She's here! She's here! The princess has arrived, and she is cuter than ever. Pictures tomorrow!
Our pastor spoke this morning of the birth of the Savior as expected, but he brought out in his message something that we know as well...that Christ did not come just to be born as a baby, but He was born God in the flesh and later would pay the penalty of our sins.
In my Christmas letter last year and again I excerpted part of the book, Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner. What a wonderful testimony of a young Jewish woman, who goes to Columbia University because she knew there would be a large Jewish population there. In a bookstore she picks up one of the Mitford Series, reads it, becomes interested in Christianity, and comes to know the Lord. Her book is basically a journal of her journey, but she makes some wonderful statements about Advent.
She writes: "The calendar tells us that this all culminates on December 25, but really the whole season slouches toward Easter. Jesus became incarnate now, in the manger of Bethlehem, but if His incarnateness is meant to make Him more relatable to us, if we are meant to have better access to God because our God has a body like we have, if we relate to Him better because He knows what it is like to weep and throw up and be tempted and suffer, then the Incarnation that starts on Christmas isn't finished until Good Friday.
And the miracles that start in the strange inexplicable Virgin Birth aren't finished until the Resurrection.....Even his birthplace takes us to the Last Supper: Jesus, the Bread of Life, is born in Bethlehem, bet lechem, "house of bread," and at the Last Supper, He will break bread for us, and then on the cross He will break His body. Nothing in Scripture, even the names of birthplace towns, is coincidence."
Having been raised in church and being around Christians all my life, I know I've taken a lot for granted. I love Ms. Winner's book becasue she has taken nothing for granted but has studied her Judaism, has studied Christianity, and God has captivated her heart.
6 comments:
Beverly, have a wonderful Christmas with your family. Enjoy Ella and take lots and lots of pictures. Thank you for this lovely post and for your shining example to all of us. Peace and joy and God's love.... this is Christmas.
Beverly, I also hope you have a wonderful Christmas, and I can't wait to see new pics of your beautiful Ella.
I am going to look for the Winner book. I hope that the woman who wrote the Mitford series knows about it (can't remember her name right now).
Merry Christmas !!
Beverly, what a lovely post and gift this day. I will look into getting this book by Ms. Winner, it sound so interesting. I recently purchased the first book in the Mitford series, as it happens, since the series has been on my "to read" list for a long time. It is my New Year's resolution to read them. Nice how this post ties in.
Can't wait to see some adorable Baby Ella photos.
Enjoy the visit. I know you are so happy.
Ahhhhhhh...I know you are going to have such a good time with wee Ella!!
I have her picture up to see every day...makes me want to hold her myself!!
Thanks so much for thinking to send those to me!!
We should all stop to think about the important issues of Christmas and Easter...not just the commercialism which is here today and gone tomorrow...we all need something that lasts and that is the Messiah!!
:-D
Great post, Beverly. I'm trying to catch up after being gone for several days. Didn't even get to post my own Christmas thoughts until yesterday!
I, too, am anticipating those new pic's of Ella that you have promised! And I hope that your New Year--and your new year--will be filled with good news of all kinds. You already know the best Good News there is! God bless you!
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