Watch Night

Posted on by Betsy

What are your plans for tonight? Will you glam up and attend a party or get into comfy pajamas and watch the ball drop from Times Square? I am an advocate for the latter. When my mother was in an Assisted Living facility we would spend New Year’s Eve with her. That place did it right. At 4:00 in the afternoon they reset all the public clocks to 11:00 p.m. and we gathered in the common room for the countdown to “midnight.” We shared a festive toast as the clock struck 12:00 and then everyone rolled back to their rooms for the rest of the night. Perfection! But my preference on New Year’s Eve is to attend a Watch Night service if I can find one.

The tradition of Watch Night can be traced to the early 18th century in Moravian churches, when churchgoers began marking the occasion with a worship service of prayer, proclamation, and singing to reflect upon the year past and to contemplate the one to come. Our own John Wesley adopted the practice for his  Methodist followers. Wesley believed that Methodists and all Christians should reaffirm their covenant with God annually, so he created a service in which an individual renews his/her covenant with God.

In 1755 Wesley held his first covenant service using words written earlier by Richard Alleine. Wesley published this service in a pamphlet in 1780, and this form was used without alteration for nearly a century in England. It has been modified somewhat in more recent years.

The covenant hymn, “Come, Let Us Use the Grace Divine,” was written for this service by Charles Wesley. The service is included in The Book of Worship under the title “An Order of Worship for Such as Would Enter Into or Renew Their Covenant with God–For Use in a Watch Night Service, on the First Sunday of the Year, or Other Occasion.” (from umc.org)

Watch Night was given new significance among African Americans on December 31, 1862, when, according to tradition, slaves in the Confederate states gathered in churches and private homes on the night before U.S. Pres. Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was expected to go into effect, pending his signing of the document. The soon-to-be-free slaves stayed awake all night and watched the night turn into a new dawn while waiting for news that the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued, thus making all the slaves legally free.

I hope you consider a Watch Night service if one is available to you or find one online. Marking this night with prayers, a good sermon, meditation, hymns, and quiet reflection is far preferable to any party or gathering you might be considering. And the hang-over is much better in the morning.

Psalm 63 (New International Version)

You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
    and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
    my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
    and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
    with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

6 On my bed I remember you;
    I think of you through the watches of the night.


The Watches of the Night by Michelle Robertson

Resolve

Posted on by Betsy

New Year’s resolutions aren’t my favorite thing. Researchers tell us that within six weeks, most of our resolve fizzles out, and we are back to our old habits. Why bother?

I am much more in favor of making life changes based on the Scriptures that speak to us. Take a look at today’s passage. This calls us to change our lifestyle immediately in response to the Gospel … and become sheep.

Now for those of you who follow a certain political rhetoric that implies that sheep are mindless, subpar creatures who blindly follow what their leader tells them, you are right. And I, for one, just want to be a sheep. The Lord’s sheep.

Matthew 25 (The Message)

The Sheep and the Goats

31-33 “When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

34-36 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’

37-40 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

And BAM … there it is. There is the only New Year’s resolution you need. There is the Master’s instruction for self-improvement for 2026. Visit the prisoners. Drop in on the sick. Clothe the cold people. Volunteer and support your community homeless shelter. Feed the hungry through your community food bank. Be the change.

41-43 “Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’

44 “Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’

Just as following the voice of the Master brings blessings into your life, refusing to do as he bids will result in consequences you don’t want to face. In the end, we will all be held accountable to the Gospel demands. Let that sink in.

45 “He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

46 “Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”

Let us covenant to do better in 2026 in all of these sheepish things. May we give of ourselves in ways we never have before, and may others be blessed by our efforts.

Nativity Play Sheep at Community Presbyterian Church, Celebration, FL

The Misfits

Posted on by Betsy

The day after Christmas is known as Boxing Day in the British Commonwealth. It is said to originate from two different sources. One legend says that Boxing Day was a day when the servants of Lords received a box of small gifts and Christmas dinner leftovers. They were given the day off to travel to their homes with said boxes. Another tradition suggests that it is a reference to the Feast of St. Stephen, whose feast day falls on December 26th. Stephen was one of the men selected in the Book of Acts to ensure that the distribution of alms was done equitably, including the Greek widows who were being neglected. On the Feast of St. Stephen, clergymen took the alms that were dropped in boxes at the church on Christmas Day and deliver them to the poor in the village.

