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We pulled out the Christmas tree today- it’s time for the annual work of decking the halls. If I’m honest, it feels like a hassle sometimes. Dragging a fake tree up from the basement and finding burned out lightbulbs and covering it with shiny objects our toddler can’t touch... why???? But it’s worth it. And not just for the beauty of ol’ tannenbaum or to have a nice place to put the presents.  Celebrating Christmas is worth it because the incarnation is such astonishingly good news! Jesus really did come. He really did become human. He really did walk among us and die for us so His Spirit could live in us! And that news is worth at least putting some effort into marking the season with beauty. This week my mom and I were talking about what it means to adorn the gospel. To hold the gospel up to the light, so to speak, and let it sparkle. Jesus coming to save us is remarkable news and my fake evergreen definitely doesn’t make it more so- but my effort (done in the ri...

As I read Matthew 2, this particular aspect of the Christmas story- one that never gets much attention during the beauty of our Christmas celebrations- jumped off the page this morning. In the middle of the wonder of the Christ-child’s long awaited coming, in the middle of magi traveling from afar to present lavish gifts and worship to this child-King, Herod is senselessly slaughtering children in   his fury. If there’s something I’ve seen vividly in foster care, it’s that Jesus loves little children - and the enemy hates them. You cannot enter in to a ministry of loving and caring for vulnerable ones without being roughed up in the fight. It feels senseless. And evil. Because it is. But Jesus still came. He comes to us. He came into the midst of this brokenness. He is still redeeming and restoring and His presence is all the more wonderful because our world is so very broken. Jesus, we are aching in the midst of this broken evil system today. But we know You are good. Y...

Do you ever feel like Christmas has a tinge of  sadness at the edges? Like you’re supposed to be merry, but this out of place melancholy lurks just behind... a melancholy you might try to ignore or hide or camouflage with twinkly lights because it isn’t supposed to be there? I’ve been finishing up reading through Luke. It’s poignant somehow to be reading of Jesus’ crucifixion by the light of my Ch ristmas tree. We like the story of His birth better- it seems joyful and safe and appropriate for children. But there was a sadness at the edges that isn’t shown in my kids’ cute plastic nativity set with the happy faces. There was Mary giving birth in a dirty stable. There was hateful, power-hungry Herod. And children being murdered. And Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt with little Jesus to save his life. That part of the story seems less picturesque. Put some tasteful white lights on there, quick! Friend, may I gently suggest that Christmas isn’t just for the good years? If your hear...

The weather outside has been unseasonably warm. Inside, not so warm. Our kids have had short tempers and sharp words with one another in the past couple of days. Several months ago I had introduced them to the old J-O-Y acronym – Jesus first, then others, you last! They had locked onto that and bring it up from time to time. Today, when having a little family meeting to apologize and repair broken relationships after a rough morning, LB said the way they had been acting was like “YOJ.” Putting themselves first. As it is December first, we came up with a quick advent project: JOY missions. {It’s not a pinterest-worthy label and it’s crookedly scotch-taped on, but it does involve scented markers and a mason jar we found floating in a lake while canoeing this summer. Does that count?}  ;) We wrote out some secret missions: Let someone else go first. Clean someone else’s room. Make someone’s bed. Choose a toy to give away. Write an encouraging note. S...