Today is the last Sunday of Advent. If you are displaying a traditional advent wreath with candles, you will have lighted the three purple candles on the last three Sundays and today you will light the pink candle.

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we reflect on “peace.”

I remember how people said “peace” in the 1960’s. The word “peace” was used and misused so much that it came to have no meaning, no impact on lives or actions. For some, the word “peace” meant that anything that they did should be accepted no matter what. How tragic that the word “peace” was sometimes used to justify violence and disorder.

On the other hand, today we often think of “peace” as the absence of conflict, of quiet times. We see peace as the absence of war. We limit “peace” to politics or the actions of those around us.

In the scripture Isaiah described the Messiah as the “Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) And, many took this to mean that the first arrival of the Messiah would bring the end to the conflicts in their world. They wanted war to end and they wanted peace to be delivered in such a way that “their side” would “win.”

I know how they feel. I sometimes think that if only the world would do what I think that they should do, all would be well. How wrong I am!

Jesus made it clear that the peace He brought during His life on earth had nothing to do with absence of conflict or of war. He said: “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth?  No, I tell you, but division.” (Luke 12:51) And, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

As Matthew Henry wrote, “Christ came to give us peace with God, peace in our consciences, and peace with our brethren…” Oh, have no doubt, in this world we will have troubles and tribulations. But, the Peace that the Messiah brought to earth and to our accepting hearts lets us live lives of joy in a world of destruction and violence.

Today, let us rest in His peace.

I hope that you don’t mind that today’s scripture is from the King James’ version of the Bible.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:11-19)

The King James Version of the Bible is that one that Poppa used when he would read the Christmas story to us on Christmas Eve. Last year, all five of us kids were home for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. It was fun and Poppa did as he always did, he read the Christmas story from his King James’ Bible.

It’s funny, but I am always a little embarrassed at the words “they found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manager.” It seems to me that the shepherds broke into a very private, a very intimate moment in a family’s life and I am embarrassed for them. Here they are, hardworking, out-of-doors type guys. I think our modern equivalent would be our farmers, mechanics, construction workers, fishermen and the like. The guys who have hands that aren’t always well groomed and are never soft. The gents who know about “work clothes” and don’t have to be reminded that they should take off their boots before coming in from the garage. And, these rough and tumble shepherds “came with haste” and found this scene of dad and mom and baby.

My mind wonders if they immediately apologized to Mary for the way that they looked or how noisy their entrance was. (Or, how they smelled.) My heart wonders if they looked at Joseph and silently nodded, indicating “been there, Friend.” But, my soul tells me that they did neither of those things. I believe that they were overwhelmed by the babe in the manger. I think that they realized in a moment that the prophecies they had been taught in “Saturday School” and the word from the heavenly host came together in an instant and that they bowed in worship. They didn’t understand it all; but, they recognized the miraculous when they saw it.

John and I saw the movie, “Exodus: Gods and Kings” last night. The look of the movie was really good (even though it did not portray the real story of Moses – read the book). I enjoyed how the pictures looked real. But, I knew that it wasn’t miraculous. I had absolutely no doubt that the movie was man made and not God created.

This year, I want to have the eyes that the shepherds had that night. I want to see Jesus. I want to recognize Him in the love of others, in the voices over the phone, in the center of my being.

On this Saturday, so close to Christmas, I want to prepare my heart, to gather myself together, and to recognize and draw near to the miracle that is Christ.

Over the years, I have played Handel’s Messiah many times. Playing in an orchestra can be so much fun. I loved it and miss it. (My shoulders have put a stop to that.)

Once, my friend Kathy and I were playing for a school production of the Wizard of Oz. The music was easy and we were having fun watching the action on stage. What made this production great was that they were using a small dog (as Toto, of course!) that was not all that well behaved. At one point, the actors were dancing down the aisle of the theatre singing “We’re Off to See the Wizard” when Toto turned right. From the orchestra pit we could see a “wave” of audience members as they jumped up – Toto was running down their row of seats; her fur tickling legs. It was hilarious.

