Mary, Full of Grace
My new Advent book, Not a Silent Night, looks at Jesus through the eyes of Mary. Chapter one begins at the end of Mary’s life and each successive chapter goes back in…
Christmas Through Mary's Eyes
Can you believe that Advent begins in four weeks? What will your church or small group study for the Advent season this year that will help you experience the meaning of…
Friends in Low Places
On Fridays during this season of Lent, I'm posting readings from The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus and its companion devotional. Today's post is an excerpt from The…
Nazareth Rejects Jesus
On Fridays during this season of Lent, I'm posting readings from The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus and its companion devotional. Today's post is an excerpt from The…
No Room in the Guest Room
While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because…
A Most Unnerving Song
For he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;for the Mighty One has done great things for me,and holy is…
Ein Karem
When the angel Gabriel told Mary she was pregnant, she also learned that her older cousin Elizabeth was expecting a child. Now, Mary knew that Elizabeth had longed to have a child …
Joseph Did What the Lord Commanded
When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named …
Little Town of Bethlehem
We turn from the story of the Annunciation (the announcement that Mary would have a child) to the story of how Joseph came to know that Mary was pregnant. First, we turn to his…
Travel Notes: Sepphoris and Nazareth
Sepphoris is an old Roman city just three miles from the smaller town of Nazareth. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Sepphoris was a bustling city with a population of thousands. …