A WOMAN'S VIEW ~ Lenore Buth

Looking at the first Christmas through Mary's eyes

None of us know what Mary felt, but Scripture says it was something like this:   

The day began like every other day.

Then out of nowhere a radiant being stood before me and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with  you." 

Somehow I knew it was an angel, yet why would an angel come to me? I was a poor young woman who lived in lowly Nazareth.

The angel said, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High."

I could make no sense of it, but as I felt my heart warm within me I knew it must be true.   

"How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God . . . For nothing is impossible with God."

I could say nothing but "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said."

Suddenly I was alone again and my heart brimmed over with wonder and joy.

But ...  What will I tell Joseph?

Joseph! My precious Joseph, my betrothed. As was the custom, we were waiting out our year of betrothal before we came together as husband and wife.

What would Joseph say when he found out? What would he do?

A shiver of fear ran down my spine. He could accuse me in front of the elders and have me flogged in the public square. I would be disgraced. Alone. 

No, I and this child would live in disgrace.

I sat a long time, pondering. Praying. Crying. I swung from joy to sadness and back to joy, over and over again. 

At last I resolved to trust the Lord, no matter what

As any other man would be, Joseph was stunned to find out I was pregnant. Finally he said he cared too much for me to see me judged. That dear, righteous man would quietly seek a divorce.

Not long after, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

Joseph believed! Neither of us really understood, but we believed

How, I cannot say, but we knew it had to be true that God chose Joseph and me to be part of his miracle in sending his only son to earth.

Joseph took me to his home. We already had agreed not to come together as husband and wife until after God's Son was born.

Just as I feared, the townspeople whispered about the child I was carrying. The men called Joseph a fool, but he paid them no mind. He became my protector and my support.

The months went by.

Then Emperor Caesar Augustus decreed a census must be taken of the entire Roman world 

Caesar ruled his Empire with an iron fist, so we had no choice. Joseph and I both belonged to the line of David, so we must travel from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, and then to Bethlehem, the city of David. 

Oh, the misery of that journey! I knew God's Son would be born soon. Whether I walked or rode on the donkey, I felt every jolt, every rock, every rut in the road.

Toward the end I did not think I could go on and I held my aching belly as I walked. We were close to Bethlehem when I felt a sharp pain down low. I knew my time to give birth would be soon.

Yet we had no place to stay.

Joseph searched the town, pounding on doors, frantically inquiring of innkeepers. There were no rooms, not anywhere. At last one kind man took pity and told us we could stay in his stable.

A stable for God's Son?

At least we would be out of the cold night air and have a bit of privacy. The innkeeper lent us a small oil lamp. We watched its light dance and flicker on the rough walls and listened to the soft sounds of the animals.

Joseph did what he could. He spread out a garment for me and helped me lie down on it. My swollen feet throbbed and my whole body ached.

We had only the warmth--and the smell--of the animals. Only our love for each other.

Only the waiting for God's Son to be born.

Then my labor pangs began in earnest, quickly growing stronger. Joseph stayed by my side, his eyes filling with tears as he stroked my forehead and tenderly whispered my name, over and over. I hear him still: Mary. Mary ...

Then the urge to push grew stronger. With one final push and a long sigh my labor was over.

God's Son, the Savior, the long-awaited Messiah, was born!

As I looked into my baby's face I wondered what the future might hold for him. Then I wrapped him in soft cloths I brought with me and held him.

After awhile I laid the Child on top of the fresh hay Joseph had spread in the manger. It was the cleanest place in that cattle barn.

We never could have imagined what would come next. A group of shepherds burst into the stable. They went right to the manger and gazed down at Jesus. Then they bowed down in worship.

Their faces glowed. 

As if they already knew who he was 

After awhile they told us what brought them to the manger. They were guarding their sheep out on the Bethlehem hills as usual.    

Suddenly everything around them shone so bright they fell to the ground. Then an angel appeared and said, "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 

Before they could speak a word the sky filled with a great company of angels, all of them singing and praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men."

Just as suddenly the angels were gone. The shepherds could hardly contain themselves. One said, "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this wonderful thing!"

So they abandoned their sheep and ran as fast as they could to find the Savior, Christ the Lord, there in that lowly manger just as the angel told them. 

Why were any of us surprised?

Centuries before Jesus was born there lived a prophet of God named Isaiah. He foretold that a virgin would be with child and give birth to a son who would be called Immanuel, which means, "God with us."

I never stopped thanking God for choosing me to be part of that glorious night.

