Grief is two parts sorrow with 1 part humor tossed in .....

Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."Psalm 128:2

Yesterday, I was reminded the importance humor plays in our grief.  Often, it seems, that anyone who suffers thinks that wearing sackcloth while sitting in coal dust and picking scabs off of our skin is what we're supposed to do in grief.  I learned, once again, the role humor plays in our gentle sufferings in this life.

It began with correspondence with a good friend of mine on facebook. I've known this man of character since he used to teach our Sunday school class at church. I was inspired by his knowledge in the word of God then, and I am inspired by what he is teaching me about suffering. 

Without naming names, I can say that life changed drastically with his chronic diagnosis.  Through his medical journey, I saw a man who continued to trust God.  Despite all of the medical appointments, all of the pain, he never lost his ability to laugh and share humor in words. 

Last night, my wife, son and I discovered why it was we love playing the game of Dutch Blitz.  No, dutch blitz isn't some discarded defensive play our Minnesota Vikings use to play. It's a fast moving card game that will leave you in bouts of laughter at game's conclusion. I discovered how good my son is at this game when he said that it is his floor's favorite.

Laughter is, I believe, is God's ointment to healing our heart after loss..

We have to give ourselves permission to find ways of tickling our funny bone (not a scientific word and you won't find it in WebMD). Laughter gets lost in the shuffle when overwhelming emotions enter our lives. For me, I rely on good friends who have the ability to tickle my funny bone ( not a scientific word). As we begin to recover from grief by seeing God's bigger picture with this suffering the corners of our mouth begin to turn upward while infectious laughter begins to percolate from below the surface until somebody comes along with an irresistible joke that leaves us in stitches (leaves us in stitches). 

This little tirade was one of those I posted on my friend's facebook page.

Dr. who will see you now. 

What?

 no Dr. Who . Who will see you now. 

What did you say? 

No no no Dr. Who, not what Dr. who.will see you now. What is the doctor who will do your ex-rays. Who? 

What, Dr. What

. So I see what? 

No no no, you're seeing Dr. Who.then what.

Where do I go? no its Dr. Who. Where is the physical therapist you see tomorrow.

 Oh. What's his name? 

Dr. Who. 

I thought I see Dr. What tomorrow? No Where...you see Dr. Where tomorrow and Who today.

Now your making me Crazy

No. Crazy is the guy who leads your support group. Dr. Crazy

When is that group.

After you see Dr. Where tomorrow.

So, Dr. Who will see me now.

Now you got it.

Hope you're funny bone is tickled.( not a scientific word) Have a happy New Year!

The true story of a profound loss of a yellow Lab

22 That is how it is with you: now you are sad, but I will see you again, and your hearts will be filled with gladness, the kind of gladness that no one can take away from you.

After my lovely bride and I went shopping at Hobby Lobby and enjoyed a meal out together, we came home to discover a yellow labrador retriever on our deck. Sargon, our lab, was excited by his newfound friend.  While keeping the two dogs separated my wife checked the dog collar and discovered the dog lived several blocks away. 

Fortunately, there were two phone numbers listed on his collar. She goes by Mickie. I called the number on the collar and reached Micky's owner, who sounded as if she was out of breath, most likely from the frantic search for their dog.Fifteen minutes later the owner showed up with a relief that their dog had been found.

Then their story began. The owners had 2 yellow labs, but when their grandson forgot to latch the gate they got loose. They ran down the path leading to highway 10. While Micky escaped being hit, the other one did not. They took the other lab to the vet where they found the dog could not be saved. We're not sure how long they had been looking for Micky, but when I called and reached the owner it was apparent she was out of breath when she spoke.The owner was thankful that Micky was safe and secure in our home and, I think, thankful they had their phone numbers on the tag.

I was reminded of the powerful impact that losing a pet can have on a family. While it may seem that such as loss pales in comparison to a human, the loss of a pet can be a devastating experience for someone who has bonded with them and suddenly finds they are not there any longer.

Just like it is important we allow time to grieve and mourn for our human friends who pass away, it is equally important to allow yourself time to grieve the loss of your pet.

As we have learned from the recent deaths of Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher, broken heart syndrome is a very real, sometimes fatal condition.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners." - Isaiah 61:1

All of the galaxies far, far away were mourning the sudden passing of Princess Leia when Carrie Fisher died from a heart attack. Her mom, Debbie Reynolds, was so profoundly affected by her daughter's death that prior to her own health crisis she told her son how much she wanted to be with Carrie. Some are speculating that Debbie Reynolds died from a 'broken heart'.

So the question we must ask ourselves is can a person die from a broken heart? A brief scan of the professional literature concludes 'yes'. According to one group of scientist from John Hopkin's University, they discovered, " that sudden emotional stress can also result in severe but reversible heart muscle weakness that mimics a classic heart attack. Patients with this condition, called stress cardiomyopathy but known colloquially as “broken heart” syndrome, are often misdiagnosed with a massive heart attack when, indeed, they have suffered from a days-long surge in adrenalin (epinephrine) and other stress hormones that temporarily “stun” the heart.