For many years, John and I went to the symphony with our friend, Nancy. Due to a mix-up at the box office one year, our season ticket seats were sold to someone else and the theater had to come up with a solution. They gave us BOX seats on the right side of the stage in the Saenger Theater in Pensacola. Every time we sat in those seats, I wanted to give my best “Queen of England” wave to those seated below us!

Those seats gave us a great view of the orchestra on stage. The program one particular night included a very modern piece; the three of us had never heard it before. As the orchestra played, it was easy to tell that it was not going well. The tempo was off; the conductor was working too hard; and, the audience was beginning to get restless and a little noisy. About half way through the piece, there was a pause in the music. From our viewpoint we could see that it was only a pause – more music was to come. But, the restless audience took the break to mean that the end of the piece had come (finally) and applauded. Usually, the conductor will ignore the rude act of early clapping, but this time he did not. We could see his shoulders go up just a little and his baton come to rest on his music stand. The members of the orchestra smiled, some giggled, and all took their bows. This modern piece of “music” was over, never to be played in Pensacola again, probably.

Wait, I started by sharing about playing the Messiah. Let me get back to that. The Messiah is a wonderfully inspiring piece of music. It makes my heart sing. And, the culmination of the piece is the playing and singing of the “Hallelujah Chorus.” As this song begins, the audience traditionally comes to their feet; and the music hall seems to swell as the orchestra plays, the singers sing, and the audience joins in.

While in college, we performed The Messiah every Christmas. One particular year, the performance was being held in a large church and it was all beautiful. Until the NEXT TO THE LAST song began. As we started to play, one of the senior leaders of the church stood to his feet. The audience stood with him. And, for a few moments things seemed great and then the entire assembly realized that they we standing at the wrong time. He stood one song too early. From the orchestra pit, we were having a great time. The question lingered in the air “will they sit down?” And, the silent answer came back, “No. We will remain standing.”

I was so impressed when the man who first stood spoke publicly about his mistake. A humble and Godly man, he was always so careful to be correct. He also had a great sense of humor about his error and took all of the teasing that came his way.

So, remember whatever you do this Christmas, you probably didn’t lead almost 2000 people to stand at the wrong time.

Enjoy today’s scripture from which a piece of the Messiah was inspired.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

This is so very, very silly, but chickens scare me. Those beady eyes. The jerky move of their heads. The unexpected running. It is all too much.

But, my granddaughter, Zara, and her parents raise chickens. And, my choice when I visit them is to try to relax and be pleasant or to stay in the house and peak from behind the curtains. I chose to try to relax. It isn’t easy. But, watching Zara with the chickens is comforting. She knows them, she talks to them, she tells them what to do, and she cares about them. I don’t mind being NEAR her chickens (notice that I did not saw “with them”) when I am with her. Even the huge, beautiful rooster with the beautiful, shiny black feathers on his head and neck, seems to respect Zara.

Fast forward to our house. Our neighbors have added chickens to their household. This week, I was dropping off Christmas goodies and went up to their front porch. I rang the doorbell – no answer. And, then I turned around. There were chickens everywhere! While I was focused on the door, they had snuck up behind me!! Acckkkk!! Chickens!!!! And, so I pretended that Zara was with me. I talked to the chickens. I told them that I hoped that they were going to have a Merry Christmas (silently praying that the biggest ones would be the featured menu item for a holiday feast) and I started walking. They flapped, they squawked, they looked at me. It wasn’t fun but I needed to drop off the goodies and the front porch looked like it got little human foot traffic. I headed to the back and the chickens formed a circle around me. Arrggghhhh!! I praised God for Kentucky Fried Chicken.

As I left the back porch, gift set on an outside table, the chickens followed me to the car. I was braver now. I made my way into the Explorer, telling the chickens that they were not welcomed to come along. It was then that my neighbor emerged from the house. (Had she been watching and listening? I will never know.) We exchanged Christmas greetings and chit chatted a bit and then I headed home.