Still, to my dying day I wondered how it could be that one night God stepped into our world and almost no one paid attention.

_________________________________

Dear reader friends, 

To read the best-known account of Christ's birth, turn to Luke 2:1-20 in the Bible.  

Nothing has changed: Jesus is God with us. All who believe in him as Lord and Savior are forgiven for every sin and will live eternally. (John 3:16-17)

Thank you for reading my blog. I pray each of you will have JOY in Jesus this Christmas--and throughout every day of the year ahead!

With love,

Lenore

 

Take a broader view of the Christmas star

I've loved Christmas since I was a little girl singing and "saying my piece" for the Christmas programs at church and school.

No matter how much styles and times change, Christmas still brings with it beautiful trees and wreaths and lights of every color. People smile for no obvious reason and there's a happy frenzy that makes us feel more alive, whatever our age.  

One of the joys of Christmas is touching hearts across the miles, whether by phone, texts or Emails and Christmas letters. Time and distance melt away and it's as if we had seen each other just last week.

What's your favorite Christmas decoration?

Mine would be the Christmas star because it shone its light on the stable in Bethlehem where Mary and Joseph found shelter, then laid the Christ Child in the manger.

We put a star up for many years, on our house, wherever we were. It was nothing fancy, just a long string of lights threaded through screw eyes on our back deck pillars and on the upright cross beam. All anyone saw from a distance was our twinkling star, rather like this photo.

The story behind our star traces back to another time, another place, another star. We were in a new town and knew we'd be moving on, but had no clue where my husband's job would take us next. Or when. To me it felt like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

(Did I mention I'm not so good at waiting?)

That first December in our "home-for-awhile" someone erected a huge Christmas star on a distant hillside. I could see it shining clearly in the darkness every time I turned off the freeway. As I drove the mile or so to reach our home it seemed I headed straight toward that star.

Often I drove those streets in tears. Tears of gladness that despite all the commercial hoopla someone, somewhere, still cared about the Christ Child and the star that brought the shepherds running to Bethlehem. I confess to tears of self-pity, too, wishing we knew what would come next and asking God (again) to fill me with patience.

That far-away star calmed my heart. It was as if "somebody" placed that star there just to remind me that Jesus Christ was born to bring me peace, too!

Peace that lasts, whatever the circumstance. Every day of the year. Whatever comes - or doesn't. 

(Jesus said) "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27 

Experience teaches us it's impossible to know what will come next in our lives

A letter, a phone call, an unexpected, unwanted diagnosis can turn our lives upside down in an instant. Most of us have lived at least one of those circumstances at some time.

Over the years I've gained a new appreciation for that familiar phrase, "Life is fragile. Handle with care."

That maxim stops too soon for us Christians. I think a better motto would be, "Life is fragile, but whatever comes, I can be at peace because God loves me and He has the last word."

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13 

We can count on the One who knows the future

Here are some much-loved verses to post on our mental bulletin boards. They fit every day of our lives. 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  Colossians 3:15

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:9

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

The Christmas gifts we cannot buy

All these are the gifts of God because of that Baby born in Bethlehem so long ago and laid in a humble manger. 

The fully human child who also was fully God. I like the way John, the writer of the Gospel of John, lays it out for us: 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  John 1:1-5

Beautiful words but to our human minds, a mystery we cannot ever understand. How could we? This is God, not just another human being like us. Our call is not to explain, but to believe. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

Keep your focus on the star

The star that led the shepherds and later the Wise Men to Jesus, the One who is the light in our dark world. The One who points us to God, the Father, even now.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."   John 14:6

Because He came on that starry night, when we have Jesus in our hearts you and I can live in peace, even while not knowing what comes next in our lives.  

It is enough.

My friend, may you know the JOY of Christmas every hour of every day - and night - all year long!

With love,

Lenore 

Here comes a Christmas heart-lift and a smile

Are you thinking Christmas won't be the same this year? Feeling a bit rushed?  

It's time for a break. Sit for a moment and catch the joy of these children--and adults--as you watch and listen to this YouTube of some years ago.

First, a bit of background          

It all started when James Barthelman and his wife moved from Nebraska to the tiny village of Quinhagak, Alaska, to teach. Quinhagak is a (mostly) Yup'ik Eskimo village, 400 miles west of Anchorage, with no roads to the outside world. At the last census the population numbered 699 residents.

James was to teach in the village school, Kuinerramiut Elitnarviat School. 

