“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). (Matthew 1:23, NIV) Early that pre-Christmas morning, I darted to my bedroom window, my six-year-old saucer eyes ablaze with wonder. During the night, pristine snow had blanketed our Seattle suburb. Yes! No school! Downstairs, my […]

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38–39, NASB)  One of my most memorable

There was also a prophetess, Anna. . . . She was very old, having been married to her husband for seven years until his death. She had lived as a widow since then for eighty-four years. She never left the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment, she came up

“You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.” (Luke 1:31, NIV) Christmas 2012 in Texas is a favorite memory. If you’re thinking of “a first,” then you are correct. It was an unforgettable first for our family. The celebration was spontaneous and sensational. Our

Wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1–2, NET)  It was the longest trip in the world for a couple of youngsters. Two whole days before Christmas and we

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law. (Galatians 4:4, ESV) Outfitted with secondhand furnishings, giveaways, and wedding gifts, our first apartment wasn’t much. What little money we had went to pay the rent on a place that overlooked its share of knife-fights, marital

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45, NIV)  I really wanted the Snoopy Drive-In Movie. I loved that dog. This toy played short clips from the shows I could only see once a year (no YouTube).

[Christ Jesus], who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. (Philippians 2:6–7, NRSV) Last Christmas, my family and I experienced life in a different hemisphere. An alumnus’s family had invited

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? . . . If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11–13, NIV) I

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8, NASB) In December of 1993, I visited Germany for the first time, stepping from my comfortable American surroundings into an unfamiliar European culture. During the Christmas season, the already charming country of Germany transforms into an enchanting wonderland. I had never experienced such