"God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you; unfailing love, O Lord, is yours."  (Psalm 62:11 - 12a NLT)

What do you think of when you hear "power"?  The electric grid - having power to Cities and homes?  Making sure the "power" is on so the computers and electronics work?  Or...maybe.... working on getting "power/strength" back after something has happened.  What are you thinking of?  I have been working on getting power/strength back but also on making sure I am feeling God's strength/power.  One of the ways, for me, is making sure to have my God time morning and evening.  These two verses were God time earlier this week but I have continued to go back to them every morning and evening.

We see a lot of "power" happening around us - some good but a lot of it, at the very least, not so good if not actually bad.  In the middle of what is happening it is hard to remember Emmanuel - God IS with us.  God IS giving us strength, and guidance, in the midst of the illness, in the midst of trying to get strong enough to sit in, and stand up from(!), a chair and to either speak up or help quietly in the midst of turmoil.  In all of it we CAN remember Emmanuel - God's "unfailing love."

So..... how can you feel God's power?  Something to think about.........

"But Jesus said, "It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires." So John agreed to baptize him."  (Matthew 3:15 NLT)

Most of us probably don't remember our own, because we were baptized as infants, but we can remember other baptisms.  The ones in our family, the one at church when we were there or special ones - like a grandchild or because we've been asked to participate.  I have been blessed to be able to baptize several, in the 20+ years of ministry.  AND..... Every year, at approximately this Sunday of the year, I remind people of Jesus' baptism, their own and any they were a part of.  One reason is because of the promise all of us make during the actual service.

Jesus is pointing out, to John (and to us), how and why Jesus wants John to baptize him - "to carry out all that God requires."  John has already been doing his ministry, even baptizing, as he "prepares the way" for Jesus to come. (3:11)  He tells the people "I baptize with water......  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (3:11)  

So.....the promises all of us made (make?) during a baptism...... to support with our "prayers and our presence."  Are we praying and present?  Something to think about........

"They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.  then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh."  (Matthew 2:11 NLT)

How are you doing with gifts?  We still have the gift for the neighbors because we haven't been able to "see" them yet.  As for our gifts it has been an awesome time - we give memories more than "things" so a day quilting and a theater production with lunch and (especially!) dinner with my 3 grandsons!  Wonderful memories!

The Wise Men have "found" Jesus.  They are excited to find the star, after visiting with Herod (v. 9), and the "house" where Jesus is.  They have also brought gifts (v. 11) which I, personally, feel were probably very useful as the family has to "flee to Egypt" (v. 13).  

The question now is... What gift(s) are we bringing to Jesus?  We are starting a "New Year," working (maybe) on doing/trying new things - so.... what gift(s) are we giving the King of Kings?  Maybe... we could TRY to give our time - even just a few minutes DAILY - to spend with God.  Something to think about........

"At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon.  He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel.  The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah."  (Luke 2:25-26 NLT)

How are you at waiting?  What do you do while you wait?  What are you waiting for?  We are in the time between Christmas (Jesus' birth celebration) and Epiphany (the Wise Men's arrival).  It is also, today, New Year's Eve so many celebrations are happening.  One to remember is the 12 days of Christmas start on Christmas day and go through Epiphany (Jan  6th) - so, if you are counting today is the 7th day of Christmas.  All this probably gives you more things to be thinking about and questioning all while trying to get ready to celebrate (?) a New Year.

Simeon had been waiting a long time for the promise of the Messiah to be fulfilled.  So had Anna (Luke 2:37-40) been waiting.  Both of them spent time in prayer, worship and listening for what God is saying to them.  Both were rewarded with being able to see the Messiah when Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple (2:22).  Mary, Joseph, Simeon and Anna were all following the traditions of Scripture and the times.

​So.....how are we at waiting?  Are we going to Scripture?  Are we in prayer?  Are we listening for what God is calling us to do?  Something to think about.............

"She gave birth to her first child, a son.  She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them."  (Luke 2:7  NLT)

Hectic schedules, with holiday festivities added in and, probably, at least some traveling all makes for little (if any) "extra" time let alone 'room' to make changes.  How are you doing with all of it?  Are you able to remember the reason for the season - we are celebrating Jesus' birthday?  Were you able to get to a worship service for the prayers, hymns, Scripture and (maybe) some fellowship?

Mary and Joseph had a lot of changes to plans, schedules and location also.  They left family in Nazareth to travel to Bethlehem only to find "no lodging available."  To add to the stress "the time came for her baby to be born."  (2:6)  Now family is far away but God IS with them.  The Shepherds come to celebrate "the Messiah, the Lord has been born today"! (2:11)  I, personally, think that like the song "Mary Did You Know" Mary and Joseph might have known but not fully understood.  They made room because the baby came.

