the Gift

The Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’—which means, ‘God with us.’“

The time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. 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.”

Three wise men came from the east, following a star which stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

A great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Documenting the days of Christmas was inspired by Ali Edwards’s December Daily project and the Holidays in Hand class by Jessica Sprague.

The Story of Jesus Christ

Each year my church presents Christmas Journey, a presentation of the life of Christ represented in individual scenes with dramatization. Visitors drive past each scene and hear narration from the Bible, as well as the voices of the actors in each scene. It is a powerful medium for sharing the story of our Savior, and thousands upon thousands come to bear witness. No matter the weather, the Journey goes on. And each year it seems a little more poignant than the last. It’s easy to forget that I’m watching friends and family portray characters. Instead, I see Jesus and Apostles and Roman soldiers and Pharisees, as well as persons afflicted with illnesses and disabilities who come to Jesus to be healed. And witnessing the healing is more powerful than one could ever imagine. It’s very easy to put myself in ancient times, to see myself in a crowd of observers being amazed and overwhelmed by visible evidence of the power of God. The Christmas Journey is our gift to the communities surrounding us, and each year I am more thankful for the people who sacrifice their time and energy for these weeks in November and December. And though I have never managed to get clear in-focus images from the Journey scenes, I do not fret over it. Being in motion makes photos challenging, but it does not diminish the power of Jesus Christ and the life he lived to provide salvation for you and me.
 
   click image to see the entire album and read the story of Christ

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Documenting the days of Christmas was inspired by Ali Edwards’s December Daily project and the Holidays in Hand class by Jessica Sprague.
 

in the city of David

 
 

Christmas Journey ~ First McKinney, Texas

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Documenting the days of Christmas was inspired by Ali Edwards’s December Daily project and the Holidays in Hand class by Jessica Sprague.
 

one word: release

I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. …Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 3:13a, 14
 
The idea is simple: Let go. Release. Put the past in the past and look ahead to what is coming. Why, then, is it be so hard for us to do? Why can’t we simply release what we can no longer do anything about? Why can’t we forgive what has been done to us? Why can’t we forget what didn’t turn out as planned? Why can’t we move forward and try again without feeling the weight of our past upon us? These are the questions that continue to plague our weary spirits and continue to bring us to anxiety and fear. And if we’re not careful, that anxiety and that fear will paralyze us in the mire of our pasts.
 
My own personal struggle has been one of anxiety and regret over the failures of my youth, and it has been my greatest accomplishment to truly let go of that girl who once was. I make conscious effort to release her, to release myself from the guilt of my past and to press forward into becoming a new creation in Christ. Satan is crafty, always reminding me of that girl and making me feel like I have to continue paying for those sins, but I have come to understand that God forgives and He forgets, casting my sins as far from Him and me as the East is from West. That I would continue to dwell on something that has been released is the same as telling the Father that He doesn’t know what He’s talking about, that His promises are false. But I know that’s not true. I know my God has released me from the chains of my past, so it’s simply up to me to believe Him. And I do believe Him. And that frees me. Releases me. To love my God and to love myself, which then allows me to love others as Jesus does. The act of releasing is the beginning of the future, of my service to a just LORD. Who am I to deny Him that?

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This post was derived from the list of inspiration words gathered on Ali Edwards’s blog and from the concept of writing about one word.