During the school year he and his fifth-graders came up with making this YouTube video as a school computer project that would involve both children and villagers. Barthelman filmed it, intending that this YouTube would go only to other Yup'ik villages in the area. 

But it caught on and went viral

By now well over 1.8 million people have viewed this lively performance, all of it synced with the recording of the Robert Shaw Chorale singing the "Hallelujah" chorus from Handel's Messiah.

That one teacher in one small school never imagined how many people would be entranced by this video. 

Quinhagak is a long way from Dublin, Ireland, where George Frideric Handel composed Messiah in 1741. At the time he considered himself something of a failure. Then during a 24-day period he composed the entire score of Messiah, for both choir and orchestra. He said he felt God gave him the music.

Handel never could have foreseen how his music would endure.

Nor that centuries later a teacher and a group of Inuit children would come up with such a creative performance, all of it synced with a recorded choir singing Handel's "Hallelujah" chorus.

Consider this another reminder what God can do with the work of one individual 

Although Handel composed many other musical works, only his "Hallelujah" chorus is sung and hummed all over the world. His Messiah is performed every Christmas season by choruses and choirs in huge cities and in tiny villages on every continent.  

There's a lesson here for you and me

As individuals and as moms and dads we cannot know what God will do with our work.

Or the work of our children.

I can't help thinking of this Bible verse.

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.   Ephesians 2:10  NIV

That verse wasn't aimed only at Handel and other famous people. It speaks to you and me, too.

Think you're on a treadmill and going nowhere?

Perhaps today you question the value of your life. Maybe you're facing your first Christmas alone after losing a loved one.

Maybe you're a mom and your family most often notices what you do when you don't do it.  

Put a positive spin on that. Being taken for granted also means your family knows they can count on you.

What's more, the family life you create and the love you pour into your days will live on in your children.

Joy comes from giving ourselves fully, knowing that what we do matters, whether we see the end result or not.

God is faithful. What we do in love will live on

Believe it. Let that truth put fresh energy in your tired body.

Someone needs us, needs our kind words, needs our encouragement. Whether we realize it or not, those are gifts, too.

This Christ-mas season let's put aside our usual thoughts of hurry and pressure and think on the greatest Gift. 

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.   John 3:16  ESV

Hallelujah!

Lenore

What do you think? Is the Christmas Story just a story?

Ask this question of a random group of people and answers will be all over the place.  

One person may say, "I guess it's kind of a nice story, but I can't relate. I mean, this is the 21st century. How does a story about a baby in a manger have any meaning for us today?"

Another may say, "I think all religions are pretty much the same, so what difference does it make? We're all headed for the same place, no matter how we get there. Isn't that the bottom line?" 

For millions of people around the world who come to faith in Jesus, the story of that first Christmas is life-changing.

Here's the true story of one such man, who found this to be true

I heard about a businessman, "Kevin," who years ago had to spend some time overseas. He noticed he was scheduled for a free day in the same city his college roommate called "home." After a lengthy Internet search he managed to find current information and arranged to meet with his old friend.

Kevin and "Abbud," met in a quiet cafe and found a table toward the back. They immediately slipped into the easy comfort of good friends reunited and talked for hours. Kevin mentioned he always knew his friend came from a non-Christian background, but back then he hadn't known how to talk about it.  

Abbud carefully looked all around the space, then lowered his voice to almost a whisper and said, "That was true then, but no more. Believe me, I do not say this to many people. You see, at home my wife 'Alika' and I find ways to hear and to watch broadcasts and telecasts from the West. We are very, very careful, of course.

"When first we heard the good news of the Gospel we right away gave our hearts to Jesus.  

Kevin said nothing for awhile, then cleared his throat and murmured, "This is an answer to prayer, my friend. It didn't seem important those years we shared a room and really, I thought I needed the 'right' words to talk about faith. All these years I've wished that I said something. I have prayed for you and now, your words make me glad."

The two men sat quietly, sipping their coffee. Then Kevin asked, "Would you mind telling me what differences you find between the two religions?" 

Abbud answered quietly, but without hesitation, "It is night and day! We all were taught that God is impossibly far from human beings, but still we must try our hardest to reach toward Him through being faithful in our spiritual practices.   

"Imagine what it means to know that in Jesus, God came to earth as an infant, just so he could live among human beings. Among people like us!

"It still amazes me every time I think that God came to us!

"You probably don't remember, but the last day of school you gave me a little Bible and told me I should read it on the long flight back home. I never opened it, just tucked it into my bag and I kept it hidden all these years. Now I searched it out and could not stop reading. The more I read, the more I was amazed. In Exodus it tells how God dwelt with His people, the Israelites, there in the wilderness. God went before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. He even spoke to Moses directly!

