Weather is quiet today – before the storm and the clouds, they are a rollin’ in.  We had some sunshine today, but we are told that we may not see the sun again for a few days.

Carla will nest under her like sun light lamp, for the next few days in hopes that this dreary weather doesn’t bring her down, emotionally.  One of the great things about living on the west side of the Cascades is that we have plenty of sunshine – usually – which helps keep the spirit lifted up.

She will be doing some more decorating – not sure how much more – in the next few days.  Not heavy stuff, but just enough to remind us that Christ’s birthday is a big deal.

“He was created of a mother whom He created. He was carried by hands that He formed. He cried in the manger in wordless infancy. He, the Word, without whom all human eloquence is mute.” ~Augustine

Have you ever had that ah-ha moment when a truth hits you that was there all along; and you had never realized or thought about it?

That happened to me this morning, then, my verse of the day came up:

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Jesus is God, He is Immanuel, He is the Creator, He is one in the Godhead.  Yet, He came to earth as a man, through a woman who He, Himself, had created.

John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

² The same was in the beginning with God.

³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

⁴ In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Including His ‘mother’ Mary.  It is hard to get my head around this, it is almost like circular reasoning – God exists, Jesus exists, Mary exists because Jesus exists, Jesus, the man, exists because Mary exists......

Now that is how God chose to ‘create’ Jesus the man.  He could have done anything He wanted, He didn’t need Mary to place Jesus on earth – but He chose her to give birth to His Son – as a man.

Jesus always was, He was created, He always was – He always will be.  He created as God in concert with God the Father and God the Holy Ghost, all things – including His earthly ‘mother.’

Now, I ‘knew’ all this, I had just never thought of it in this way.

God is in control of all things.  He chooses to allow certain things to happen – ask Job the next time you see him.  What happens on earth is not what He wanted to happen, but because of man’ free will and the decision Adam made so many years ago, satan was allowed to walk upon the earth and to spread his lies and the resulting havoc.

It doesn’t HAVE to be this way; and there will be a time where God will say enough is enough and send Christ back to bring His people out of the world and then rule over earth.

But it is because of man’s free will, which was given us by God.  Not to sin, but to freely and without coercion given Him praise and worship Him.

God doesn’t do things the way we might do them.  Who among us would have chosen to make a King come into the world as a baby, born of a virgin in the simplest of structures?

Who among us would have chosen a King to wander about the country side healing and preaching; no place of His own to rest and then never creating any form of earthly government – at least political – as most Jews were looking for?

Who among us would have chosen to have our King taken into custody, falsely accused, give him a sham trial, torture Him and then hang Him on a cross to die?

Who among us would have chosen the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus to be the salvation of mankind?

Certainly not the Jewish leaders, EVEN though they had but to read their own Bible and listen to the teachings based on His Word, that provided them with the clear method God chose to use to save His people.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

“He was created of a mother whom He created. He was carried by hands that He formed. He cried in the manger in wordless infancy. He, the Word, without whom all human eloquence is mute.” ~Augustine

As are we. 

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the miracle of Jesus and God’s chosen manner of saving His children is still with us, His light is still bright and in Him we have life.

All we need do is take our hands, heart and minds, created by Him, and embrace Him.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again