Confessions of a horse-loving mom: I once climbed on a horse at 5 months pregnant and rode…for a little while. It made me so nauseous I climbed back down and did not try it again for a many months. Even now years later, when I hear the story of Mary on her donkey, I have to swallow hard!
Who do you love? Expectations
There is another side to the story. And this is really huge…
To recap – Mary, young virgin, becomes pregnant, and is chosen to bring the long-awaited Messiah into the world. Through the window of a 2013 corner lot nativity scene, it’s all shiny-Christmas-ornaments-and-candlelight, but in Mary and Joseph’s culture, this was a scandalous story. Mary was engaged to Joseph, Mary was pregnant, and Joseph wasn’t the father. This was not only grounds to end the relationship, it was grounds for accusation of adultery. Adultery was punishable by death by stoning. No Christmas ornaments there.
Who do you love? Inconceivable
The inconceivable – the unbelievable – hits us everyday, when you think about it. From the moment we flip on the morning news, we are bombarded by a world full of crazy. When I turn off the news and turn toward my own living room, I find much the same. Even the ordinary life is full of the inconceivable on many days. Especially this time of year. Add to the everyday this season of expectation, and the recipe is rich. With a big red bow on top.
Puddles of Grace
It’s raining
and I can’t see out.
The window is foggy and cold to the touch,
the smoke is thick inside,
stifling bacon.
I need to breathe.
Fresh breath across the sky,
wipe the fog away and clear a spot to see.
A glimpse of yellow
shining out of the grey.
Joy in the rain, joy on its way,
will you find me?
You always find me.
It’s raining
and the doorbell rings,
text message embrace.
I love the way
you laugh with me
and you splash with me.
What else would our newest disaster be
but another puddle of grace?
Unruly Hope 