expectation ⁽⁵⁶⁾

Psalm 55:1–7; Luke 2:21–38; 2 Corinthians 11:18–30 Families are often quick to share their expectations of a newborn (or coming) baby. The pressure can be on pretty quickly. The parents, too, have expectations of their children. They are often called "dreams" or "maybe someday." As…

Psalm 97, Hebrews 1:1-2:9, Galatians 4:4-7 During this Holy Day, in the midst of gift-giving, family, loneliness, heartache, healing, hurting…look to God. Two holidays often are the most bittersweet, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The joy of gratitude (Thanksgiving) and celebration of the Savior (Christmas) can get…

Micah 5:2-4; Psalm 96; Luke 2:1-20 The beauty and mystery of God's word comes alive when it comes to Jesus. Much of the prophecy that surrounds Jesus is in the middle of prophetic statements that on their own may have seemed insignificant. However, when so…

Luke:1:46b-55, James 5:7-10, Hebrews 12:1-2 Mary’s song/poem of praise is often called the Magnificat in the Protestant/Roman Catholic tradition, or the Ode of the Theotokos (Bearer of God) in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. It is a joy-filled response to God by Mary that appears to…

Job 33:14-30, Psalm 126, Luke 1:35-45 In many respects, joy is both easy and incredibly difficult to truly understand. On one hand, we understand that joy is something much deeper than the feelings of the moment. Yet, on the other hand, we use the word…