This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
~ Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)
Friday, December 25, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Author Christmas Memories: Diane Roblin-Lee
This month, we're featuring Christmas memories from your favourite Canadian Christian authors.
As a child of 11 in 1956, I used to trudge along messy sidewalks carrying my heavy, rented accordion. Hoisting it up onto the crowded bus for the long, grey ride from Fort Garry to downtown Winnipeg, then off again and finally up a long, dark stairway to my lessons, was quite a feat. I desperately wanted an accordion of my own, but ministers didn’t make much money in those days.
Mom and Dad and I had recently moved from Ontario and so were far from friends and family. There were just the three of us gathered around our little tree that Christmas morning. Just before we began the excitement of opening our gifts, Dad said, “Diane, could you please go out to the porch and bring in the box I left out there?”
The porch was frigid. Wait! There was a suitcase with a big red bow on it! It couldn’t possibly be an accordion case! But it was heavy.... Dad smiled. “Open it up.”
Inside was a shiny blue accordion with gold accents and gleaming white keys. Ohhhhhh! Dad died in 1995, but whenever I get that old accordion out to play, I am warmed by the memory of his sacrificial love.
--
Diane Roblin-Lee's latest title is a legacy workbook called, "To My Family...My Life."
As a child of 11 in 1956, I used to trudge along messy sidewalks carrying my heavy, rented accordion. Hoisting it up onto the crowded bus for the long, grey ride from Fort Garry to downtown Winnipeg, then off again and finally up a long, dark stairway to my lessons, was quite a feat. I desperately wanted an accordion of my own, but ministers didn’t make much money in those days.
Mom and Dad and I had recently moved from Ontario and so were far from friends and family. There were just the three of us gathered around our little tree that Christmas morning. Just before we began the excitement of opening our gifts, Dad said, “Diane, could you please go out to the porch and bring in the box I left out there?”
The porch was frigid. Wait! There was a suitcase with a big red bow on it! It couldn’t possibly be an accordion case! But it was heavy.... Dad smiled. “Open it up.”
Inside was a shiny blue accordion with gold accents and gleaming white keys. Ohhhhhh! Dad died in 1995, but whenever I get that old accordion out to play, I am warmed by the memory of his sacrificial love.
--
Diane Roblin-Lee's latest title is a legacy workbook called, "To My Family...My Life."
Friday, December 18, 2009
Sarnia & Grande Prairie Registration Now Open: Just in time for Christmas!
Sarnia "Just the Word"With Precept Ministries
For women, men and teens!
February 20, 2010 (Bethel Church, Sarnia)
Choose 1 of 6 breakout tracks
(Nehemiah, Philippians, Women of the Word, James, Following Jesus, Truth for Youth).
Click here for more details and to register.
Grande Prairie 11th Annual Regional Conference
March 26-27, 2010 (Christian Fellowship Assembly, 11449 - 92 Street, Grande Prairie)
Keynote & Breakout Speaker: Donna Carter
National Office Rep & Breakout Speaker: Michelle Nagle
Click here for more details and to register.
Plus, registration opening January 2010 for:
- Cambridge "Just the Word" with Precept Ministries: April 10, 2010 (Click for details)
- Waterloo Annual Conference: April 23-25, 2010 (Click for details)
Contact Michelle for brochures, bulletin inserts, and powerpoint slides at info@womenalive.org.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Author Christmas Memories: Denyse O'Leary
This month, we're featuring Christmas memories from your favourite Canadian Christian authors.
Time to confess: I’ve never been a fan of Christmas as it is so often “celebrated”. Too often it has meant ... endless baking for the already overfed, added to the intellectual torture of finding gifts for people who have everything they need (and don’t really want what I will finally end up giving them either). And - this is worst of all - vicious fights between revelers who got along while kept apart, but Christmas festivities unfortunately drove them together.
Christ Child, where ARE you? I have so often wondered.
But one oasis has been timeless - the Christmas Eve midnight church service. Anticipating the bells of midnight, we are transported far, far from commercial harassment and social stress. There we worship, and acknowledge once more the impossible redemption made possible - and by a baby too!
