A few weeks ago, we traveled to my parents’ house for a quick visit. The kids played, and my mom and I tackled part of a long-overdue project – cleaning out some of my stuff from their house. I lived with my parents well into my 20s, so this was a daunting task. We spent …
Readings: Luke 2:6-20 Today is the day. Today is the day the Messiah entered the world as a humble babe. God chose the most human way to come into the world. And the first people called to come and see the newly born Jesus was a group of humble shepherds. God comes first to the …
Want Advent emails delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Readings: Luke 2:6-7 This year has been a weird mix of noise and quiet. The world has been noisy, full of speculation and fear and everchanging information. But our small world, the world inside our house, has been relatively quiet. We’ve spent lots of …
Want Advent emails delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Readings: Matthew 11:1-19 + Luke 3:18-20 There’s a lot about this year that didn’t go as planned. Trips and vacations called off. Family gatherings postponed. Many families have felt an uncomfortable tightening of household finances. Others have said unexpected goodbyes. We all have mourned and …
Want Advent emails delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Readings: Exodus 12:1-12 + Luke 2:1-5 + Matthew 2:1-2 If I step back and look at any given day, most of the goings-on feel ordinary. Of course, random and unexpected things pop up. We make decisions and deal with things that come up. …
Want Advent emails delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Readings: Isaiah 9:2; 6-7 + Matthew 2:1-12 If you’ve been watching or reading the news, I’m sure you’ve heard about the upcoming ‘Christmas Star.’ This evening, Jupiter and Saturn are coming together in what scientists call a “great conjunction.” From Earth, the two …
Want Advent emails delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Readings: Psalm 8 This week’s Psalm has some powerful imagery in it. As he writes, David praises God for his majesty, glory, and strength. Our God is a big God. He made the universe, setting the moon and stars in their places (v. …
Want Advent emails delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Readings: Luke 1:13-17 + Luke 1:67-80 + Mark 1:1-8 John the Baptist is a fascinating person. He’s known as a wild man, living in the wilderness and subsisting on honey. But John also has a unique origin story, which undoubtedly drew attention to his …
Want Advent emails delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Readings: Luke 1:39-56 When I married my husband, I knew I would have to move. He was living and working south of my hometown. For the first time, I would be uprooting. I lived in my hometown for nearly 30 years before I was …
Want Advent emails delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Readings: Luke 1:26-38 I am not a particularly good decision-maker. I can decide, but I don’t like when things need an answer time-yesterday-hurry-up-already. To feel confident about a decision, I usually need lists, research, some what-if wonderings, a few sleepless nights, and a partridge …
