“Be still, and know that I am God.” - Psalm 46:10Every December seems to move faster than the one before. The calendar fills up, the noise gets louder, and the pressure to keep up never seems to stop. Even in seasons meant for worship, we often find ourselves rushing from one thing to the next, exhausted and distracted. Yet the story of Christmas is not about how much we can pack in. It is about c...  Read More

“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