Musings and Nuggets

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens.  This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.    1 Thess. 5:18 (The Message) We are now in that time between Christmas and the New Year.   Kwanzaa is being celebrated (through January 1) .  It is also a time when teachers and students get to exhale and sleep a little later than usual.  It is a time of returning gifts and catching those after Christmas sales.   It is a time of getting a little weary of leftovers.                                                                             Photo by Belinda Fewings on Unsplash Weather prevented  some from making it to their destinations as planned to celebrate Christmas with family. Our scripture lets us know the attitude we should have when our plans "jump the tracks". Admittedly, being "cheerful" would be challenge, but being joyful about the birth of Christ in spite of circumstances is not a challenge since His

                                                                        Depending on your time zone, Christmas is a mere 4 days away.  If you are not at your destination by now, the weather (in some parts of the country) just might impede your travel plans.  For many it is the culmination of extra "tidying up" of the home, making ready for family members to come visit,  decorating the tree, shopping, wrapping gifts, baking, etc all in prepartion for the big day.  Celebrating the gift of Jesus should be at the center of it all.                      Although there is much excitement, especially for the children, there are some who will experience sadness instead of joy this time of the year.  Holiday celebrations bring dread and sadness to some because they are having to face "the day" without a loved one whose earthly journey has come to an end, or their family members live too far away.                                     Photo by Justin Snyder on Unsplash What can

T o the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews.  To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.  1 Corinthans 9:20 (ESV)                                                        Some people are highly offended when they are greeted with Happy Holidays because there is an assumption of this being an intentional attempt to take the focus off of the celebration of Jesus' birth.  Do you agree with this?    This country is often described as a melting pot, but what exactly is a melting pot?  According to Oxford Languages, a melting pot is "a place where different peoples, styles, theories, etc. are mixed together." For those of us who are Christian,  the entire month of December is celebrated as the Christmas season, culminating on December 25th, the day we acknowlege and celebrate as Christ's birth.  This celebration may include special services, re-enactments, decorations, special f

           For with God, nothing will be impossible .  Luke 1:37 (NKJV)                                            Imagine that you are a * 12 to 15 year old girl doing whatever "tweens" do, and you get an unexpected "visitor" who just pops in without using a door.  This visitor, Gabriel, tells you  not  to be afraid (Too Late!!), that God is really proud of you, and has chosen you to be the mother of Jesus!  ( Luke 1:26-33 ). Mary was confused because even though she was engaged to Joseph, she had never been intimate with any man.  Gabriel went on to inform her that her elderly cousin, Elizabeth, who had been childless, was also pregnant  (Luke 1:11-15 ).    Titus 2:1-5 admonishes the older, seasoned women to teach the younger women.  So, Mary immediately went to visit Elizabeth.  When Eilzabeth heard Mary's voice, her baby lept in utero and both Elizabeth and her baby were filled with the Holy Spirit ( Luke 1:15 ).  Mary stayed through the rest of Elizabeth&