It is so silly what scares us. Nowadays, I am less scared of chickens and more scared of saying the wrong thing, of inadvertently causing hurt or pain, of not being there for those who need me, of not being what God wants me to be.

Like sweet Zara and her chicken whispering ways, I have a comforter. I have the Holy Spirit, guiding and teaching. As we gather together this Christmas, someone will make a mistake. Someone will be upset. Let’s take time this to recognize that those mistakes are just like chickens – noisy and, perhaps, a little scary, but just silly mistakes. When we feel the pain or we cause the hurt, let’s remember to pray and to love.

We will still be family. We will still be friends. We will still love each other!

+++++++

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to their own town to register.

^“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

^“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2:1-10)

Yesterday, we talked a little about Mary, the mother of Jesus. She accepted by faith what the angel told her would happen. But, can you imagine the first conversation that she and Joseph had? Praise God, the Lord sent a messenger to Joseph also.

The book of Matthew gives us some of the details. “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:18-25)

Mary KNEW that she was a “good girl”; Joseph had to believe the angel’s message and the word of Mary. It never ceases to amaze me how people can be knit together in their hearts and trust each other even when the situation is too weird for anyone else to understand.

Men who love their families and friends accept more “stuff” from us gals than anyone could ever imagine. I have seen grown men:

• Play “Pretty Princess” with little girls.  (And, I did not take the picture that would have gotten me killed.)
• Accept a naked Barbie from their daughter and carefully dress the doll in an evening gown and high heels.
• Pretend to eat cake at a pretend tea party.
• Play catch over and over and over again.
• Walk a daughter down a church aisle and say “Her mother and I do.”
• Take their sister out to dinner after the “big break up.”
• Quietly put their arms around their wife while she sobs during a “chick flick.”
• Put tissues up to little noses and repeatedly say “blow.”
• Coach a preteen to be “tough” when she wasn’t.

Joseph wasn’t the last guy to have faith when it didn’t make sense. Husbands, dads, brothers, sons, nephews, uncles and friends: we need you; we love you; we adore you.

This Christmas, let’s celebrate the guys. Let’s appreciate all that they are and do and recognize that they are not gals – YAY!

Gentlemen, you rock!!!! Love all y’all!!!

I am a student of the Bible and have taken a couple of classes, but so much of it is beyond me. Recently, I contacted my older brother, a scholar of the Bible, and shared with him that I planned to study a section of the Bible that has always confused me. I wrote to him, “I just don’t understand it.” His reply was precious, “NO ONE DOES.” It was so comforting to realize that there are some things in the word of God that we cannot understand on our own. And, it may be that God, the creator of heaven and earth, is not planning to explain it all to me. (Big surprise!)

And, there is so much of the Christmas story that I do not understand. Today’s scripture baffles me completely: “The angel answered (Mary), ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’” (Luke 1:35) Good grief, how on earth could Mary, a “good girl,” have understood that message? It is beyond me. I can only imagine the various emotions that she could have had: fear, confusion, suspicion, joy, grief, shame…. But, instead, Mary trusted. Mary believed.

I am struggling this week with loss. A friend died just before Thanksgiving. His death made no sense; he left behind a family and friends. We celebrate his life, but I don’t understand his passing.

Then I heard Sunday of the death of the wife of my co-worker. Last Saturday, they were Christmas shopping with one of their children. She was sitting in the car, next to her husband, waiting to be waved through the gate into the Naval Air Station and the next moment she was gone. It is so strange. At 2:00 that afternoon they were entering the base. By 4:15, everything was over and my friend was back at home without his beloved wife.

I don’t understand. I cannot understand. It isn’t that I’m not trying to understand, it is that some things are beyond comprehension.

I cannot imagine Mary’s thoughts. I cannot imagine my friend’s situation. Both Mary and my friend are children of God. Both trust in Christ. Mary went on to serve the Lord and so will my friend. But, we may never understand why the events in their lives happened as they did.

