31December2019 New Years Flight

What do you do when you find $11 airplane tickets to a Mediterranean island?  You fly to Malta on New Years Eve of course. 

26December2019 Quickshot: BIG/HUGE

Smuggled thick-cut bacon and Carolina country ham (thanks G mama) were the stars of our traditional Christmas BIG breakfast.  Sometimes it's the little things but this was not a little thing.  This was HUGE.

25December2019 Quickthought: Merry Greek Lesson

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas story actually occurs after His birth.  Luke 2:21-40 shares the story of Jesus' presentation.  His parents, in compliance with the Mosaic law, brought their eight-day-old to the temple to be circumcised and to offer a sacrifice.
In this account,  we're introduced to two characters, Simeon and Anna, both aged, faithful, and devout.  Please do read this account but allow me to briefly draw your attention to two verses:

• vs 25 "Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him."
• vs 38 "And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem."

That word consolation in the Greek is παράκλησις (paraklēsis) means to call someone to your side. For example, if you were going through a tough time and needed assistance, you would call (kaleo) someone to come support you or come to your side (para).  Don't get bogged down in the phonetics or my poor attempt at explanation here.  Look at the beautiful thought being purveyed.  Jesus, your Messiah, the Savior of the world, left Heaven and came to your aid, to your exhortation, to your comfort.  Hallelujah!
The other bolded word redemption in the Greek is λύτρωσις (lytrōsis) and it means to release someone upon release of a paid ransom.  Get that?  Jesus came and brought comfort and peace but He didn't stop there.  He also redeemed us, He paid the ultimate price to secure our freedom, liberating each of us from enslavement to sin.  Wow!
And that's why we celebrate today.  Merry Christmas to the consoled.  Merry Christmas to the redeemed!

19December2019 Back

6 months was too long but thankfully it wasn't 7 months.  We're so grateful to have J back for Christmas break!  Thanks to everyone for praying for his safe travel.

4December2019 Family Advent resource recommendation.

Let's blame the craziness of the holiday season, December 1 and the start of Advent 2019  has already flown by.  Dont let that bother  you.  It's not too late to start a family sharing, study, devotion whatever you want to call it time.  Here's a great free resource that we're using.  You can print it out, read from you PC, or even share it 6500 miles across the globe from your smartphone. 

1December2019 Quickshot: Hills

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 121