by Sharon O | Dec 4, 2013 | Uncategorized
I cannot even imagine Mary and the condition of her heart when she heard the words from the angel.
I am sure as any young ‘mom to be’ she had concerns as to how to tell her ‘family’.
So many questions and thoughts would press upon her heart.
How she would present herself to Joseph.
How would anyone accept her.
It was a very serious thing to be carrying a baby and not be married.
Most mothers to be are excited.
Even in a crisis pregnancy one can come to a place of acceptance.
They are also nauseated and tired and all the other things that come with carrying a child within.
The difference is this little girl was chosen to be a very special mother and the news for her is a life altering moment.
She asked the angel Gabriel, “how can this be? as I am a virgin”
The angel told her, “the spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will over shadow you. Therefore the child to be born shall be called Holy – the Son of God.”
The SON of God.
Mary was afraid and confused.
She feared the news but then slowly moved to a place of acceptance in her heart.
The angel told her that her relative Elizabeth was also expecting a child.
The impossibility of that fact was true as Mary knew Elizabeth was old and not able to have a child.
Elizabeth had been in hiding for five months purposely not showing her rounding self and when the sixth month came the angel appeared to tell Mary about her baby to be and Elizabeth’s also in case she had a hard time believing.
I wonder if that was helpful for Mary to believe in her own miracle.
Sometimes we can believe in a miracle for others much easier than for ourselves.
It was all being orchestrated by God and his master plan.
I find it amazing and exciting that God has a plan for our lives way before we are born.
Mary’s heart needed to share with someone.
She needed someone with a kindred spirit to understand the seriousness of the words spoken.
“You will have a son and you will name him Jesus and he will be called the Son of God.”
Elizabeth would be the perfect person to share with.
If anyone would understand the miracle she certainly would.
Mary’s heart needed a friend and soon she would go see her.
by Sharon O | Dec 3, 2013 | Uncategorized
When God looked down and decided to choose Mary to be the mother of Jesus.
The silence was broken.
For five hundred years God had been quiet.
The anticipation of a ‘coming king’ was always in the teachings
and it was part of a divine plan but never fully understood.
In Luke 1:26-33
The encounter would take place just between the angel Gabriel and Mary.
In order to understand the seriousness of the moment.
One has to know the laws of the land.
If anyone is caught being with a child and not being ‘married’ it was cause for great shame and also death.
The rule was to stone them.
So this encounter with Mary would be very life changing.
One also has to understand she was only a teen between the ages of thirteen or fourteen.
(that really hits home to me as I have a fourteen year old grand daughter)
Mary was also a virgin.
Never knowing a loving intimate relationship with a man.
So not only was it a life changing miracle for her it was potentially life threatening too.
Can you even imagine with me the moment?
A young teen all of a sudden noticing the brightest ANGEL
entering into the same room where she was standing.
Then in that moment the angel said to her :
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”
29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.
30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Can you even imagine with me the thoughts and feelings Mary must have had at that very moment?
How can this be? What shall I do? Who can I tell?
In this very special moment between the Angel and Mary the silence was broken between God and man.
In this very special moment Mary became the chosen one.
Forever in history in a moment in time.
A miracle was taking place and lives would forever be changed.
by Sharon O | Nov 29, 2013 | Uncategorized
Thanksgiving is over now.
Today I saw cars with Christmas trees on the top.
The people inside them already planning on
Christmas decorating when they got home.
I would rather take a few days and reflect on the many things we have to be thankful for.
This has been a season of thanks.
Gratitude is the highest form of praise.
Thanksgiving is so over looked and ignored.
Thanksgiving day is over but we can still remain thankful in all things and for all things.
We can reflect on the past months and see
where God has had his hands on our lives.
We notice the passing of time more as we age.
It seems we just had Christmas and now we are here again.
Soon we will begin to move into the holiday spirit.
Ready for the carols, and cocoa in steaming hot mugs.
Ready for the fire in the fireplace with the crackling wood.
Ready for the nativity to be set in a good and wonderful place.
Ready for a marathon shopping day then a marathon wrapping day.
Reflections of days so long ago when life seemed a bit easier.
When the passing of time seemed slower and the season could just be a time of reflection.
by Sharon O | Nov 28, 2013 | Uncategorized
May you all have a memory filled and wonderful thanksgiving day.
May you begin to realize we have many things to be thankful for.
May we praise God for whom all blessings flow.
Happy Thanksgiving… from our house to yours.
{not sure where I found this picture but I totally love it}
by Sharon O | Nov 26, 2013 | Uncategorized
In September I said good bye to my buddy, my computer/writing partner and my sweet Smudge.
She was sixteen and it was time for her to leave us.
When I took her to the vet to have him put her down I said through many tears, I will never do this again.
It is too hard and too painful.
Well that was then and this is now.
We now have Miss Molly.
She is near eight or nine weeks old.
As my husband says “good golly miss Molly”
You are very cute.
Yes I must be losing my mind to begin one more time.
To learn to love and protect and care for a baby again.
She will be indoors only.
She is settling in very well.
She is pretty cute when she sits on the heat vent.
Or finds a cozy spot to sleep in.
She is our newest family member.