"Then Alika and I read it was God's plan all along to send His Son to earth. He came to pay the price of all our sins. He came to set us right with holy God. We could live free from fear, free from condemnation. Right away I felt lighter, as if someone unlocked my heavy chains.

"Jesus did it all! For me! I will never be the same. No matter what comes next, I have peace in my heart--and so does my wife."

Abbud's dark eyes shone as he said, "So for us, this is what's different about the Christian faith. Knowing that Jesus is for us and with us sets our hearts at rest."

Christmas is nothing less than a miracle of God 

In the Bible Jesus often is called the Word, as in John 1:1-5, 14; 3:16-17:  

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. he was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.    

The Christian faith is not about a far-off, distant god or a monument

Nor is it about magnificent temples or cities where followers must go and worship to prove their faithfulness. It's not even about living up to a list of dos and don'ts.

The Christian faith is all about our Lord being up close and personal for every one of us. Our Savior and best Friend. Our Comforter. Our strength. Our Deliverer. Our Peace. Our Joy. 

That's why God came to earth, born as a human baby to a human mother, there in Bethlehem. Fully human and fully God.

He came for you.

For me.

And for all the world.

That's the heart of what we call the Christmas story. 

Dear Reader, whoever you are and wherever you may be, may your heart be filled with the peace and joy of Jesus this Christmas and every day of the New Year!

Lenore

If you're feeling frazzled, get a lift here

It's the season when it's way too easy to go overboard--and justify it--as we tell ourselves we "just want Christmas to be perfect."

Or we want to be sure our children have lots of happy memories of Christmas. 

What does that mean, exactly? Whose standard are we trying to live up to? 

However we answer, a lot of us keep trying--and feeling we're failing. Or almost getting it "right." When we fall behind we get the guilts. Then we try even harder. 

Here's the problem: Even if we succeed in every detail--outwardly--this frenzy of "doing" can steal away what matters most: The heart of Christmas. The wonder and the joy of remembering again that Jesus is the reason for this happy season, just as it was foretold centuries before: 

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.   Isaiah 7:14

If you're a fellow stumbler, here's some food for thought

It's my variation on a familiar theme: 

If I decorate every corner of my home with glittery baubles, strings of lights and evergreen roping, but have no love, I am just another interior decorator.

If I stay up until 2 am making fudge and bake 15 different kinds of Christmas cookies, if I fix gourmet meals that make me proud and serve them on a table fitted with burning candles and special china, but snarl at my family, I am just another cook.

If I gather toys for tots and canned goods for food baskets, help decorate the Christmas tree at church and always drop in a few dollars when I pass a Salvation Army red kettle, even write checks to every charity, without love it profits me nothing. 

If I insist on a living Christmas tree decorated with "natural" materials instead of baubles, if I sing with the choir and loudly proclaim, "Merry Christmas!" to one and all, but forget that Christmas is all about Jesus Christ, I am empty.

Love smiles at the child whose mom is wrapped up in her cell phone and stoops to wish a Merry Christmas to the lonely individual in a wheelchair or walker.  

Love waits patiently while the next customer and the checker chat endlessly, then smiles at the clerk.

Love does not remind her husband that the guy down the street once again wins the annual "Best House on the Block" contest.  

Love looks at the teenager wearing earphones and tattered jeans with eyes that take the long view, offers a smile instead of scorn and focuses on potential yet to unfold. 

Love stops to listen and to hug, even when there's no time.

Love does not complain about what's missing, but thanks God for what is.

Love gives without expecting a return. Love endures through whatever comes.

As for styles, they will change. This year's trendy best-seller will be next year's white elephant. Human knowledge will be disputed, disproven and surpassed. Today's new discovery will become tomorrow's joke.

Only faith, hope and love remain. But the greatest gift of all is love.

Based (loosely) on 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13

Maybe as you read through that listing you decided you really don't know how to love. Here's a bit of comfort: Most of us miss the mark.

Let's take another look at what Christmas means

New beginnings. For anyone. No matter what kind of "stuff" lies in our past.

That is possible only because Love that goes way beyond all human understanding was born that long-ago night in that Bethlehem stable.

Take time to read aloud the Gospel of Luke, chapter two, and read it thoughtfully. Let its beautiful words flow over you and comfort your spirit.

Gather your loved ones and go to church together. Sing familiar--and new--Christmas songs guaranteed to lift your heart.

