Contemplating Mary, the mother of Jesus, has spurred me to think of other aspects of her unique calling in life.  Luke recorded many details in his Gospel (chapter 1 verses 26-56) here are a few thoughts that jumped out at me this morning!

Mary and her betrothed, Joseph, were both of the lineage of David.  They were going about their lives in the usual way as most Jewish folks did.  Anticipating their marriage, Joseph was preparing a home for his future wife.  Mary would also have been preparing items for her household.  They lived in Nazareth in Galilee.

God sent an angel to visit Mary!  "Greetings, O favoured one, the Lord is with you!"  (Luke 1:28b)

How did Mary become a favoured one?  Did she do something to be noticed by the Lord?  No, she was not special by anything she had done.  Being in the line of David meant she was qualified according to the promise that a King would come through this family. Mary was chosen and that's all we know.

When she listens to the angel's pronouncement of her calling to be the mother of the Messiah, her response is expected, normal.  "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:34b)  

She doesn't doubt the angel's message, nor do we see any decrease in her faith in God.  But her mind is going over the realities and practicalities of becoming pregnant.  She isn't willing to compromise her faith and sincerity in following God's laws.  

When the explanation is given and the character and abilities of God are shown through the miraculous pregnancy of Mary's relative Elizabeth, then Mary is faced with a choice.  Will she trust?  Will she believe?

Luke 1:38 speaks to me strongly as I read Mary's reply to the angel.  "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

I have been asked to be a missionary, to serve among First Nations people.  I have been blessed to have a husband and three children, to raise our family in a cross-cultural setting.  I have been asked to travel, to go to remote places and help my husband in bringing leadership to a mission organization.  And my response has sometimes been:

*Lord, are You sure it's me You want?

*I am not gifted in this area.

*I get carsick!

*I am afraid I will fail.

*Will my kids be okay?

*Is the pressure too much for my husband?

*I don't want to!

The beautiful song Mary sang reflects her absolute trust and submission to her God. "The Magnificat" found in Luke 1:46-55 will inspire you and convict you - as it did me - and challenge you to say "YES" to God's call on your life.

"Let it be to me according to your word."

 Winding around the bends of the lakeshore highway, Walter and I are making our way to our next destination.  Tall evergreen trees are laden with heavy snow frosting.  The Kootenay Lake plays peek-a-boo as we drive along its curving edges.  

I glance at the clock display on the dash of our truck - the time shows 3:00 pm and the ferry we are hoping to ride leaves at 3:40!  Will we make it?

I keep my eyes straight ahead, keeping watch for wildlife and oncoming traffic.  Walter is gripping the steering wheel, expertly manoevering each curve.  The sign reads 14 km to the Kootenay Bay ferry crossing.  Surely we will make it on time.  But the minutes tick by and at only 40-50 km/hour, it seems to take forever.

Finally we arrive to a small line up just as the ferry is approaching the dock.  Whew!  

The ferry ride is pleasant and smooth, only 35 minutes across the lake.  When we disembark, we see the sign for the hot springs.  Not long now.

It was only 4:30 but with the cloudy sky and towering mountains, we find ourselves driving in late afternoon darkness.  More winding road, a few impatient drivers who drive way too fast and come up too close behind us.  Walter slows and drives into a pullout and lets the speedy little car pass.  We carry on to see a sign warning of a steep downhill grade.  

And there it is.  The little community of Ainsworth, BC.  We turn at the hotel/restaurant and the sign for the Hot Springs Pool/Caves!  We pull up to the lobby entrance and Walter leaves me in the truck while he checks to see if they have any rooms.

Another couple in history had a long journey to make.  There were curves in their trail, obstacles to their itinerary.  They may have had different scenery surrounding them - desert terrain - and more rustic mode of travel - donkey?  They, too, were seeking a destination.

I have often tried to put myself in Mary's shoes as I think of the biblical account of Jesus' birth.  Was she stressed?  Was she suffering and uncomfortable, being advanced in her pregnancy?  Was Joseph confident as he navigated their way to Bethlehem?  Did the days drag on?  Did darkness seem to settle in over them?

But unlike Mary's experience, I am blessed to rent a room at the inn we found.