In both cases, Boxing Day is a celebration of offering charity to the marginalized.

What a lovely reminder as we bridge Christmas and New Years Day. Those who have received much are invited to give much.

Luke 14 (The Message)

12-14 Then he turned to the host. “The next time you put on a dinner, don’t just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You’ll be—and experience—a blessing. They won’t be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned—oh, how it will be returned!—at the resurrection of God’s people.”

In this parable, Jesus seems to speak right into the type of Christmas that many of us experienced. We gave to our friends. We supped with our family. We received riches. We offered things to people who are able to offer things back.

But the way to be a blessing on Boxing Day is to box something up and give it to someone who had a scant or non-existent Christmas. Christ instructs us to invite the misfits and those from the wrong side of the tracks. Who would you invite?

Your community has homeless people living in it. Your community has families who rely on assistance to make the most meager ends meet. There is need where you live.

What will you do on this Boxing Day?

God calls us to share what we have. Dig deep. Open up your eyes, your heart, and your wallet. Christmastide has only just begun, and it is always better to give than to receive. And this kind of favor is returned as you are blessed by your giving. You get to be a blessing today, and you will be blessed again at the Resurrection.

Happy Boxing Day!

Christmas Garden

For Unto Us

Posted on by Betsy

It’s here. It’s now. Tonight is the night to lay aside all of your burdens and cares and go into a warm sanctuary and simply worship. Listen to the music. Absorb the message. Take home the most precious gift the world has ever received. All you have to do is simply show up.

Simply be.

Simply adore.

Simply receive.

My prayer for you this Christmas is that you meet your Savior at his mangy manger and give him your heart. For unto us, he was born!

Merry Christmas, dear readers!

Betsy

Snugly Wrapped

Posted on by Betsy

Imagine this story. A very young woman is taken from her hometown by her fiancé to satisfy the tax register requirements of a hostile government. She is extremely pregnant and near term. The only means of transportation is an old donkey that stumbles over the rocky paths and hilly terrain. As her body prepares for the impending birth, her pain and discomfort increase with each step. This miserable journey was about 90 miles. Let that sink in.

The local hostel is filled with people who are also being forced to register for taxation. But the weary couple finds a space out in the barn, where at least there is some shelter from the wind.

Luke 2 (Common English Bible)

2 In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. 2 This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. 3 Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. 4 Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. 5 He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom.

A rough feed-box served as a bassinet for her baby. It is hard to imagine giving birth under such circumstances. No doctor, no midwife, no pain medications, no sterile bed, no sutures … just the man who refused to send you away (as was his right) encouraging life out of your travel-worn body as you experience the excruciating pain of delivery. Firstborns usually require long labors. Hers must have felt like a lifetime.

But with the instinct of every new mother, this teenage girl found cloths and wrapped her son snugly. Perhaps these cloths came from her own body, as she removed her head wrap and scarves to provide his first baby blanket. Perhaps the only donkey saddle she had was a worn-out blanket, which she now swaddled around her baby’s shivering shoulders. Her love for her son wrapped him as well. She finally knew the fulfillment of the ancient prophecies and the proclamation of the angel Gabriel nine months earlier. The comfort of those words wrapped her snugly as she fell into an exhausted sleep.

8 Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. 9 The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified.

10 The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. 11 Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. 12 This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.”13 Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, 14 “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”

There was nothing snugly about the sudden and terrifying appearance of a host of fiery angels suddenly appearing and hovering over the ground like some horrific scene from a science fiction novel. The humble shepherds, dozing by their warm nighttime fires, were jerked to their feet and filled with an overwhelming desire to flee down the hill toward safety. But the winged creature spoke to them with the strangest direction: Don’t be afraid. Go and see. Your Savior is born. Look for the snugly blanket.

And so they did.

Close your eyes for a moment and think about Mary. Now imagine people in our own lifetime who are cold, homeless, traveling a road they did not choose for themselves, frightened, oppressed by a hostile government, and anything but snugly. Jesus came to bring warmth and security for even the least of these. Ask yourself this: How can we help? What will I do?

Don’t be afraid. Go and see, then go and tell. Take a snugly blanket with you to offer to someone cold, in the name of Jesus. It is the best way we can honor what his mother did for him.

