Imagine what it might have been like for Joseph. Imagine holding the Son of God, Son of Man, in his arms and looking at his betrothed, servant of the Lord. It’s difficult for me to comprehend all the thoughts that must have been going through his head. God has a plan for this child to become one who saves the world from sin. Perhaps Joseph might have been wondering about that before he fell asleep after an exhausting experience. It’s…..
The First Day
Wake in the morning
with the Christ child
in your midst,
not distant or near, but here –
tangible and touchable.
Hear his cry, his coo, his sigh,
feel His breath.
Wake in the morning
and know His reality
is not just a dream.
Wake in the morning
with God’s promise
fulfilled.
(c) June G. Paul, All Rights Reserved 2019
I originally wrote this with the word “To” in front of the word Wake – –…..
One of the most challenging things during Christmas is to mourn the loss of the people we love who are no longer with us.
I know, because I’ve done this for many years. I remember being in Jr. High when my Grandmother (Mom’s mom) passed away. And I remember going to church during the Holiday Season and missing seeing her sitting in the front pew. I remember missing many other people throughout my lifetime. I remember helping my father mourn…..
What’s on your Christmas Wish List this year? What if instead of making a Wish List you created a Christmas Blessing List.
The Sermon on the Mount has been floating through my head for a few days now. Yesterday I wrote the “How Long?” post. Some people who are wondering How Long before they receive the blessings outlined in the…..
Do you remember playing tug of war as a young person? People are assigned sides, or two people get to choose who is going to be on their team. When we are very young everyone just grabs the rope and starts pulling their hardest to see if they can outpull the other side and drag them over the center…..
When we are dealing with doubt (our own or that of other people) it’s good for us to remember these words from Jude 1:22 “Be merciful to those who doubt;” (NIV)
Being merciful means being gentle with people who have some doubt. I always say where there is doubt, there is belief, so don’t mock and ridicule people who…..
Yesterday, November 1, 2019 I picked up my book Praying Our Way Through Stress, and looked at page 53. I mulled it over for the day, slept on it (not literally) and sorted through my thoughts this morning. The Chapter opens with a reference to something written in Matthew 4: “First Satan attempted to induce doubt (If you are…..
In the Book of Genesis there is mention about how God put a rainbow in the sky to remind himself that he would never again destroy the earth. Some people tend to stress the words ‘with a flood’ – But I am one who thinks God doesn’t want to destroy the earth or anything that our Good Lord has…..
I am quoting from page 92 of the book.
“In John 17:3, Jesus describes eternal life.
And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Is that what we want for ourselves and our children, for our mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, and our neighbors? Jesus, at one time, told his disciples that everyone who does the will of his Father is his mother, brother, and…..
The full passage is Matthew 3:1-12.
It seems we sometimes prefer to think that some of us are wheat and some of us are chaff. But if we are honest, we all have a little chaff on our souls.
When John was talking to the Pharisees and Sadducees he mentions ‘the wrath to come.’ Typically when we think of wrath, we think of a severe, out of control anger. If this wrath to come is from God, we should…..