Mary and Elizabeth painted by Carl Heinrich BlochLuke 1:39-55
~ (Today's New International Version)
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!"
46 And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors."
The communion of saints, Matthew Henry says, "It is very good for those who have the work of grace begun in their souls, to communicate one to another." How wonderful for a teenage girl to be able to have someone who believes her and lives the same goal to honor the Lord. It must have been difficult for Mary, no biblical recognition is given to Mary's family except Elizabeth and, later, Joseph.
Matthew 18:20
For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.
Hebrews 10:25
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Colossians 3:12-15
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
John 13:34-35
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
We all have seasons. I was remembering Alexander, our youngest son, loved to Acolyte and to be a helper with the young children in Sunday School.
Christmas comes in so many seasons.
How to share Christmas?
After 5 Decades, Sharing Christmas by adding up how many seasons Christmas has.
Giving - Windows to see Slices of Christmas Seasons.
Usual Christmas!!! - To continue forever!!! ~ Until my parents divorced when I was in College. We suddenly didn't have home or family and long near friends ~ to have the always the same Christmas. We were guests with hard circumstances. Blessed, Blessed, Blessed by our Godmother Marilyn. Blessed by Cousins. We knew kindness and sadness. This was a Season. And a Learning Experience of the kindness shown to the very grateful at Christmas.
Young Newlyweds learning all family traditions with so many places to go.
My New Family. My Cousins. My Mother. So many, many places to Go. Uncie's Blessed and Blessed.
A New Joy.
Endless Happiness fo follow.... A Season.
New and first baby - severely ill in the Hospital. Son~ Found to be going to live Christmas Day. Turning 30 years old this Christmas time. A terrible Christmas needing prayer became a wonderful miraculous Christmas filled with God's Goodness. Watching many new in law siblings and happy, happy well toddlers showing promises of Christmas to arrive with happy, happy nieces and nephews.
Ups and Downs
A year old baby who has had Apnea for a year. Probably escaped SID's. A Christmas with a very bright and loved, amazing son - where the parents felt worn out with worry for blue baby. Pneumonia almost Baby. Cal has a wracking cough again baby. Hernia baby operation. A year of lot's of intense fear. We cried at Christmas for the tense year. We were grateful and not grateful.
Grateful to be going to Christmas Family parties. There had been too much scary parenting.
Financial crisis Christmas. One job is gone. One budget is tight. Still back to Joy Christmas. Joy.
Another son has been added in and there is Much Joy. Christmas has Joy. Christmas is Back!!!
And more to Love. More Light. More Joy. More Joy.
The year Daddy died. The motions are gone through. Too much emotion to blend in effectively. I doubt I said much.
The Next Christmas was recovering from missing the last year from sadness. Grief is usually a two year process. Barely scraping up Cal's Birthday.
Christmas would pick up to be beautiful, beautiful again.
Happy Sons. Happy Husband. Happy me. Joy of Christmas, Christmas. For decades!!!
A move outside of Houston. More car trips - more car trips. A car loaded with happy people going to
happy places. Zoom up Zoom over. How many amazing sunsets are Christmas. And how many small towns have Great Christian Programming. Christmas Gift!!!
Christmas has the ability to take us from our difficulties and give us a vacation of giving.
Meeting Needs. Christmas - for me - is a Vacation from upset and worry. Let God have the worries. He will carry us. And Father God has.
Suddenly a quiet house with sons in College. Christmas has changed. And a loud house going the Zoom Happy Places and quiet again.
Christmas changes from being the blessed Child. Christmas changes from being the blessed newlywed and new parent going to Warm and Wonderful Family Houses.
Christmas changes again with adult sons. It's a different set of ease.
Meeting Christmas yet to be. Looking with Hope to years to come and family yet to be born.
What I learned from volunteering with young mothers - Christmas is a time for women to meet needs. And in giving we are filled. Christmas is Euphoric. And in the Psychologists who put in and received hours for working with the young mothers - we find out Christmas is not a time of unhappiness. It is a time of great joy of changing life and lives. And in January, reality is the time to reexamine life - with bills. Reality collided with Christmas hopes.
Charles Dickens knew what he was writing - to learn Christmas in our hearts everyday. To live knowing Christmas is one day.
I learned to plan gifts out.
A schedule brought balance. And the adventure was more year round. And the joy of remembering what was tucked away and re-discovered. Just when you thought someone had been to lightly gifted!!!
The Christmas Adventure of Scheduling brought Christmas year round and it made the fact that Adult Children Christmas of Single Young Men is quieter. The let down was gradual instead of a great jarring lump.
The Christmas All Year Long Project - gets past financial bumps. Gets past Strep Throat. Avoids bills. Is an Adventure. Makes less to do. Lets you get in the much wanted gift suddenly - added more easily. Helps us skate past bumps of the Season.
And starts again every 364 days. (Some years shops earlier and some starts later - not written in concrete!!!)
And meets January a little better than stressed out.
Have a Blessed Christmas! Need a Biblical Analogy? Isaiah says God planned for Christmas for many, many years!
Abba,
It is a Gift to Remember Christmas. Like seasons, we need our difficult ones to appreciate the Good Ones.
Like Christmas Gifts, how lovely it is to write my memories and the Comfort and Help of Christmas All Year in My Heart. Privileged to Share.
God Bless us This Christmas Everyone!
God guide, surround, encourage, support and give us Souls with Love. To fill us and the ones we Love with Jesus Christ. The kind that says, "I'm ok, bless those around me."
Help us to have more Heaven on earth and give more Heaven.
Giving Thanks seeing us and our Nation swing into Christmas - wanting to bless one another.
Let there be more peace and more Heaven on earth for the Nations looking to Abba. More Blessings on us all around the world looking and praying for more of Jesus Christ, His Heavenly Host and all of Heaven on earth. More of God's Good Will.
God Give us Safety and peace.
Merry Christmas in Jesus Christ.
Amen and Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves †
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