by Sharon O | Dec 8, 2024 | Uncategorized
The night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.
Luke 2:9-20
[Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.
They were terrified, but the angel reassured them.
“Don’t be afraid! he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.
The Savior-yes, the Messiah, The Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven-praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other,
“Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
They hurried to the village leaving their flocks behind and found Mary and Joseph.
And there was the baby, lying in a manger, just as they were told.
After seeing him the shepherds told everyone in the village, what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.
All who heard the shepherd’s story were astonished,
but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.
The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.
It was just as the angel had told them.]
Can you even imagine the excitement and the joy they must have felt?
They all saw it, they all heard it, they all were a part of the glorious singing.
We must remember a part of this story, is the fact that shepherds were marginalized people.
Most people left them alone and gave them no credit or worth.
They were out in the fields, dirty and rough. Left alone.
But God…chose them, chose them to be a part of the story forever in time.
They were not what we could call credible witnesses and yet; the people listened and believed them.
I wonder if God planned for them to be chosen, so the story could be told in an amazing way,
through those who normally would not be listened to by others.
Value is always given when God has a hand in a chosen moment. *
They were given value and purpose and a reason to share, and because of their excitement others believed too.
Isn’t that hopeful for those who seem to think they have no voice?
The night there were shepherds staying in the fields and their lives would be changed forever.
by Sharon O | Dec 6, 2024 | Uncategorized
The angel of the lord met with Joseph while he was sleeping, just like he met with Mary.
He told Joseph, Mary was expecting, and it was from the Holy Spirit and when the baby was born, his name was to be Jesus.
When Joseph woke up from his dream, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.
But he did not have relations with her until her son was born and Joseph named him Jesus. (Matthew 1:24)
Luke 2 we learn of the birth of Jesus.
At the time of Jesus birth there was a census that was called, and all the people were to return to their ancestral town to register for this census.
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 fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.
While they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.
She gave birth to her first-born child, a son.
She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available to them.
[Now let’s stop here for a second.]
There was no lodging available because of the census and there were many people in the town.
Also, it sounds so simple the way Luke writes it, but I would imagine it was not that simple.
If I think of both Mary and Joseph; they would be tired after all that traveling and perhaps feeling a bit desperate to settle in for the night.
Maybe Mary was already in labor and giving Joseph the full details of what she had shared and experienced with Elizabeth while watching John’s birth.
We can only guess and imagine, what it was like for this young couple who would be responsible for the ‘Son of God.’
Both were chosen and both were given, a role like no other and a place in history forever.
The angel of the Lord met with Joseph while he was sleeping.
by Sharon O | Dec 6, 2024 | Uncategorized
In the book of Luke, it tells us that Mary hurried to the country of Judea to the town where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived.
She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth and at the sound of her voice the baby Elizabeth was carrying leaped within her, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Elizabeth said to Mary, “why am I so honored that the mother of my Lord should visit me?”
Now we have to remember Mary and Elizabeth were relatives.
They knew each other very well in fact Mary was at her house to tell her ‘About her baby and the angel visiting her’ and also to see what the angel had said about Elizabeth, for everyone knew she was barren with no child.
Mary responded to Elizabeth with a song of acceptance, the magnificat a song of praise. Found in Luke 1:40-56
It says she stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and I wonder if she was there when Elizabeth gave birth.
The next scene we read about is the birth of John.
There is so much to the story of Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus.
Joseph was warned by the angel Gabriel to take Mary as his wife.
It was a customary thing in that time to divorce her quietly in this situation, but he was told not to do that. Marry her and don’t become husband and wife until after the baby was to be born. We are not told much about other children, in this story, but there were others that were related to Jesus later.
I wonder if the time Mary spent with Elizabeth was for Joseph to figure out what he was going to do with the life changing decisions ahead of him.
The story of Mary and Joseph and all that had to change for them, gives me great hope and amazement. How they accepted and followed through with the news of their changing lives together, not knowing or fully understanding what the future would be for them.
There is more to the story as we continue on to read what was written.
In the book of Luke
by Sharon O | Dec 4, 2024 | Uncategorized
When Elizabeth was six months along with John, an angel met with Mary who was engaged to be married to Joseph.
Gabriel appeared to her in Luke 1:28 and he said,
“Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
Now we must stop for a second and remember she was only 16, not quite a woman; but God knew.
It said she was, confused and disturbed as she thought about what the angel had said to her.
Wouldn’t that be the normal response when hearing a greeting like that?
