Christ in the Clouds

"and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger," Luke 2;7 Every true mother feels a sense of awe in her soul when she bends over her own infant child; but in the case of Mary we may be sure that the awe was unusual, because of the mystery of the child's birth. The angel had said to her, "That which is to be born shall be called holy, the Son of God." The night of her child's birth there was a wondrous vision of angels, and the shepherds who beheld it hastened into the town; and as they looked upon the baby in the manger, they told the wondering mother what they had seen and heard. We are told that Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. ( Luke 2:19 )   While she could not understand what all this meant, she knew at least that hers was no common child; that in some wonderful sense, He was the Son of God. A Hurting Mother  ~  It’s hard to imagine the mixture of love an...

It has been awhile since I read some of her writings from her first book or from her blog. I should have known right off that her words would affect me in the same way that they did when I read them then. Yes, I'm talking about Ann Voskamp.  Last week I wrote about her new advent book, "Unwrapping the Greatest Gift." All week, I have been reading each day's Scripture and story, as well as the application of the story to us (or, as I  eerily  felt, applied directly to me) today.  All I can say is, "Wow, Wow, Wow!" I found myself shedding tears as I read just about every message she shared. She seems to pierce right into my deepest sorrows and life experiences and expresses where God stands with it. He is a God of so much love that, as she wrote in Day 4, "He feels what we feel and He's written our names on His hand." Here are some quotes from her book that literally took my breath away. Day 1: "The miracle no one dreame...

I grew up in a home where we observed Advent in many different ways. My mom was such a creative person. She built life-sized burlap-covered wood figures of the nativity that was set out on our front step every Christmas season. She made large wall banners with verses and artwork that were not only hung in our home, but also used in our church's sanctuary. And, of course, we either read an old-time version of the Christmas story from an antique book or the story directly from the Bible.  So, it's no surprise that Advent has always been an important part of the Christmas season for me. I have celebrated with my own family over the years in many different ways, from lighting candles to using an advent calender with different readings leading up to Christ's birth. Recently, one of my all-time favorite authors, Ann Voskamp, published a new Advent book called,  "Unwrapping the Greatest Gift".  I got so excited when I saw this book!  "Based on the overwhelm...

 Thanksgiving is just a few days away, but I find myself struggling this year because of a great loss. The loss isn't due to a physical death, but the death/loss of a relationship that was very dear to me. I know it is often difficult to praise the Lord in the midst of grief and loss.  Suffering reminds us of our dependence upon God. Oftentimes when we are well and strong and "living in the sunshine" as it were, we are self-sufficient. But when suffering comes we must depend upon the Lord. Isaiah wrote: "In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength" (Isa. 30:15). Many Bible characters experienced deep loss and sadness, followed by great and wonderful examples of how we should respond to loss and sorrow Job -  Suffering silences Satan as we see in the life of Job. God gave Satan permission to lay his hand upon His servant and his praise silenced Satan. Instead of complaining this humble servant p...