The year was 2014. Every morning I dreaded getting out of bed to start another day. It was a hard year to say the least. I really needed to see the Lord work in a special way. I determined to begin the year by asking God for miracles, and I started a list in my journal for those miracles. Day after day passed with weariness, but my miracle list began to grow. If I were to show you that list today, you would think 2014 was the best year of my life!

Being a Christian brings with it many blessings, but life, even the Christian life, is full of challenges. Moving forward in God’s ways and in God’s work takes intentionality and effort.

As my husband and I have traveled to several different countries, we have done our best to try the various foods of the world. In Brazil we ate many kinds of fresh fruits, which were picked right off the trees, and tapioca pancakes (much like crepes) with various fillings and toppings. Israel introduced us to falafel and hummus with pita bread. We continue to try to reproduce the satay chicken with peanut sauce we ate in Indonesia. And Italy, maybe my overall favorite, had an abundance of food on every corner in every city—breads, pastries, pastas, and, of course, gelato. ​

Everyone has trials at some time or another. Sometimes they are determined by our season in life:

• Moms dealing with sleep deprivation or disobedient children
• Career women working an unbearable job or for an unreasonable boss
• A wife in a tough marriage relationship
• Older women with health issues

There could be financial challenges, loneliness, fears, or a multitude of other such problems. And who knew we would ever be part of a pandemic and its ramifications? 

Eve looked at Adam as they walked through the beautiful garden and thought how wonderful life was. It didn’t just seem perfect—it was perfect! The best thing about it all was their direct communion with God the Creator. Everything was new and wonderful. Adam and Eve were given total liberty in the garden except they were not to eat of the fruit of one tree. With access to a whole new world, surely being forbidden to eat of just one tree wouldn’t be a problem—or would it?  

Eve was perfect after her creation. No other human has been perfect except for Adam and Jesus. 

The little girl peaked out through the reeds to keep a watch on the basket in the water. It was the cargo inside the basket she was concerned about. Inside was her baby brother. The Egyptian king had decreed that all the boys born to the Israelites were to be killed. Her family was trying to save their little baby, Moses. As Miriam was watching, the Egyptian princess came to the water with her maids. She saw the basket and the baby. Her heart went out to the little one. Moses would be hers. What could Miriam do? She ran to the princess and asked if she needed a mother to nurse the baby. Because of her quick thinking, Miriam was able to go get her own mother to be the nurse for their baby Moses. Although he would be reared in the palace as the son of the princess, many years later Miriam would reunite with her brother to help with a very big task appointed by God.

How could she expect anyone to understand? She was a young girl who was engaged. Now she was expecting a baby that was not her fiancé’s child. In her culture that could mean death by stoning. How could she explain that the angel of the Lord had appeared to her and asked her to be part of a holy miracle that had been determined before creation?

​Mary was willing to do what God asked of her, but she had no idea what all was involved when she would become the mother of the Messiah.​

It’s that time of year when our senses are flooded with familiar sights, sounds and smells, which can make us nostalgic and emotional. We enjoy kicking back with our hot cocoa and festive cookies to watch the many feel-good movies available. They have a way of getting us into the holiday spirit. We know their formulas and anticipate the happy endings usually sealed with a kiss. 

Although our movie watching can be enjoyable, the stories are often a mix of reality and fantasy. It is way too easy for us to be in a relaxed state and let fiction or anti-biblical philosophies become a part of our own thinking. Can we enjoy a good movie even if it includes fantasy? Sure, but we need to view our entertainment through a lens of discernment. Let me give you a couple examples of what I mean.