​Did you ever wonder about the preparation that Joseph and Mary would have had to make for their journey to Bethlehem? The book of Luke tells us why that had to make the trip. "In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world...and everyone went to his own town to register. So, Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child." (Luke 2:1-5)
 
I read that the distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem is about 90 miles on the route that follows the Jordan River valley and then climbs into the hills around Jerusalem. An average, healthy person might be able to travel about twenty miles a day; however, Mary's condition would surely have slowed the pace. The trip may have taken them an entire week. We should also consider that this arduous journey included rough terrain, the possibility of difficult weather, and attacks by wild animals or bandits.
 
Before Joseph and Mary left Nazareth that would have had to do much preparation. First, water would have to be collected and stored in wineskins for drinking. Also, food needed to be prepared, and firewood gathered for cooking and warmth. The food was probably simple and might include bread, herbs and oil, and dried fish. In addition, I would imagine that blankets were packed for bedding and to help keep the couple warm. Though we do not know for sure, I think we can speculate that a donkey may have carried Mary. That being the case, he would need food.
 
The preparations that Joseph and Mary made would enable them to successfully arrive at their destination. It was prophesied through the prophet Micah. "But you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." (Micah 5:2) Imagine how Mary must have felt as she prepared to go to Bethlehem (The House of Bread)! Her journey had a purpose, and her arrival would bring fulfillment of what Father God had planned before she was even born. I am sure that she and Joseph were in prayer for the entire journey.
 
God knew exact what this couple would need to fulfill His plans for their journey. We have another story in the Bible of Jesus telling His disciples to go on a trip to "heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons." Jesus went on to say to them, "Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts, take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or staff. For the worker is worth his keep." (Matthew 10:8-10) How do you think the disciples prepared for this journey? My guess is that they prepared on their knees, praying for God's wisdom and guidance for each step.
 
Our lives are made up of journeys with multiple destinations. May I suggest that our most important preparation is praying so that our faith is built up. It is faith in God that carries us to our destinations. Here is how Jude 1:20 puts it: "Build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit." I am sure that Mary and Joseph needed to pack their faith along with their physical supplies just as the disciples did when they were sent out by Jesus. If we prepare for our life's journeys as they did, we will reach our destinations and fulfill the purposes of God for our lives.

​With Thanksgiving upon us I want to give my thanks and praise to the Almighty God of creation who loves me like I was His only child. Through the years of my life, I have seen His constant faithfulness, and though I may not fully understand everything that He does, I trust Him because I see that "He has done immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine..." (Ephesians 3:20)
 
How does one give thanks and praise to the Lord? Psalm 22:3 says that God "Inhabits our praises," and that is my heart's desire. He made it clear to the prophet Samuel when he was going to anoint one of Jesse's sons to be king that appearance is not important to Him. "...The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)
 
If God is looking at our hearts, what does He see? Hopefully, our hearts reflect Psalm 9:1. "I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart. I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praises to Your name, O Most High." With the Psalmist, may we lift our hands to His Most Holy Place proclaiming, "The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy, and I will give thanks to Him in song." (Psalm 28:7)
 
When I contemplate the best way to give thanks to the Lord, I feel inadequate in being able to fully express my gratitude. This past week I have been listening to Brandon Lake's song "Gratitude." The words do convey my feelings beautifully. May I suggest that you listen to the music with the words to get the full effect:
 
Verse 1:    "All my words fall short; I got nothing new. How could I express all my gratitude?"
Verse 2:    "I could sing these songs as I often do, but every song must end and you never do."
Chorus:     "So I throw up my hands and praise You again and again 'cause all that I have is a
Hallelujah. Hallelujah! And I know it’s not much, but I've nothing else fit for a king      except for a heart singing Hallelujah. Hallelujah!"
Verse 3:    "I've got one response. I've got just one move with my arm stretched wide;
       I will worship You.
Chorus:
Bridge:       "So come on my soul. O don't you get shy on me. Lift up your song 'cause you've
                    got a lion inside of those lungs. Get up and praise the Lord."
 
It is true that our words may seem inadequate, but when they are delivered from our hearts to the heart of God, He is well pleased. King David wrote Psalm 138 to express his thanks to the Lord. It is a good one for us to adopt: "I thank you Lord, and with all the passion in my heart I worship you in the presence of angels! Heaven's mighty ones will hear my voice as I sing my loving praise to You. I bow down before your divine presence and bring You my deepest worship as I experience Your tender love and Your living truth. For the promises of Your word and the fame of Your name have been magnified above all else!" (Psalm 138:1-3 - TPT)

​About thirty miles off the Alaskan mainland there is an island on the Bering Sea called Nunivak Island. It should be no surprise that there is only one inhabited village on the island that is on the north coast. Weather is always a challenge with frequent rain, snow, fog, and gale-force winds. Nearly all the permanent residents of Nunivak (about 200) live in the village called Mekoryuk. Most of the natives are Cup’it Eskimos. They are used to living a subsistence lifestyle. A dilapidated building served as the island's only church meeting place. It came to the attention of the organization, Samaritan's Purse, who decided to build a new church on the island.
 
You may wonder how a church came to be built on such an isolated island. An Inupiaq missionary named Jacob Kenick visited Nunivak in the mid-1930s. As he preached the Gospel, mass conversions took place. However, it was not until the early 1960s that a church building was constructed. The structure left much to be desired as it was too small for the congregation and quickly deteriorated and became difficult to heat. Under the umbrella of Samaritan's Purse, volunteers from twenty-six states came together to build a new church in the summer of 2024. The 4,000 square-foot building was successfully completed in October 2024 and quickly became a year-round meeting place for the entire village.
 
