“She gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” - Luke 2:7On the night Jesus was born, the streets of Bethlehem were crowded. People filled every room and every corner. Travelers who had come for the census packed the small town so tightly that when Mary and Joseph arrived, tired and desperate, there wa...  Read More

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” - 2 Corinthians 9:7In one version of the old Charlie Brown Christmas story, Charlie breaks open his piggy bank to buy gifts for his friends. Inside are only nine dollars and eleven cents in coins. When he tells Lucy about his plan, she laughs and says he canno...  Read More

“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her.” - Luke 1:45When Mary received the message from the angel, she was told something no one had ever heard before. She would give birth to the Son of God. There were no examples to follow, no proof to lean on, and no clear explanation of how it would all work. Yet she chose to believe that every word God spoke would com...  Read More

“For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” - Luke 1:49Mary’s story is one of the clearest pictures of what it means to walk in faith. She was chosen by God for a purpose she never could have imagined. From the moment the angel greeted her with the words, “You are highly favored,” her life took a direction she could not control. She faced uncertainty, misunderstandin...  Read More

“For he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on, all generations will call me blessed.” - Luke 1:48When God chose the person who would carry His Son into the world, He did not look to the powerful or the well-known. He did not go to the palace or the temple. He went to a small town called Nazareth and found a young woman named Mary. She had no title, no influence, and no p...  Read More

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” - Luke 1:46-47After hearing the angel’s message and visiting her cousin Elizabeth, Mary broke out into a song of praise. It was not a song born out of comfort or ease. It was a song sung in the middle of chaos. Mary was young, unmarried, and facing a future full of uncertainty. People would question her story and her character. ...  Read More