Sometimes I need to take note of the everyday details of Jesus' unceremonious coming, the humble and inconvenient circumstances His mother endured.

Lord, thank You for helping me see the perspective of Mary's journey as we trust You on ours.

 Waiting.

So many emotions accompany the experience of waiting. 

 Excitement.  

    Impatience. 

         Anticipation.  

            Fear.  

                Boredom.  

                    Disappointment.  

                        Hope.

The saying "Good things come to those who wait" has some truth to it.  Waiting for cookies to bake is one of those good things that is so worth waiting for!  Patiently anticipating the arrival of an airplane carrying loved ones to visit is another example (and with today's flight challenges, waiting is very possible!). 

Probably the ultimate experience of the reward for waiting is the birth of a baby.  Months of preparation, growing, discomfort, anxiousness and then finally labour!  How many expectant mothers have painfully given birth, only to be so thrilled and in love with the long-awaited child?  The journey of waiting was worth every finger, every toe, every eyelash of pure delight!

Waiting for the Messiah - the One God had promised would be the Deliverer, the Hero that Israel needed - was a very long, painful and desperate journey for the people of God.  Every generation hoped that it would during their lifetime that the Messiah would show up on the scene.  When Jesus Christ finally arrived, the Jewish people were divided about Him.  Some thought He was just another self-proclaimed prophet.  Others expected Him to be the political leader that would deliver them from the Roman occupation of their land.  Still others ignored Him or wrote Him off as insane!

The beautiful thing about Jesus is that He came to be the Saviour of the world, not just for the nation of Israel.  He came to deliver from sin, not from political oppression.  His mission was to save humanity if they would trust in Him.

Have you been waiting for something?  Have you felt impatient, bored, even disappointed that God hasn't given you that something yet?  

Or maybe you haven't known what exactly it is you need.  

Maybe you are waiting for Jesus.  Let me assure you He has come, and He is waiting for YOU to call on Him for what you need.

Psalm 130:5 "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word  hope..."

 Why do we celebrate Christmas?

I can think of many reasons NOT to make a big deal of Christmas:

~Jesus actual birthday is more likely in spring, not on December 24 or 25 at all

~The real reason to celebrate - Jesus' birth - has become overshadowed by Santa, elves, naughty & nice lists and magical expectations

~The emphasis on gifts, presents, surprises and extravagance is more about consumerism than giving

~The pressure on people to have big meals, gatherings, parties and other festive events is stressful

My antidote to all the distractions and self-imposed pressures is to focus on the simple things.  For one thing, I focus on people.  If I am writing a bunch of Christmas cards, I buy my cards on Boxing Day the year ahead and make a list of who I want to send them to.  As for decorating the house, I don't go overboard, just tasteful favourite items and a pre-lit Christmas tree (no muss, no fuss!). I want to enjoy the people, not worry about every detail being perfect.

 Now that our family is expanding with daughter-in-laws, we pick names amongst each other and then buy a smaller item for a gift exchange game.  The gift-giving is still fun, but we want to make the day about spending time together, not about the financial strain of over-spending.

When it comes to Christmas parties, concerts and events, we are not in that phase of school and church programs anymore.  But we intentionally choose the events we will go to  and make them meaningful.  We also love to host our family, whoever can come, at our house.  I am not so intent on making multiple dishes and every favourite cookie recipe; simple menu and let others bring some items to contribute to the meal and snacks.  It sure makes the pressure lighter!

This year, I am taking the time to write daily (we'll see how that goes!) to share Advent thoughts with my Blog fans. I want to focus on Jesus' birth and how to encourage others to keep their eyes on the prize!  I hope you can find joy in keeping it simple:  Jesus and people!  

 Candles.  Wreath.  The readings from Scripture.  Advent is a part of the church calendar, but not every tradition observes it in their worship services.

As a teenager, I began to take my faith more seriously.  I went to church whenever I could.  I joined the choir.  I attended a youth group and Bible study.  I paid more attention to what was going on in the services and began to wonder why things were done they way they were in various church groups.

