Our best loves are those we can’t fully explain: a flavor that grabs us, a partner who gets us, a place with roots in our heart. The Christmas season is obviously here, and while some feel more darkness than light during these days, many moments are filled with a warmth that can’t be measured. But … More Why We Love Christmas
Now’s about the time when Christmas-lovers and snow-enthusiasts around the country start checking the 5-day weather forecast, united in their hope that Christmas Day will be marked by a freshly fallen snow. I should know — I married a snow-lover. I can still remember the sparks of excitement and the impromptu dances at windows and … More Why I’m Not Dreaming of a White Christmas
In the Hebrew Bible, animals mean something. Adam names the animals brought to him by God, demonstrating his God-given authority to order the unordered creation, all for creation’s good (Gen 2:19-20). By pairs, Noah boards animals onto the ark, rescuing those who will join him in filling a cleansed creation (Gen 7:2-3). In the new … More Lambs, Lions, and Christmas
I’ve always thought the account of Simeon in Luke 2:21-35 was a very precious and moving story. I’ve read it and been stirred by it at all times of the year. But it’s particularly striking around Christmas. Simeon was an elderly man who had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he wouldn’t die until he had seen the promised Messiah, … More All I Want for Christmas: Simeon’s Hope
The classic Christmas hymn “O Holy Night” is a translation and paraphrase of the original French poem “Minuit, chrétiens” (“Midnight, Christians”) by Placide Cappeau (1808-1877). Below is the literal English translation of Cappeau’s original work. “Minuit chrétiens” (“Midnight, Christians”) Midnight, Christians, it is the solemn hour, When God-man descended to us To erase the stain … More Before “O Holy Night”: “Minuet chrétiens” (“Midnight, Christians”)
Of all the things we dream of being, an eighty-four year-old widowed prophetess fasting throughout the day and praying deep into the night is not high on the list. Not many of us would choose Anna as our model. But what a precious, old, soft-hearted woman who must’ve been a joy for heaven to welcome … More Anna’s Hope
Winter is here, snow is falling, and carols are playing in the living room. We just finished our first two-on-one snowball fight in the backyard and the sky is greying over to tell us that yet more snow is on the way. The seven-foot noble fir stands dignified and beautiful in the corner, decorated according to custom in all … More Life in Louisville
There are some things you just never dream of doing. There are other things that you’ll only do if opportunity beats down your door with a sledgehammer. And sometimes both kinds of things hit you all at once. So what happens when you combine the cost of living in Southern California, the upcoming bill for a … More Gunner at GAP
From beneath a stunning Christmas Eve blanket of snow in Tulsa, Oklahoma, here are two spectacular versions of my favorite Christmas hymn to stir your heart and heat your worship. Although lesser known by far, I like the second more than the first, because Celine Dion is a performer, while David Phelps is a worshiper. … More A Thrill of Hope
I have realized that I cannot come close to expressing the joy I feel during the Christmas season. Somehow, some way, for the past several years, the awe and wonder of the incarnation have multiplied exponentionally in my heart during the weeks leading up to Christmas. I am especially taken with the beauty, depth, and power … More Joy to the World
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