When Love Came Down

2000 years ago, "love" came down in the shape of a tiny baby wrapped in swaddling cloths.  The sound of love likely pierced the night in the voice of a young woman named Mary as she cried out, bore down, pushed and love could barely be heard in the tiny breath of air and perhaps in the sound of a newborn cry as he slipped out to breath his first breath of earthly air.  She, the chosen one to bear this child was probably scared, and confused about God's plan for her and for this baby she had carried and just bore.  Why her? Why here in this dirty, filthy place? Why so many days journey from her own family, from her own mother who would have been by her side during this labor and delivery?  But "Love" looked at her and she looked at HIM and her mother's heart bonded and stored and treasured every moment in her heart just like my mother's heart has stored up the sweet birthing moments of my own three children.  Love came down 2000 years ago and my prayer is to not only experience and receive that love but to pass it on to others this Christmas season too.

The "Magic" of the Manger

Praying the "magic" of the manger never grows dim in our hearts or in  yours!  

This was truly a magical moment for us this year and I felt so blessed to capture it on the camera.  We started our advent reading and the first reading was about how Jesus is the Light of the world.  In Homeschool Bible time we are studying the book of John and the kids made the connection to John 1:4 that we had memorized last month.  As we were singing a song I had the idea of throwing some Christmas lights into this basket and asking the kids to pretend that the true light of the world had just been born into this cradle/manger and they were the first to see and worship him. It was a "magical" moment for all of us!