Advancing God's Kingdom
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Luke 2:12 (KJV) Jesus’ parents swaddled Him! Was it by divine inspiration, or because it was a traditional way to soothe and keep babies warm as they adjust to life outside the womb? I […]
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother and […]
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But […]
Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative […]
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. Luke 1:30 (KJV) Before the angel could deliver God’s message to Mary, the angel’s first proclamation was “fear not.” Fear makes it difficult to receive, believe, and submit to God’s will. Fear keeps us from fulfilling God’s purpose for […]
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38 While Mary’s statement looks like a simple proclamation of faith, radical faith was at work. I can imagine that Mary knew what was at stake for her socially, yet she […]
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those […]
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those […]
And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy […]
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38 (KJV) Luke 1:38 is a simple and powerful statement that reveals Mary’s heart and radical life of faith. Mary’s statement demonstrates the true meaning of servanthood and the relationship between […]
The more time passes as a parent, the more I realize how little I truly understand parenting. Even if you are not a parent, this post will encourage you. We need each other to walk on this earth and raise our children. Children are a masterpiece of God. Parents or caregivers are the caretakers, coaches, […]
To better contextualize this post, please consider reading Teaching Your Kids About Disappointment (Part 1). Disappointment in our kids usually shows up as rapid overreacting to a change. What seems like a minor bump in the road to us as adults is a huge deal to our kids who haven’t yet learned the mental flexibility […]
Disappointment is one of the most difficult forms of emotional pain. It is also one of the most difficult to deal with in our children. What makes it so difficult is its intensity. We experience disappointment when we expect something to happen, but it doesn’t. The more we have anticipated enjoyment or relief from our […]
And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings […]
Since I only have one child and only one chance at raising him, I find myself reflecting on my parenting practices and experiencing a pang of regret from time to time. I am pretty aware that I could have done better or have done more or less. My child is 22 years old, and I […]
And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and […]
1 Timothy 6:12 (KJV) Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. Fight the good fight of faith As we interact with family members this festive season, situations or conversations may set the atmosphere up for unhealthy confrontation […]
As I ponder the parenting styles of the past, I see that I did have guinea pigs to train. I was glad to be an older mom; I had more time to know Jesus after a near-death experience. Someday, I will share my experience. Before becoming a parent, I deepened my faith in Jesus and […]
Telling my 5 year old son that his baby brother or sister had died and was no longer growing in my belly was one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever done. Telling him that his uncle died just a few months later, and attending the funeral was a close second. Coming home from […]
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along […]
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) This scripture is both a commandment and a promise/covenant. God is faithful to do His part. Are we intentional about doing our part? Parents have the responsibility to start off their […]
Is there anybody who is more idealistic than the parent of a newborn child? Those eyes were fixed on that infant for hours on end. We were overwhelmed with emotion both of joy and fear: delight at the wonder of life and this creation that we held in our arms and fear at the responsibility […]
We tell our children that we are proud of them when they have accomplished something. Our children’s accomplishments are significant, but we should also recognize them for who they are. The things our children have done, completed, achieved, or produced make us proud of them. As a result of what they haven’t done, we feel […]
As we round out the last few days of National Infant Mortality Awareness Month, I want to share a story that has impacted me since I first heard it almost five years ago. Trigger warning: Although this story begins with sadness, it is a beautiful, present-day example of how beauty can come from ashes. ——— […]
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