I thought about writing of their stories as reminders of the need to hold those we love close. Instead, I think that I will just spend some time today reflecting on the reality that we will never understand all that is in God’s word, His plan, His love.

There is a song in our choir’s Christmas program that I cannot get out of my mind: “Every promise ever spoken made alive because He came. Chains of sin and shame are broken, by the power of His name. I believe, I believe; hope was born just for me. I believe, I believe; love has come. I believe.”

I choose to believe. And, that mustard seed-size of faith has changed my life.

Can you believe it, we are 11 days from Christmas. It seems like so much time and it feels like we have no time at all. Some of us are “ready” and some of us haven’t even started. And, we all have different ideas about what this Christmas will mean to us.

Yesterday, my middle school Sunday School class, (The 6 7 8 Project) discussed what it must have meant to the tribe of Israel to think about the Messiah. Many were ready for a king like no other king. A king even greater than King David! A king who would bring the nation together, defeat all of their enemies, expand their territory, and bring respect and prestige back to Israel. They expected the Messiah to end their string of political defeats, to oust their captors and to elevate their financial status to bring riches to all. They expected the Messiah to be the answer to all of their country’s problems!

But, Isaiah described a different king. He wrote: “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:13-14).

The Messiah would be called “Immanuel” –  “God with us.”

God, who promises to be with me, is different from the earthly, conquering king that many imagined. He never promised to be the God of a nation; Christ is the God of individuals. He is God with you, with me, with us.

We all come to Christmas differently. No matter what you and yours are dealing with this year, we don’t need an earthly king who will defeat other nations. We need the Son of God, born of a virgin, who carried our sins to the cross and conquered death and sin once and for all.

Immanuel – God with us.

Today is the third Sunday of Advent – we celebrate the gift of joy.

Joy and happiness are not the same. Joy is deeper. Joy is lasting. Joy comes from our souls not from our sense of humor.

The joy that comes from Lord is different from anything else we can know. Nehemiah said that the “joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10b). God gave to us the way of salvation; and that knowledge that we are saved brings unbelievable joy.  That joy gives strength to our souls, our hearts, our minds and our future. What joy it is to know that our sins are forgiven and forgotten.

The joy from the Lord can be ours in spite of our circumstances: “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.” (Psalm 25:5-6)

God’s joy can be ours when we are in harm’s way: “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.” (Luke 6:22-23)

The joy from the Lord is shared when we praise Him: “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—I whom you have delivered.” (Psalm 71:23)

As we approach Christmas, the day of celebration, we should prepare our hearts. On the first Sunday of Advent we considered hope and last week we talked of the love of God.

Today, our hearts sing with joy. Christ came to earth; he was the fulfillment of hope and the demonstration of love.

We are redeemed!! How can we not be filled with joy?

Today the United States Naval Academy football team will play the United States Military Academy football team. GO NAVY!!! This game has been going on since 1890 and is traditionally the last division 1 game played during the regular season.

To be honest, I knew nothing about the Army-Navy game until I met John. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1965 and loves watching the game every year. We would be watching the game with other USNA alumni today, but I am down hard with a cold and so we will watch it at home. I have no doubt that we will have a great time, clapping our hands, shouting and cheering Navy on. I enjoy watching the game because John enjoys watching it. And, if he had to be somewhere else today, I would still watch it just because he loves this particular football game. Because he is a fan, I am a fan!! GO NAVY!!!

Isn’t that funny? I would watch a game just because my amazing husband likes it. Isn’t that what we who love others do?  John lives love: I have no idea how many times he has sat through an episode of “Chopped” or one of a hundred HGTV shows just because I enjoy watching them. The other day, I was showing him my latest cross-stitch project and he commented about how the outlining I was doing changed the picture so much. That isn’t the kind of observation that anyone would make casually; he understands how my projects develop. And, I love it when he mentions something he heard on one of his favorite radio shows and I can discuss it with him because I heard the same segment.

We grow to enjoy things because they please the people we love.

