• Why being quiet during Advent might be necessary and good

      There was a lot of noise on the night of Jesus’ birth. The fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan was taking center stage, and heaven shouted the news to a group of shepherds.  They listened to the announcement, left to find Jesus, and were the first to encounter the majesty of the incarnation.   Mary and Joseph had most likely experienced a quiet night.  No fanfare.  No family or friends to celebrate the arrival of their firstborn child.  They hadn’t witnessed the glorious announcement from the angels so it may have come as quite a surprise when a group of shaken up and boisterous shepherds arrived to worship their baby…

  • Encounters with Jesus, An Advent Devotional Series

      Three times over the past eight years I was in the final weeks of pregnancy during the season of Advent.  Waiting and hoping have been familiar companions.  Last year our fifth baby was due eight days after Advent began and as November drew to a close I would wake up each day and wonder, “Is today the day?”  Every contraction gave me cause for hope that the delivery would be soon, and every time the contractions stopped I grew more weary.     Hope deferred makes the heart sick…. (Proverbs 13:12)   Finally, the day after his due date, our baby boy was born and I felt like we could finally prepare for and…