Snugly

Joseph Knew

Posted on by Betsy

Ann Weems is the author of a marvelous book of poetry called Kneeling in Bethlehem. It is one of my favorite Christmas reading resources. She looks at things from an angle that is unique and thoughtful. Of all the poems in her book, I like “Getting to the Front of the Stable” the best.

To set the stage for today’s devotional, take a look at your nativity set if you have one in the house. If not, remember or imagine ones you have seen in the past. Where is Joseph, the father of the son of God? Where stands this man who made the extraordinary decision to stay with Mary when the culture and the world said to divorce her and send her and the baby off to a life of shame? Most likely your Joseph is stuck at the back of the stable, upstaged by wise strangers, smelly shepherds, glory-blinding angels, and even barn animals.

Who put Joseph in the back of the stable? 
Who dressed him in brown, put a staff in his hand, 
and told him to stand at the back of the crèche, 
background for the magnificent light of the Madonna? 
(Ann Weems, “Getting to the Front of the Stable,” Kneeling in Bethlehem, pp. 52-53.)

We only get to talk about Joseph every three years in the lectionary cycle when we delve into Matthew’s account of the nativity. Read this with intention, as you won’t see it again for another 36 months:

Matthew 1:18-25 (Common English Bible)

18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly. 20 As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit.21 She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 

Joseph had the right to outcast Mary and her unborn child. His decision to do so quietly speaks volumes of his integrity. The fact that he didn’t speaks to his faith in God.

One thing Joseph knew already was his own family lineage. Matthew gives us a neatly divided family tree from Joseph’s line, which includes women, of all things. Among those women listed were Rahab the prostitute and Bathsheba the adulteress. Perhaps Joseph knew that their inclusion in his family tree was evidence of God’s saving mercy and powerful forgiveness. Perhaps he knew that women hardly stood a chance in the patriarchal society that so easily cast them aside. Perhaps he knew God’s power and might in his own ordinary life and trusted that God would protect him and his little family if he just yielded this moment to the angel’s promise.

22 Now all of this took place so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled:

23 Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son,
        And they will call him, Emmanuel.

(Emmanuel means “God with us.”)

24 When Joseph woke up, he did just as an angel from God commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he didn’t have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. Joseph called him Jesus.

One thing Joseph knew for sure was his Scriptures. So when the angel promised that this unborn child was the long-awaited messiah, he already had a vision of what that meant to the world. Was he startled to find himself at the center of the fulfillment of that prophecy? You betcha. But isn’t God always working in mysterious and startling ways?

It’s time to give Joseph the prominence he is due. Get up from your chair and move him to the front!

God-chosen, this man Joseph was faithful 
in spite of the gossip in Nazareth, 
in spite of the danger from Herod. 
This man, Joseph, listened to angels 
and it was he who named the Child 
Emmanuel. 

Is this a man to be stuck for centuries 
in the back of the stable? 
Actually, Joseph probably stood in the doorway 
guarding the mother and child 
or greeting shepherds or kings. 

When he wasn’t in the doorway, 
he was probably urging Mary to get some rest, 
gently covering her with his cloak, 
assuring her that he would watch the Child. 
Actually he probably picked the Child up in his arms 
and walked him in the night, 
patting him lovingly 
until he closed his eyes. 

This Christmas, let us give thanks to God 
for this man of incredible faith 
into whose care God placed the Christ Child. 
As a gesture of gratitude, 
let’s put Joseph in the front of the stable 
where he can guard and greet 
and cast an occasional glance 
at this Child 
who brought us life.

Joseph knew that his trust in God would be rewarded, reinforced, and protected. Do you trust God the same way? Maybe it’s time to yield.

Let Mum Rest available at Catholic Supply

This is Christmas

Posted on by Betsy

Let’s talk about Christmas movies. Which one is your favorite? I love a lot of the old ones, and every year I especially enjoy Miracle on 34th Street (only the original!), It’s a Wonderful Life, and Christmas in Connecticut, if only for the marvelous outfits worn by Barbara Stanwyck. Every once in a while a new movie will be added to my list, and this year I was pleased to add This is Christmas. I knew it would be good when my oldest daughter texted her dad and me emphatically recommending that we watch it. You can find it on Amazon Prime.