The first Advent candle-lighting I observed was intriguing.  The minister in his black robe read Scripture.  He pointed out the three purple candles and what they represented.  The one pink candle stood for another theme.  And the white candle, pure and set apart, known as the Christ candle, represented Jesus the Christ.  Various members of the congregation would take turns lighting the candles on each of the Advent Sundays.  The darkened sanctuary with the glow of the Advent wreath made for a holy memory for me.

This season is a time of preparation as we come up on the event of Christmas.  

How are you preparing for Christmas?  Are you baking, shopping, cleaning, wrapping, decorating?  That is all part of the holiday and fun.

But the thing that really matters is the preparation of the heart.

"Let every heart prepare Him room and heaven and nature sing..."  (Joy to the World)

If your church doesn't practice the observance of Advent, you can always do it on your own.  Look it up on the internet, see what supplies the Dollar Store can provide and make a special spot in your home to honour the coming of the Lord Jesus.

 Did you wake up this morning to a dark sky?  When you opened your eyes, did darkness greet you and you thought it was still nighttime?

If you live in the northern hemisphere, north of the 49th parallel, then you are approaching the winter solstice.  Depending on your location, you may be entering a time when there are more hours of night than daylight.  This can be a season of hopelessness and depression.

Do you turn on the TV news broadcast or read news headlines on your phone?  Does it feel like an assault of gloom and doom?

Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the negative news and simply choose not to see or read about the homicides, the wars, the corruption and confusion in our world.  This may be denial on my part, but a person can only handle so much negativity before it swallows us up!

There is a scripture in Isaiah, chapter 9, that describes this condition.  "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined."  Isaiah 9:2  The people Isaiah is referring to is his own people, the nation of Israel.  But I would like to say that the whole world is experiencing darkness, deep darkness morally, relationally, politically, economically, spiritually...there is no group of people who is doing everything right!  More and more, the nations of the world are embracing selfish, greedy and evil lifestyles, rejecting the standards of right living and goodness that God has established.

The darkness can be subtle.  It is a gradual removal of light and hope and righteousness.  Immorality and evil creeps in slowly and even folks with decent lives can be unconsciously influenced by the downward spiral around them!

What is the answer?

The light that Isaiah refers to in the scripture verse is not a thing, not a scientific or physical beam of cosmic brightness.  This light is the Messiah, a promised leader who will bring truth and hope to this people.  Not just to the people of Israel but to the whole world!

Jesus is that light.  In John 8:12, Jesus Himself declares who He is.  Again Jesus spoke to them saying,  'I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"  The awesome truth is that Jesus Christ already came to the earth and He has left His light here to shine.  But you may ask where is that light?  It seems pretty dim, not very impressive.

Jesus came and left His Church, His followers to continue to shine that light for the world to see.  He left His Word, the Bible, to provide truth and understanding, to give guidance on how to walk in this world that insists on staying in the dark!  

Will you set your eyes on Jesus, the light of the world?  He is offering His light to your darkness.

 Twenty-eight years ago this morning, Walter and I packed up our 3 preschool aged children, and drove one block over to the Albert Scott Community Centre. We set up chairs and tables, hooked up an overhead projector and made coffee. We expected maybe a handful of people to show up for our first worship/small group/gathering of what was to become Healing Healing Ministry. 

God met with us that first Sunday and we began a journey of ministry in north central Regina that brought the healing touch of Jesus to wounded hearts. That healing had to come to our own hearts first and both of us were hugely impacted by what we were learning to try and help others!  

We served in ministry with many wonderful folks who sacrificed and gave of their time and talents to love, pray for, visit and mentor many in the neighbourhood and beyond. The little gathering grew and we were able to eventually buy our own building. God provided so faithfully.  

Others joined our Healing Hearts team to bring that same message of healing and hope to other communities on the prairies. As the team expanded, Walter and I became more overseers and encouragers to the ministry staff and less involved in the pastoring role in Regina. 

Today I want to celebrate God’s great deeds through such a tremendous season in our lives. We have stepped away from that ministry and God has opened new doors for us to serve and use our experiences and abilities. Our hearts are full as we let go of the past and embrace the new. I am grateful beyond words for the friends- brothers and sisters in Christ- who have been part of our lives and our own healing journey. Seasons of ministry may change but God is faithful and the family of God is precious to us.

Thank You, Lord!!!