Unfortunately, some people just don’t get it. I cringe when I hear a wife say hurtful things about her husband. Please understand that I don’t mean someone having a moment of frustration, I mean saying things that are hurtful.

Growing up, I remember a couple who was about my parents’ age. During a church potluck dinner, I observed the wife do a terrible thing to her husband. I was shocked but Mom saw the look in my eyes and gave me the “stay quiet” look. Later, she and I talked about it. Mom tried to brush it off, but I knew that she was trying to help me remain respectful of the couple. What her look and attitude taught me was that people who love each other don’t intentionally hurt each other.

Trash talk has become popular and it breaks my heart. You can hear it at the store – a parent being cruel to their child, a child mocking their parent. It is all over social media.  Hurting another never builds the relationship, never benefits anyone, and never demonstrates love. When we practice hurting those we love, we hurt others more easily – what happens in the family happens in the community.

So, how do we stop? The answer is simple – stop bad behavior, start good behavior. When painful comments take place between people around you: pray, demonstrate love, and comment if you think you should.  When you hurt someone, apologize quickly and sincerely and ask God to help you to change your ways, words and thoughts.

During this holiday season, let us speak words of love and hope to each other. Let us enjoy doing the things that make those we love happy.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29) “Encourage one another and build each other up.” (I Thessalonians 5:11a)

My mom had minor surgery on her hand last week. She is doing great and is really happy with the results. But, she and I had a fun call the day of her surgery.

I often make calls while on the run. On the day of her procedure, I had talked with Poppa in the afternoon and learned that the event was scheduled for later than I had thought and that the surgeon was running late. So, my timing on calls was off. I was in a long checkout line at Walmart and thought I would see if they were home yet. I was very surprised when Mom answered my call. She shared that Poppa had left to pick up a prescription. She was alone and a little loopy. We had a quick chat and I told her that we loved her and were praying for her. The call was short and so very, very sweet.

My advancement in the checkout line during the call had only moved me up one slot. It was then that the woman in front of me turned around and said, “I overheard you talking on the phone and you said that you would pray for the person. Do you believe in prayer?” Her question surprised me but I could see the pain in her eyes. I shared that I had faith in God. God’s word says that He wants His children to pray, to talk with Him. I don’t believe that my prayers cause things to happen, but that God wants me to share the concerns and joys of my heart and that I trust Him to do the best thing. I tried to keep my explanation short, but I didn’t want her to think that praying is a vending machine-type of operation – so many prayers equals so many positive answers.

She seemed to understand and accept my answer; she may have been a woman of faith herself, I am not sure. Her reply to my explanation was simple, “Would you keep my granddaughter, Hayley, in your prayers? She is 14 and in trouble. We don’t know what to do.” Her eyes filled with tears and so did mine. I told her that I would pray for Hayley and then, because I believe in sharing burdens, I asked her to pray for Mom’s continued healing. We agreed together.

It was her turn at the counter and her attention turned to the clerk. I watched her and prayed and wondered what her granddaughter could be doing. I prayed more. As she finished her transactions, she turned back to me and mouthed silently, “Thanks.” I knew that I should say something. I said, out loud, “God knows where Hayley is; she is His child. I will pray that she turns to Him.” At that, Hayley’s grandmother tried to keep the tears from flowing as she nodded and pushed her cart toward the door.

I have wondered what caused her to turn around and talk with me. It must have taken courage and faith. Perhaps she just needed someone to help her carry an impossible burden.

My belief is that prayer is simply a conversation with God. I don’t need to do or say anything specifically. I don’t have to pray at a specific time, although praying at meal time is a great way to remember to express thankfulness. And, God never ever gets tired of hearing from me. And, I learn so much by praying because a conversation includes listening.

Christmas is only 13 days away. Don’t forget to pray.

 “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (Philippians 4:6, The Message)

p.s.  If you get a chance, please pray for Hayley and her grandmother.  We will never know what happens in their lives, but we can trust God to hear our prayers.  Thanks!!  Jill (Just one of God’s kids)