Marilyn's Mussings

Have you ever watched someone with a baby? Oh, the faces, voices and sounds! The love that wells up in us for an innocent baby tends to make our response honest and vulnerable.  What then is our response to baby Jesus? God lovingly placed a star in the sky the night Jesus was born. Far away in the east, the Magi saw it.  Much of what they did involved the stars, so God put that star where they were looking. He meant for them to come. Scripture says they went straight to Jerusalem and asked where the baby was. It must have puzzled them that the religious leaders did not know about the birth of the new King. By now Jesus was no longer a newborn. The religious leaders knew the scripture but were unaware of the Savior.  With new information, the Magi headed to Bethlehem. As they began, that same star reappeared! They followed the star to the exact house in which Jesus lived. There, they bowed down and worshiped the Christ Child.  "Worship" in the ancient Orient, paints a...

I love nativity sets. I love each artist's depiction of Mary and Joseph with hearts to follow God, and the sweet baby they both look at adoringly. As we gaze with them, we are acutely aware of what Mary and Joseph knew then, and what the world did not yet know. This baby was the Son of God, Immanuel, Jesus the Christ. There was no fanfare in the city of Bethlehem the night Jesus was born. Mary and Joseph slipped in so unnoticed that there was not even a place for them to stay. Our Savior's first bed was a manger. It was a non-event for the city. People went about their everyday routine interrupted only by the activities of the day.  The fanfare happened in a nearby field with shepherds and sheep. It was unexpected and sudden. The shepherds found themselves standing in the midst of great light - the glory of the Lord, the manifest presence of God Himself. An angel appeared with a message. It was good news, the best of news, news of great joy for all people. "For Unto you is...

Have you ever thought that if God would just call you by name and tell you what to do, you would do it?  That’s what happened to Mary. She was a young, innocent teenage girl when God sent His angel Gabriel to her with a message. He called her name, eased her fear, and told her that God had chosen her to be the mother of the long awaited Messiah. She got important details. The pregnancy will be a work of the Holy Spirit. The baby will be the Son of God. His name will be Jesus. Mary's response was simple and full of peace. "I am God's servant. May it be as you have said." She got some personal information too. Her relative Elizabeth, who was way too old to have a baby, was six months pregnant. "Nothing is impossible with God." So Mary went to see Elizabeth. It was there, through Elizabeth, that God lovingly confirmed what He was doing in Mary. With the confirmation came more peace for Mary, so much so that it propelled her to song! God still speaks today. Not ...

Did you have plans? Then something unexpected happened? Joseph had plans. He was going to make Mary his wife and they would have a life like those around him. Yes, he was of the line of David, but so many others were as well. He surely had no idea how that detail would play into his future. And then he found out his anticipated bride was pregnant. In kindness he prepared to remove himself from her quietly, but before he could, an angel came to him in a dream and stopped him. The baby Mary carried was from the Holy Spirit. This was the sign Isaiah told us would come. Imagine the intimacy both Joseph and Mary felt when God revealed that long awaited sign to them personally. Oh, the hope that must have swelled in their hearts! And now that God-given hope would empower Joseph through the coming hurdles. With purposeful obedience amidst the hushed voices around him and the questions within him, he proceeded. He journeyed to Bethlehem with Mary, full term, and found there was no place to ...

Nancy’s comment was an eager attempt to give me a glimpse of the delight I could look forward to as a grandmother. I was still relatively new in the role and she had a few years experience. Like so many things about being a grandparent, I did not yet understand the magnitude of the words she spoke. But now . . . Samuel, who just turned one, has eyes that light up with recognition when he sees me. James who is almost two just recently moved from calling me “Naa” to “Nana.” (I love both!) Jonathan, almost three, exclaims “Nana’s here!” when I knock at his door. With each expression of recognition I think my heart will explode. Last month, I had a birthday. Leah called and while we talked, Jonathan asked for the phone. “Happy Birthday Nana!” he said. No prompting, no suggestions from Mommy, just the heart of a little boy. Silent tears rolled down my face. I have watched these sweet boys move from imitating their parents’ words, to answering questions about “Who’s got ...