The other thing to remember; women who were pregnant and not married were often stoned to death.
It was a serious issue not only for her, for Joseph and their families involved.
She must have had many questions and concerns.
Then the angel said,
“Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God!
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”
Mary asked the angel, “How can this happen? I am a virgin.”
The angel replied,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So, the baby to be born will be holy, and will be called the Son of God.
What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age!
People used to say she was barren, but now she is in her sixth month.
For nothing is impossible with God.”
Mary’s response to the angel was,
“I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true,”
Then the angel left her.
{I truly think the angel brought the news about Elizabeth to Mary, so she would believe more intensely and with more reality.
She knew Elizabeth was old and barren. She also knew she must go see her and see for herself what the angel had said.}
An angel met with Mary and told her the good news.
by Sharon O | Dec 3, 2024 | Uncategorized
When I think of the Christmas story; I am in awe and in amazement of the number of players that were used to create the scenes.
It is orchestrated like a screen play with everyone doing every little part, to make the whole, story complete.
God was so wise to use a simple teenager, and a humble man.
Of course, HE was wise, He is God the Almighty Father.
It was perhaps a love story; that would be tested from the moment the angel met with Mary.
She was a teen, so young and being told. “You are to be the chosen one.”
She had a tender heart full of acceptance and honor.
Can you even imagine how it started? Being startled by an angel in the room?
“Don’t be afraid.” (Of course, he would have to say that!) I would be terrified.
I have always been amazed over the fact that the angel spoke in a language Mary could understand.
We don’t think of angels having language or sound other than singing.
I wonder if sometimes WE get an angel among us telling us things that we hear, but not realizing Who was telling us?
Mary was the chosen one to be the mother of Jesus.
In Luke 1: The story is written and played out and it unravels with each and every character.
The beginning of it began with Zechariah and Elizabeth who were relatives of Mary.
It was the miracle before the miracle.
Their son, John would be born before Jesus.
Elizabeth was barren for many years and then Zechariah was told they would have a son.
He didn’t believe the angel and so the angel told him to be quiet until the birth took place.
I don’t blame him for doubting, that would be the reaction of many in the same situation.
But God… can do miracles.
A miracle before the miracle.
When I think of the Christmas story I am always in awe of the details and the obedience.
by Sharon O | Nov 30, 2024 | Uncategorized
Soon to be December 1st.
Every year I visit the Christmas story for it is one of my favorites and is also the beginning, how it all began.
The trust established between many who are a part of the story.
The activities in heavenly places anticipating the newness of baby and the hours to come within the journey.
I will see how I can write and portray the story.
It is an important one for without the birth the death and resurrection of Easter would be not so important.
The players all played a part in making this amazing story happen.
As we move within the characters and the time frame hang in with me as we explore the birth of a baby who came to save us from ourselves.
As we play the music in our homes and sing “oh little town of Bethlehem’ let us remember the story was planned and everything we know about it as true.
Away in the manger will come and OH HOLY NIGHT. my favorite song of the season.
Walk with me as we journey through the scriptural story of how it all began.
Soon to be December 1st and the story with all its beauty and glory will take place.
by Sharon O | Nov 6, 2024 | Uncategorized
What a month October was for us.
It brought many different things to be concerned with and pray about and then be thankful.
Our baby grand daughter was in a little accident and had to be checked out in the hospital. She is fine.
It was scary as it involved a cross walk, a car and a tiny baby.
Then our grandson was in a car accident, again he was rattled around but safe and not injured.
The car was totaled.
Our oldest granddaughter was in Montana and heading home in her car to Oregon.
This grandma was praying and not excited for her to drive that far alone from Montana to Oregon.
Well, she was driving on the freeway and lost control of her car and rolled it a few times.
The police at the scene said she should NOT be walking away without a scratch.
They ambulanced her to the hospital where she was checked out and stayed overnight.
The company that she worked for kept her safe and she was able to fly home with nothing but her cat.
Pretty sad when you have nothing. All of her belongings were thrown on the road.
There was another car incident that was not planned and injured our granddaughter’s boyfriend.
Then my husband hit a storage shed with his old car and the insurance totaled it.
What a weird and strange month.
We are ready to move on into November and let the holiday planning begin.
We had our anniversary last weekend. Fifty-one years.
Pretty hard to believe that these young ‘not yet adults’ married and stayed for that long.
It’s pretty remarkable when we think of all the life changes, we have gone through together.
What a month October was for us. Not one I want to repeat.