This is Christmas tells the tale of London train commuters who sit in the same railcar every day as they go to work. I read a review that argued that this is impossible. That lady has never been to church. You know you all sit in the same pew on the same side every Sunday! People are creatures of habit. But this is a necessary plot device. A young commuter named Adam realizes that he sees the same faces every day but knows nothing about his fellow travelers. He especially wants to know about a traveler named Emma. So one day he boldly stands up and addresses everyone in the car, inviting them to a Christmas party he was going to put together.

The story enfolds from there as we see people making real connections with each other and form a true community. The party takes shape as each one offers to contribute their unique gift to the event. Paul would have been pleased. They become a true Romans 12 community:

Romans 12 (Common English Bible)

3 Because of the grace that God gave me, I can say to each one of you: don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Instead, be reasonable since God has measured out a portion of faith to each one of you. 4 We have many parts in one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function. 5 In the same way, though there are many of us, we are one body in Christ, and individually we belong to each other. 6 We have different gifts that are consistent with God’s grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, you should prophesy in proportion to your faith. 7 If your gift is service, devote yourself to serving. If your gift is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. 8 If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouraging. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful.

They become a “found family” for each other and actually get to know one other. Ask yourself this: How well do you know your neighbors? Your co-workers? The people who wait on you every day in the store, coffee house, or restaurant? I have been guilty of knowing every dog’s name on my street but not every dog parent. We can do better!

This ‘journey on a train’ story becomes a journey into what makes us truly human. Forgiveness, solidarity, understanding, and redemption play a big role in the movie, just as in life. Obstacles and hardships, old hurts and new pain are all overcome by the compassion and warmth of people who now identify as a group that belongs to each other. The writer of Hebrews captures this idea of interdependent community best, offering this suggestion:

Hebrews 10 (Common English Bible)

24 And let us consider each other carefully for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds. 25 Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near.

Let us make that our rallying cry today. Consider others carefully. Spark love. Spark good deeds. Meet with friends and neighbors and get to know them. Encourage others.

After all, this is Christmas.

Community Fountain

One More Candle

Posted on by Betsy

One more candle.

During the season of Advent, we mark off the Sundays by lighting candles in our churches that remind us of the hope, peace, joy, and love that Jesus came to bring. We have only one more to light before Christmas Eve. Are you ready?

Advent is a season of listening to the messengers. What have you heard so far? The prophets of the Old Testament wrote about a much-needed messiah who would come to save their people. Their prophesies set the stage for Jesus. Listen to Malachi’s words about a messenger who would come to announce the arrival of the savior:

Malachi 3:1-4  (Common English Bible)

Look, I am sending my messenger who will clear the path before me; suddenly the Lord whom you are seeking will come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you take delight is coming, says the Lord of heavenly forces. 2 Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can withstand his appearance. He is like the refiner’s fire or the cleaner’s soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. They will belong to the Lord, presenting a righteous offering. 4 The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in ancient days and in former years.

Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament and was written to address the religious, spiritual, and moral laxity that had overtaken the Israelites. The people had returned from their Babylonian exile seventy years prior, and the temple had been rebuilt. But they had fallen into laziness and cynicism about their relationship with God. Their disaffection led them to bring “polluted offerings” to the temple, breaking the covenant law about first fruits, which required that only the finest and unblemished offerings be presented. (Malachi 1:7). Malachi speaks directly to their powerless worship and warns that judgment is coming.

It was always the mission of the prophets to bring God’s message of God’s covenant relationship to the people and the expectations that came with it. God established a covenant through Abraham, reinforced it through Joseph, and defined it through Moses. The covenant promise continued through the major and minor prophets and always carried both warnings and hope. Their work involved warning against social injustice and the worldly powers that oppressed God’s people, but it also included words of hope about their future deliverance and a peace that would last. The prophetical writings breathed hope into humanity’s present condition, regardless of the century they were written. Malachi warned that in order for a righteous offering to be presented, a cleansing fire will occur first, beginning with the slack priests (the Levites) who should have been leading the people in true worship.

We see Malachi’s prophecy fulfilled in Jesus, who came and will come again to do the final and ultimate refining. Those who repent and believe in him will never perish but will become a righteous and pleasing offering to God through the unblemished First Fruit of the Son. (1 Corinthians 15:20).  Jesus is the final candle, bringing a light that cannot be extinguished by any darkness of the soul.