Imagine the challenges of getting material for construction to the remote island! One of the greatest ones was placing a foundation on the ground that could withstand the yearly freeze and thaw. The one that was used is called a triodetic foundation. Made of engineered steel or aluminum, its rigid platform sits on top of the soil and keeps the building level even when the soil is heaving and settling. These foundations can support heavy commercial, multi-story buildings. They are strong enough to withstand flooding, permafrost, and difficult soils.
 
How this speaks to me when I think about the shakings that are going on in our nation and around the world. All of us need to be secured to a stable foundation. The stability for our times can only come from the Lord. This is what Isaiah, the prophet, tells us. "He shall be a sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure." (Isaiah 33:6) We must never forget that God is our eternal foundation. It is also interesting to note that both Psalm 89:14 and Psalm 97:2 describe the foundation of the Lord's throne as righteousness and justice. Isaiah quotes the Lord when he says, "Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken." (Isaiah 28:16 - NLT) What a promise!
 
When Jesus was speaking to the crowd of people about the wise and foolish builders, He told them to be like the wise man who built his house on a rock. "The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." (Matthew 7:25)
 
Only the Lord can provide the foundation that we need for stability throughout our lives. Circumstances of life battle against our faith, but we cannot allow difficulties to move us off our foundation. We become securely attached to our precious Cornerstone through our faith in Him.

​One thing I like about our church is that the children are encouraged to come to the front of the sanctuary during worship time. Some of them wave flags, some sing, and others dance about. There is one little girl who comes to Sunday service in her pretty dress with a puffed-out skirt. You can see the delight on her face as she twirls around. I so enjoy watching her! However, the best part is that with every step she takes her shoes light up. I had to look up how this can happen and read that in the sole of the shoe is a LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulb that is activated by a small button-style battery. An electric current is generated when pressure is applied by the foot stepping down and the bright illumination is created. Watching this young girl worship the Lord with abandon got me thinking about how we are to be Christ's light to the world.
 
Psalm 89:15 says, "Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in Your name all day long; they exult in Your righteousness. For You are their glory and strength, and by Your favor You exalt our horn." We can acclaim the Lord by shining His light to others. Christians have a responsibility to do this through our kindness, peace, and joy. How we walk demonstrates the goodness of God.
 
God ordained that the people of Israel would be a light to all the other nations. Isaiah 60 talks about the glory of Zion. "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you, and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you, and His glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." (Isaiah 60:1-3) We, as Believers in Christ and by virtue of our connection to the forefathers of our faith, carry the light of God. Wherever we step we should emanate a brightness and light that attracts others to us. When Jesus came to earth, He told the people of Israel, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)
 
God's plan for sending Jesus to earth is expressed in John 12:46. "I have come into the world as a light so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness." When Jesus was delivering His Sermon on the Mount, He gave those who listened to Him keys to living a blessed life. He defined us as being salt and light and said this about carrying His light: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)
 
Psalm 119:105 explains how to walk in the light of the Lord. It says, "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Our dedication to the Word of God is what will help us stay on the right path. In verse 59 of the same Psalm the writer tells us, "I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to Your statutes." As we keep in step with the Spirit of the Living God, we will be shining His light for others to see and delighting the Lord with our walk.

 If you have recently gone past a vineyard, you may have seen the rows of grapes covered by netting. This netting is a critical tool in protecting the fruit of the vine. Certain threats can reduce the yield of the crop and negatively affect the quality of the grapes. Vineyard netting safeguards the grapes from birds, insects, and harsh weather conditions. Vine growers want their crop to reach optimal ripeness without damage.
 
Netting is usually applied to the vines before the stage of fruit development called veraison. This is a time when the color of the grapes changes and the fruit softens. It means that the sugar levels in the fruit are rising, and the acidity levels are falling. In addition, the size of the fruit is increasing, and the aroma is developing. All these signs mean that the harvest is about thirty to sixty days away.
 
We can trace the history of God's desire for us to bear fruit back to creation. Genesis 1:27 talks about the creation of mankind. In verse 28 it says, "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.'" From the loins of Abraham came God's chosen people, Israel. When He brought them into the Promised Land, the Israelites had an up and down relationship with the Lord, but He remained faithful to His covenant with them. The prophets frequently refer to Israel as a vineyard. The restoration of Israel is written about in Isaiah 27. "In that day sing to her, 'A vineyard of red wine! I the Lord, keep it, I water it every moment; lest any hurt it, I keep it night and day.'--Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob; Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit." (Verses 2, 3, & 6)
 
The secret to bearing fruit is in one’s relationship with the Lord. "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in the year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17:7 & 8) In Zechariah 8, the prophet declares God's desire to be faithful to His people. He tells them, "I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be My people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God... The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people...I will save you, and you will be a blessing..." (Verses 7, 8, 12 & 13)
 
In the New Testament we can read the words of Jesus about bearing fruit. "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful...I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15: 1, 2 & 5) Like the children of Israel, we are not perfect. However, Jesus made provision for every sin. It is His love that protects or covers us. The prophet Isaiah gives us the Lord's response: "I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand—I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundation of the earth..." (Isaiah 51:16)
 
Just as the Lord loves us, He calls us to love others. Let us remember the words of Jesus in John 15:16 and 17. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so whatever you ask in my name, the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other." We are meant to bear the fruit of the Spirit talked about in Galatians 5:22 and 23, ("Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.") and we can count on God to cover and protect it.