We came out stronger, believing in prayer and remaining thankful for the many blessings we have witnessed. 
by Sharon O | Sep 14, 2024 | Uncategorized
The word prompt for the weekend ended up being PRESERVE.
I found it rather funny since my husband and I have been canning lately.
Preserving for the winter months.
We have done 56 jars of pickle some for us and some for our neighbor.
Then we did 26 jars of peaches and then we did 14 jars of pears.
Then we purchased tomatoes, and I froze those in a bag for soups later.
It is nice to have it done.
Kind of like the little house on the Prairie days.
WE talked about doing green beans and potatoes, but the cost of a pressure cooker was a decision we didn’t make.
So many things have to be water bathed or pressure cooked. I do freeze fruit and sometimes veggies.
We also thought about doing plums, but that idea ended too.
Then we have a quarter of a beef coming soon so our freezer will be full.
It really is nice to have it when you need it as long as the freezer door gets shut.
One time we had a CSI scene in our freezer as it was unplugged and we had lots of partially defrosted meat.
It was awful.
Garbage bags were full of meat that could not be rescued.
It was a waste, but you can’t take a chance when it comes to preserving and freezing.
We are not into pressure canning meat and some veggies.
It is a high risk if you don’t do it the right way.
Years ago, it was a natural thing to can everything. We don’t really have to do that unless we want to.
The joy and fulfillment in knowing we did it and it is clean good products.
The word prompt for the weekend was preserve, and I do think we have done that very well.
by Sharon O | Aug 14, 2024 | Uncategorized
This week is the county fair held in a different county than where we live.
We have only missed a couple of years when the temperature out was over a hundred.
I am not a hot weather fan, and I definitely would not sit on wood benches to watch a rodeo.
One of our traditions is to find a hand dipped corn dog, YES, we know it’s not good for us but oh so yummy.
Sometimes we find the booth with hot corn on the cob but probably won’t do that tomorrow since we have some at home.
We like to walk around the pavilion building where they hold art galleries, canning and other homemade items.
It’s a nice feeling to know not all is lost when it comes to tradition and family activities.
Of course, the rides call out to the kids. Don’t ever put me on one EVER.
We like to see the animals and the ribbons given, and the pride those local kids have when showing their projects.
The fair is a fun day and just plan on many things to look at and observe.
Then later about seven we go to the grandstands with our ‘pre-purchased’ tickets for the rodeo.
It is a family event and it most of the time very patriotic.
The riders march around with flags, the announcer says a prayer and we sure need that these days.
Then the riders head to their places in line for action.
It is both exciting and scary sometimes. The skill level it takes to do barrel racing, or calf roping or horseback riding.
And we won’t forget the bull riding event.
I only saw one bad accident when I was a little girl where the bull attacked the rider. IT was no fun for anyone.
Then the bull in a local fair just recently jumped the fence and tossed a person up and down a few times.
They survived but oh my goodness can you even imagine?
This week is the county fair held in a different county, and we will be glad it will only be in the high seventies.
by Sharon O | Aug 6, 2024 | Uncategorized
On my bulletin board I have a saying that is in large print as a reminder.
It says “KEEP BEING BRAVE”
I hold onto that, as I pray for so many things in our lives.
In the lives of others that I care for and in the lives of those who walk a journey that is hard and difficult.
Cancer is one of those journeys.
The treatment is not easy or fun.
I had surgery, that actually went rather smooth and also had radiation that was not too terrible. Although when you think of a large machine hanging over your body and radiating beams you begin to wonder if all your organic shopping is worth it.
I want everything possible to be organic and not sprayed.
I read all labels, and I refuse to buy items that are covered in toxic chemicals.
It is amazing to me that they can even sell the stuff that way.
Keep being brave, when my oldest granddaughter moved away and I had to not cry hard, I was sad, but I knew it was a good move for her.
Keep being brave, when my other granddaughter had a perfectly healthy tiny great granddaughter for us to enjoy and love.
Keep being brave, when sometimes I don’t feel well but I push through it for I know there were days and years that I dealt with it intensely very often.
Keep being brave, when I see my best friend who has leukemia.
She is strong and brave and trusts in the holy God of all who heals.
I also have on my bulletin board, a quote from a very special person.
“Man looks upon the outward appearance. God looks upon the heart.”
Our bravery doesn’t often show on the outside. Sometimes it is the quiet voice that stays inside and says, “let’s try again tomorrow.’
On my bulletin board I have a saying that is in large print and many other reminders of hope, healing and friendship. 