Only in this way can any of us endure the day of his coming.  Sound scary? Hang on … hope is also coming. John the Baptizer, the messenger chosen to clear the way for Jesus, shows us the way: repent, for the kingdom is at hand.

This call to repent sounds as though we have confused the season and are jumping to Lent. But the call to repentance is seasonless. Malachi reminds us that a refiner’s fire is coming and we need to be ready.

As we make ourselves ready in this last week, let us not neglect to make our hearts ready as well. “Suddenly the Lord whom you are seeking will come to his temple,” says Malachi.

As we light the final candle in our Advent wreath this Sunday, let us make the temples of our souls ready and waiting.

Advent Wreath by Becca Ziegler

The Pursuit of Happiness

Posted on by Betsy

Today we will dive into Psalm 146, the assigned lectionary passage for this week. As soon as I read the first sentence, it began to sound a lot like the preamble to the American Declaration of Independence. The phrase “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” appears in the preamble, which describes the fundamental rights that governments are created to secure. While Jefferson’s words were aspirational, they did not carry the full weight and force of the law. However, the Constitution has such authority, and both the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments address this, guaranteeing equal protection of “life, liberty, or property with the due process of law.”

Surely our country’s founders understood what it takes to live a prosperous life. Constitutional guarantees were designed to protect those things with the backing of the law. When a nation turns its back on the law, everyone suffers.

The psalmist in today’s passage lived in a time when Israel had turned its back on the Law. In the midst of national suffering, he penned these hopeful words of praise, directing the people back to the true source of happiness. This is the first of the last five psalms, a collection known as the Praise Psalms.

Psalm 146 (New Revised Standard)
The person whose help is the God of Jacob—
    the person whose hope rests on the Lord their God—
    is truly happy!
6 God: the maker of heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them,
God: who is faithful forever,
7     who gives justice to people who are oppressed,
    who gives bread to people who are starving!

We have seen all throughout history that governments will deny rights to their own people in pursuit of personal agendas. The rich get richer and the poor deeply suffer. Only God can bring justice to our land. People will fail us miserably and spectacularly.

The Lord: who frees prisoners.
8     The Lord: who makes the blind see.
    The Lord: who straightens up those who are bent low.
    The Lord: who loves the righteous.
9     The Lord: who protects immigrants,
        who helps orphans and widows,
        but who makes the way of the wicked twist and turn!

10 The Lord will rule forever!
    Zion, your God will rule from one generation to the next!

We, including those in power, should straighten up those who are bent low, protect immigrants, help orphans and widows, give justice to the oppressed, and give bread to the starving. It’s right there in black and white.

What can you do in your community today to live up to this? Can you bring happiness to someone in the name of the Lord?

Lord, help us to help others. Then we can be truly happy.

Winter Berries by Kathy Schumacher

Wonderfully Made

Posted on by Betsy

A three-year-old received a beautiful Adidas track suit as a gift. It resembles the track suits of the past, making me think of the old show The Sopranos and the fellows’ affection for track suits. I remember loving track suits in that era and hope they come back in a big way. This particular three-year-old just loves his track suit and feels especially empowered when he wears it. He told his preschool teacher that his “twack soot” made him cool and went on to say that he was so sharp in it, he could cut cake like knife. Now that’s a kid with a healthy self-esteem!

I wonder when we lose that. Somewhere around the awful self-conscious years of middle school we begin to hear the whispers of our mean and insecure classmates, and we question whether we are still cool and sharp enough to cut cake with our looks. Somewhere along the way we lose sight of the fact that we are made in the image of God. Somehow we forget that we are part of God’s wonderful works.

Our psalm today comes from David. It is a beautiful expression of the wonder and awe he had about God, God’s creation, and the intricacy of the human body. He marvels at how God knows everything about him and that his presence is inescapable. There literally is no place we can go to escape from God’s spirit. Our bodies are stunning in their design, all wrought by the very hand of God.

Psalm 139 (New Revised Standard Version)

For it was you who formed my inward parts;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
    Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.

This is a reminder today that if you are feeling down about yourself, stop it. If your negative thoughts overwhelm you, shout this Scripture back into that darkness. If you feel unworthy, remember that it is by the blood of the Lamb that you are made worthy.

You are a child of God! Precious, holy, and valued. Hold on to that.

May you feel sharp enough to cut cake like a knife today.

Wonderfully Made by Jamie Mathis