Happy Monday!

It is the first day of the holiday break. The wreath is on the door. My living room is covered in boxes of ornaments, strings of lights and two very confused dogs. We think there is still a missing box full of ornaments and the tree skirt has not yet been found. Right now a blanket purchased at MD Anderson hospital two years ago suffices nicely for the skirt until the missing box can be located in the attic.

Our 29th anniversary will be January 1st. Many years ago at one of the luncheons in which I was honored, each guest was to bring a Christmas ornament for use for when we celebrated our first Christmas together. Our first tree was a tiny Norfolk pine in a pot covered in red foil. We loved it and decorated it with the treasured ornaments. I still have a few of those ornaments and remember the friends and family from whom they were given. That is the box that is missing!!!

Luke 19: 17 “And He said unto him. Well, you good servant; because you have been faithful in a very little, you have authority over ten cities.”

Three shopping days until Christmas. I see frazzled people and stressed parents of young children and the shelves at Wal-Mart are beginning to look a bit sparse. What I am not seeing are the smiles this season should be bringing.

Let’s travel back to the days in Nazareth and that night in Bethlehem and the story of Mary and Joseph once again. This miraculous birth did not happen by accident. God planned and ordered each step of the way these two young people were to travel. God told Mary ahead of time what was expected of her. Mary accepted this responsibility. Joseph was ready to walk away from Mary and God spoke to him in a dream and told Joseph of His plan. God told Joseph not to leave Mary for she was to bear the Son of God and that he, Joseph, was to be this child’s earthly father.

Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem in time to have this child just as the prophets had foretold. Then when the evil Herod sent his soldiers to murder all of the babies, God spoke to Joseph once again in a dream and told them to leave Bethlehem and travel to Egypt for safety.

None of these events were ordered or planned by Mary and Joseph. God planned and ordered all of these steps. Mary and Joseph seemed to willingly follow the will of the Father. If left to their own devices these plans might not have followed the plan God put before them. But Mary and Joseph seem to say, “Have your way, God.” They seemed to know that God would lead them and that His response to their obedience would make their way as easy on their feet as possible.

So my dear friends when your feet ache from shopping, cleaning or cooking or your heart aches when you think what you are doing is not enough, remember this young couple traveled on foot to bear this most precious child and again on rough rugged roads to protect Him from Herod’s army. I think they wore comfortable shoes.

Take joy in the journey and wear comfortable shoes. Love you all so much, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.