How are we making room?  WHEN are we making room?  How can we make the time to actually listen for what God is saying/asking of us?  Something to s-t-o-p and think about........

"And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home.  He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.  He took with him Mary, his fiancee, who was now obviously pregnant."  (Luke 2:4-5 NLT)

Now, during Advent, we have been looking at the "Christmas" story as we prepare to celebrate Jesus' birthday.  It is an interesting time of crazy schedules, finishing projects, cooking (for some of us) and travel.  It can also be a time of memories as we think back to "other" Christmas gatherings.  We can remember the Christmas pageant when our kids were various members of the "cast" from Shepherds to Joseph or Mary.  

We can also be thinking about how far Mary and Joseph had to travel to get to Bethlehem (v. 4) and the difficulty Mary would have had being "obviously pregnant." (v. 5)  We can think about the difficulties we are having with the crazy schedule, travel - and difficulties with weather and travel, and the issues of being with family - some good, some not so good.  But we can also be celebrating, while we are preparing, because of the already Emmanuel (God IS with us), and the not yet (Jesus IS coming again}.

So...... where are you in your preparations?  Are you "ready" to celebrate with family?   Are you traveling?  How is the weather?  All things to be thinking about......

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High.  It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening."  (Psalm 92:1-2 NLT)

Thanksgiving....a whole day of giving thanks.... And...probably....eating too much.  It is a day when we stop to think about giving thanks, being with family and friends for food and fellowship.  Some of us are blessed enough we don't even have to help with the cooking -- or the cleaning up afterwards.  So we are even more blessed!

What about the other days though?  Are we giving thanks then?  We are told to "proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,your faithfulness in the evening."  But do we do it?  Do we take time every morning to spend with God let alone thank God for the blessing we have?  Yes, I know we have busy schedules.  Yes, I know the seasons are changing and, where I live, we now have to add shoveling snow into the schedule.  Yes, I know the "holidays" are fast coming so things are even busier.  But.... "It IS good to give thanks to the Lord."

So....... when do we do that?  How do we thank God? Do we "proclaim your (God's) unfailing love and faithfulness"?  Something to think about.............

"Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight."  (Luke 24:31  NIV)

We have an interesting question(s) when I'm with one of the groups I meet with.  The first question is "when have you felt closest to Christ" and the second one is "when have you denied Christ."  As we are going about our daily tasks, like walking as the two disciples going to Emmaus were, when have we felt closest to Christ?  Have our eyes been opened?  Do we recognize Him?  In the same respect are there times, if so when, that we deny Him?

The two disciples have been walking and talking with Jesus.  He has answered questions "in all the Scriptures concerning himself." (v. 27).  They have been paying close attention.  They even ask themselves "were not our hearts burning with in us.......and opened the Scripture to us?"  (v. 32)  They have spent a large part of the journey walking with Jesus, talking and listening with Jesus, and especially learning.

So....... when are you spending time with Jesus?  When are you feeling "closest" to Christ?  Have you denied Christ?  Something to think about.............

"They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem.  There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together"  (Luke 24:33 NIV)

When you get excited about something when do you share about it?  Who do you share it with?  Family? Friends?  Whoever happens to be near you - which, of course, means you are in a group when it happens?  How do you share it?  I've been known to say, in a loud, clear voice, "Praise God!"  It might even be a "Praise God from whom all blessings flow!"  I also have a tendency to talk really fast if I'm excited about something....then I usually have to slow down and repeat it.

This reading is the "end" of the two Disciples walking to Emmaus.  They have recognized the risen Christ in the breaking of the bread.  They "got up and returned at once" to share with the Disciples in Jerusalem.  Some translations say "immediately."  Either way they were so excited they wanted to share NOW.

So.......when we have felt God's presence, when we have seen God working....when, how and to whom are we sharing?  How soon are we sharing?  Something to think about.........

"As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them,"  (Luke 24:15 NIV)

When we talk about walking what do you think of?  Walking along a smooth path?  Does the path feel like it is going up a steep hill, or a VERY rocky climb?  Sometimes it might even feel like riding a roller coaster - up and down and way to fast.  Do you think about sharing the path?  Who is on the path with you?

A recent weekend was about travel to Emmaus - Luke 24:13-35 - about the two walking to Emmaus and Jesus "came up and walked along with them" (15)  The interesting point about the reading is "they were kept from recognizing him." (16)  The recent weekend had people "walking" (actually sitting listening to 15 talks) and discussing Jesus.  Some of them were continuing to walk with Jesus but some were meeting Jesus for the first time.
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Walking, talking, sharing and encouraging each other - one of the things we do on a regular basis.  The interesting questions are where is Jesus in this and do we recognize him?  Are we REALLY walking with Jesus?  Something to think about..........