Actually, only God would think of sending a baby rather than an invincible army of angels.
I come back home and light all the Advent candles and think, yes, he came to redeem this VERY situation we struggle with. And he will - if we let him.
---
Denyse Leary, is co-author with Mario Beauregard of "The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Case for the Existence of the Soul."
Time to confess: I’ve never been a fan of Christmas as it is so often “celebrated”. Too often it has meant ... endless baking for the already overfed, added to the intellectual torture of finding gifts for people who have everything they need (and don’t really want what I will finally end up giving them either). And - this is worst of all - vicious fights between revelers who got along while kept apart, but Christmas festivities unfortunately drove them together.
Christ Child, where ARE you? I have so often wondered.
But one oasis has been timeless - the Christmas Eve midnight church service. Anticipating the bells of midnight, we are transported far, far from commercial harassment and social stress. There we worship, and acknowledge once more the impossible redemption made possible - and by a baby too!
Actually, only God would think of sending a baby rather than an invincible army of angels.
I come back home and light all the Advent candles and think, yes, he came to redeem this VERY situation we struggle with. And he will - if we let him.
---
Denyse Leary, is co-author with Mario Beauregard of "The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Case for the Existence of the Soul."
Monday, December 7, 2009
Author Christmas Memories: Sue Augustine
This month, we're featuring Christmas memories from your favourite Canadian Christian authors!
A while ago, my husband and I, with our two grown daughters, made a decision to reduce the hassles of Christmas by celebrating with less commercialism. We’ve always emphasized the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of Christ - but we expected some resistance from our four grandchildren when we explained there’d be less focus on presents under the tree and more emphasis on family time. So we were surprised at their delight when they found out we’d chosen to pool our money and take a vacation together instead of exchanging gifts.
A northern Ontario resort offered us cozy cottages with fireplaces, plus an outdoor rink, indoor pool, tubing hills, horse-drawn sleigh rides and a forest with hiking trails. Mornings were spent congregating in one of the cottages for a big breakfast and some reading, puzzles, artwork or crafts. Then we’d bundle up and have a fun day outdoors playing in the snow, ice skating and tobogganing. Later, we gathered around the fireplace, warmed up with hot chocolate, and got out the board games.
Christmas dinner was relaxed as we made do with plastic bowls and not enough serving spoons! But there was plenty of roast turkey with all the fixings, served with candles and linens brought from home. Later, we were pleased to hear our 8-year old grandson’s answer when a friend asked, “How did you like Christmas without gifts?” AJ replied, “Presents wear out, but memories last forever!”
--
Sue Augustine is author of "Turn Your Dreams into Realities", "When Your Past is Hurting Your Present", and her most recent release, "Sanity Secrets for Stressed-Out Women".
A while ago, my husband and I, with our two grown daughters, made a decision to reduce the hassles of Christmas by celebrating with less commercialism. We’ve always emphasized the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of Christ - but we expected some resistance from our four grandchildren when we explained there’d be less focus on presents under the tree and more emphasis on family time. So we were surprised at their delight when they found out we’d chosen to pool our money and take a vacation together instead of exchanging gifts.
A northern Ontario resort offered us cozy cottages with fireplaces, plus an outdoor rink, indoor pool, tubing hills, horse-drawn sleigh rides and a forest with hiking trails. Mornings were spent congregating in one of the cottages for a big breakfast and some reading, puzzles, artwork or crafts. Then we’d bundle up and have a fun day outdoors playing in the snow, ice skating and tobogganing. Later, we gathered around the fireplace, warmed up with hot chocolate, and got out the board games.
Christmas dinner was relaxed as we made do with plastic bowls and not enough serving spoons! But there was plenty of roast turkey with all the fixings, served with candles and linens brought from home. Later, we were pleased to hear our 8-year old grandson’s answer when a friend asked, “How did you like Christmas without gifts?” AJ replied, “Presents wear out, but memories last forever!”
--
Sue Augustine is author of "Turn Your Dreams into Realities", "When Your Past is Hurting Your Present", and her most recent release, "Sanity Secrets for Stressed-Out Women".
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