This Christmas was different for me. . . for a lot of reasons . . . some I understand, some I suppose I never will. But I love the Christmas season usually. I love the atmosphere. I love the anticipation. I love the weather. I love the idea of people looking for the very best gift for someone they love. I love being in the crowds and busyness. And I love the focus on Christ. I love that the whole world celebrates Jesus! This year was different. Somehow, December took on a life of its own and just drug me along. I didn't get my Christmas music out. I didn't get my Christmas cards out. I didn't stand in the crowds and breath in the atmosphere. I didn't get to tell anyone the Christmas story. Something was off. Christmas just kind of came and went before I knew what happened. I guess the first Christmas kind of came and went before most people knew what happened. The birth of Jesus was not dependent on who was ready or who knew what was happening. There was no vote, no...

This precious caravan came to my house last week. They told me that they felt like they had come home for Christmas. I am so glad that "home" came with us to this new house. We laughed, we ate, we played and we talked. It was sad for them to leave but exciting at the same time. This next year is full of much expectation. Jonathan will be one year old in February and is beginning to talk and trying to walk. James Blake will be here in February and we can hardly wait. A new semester of school is right around the corner and ministry plans for 2010 are being finalized. I cannot wait to see all that our good God has for us this year! It is a new year and a new week. Today I started a new Bible study, a new diet, and a new exercise program. We are also involved in The Radical Experiment at The Church at Brook Hills . The plan includes, among other things, reading through the Bible and praying for the whole world in 2010. I know it sounds like a bit much but I am very excited! T...

Someone asked me this morning if we had a good Christmas. I said yes but it threw me somewhat because I'm still anticipating! My kids aren't home yet. They are both on the way and we will have our family celebration tomorrow. So much of Christmas is surrounded by anticipation and expectation. At it's climax, the whole world celebrates who we as Christians celebrate every day. Jesus Christ. Then it's over. How strange. I wonder if anyone received the Christ-child for the first time during the Christmas season. I wonder if the attitude and disposition of the general public is any different after Christmas than it was on December 24. I wonder how any of us can remain unchanged after such a celebration. By huge contrast, the season before the first Christmas was not surrounded by anticipation and expectation. Jesus' birth went virtually unnoticed by the world. Only a very few understood that the Messiah had come, but His birth brought irreversibly change to the live...

Yes, I am being a little melodramatic. Yes, I have done a little bit of whining. No, it's not really a foreign land. It's just Birmingham! I am a girl that loves tradition and Christmas seems to be the time of year that screams the loudest for "same-ness" in my life. A few days ago Mother and I were in the car and she said "I just wish I had something familiar." She is struggling to hold onto the familiar but I also related to what she was saying. It is exciting to be at a new place. Everything is fresh and a wide open adventure. But meshing the old with the new is sometimes difficult. Even small things like decorating for Christmas is a challenge. Some stuff doesn't have a place, some stuff doesn't fit in, and some stuff needs a special place.   But isn't that the nature of life? Always changing. Always dealing with change. Some traditions we take with us everywhere we go, some we leave behind. The important ones we keep. Christmas is abo...

Lots of changes for our little family this year! The six of us made a nostalgic visit to Disney World right after Christmas and then a snowball of changes has rolled along since. Stephen and Kassi left New Orleans after the spring semester and enrolled at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. When they are not in class, Stephen is managing a Chic-fil-a store and Kassi is serving as children's minister at Good Hope Baptist Church in Cary, North Carolina. They have made the adjustment well but we are a little sad that they are no longer in the same city with Leah and JP. JP has given up youth ministry to do supply preaching. After hearing him, I can tell you that God has gifted JP to preach! We were very proud of him as last week he completed his Masters of Divinity in Biblical Languages and Old Testament. They will stay in New Orleans and he will begin PhD work next year. Leah is a labor and delivery nurse and will soon get to experience the ot...