Advent Devotions 2018

Good News!
Posted by Ryan Bennett on

December 25 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth...

This Baby Came to Live with You
Posted by Rebecca Dixon on

Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.”  -Matthew 1:23 As Dave and I excitedly prepared for the arrival of Hugh thirteen years ago, we had no idea how parenting would change our lives.  While...

Fourth Sunday of Advent: The Human One
Posted by Micah Myers on

   But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.  -Micah 5:2 It may come as a surprise (or until now, as a surprise to you) that I...

The Christmas Birth
Posted by on

Christmas Eve.  My family from Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina was beginning to gather at our home.  Days had been spent baking goodies, wrapping gifts and decorating – all with great anticipation.  All my siblings and their families, my parents, and several aunts and...

Surprise!
Posted by Pam Vandever on

September of 1984 changed my life forever. I was 31 years old and had been married for 12 years. I had always told myself that if we did not have a baby by the time I was 30, then it was not meant to be. God had different plans for us. I found out that September day that I was 11 weeks...

Life and Death, Sorrow and Joy
Posted by Cori Brantley on

In Spring of 1998, Chris and I learned we were expecting our first child together.  We were beyond excited, especially me!  I had wanted to be a mom ever since I could remember.  The next several months were filled with joy, and I loved seeing and feeling our baby grow. Unlike...

The Angel of Annunciation, by Alfred Delp
Posted by Lucinda S. Sutton on

Condemned as a traitor for his opposition to Hitler, Alfred Delp, a Jesuit priest, wrote this piece in a Nazi prison shortly before he was executed in 1945. For all its seriousness, Advent is a time of inner security, because we have received a message from on high. Oh, if it ever happens...

A Different Christmas Poem
Posted by Jeff Giles on

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim lightI gazed round the room and I cherished the sight. My wife was asleep, her head on my chestMy daughter beside me, angelic in rest. Outside the snow fell, a blanket of whiteTransforming the yard to a winter delight.   The...