Extraordinary

Ponder this breath-taking mystery with me. Imagine.

Imagine the piercing cry as a newborn baby leaves the warmth of the womb to enter a cold world.

Imagine the little ears; perhaps the first sounds they heard were the lowing and bleating of common animals.

Imagine the tiny hands with the extraordinarily small and perfectly formed fingers that we find so amazing and beautiful with every new baby we welcome into this world.

The birth of a baby. What an amazing event, no? It has never ceased to awe, though it has been happening regularly for centuries upon centuries. Yet this birth was different…perplexing, actually. This story is one of the most commonly told, widely known sequence of events. Yet the extraordinary reality has begun to deteriorate. Think on this for just a moment.


That cry that announced THIS Baby’s birth came from the same mouth that spoke this world into existence. “Let there be light,” was spoken into nothingness, and nothingness obeyed.

Those little ears that listened to the sounds of a common Israeli stable were the same ears that heard a symphony of angels singing with all their full splendor.

And those tiny hands were the same hands that would be nailed to a wooden cross to remove the sins of the world. Not a figurative removal. A literal, total removal of sin and shame. Extraordinary.

When Mary carried THIS Baby in her womb, she was in fact carrying her Savior. Extraordinary. When she rocked that helpless Infant to sleep, she was rocking the God of the universe. Is your mind boggled yet?
This is where the English language fails us. What words can we use to describe this phenomenon?
Extraordinary falls miserably short.

Wishing you all a blessed, Christ-filled Christmas.

posted by Lydia

"Let it be done to me...."

Early this morning I was contemplating this passage of Scripture in my devotions.

Luke 1:26-38

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”
Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”
And the angel departed from her.

I thought of what it would have been like for me to be Mary....I have a hard time imagining. Until recently, I have never really thought how this news of a child growing in her must have affected Mary. She was betrothed. As she said, she had not known a man. I wonder what that nine months for Mary must have been like. I wonder if she worried about her reputation and other peoples remarks.

Her reply to the angel tells much, I think. "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."

She might have had doubts and worries and heartbreaking days, but her trust was in the Lord. "Let it be to me...." I love those words! I pray that my heart's cry would be the same. No matter the circumstances and hard times that I must go through, it is of the Lord.

The Lord....who sees the big picture that my mind cannot comprehend.

Mary was a part of redemptive history. What could God possibly have in store for me?

"Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."

Posted by: Carissa

Lord's Day

From the breaking of the dawn

To the setting of the sun,

I will stand on every promise of Your Word.

Words of power, strong to save,

That will never pass away,

I will stand on every promise of Your Word.

For Your covenant is sure,

And on this I am secure—

I can stand on every promise of Your Word.

When I stumble and I sin,

Condemnation pressing in,

I will stand on every promise of Your Word.

You are faithful to forgive

That in freedom I might live,

So I stand on every promise of Your Word.

Guilt to innocence restored,

You remember sins no more—

So I'll stand on every promise of Your Word.

When I'm faced with anguished choice,

I will listen for Your voice,

And I'll stand on every promise of Your Word.

Through this dark and troubled land

You will guide me with Your hand

As I stand on every promise of Your Word.

And You've promised to complete

Every work begun in me—

So I'll stand on every promise of Your Word.

Hope that lifts me from despair,

Love that casts out ev'ry fear,

As I stand on every promise of Your Word.

Not forsaken, not alone,

For the Comforter has come,

And I stand on every promise of Your Word.

Grace sufficient, grace for me,

Grace for all who will believe—

We will stand on every promise of Your Word.

~Getty & Townsend~

posted by Lydia

Oh Christmas Tree

Our oh so very crowded Christmas tree.
posted by: Caroline

Inspired...

...in the form of poetry =). This doesn't happen every day, so I feel that I should seize the opportunity and share what the Lord has put on my heart over that past few weeks. All I'm missing is a clever name for the title...

My heart, O God, was heavy, burdened with my sin
My soul, my soul was weary, buffeted by darkness within.

I cried out in deepest anguish, “My God, why do You tarry?”
And yet my stubborn heart refused my troubles to You to carry.

You called to my in my dark despair, “My child, what hinders your walk?
“Come closer My precious child. I want you to come and talk.”

I stumbled into Your presence, my shattered heart in my hands
Unworthy I stood before You, guilty before the Law’s demands.

My heart was to full to form the words; Your Spirit spoke for me
I stood blinded before Your staggering grace; You opened my eyes to see.

You reached out as a tender Father and took my into Your arms
You wiped away each tear from my eye and quieted all my alarms.

My every care I then made known, I laid them at Your feet
Your peace then found my troubled soul before Your mercy seat.

I sought forgiveness for my sins and that was freely given
As far as the east is from the west, thus far have my sins been driven.

The words I spoke You already knew, for nothing is hid from Thee
You know the inner workings of my secret heart far better than even me.

I came before you in mortification, anxiousness, and despair
I left with peace and joy in my soul, my broken heart repaired.

For my every need You know full well, You hold my tears in Your hand
And Your tender mercies You’ll bestow upon me until righteous in Heaven I stand.

written and posted by Lydia