 

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

                             1 John 4, verse 9  

As for a Christmas decorating theme, turn to the one that never grows old: Love  

Why not give yourself a gift? Let go of trying to measure up. (Feel your shoulders relaxing?)

Let go of whatever gets in the way of giving yourself to the people you love.

Take time to listen--and to lift someone else's heart by letting them know they matter to you. All it takes is a sentence or two, sharing a memory or an overdue thank-you to one who showed you kindness. (Wouldn't you treasure such a note even more than the most beautiful commercial Christmas card?)

These are the raw materials that go into laying down memories of happy Christmases. The people. The love. The laughter. Trust me, these will live on way into the future.

May your home and your heart be flooded and filled to overflowing with fresh new love. May you rest in the love of Jesus, born so long ago, yet with us today. Love that never fails.

How is this possible?   

We love because he first loved us.   1 John 4:19

I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.     Philippians 4:13

This is all we need to leave "frazzled" behind and be free!

Here's to merry getting ready to celebrate Christ-mas!

Growing still,

Lenore

Looking for Christmas joy? Catch some here

A lot of us are thinking Christmas won't be the same this year. Some of us are feeling our necks and shoulders tightening as each day goes on.  

Why not take a break you'll remember? Sit for a moment and catch the sheer joy of these children--and adults--as you watch and listen to this YouTube of some years ago.

First, a bit of background          

Their story began when James Barthelman and his wife moved from Nebraska to the tiny village of Quinhagak, Alaska. This (mostly) Yup'ik Eskimo village is 400 miles west of Anchorage and has no roads to the outside world. Its population numbered 699 residents at the last census.

The Barthelmans came with a purpose as James would be teaching in the village school, Kuinerramiut Elitnarviat School. 

During the school year he and his fifth-graders came up with making this YouTube video as a school computer project that would involve both children and villagers. Barthelman filmed it, intending that this YouTube would go only to other Yup'ik villages in the area. 

Since then well over 1.8 million people have viewed this lively performance, all of it synced with the Robert Shaw Chorale recording of the "Hallelujah" chorus from Handel's Messiah. 

This one teacher in one small school never imagined how many people would be entranced by this video. 

It's a common question, what can one person do?

A lot, as it turns out.

Let's go back to the story of how what we know as Messiah came to be. It is the year 1741 and George Frideric Handel lives in London. He's feeling depressed, with some cause. A stroke left him with blurred vision and his financial situation is shaky.  

Then Charles Jennens brings him a new libretto for an opera and asks Handel to compose music to go with it. Handel reads it and inspiration fills him.

One account said Handel felt God gave him the music and he could scarcely write the notes down fast enough. 

Over the next 24 days he stays in the front room of his home and composes the musical score for Messiah for both choir and orchestra.

He works tirelessly day and night, often forgetting to eat the meals left for him on a tray outside his door. Nights he writes by lamplight and candle-light. 

Handel composes and orchestrates every harmony, every note for all choir parts and for every instrument in an orchestra. True to the time, he relied on his trusty quill pen and a bottle of ink.

Handel never could have foreseen how his music would endure.

Consider this another reminder what God can do with the work of one individual 

Although Handel composed many other musical works, only his "Hallelujah" chorus is sung and hummed all over the world. Every Christmas season choruses and choirs in huge cities and in tiny villages on every continent perform his Messiah.  

There's a lesson here for you and me

As individuals and as moms and dads we cannot know what God will do with our work. Or the work of our children.

I can't help thinking of this Bible verse.

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  --Ephesians 2:10  NIV

That verse wasn't aimed only at Handel and other famous people. It speaks to you and me, too.

Think you're on a treadmill and going nowhere?

Perhaps today you question the value of your life. Maybe you're facing your first Christmas alone after losing a loved one.

Or maybe you're a mom and your family most often notices what you do when you don't do it. Choose to put a positive spin on that. Being taken for granted also means your loved ones know they can count on you.

What's more, the family life you create and the love you pour into your days will live on in your children.

Joy comes from giving ourselves fully, knowing that what we do matters, whether we see the end result or not.

God is faithful. What we do in love will live on

Believe it. Let that truth put fresh energy in your tired body.

Someone needs us, needs our kind words, needs our encouragement. These are gifts, too, even when we don't realize it and even when the other person may seem to pay no attention. 

This Christ-mas season let's put aside our usual thoughts of hurry and pressure and focus instead on the greatest Gift. 

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.   --John 3:16  ESV

Hallelujah!

Lenore