Let's have a "Mary" end-of-the-season!

Treasured and Pondered

"But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart" (Luke 2:19, ESV).

Don't you love it? When it was all said and done, Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Now that Christmas is over, what will be the things that we treasure? One of the memories I will hold dear will not be new material gifts, but a four inch photo binder packed with photos of our family. My parents spend the whole year gathering photos of past holidays and vacations and gave Kelli and my two nieces each a huge notebook full of pictures! Each was unique. My dad took the time to scan every page and gave all of us a DVD of all three albums. What a blessing to have that and to be able to pass it on.

As important as the memories and photos are, the most important thing they passed on to us was the message of Christ. I have been reflecting and pondering what my life would have been without Jesus in my life. I would have been a complete mess. I cannot even imagine how my insecurities would have taken over. Thank you to my parents who passed on the message of eternal life. Thank you Lord for finding me.

This new year, let's commit to pass on the love of the Lord. Let's make a memory by sharing the good news! Let's have a "Mary" new year!

Share the Message of Christ!

"When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.' And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them" (Luke 2:15-18, ESV).

The angels rejoiced! The shepherds told each other. All spread the good news that Christ was born! All who heard it wondered!

I pray you had an awesome Christmas. Our Christmas celebration is still ongoing. We are now celebrating with Dana's family. We are blessed that we have heard the good news of Christ and are in families who live it out on a daily basis. What a blessing we have heard!

Let's see who needs Jesus today and share Him with someone. That is what Christmas is all about!

Hope you had a "Mary" Christmas!

Pain turned to Joy! Joy to the World!

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'” (Luke 2:8-14, ESV).

Mary birthed baby Jesus. Sometimes we don't think about the pain of it all. Childbirth is one of the most painful things that can happen to a body. Fortunately, the Scriptures skip right over it, and rightly so. No need to rehash the pain of it all. And Joseph didn't really escape it because he had to be right there listening and assisting during the process.

There is a lot of work that goes into Christmas. Whether we are hosting or visiting others, there is just much to do thrown in on top of a busy schedule. As I write this, I am feeling the physical pain in my back from it all. Somehow, I am sure I am not alone. There are some tired souls out there! My husband didn't miss the pain either. No telling how many side trips he has made just trying to keep us all together (Dana always has smile on his face as he charges out to conquer the next task.)

This season, let's don't let the joy end. Let's keep the good memories, toss out the bad ones with the trash, and turn the pain into joy! Let's focus on a loving God who sent His Son Jesus to show us how to live and to die so that we might have life!

Have a "Mary" Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve!

"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn" (Luke 2:1-7, ESV).

Months have passed between the end of Luke 1 and the beginning of Luke 2. It is finally time for the Messiah to be born! You know what happened, there was no room in the inn. We assume Mary and Joseph were forced into a stable because of that - and the fact that there was a feeding trough - a manger - there. Don't you know it must have bothered them both. Here they were, trying to birth the Savior and forced to have the baby in something less than adequate. Do you wonder if they thought they had messed it all up?

No doubt, Mary had an idea of what she thought it should all look like, and be like, yet it wasn't. Jesus was still born, history changed, and our lives changed forever. Regardless of what you thought Christmas and Christmas Eve were supposed to look like, it doesnt' matter! It is here so rejoice in it and be glad! Make the most of it! Mary lay Jesus in a manger. Use what you have, go with the flow, and make the best of it!

Have a "Mary" Christmas!