The researchers went on to explain that In the Hopkins study, to be published in The New England Journal of Medicine online Feb. 10, the research team found that some people may respond to sudden, overwhelming emotional stress by releasing large amounts of catecholamines (notably adrenalin and noradrenalin, also called epinephrine and norepinephrine) into the bloodstream, along with their breakdown products and small proteins produced by an excited nervous system. These chemicals can be temporarily toxic to the heart, effectively stunning the muscle and producing symptoms similar to a typical heart attack, including chest pain, fluid in the lungs, shortness of breath and heart failure. These researchers point to a similar study in Japan that reach the same conclusion.

In another report, Dr. Harmony Reynolds ( no relation to Debbie Reynolds) she describes" the term broken-heart syndrome because it's often a severe emotional stress like the death of a loved one or some very upsetting news," Reynolds said. "Almost having an accident, we've seen a couple of patients like that."

However, it can also be triggered by physical stress. "We had someone who went white water rafting and she had gotten it. It was just much more physical activity than she was accustomed to," Reynolds said.
Sometimes it's a combination of emotional and physical stress, and sometimes there's no trigger at all.
The symptoms can last weeks to months and can sometimes prove fatal. The patients who survive still have a higher risk of death, averaging 5 percent per year.

In another article on Web MD, there was the story of Lisa. Lisa Wysocky was having a bad week even before she landed in the emergency room one afternoon in July 2009.

The previous day she had learned that her adult son, Colby, had died of an overdose after struggling with mental illness. She then spent the night on her bedroom floor with pain that she suspected was from a heart attack. But she was too numb with grief to seek help immediately.

Once the Nashville, Tenn., resident went to the hospital, doctors began running tests. They told Lisa that instead of a heart attack, she actually had a different type of heart problem called stress cardiomyopathy. This problem -- which is also dubbed "broken heart syndrome" -- may be the real issue in some cases that initially appear to be a heart attack.

Understanding broken heart syndrome requires understanding how the body reacts to stress. Broken heart syndrome is also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. The weakening of the heart muscle may be triggered by emotional stress, such as the death of a loved one, a break-up, or constant anxiety. This leads to one of the common names, Broken Heart Syndrome.[4] Stress cardiomyopathy is now a well-recognized cause of acute heart failure, lethal ventricular arrhythmias, and ventricular rupture.

To stay healthy, it’s important to find ways to reduce stress and cope with particularly upsetting situations. Learning how to manage stress, relax, and cope with problems can improve your emotional and physical health.

Having supportive people in your life with whom you can share your feelings or concerns can help relieve stress. Physical activity, medicine, and relaxation therapy also can help relieve stress. You may want to consider taking part in a stress management program.

If there is ever a reason to process your grief after the death of a loved one, it is the knowledge of this syndrome. To avoid your emotions and physical stress symptoms from stress following the loss of a loved one can lead to your own death if it isn't properly treated.

My conscious decision in the days following our daughter's death to continue going to church and maintaining our friendships, as well as to see a professional trained in traumatic grief, I think, kept our hearts healthy enough to avoid many of the symptoms associated with broken heart syndrome.

I encouraged everyone to tell their doctors about any losses of loved ones, and if you are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack ask your doctor to run some tests so you can be appropriately treated. Finally, I encourage those experiencing the loss of a loved one to seek out a professional therapist who may be able to help you process the emotions from your loss and come up with a plan that will help you better manage your stress following loss.

Finally, I've learned that when I'm under emotional and physical stress to draw on the power of the holy spirit and pray for God's guidance on my journey. He wants to walk with you and talk with you even when you are experiencing deep profound stress.

Who are these illegal immigrants that are talked about on social media? come and learn.

What is a Dreamer? What does DACA stand for? Who are these illegal immigrants that everyone is talking about? Are they really stealing jobs? What happens when they are deported? How DOES someone become a legal resident? Come to the next TC meeting, bring a friend, and find out!

Transformative Circle Meeting - open to the public

Thursday January 5th, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Emma B Howe YMCA,

8950 Springbrook Drive,

Coon Rapids MN 55433

Please feel free to share this event with anyone who is interested.

Perhaps the greatest inhibitor toward our own personal revival is having a heart that refuses to forgive?

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?”
22 “No, not seven times,” answered Jesus, “but seventy times seven,Matthew 18:21-22

In my earlier post, I published an article written by Josh Tevlin, Star Tribune columnist who wrote about the young Muslim woman who chose to forgive her assailant who attacked her with a swinging beer bottle because she didn't agree with her religious custom of wearing the Hijab and choosing to speak in Swahili with her friends she was with that evening. As I read that article, it occurred to me that the greatest inhibitor toward any personal revival is our own lack of forgiveness toward those who have hurt us.

It's as though our hearts have turned to stone leading us to behave toward those around us with a lack of understanding and unwillingness to walk in each other's shoes. 

 In the heart of each person is an accumulative list of people who have hurt us.  It is human nature for all of us to keep score, like the play by play announcer broadcasting the game of the year.  As our list grows, so does the complexities of communication.  We become very careful who we invite to social functions to avoid the awkward moment when someone tells us, "didn't you know that John isn't talking to Jim?". 

Our list of wrongs can even go back to several generations. People we never knew we never got along with  are carried forward into our present day list such as, "we don't associate with those kind." or " they're not of our faith so we don't include them."

I would like to surmise that the greatest inhibitor toward any personal revival of our soul is our own lack of forgiveness toward those with differing views from us. What instead of pillaging the airwaves with our attacks on others who differ from us we choose to walk in their shoes? 

What if instead of attacking those we think are taking advantage of social security, we choose to understand them with careful questions and willing to research the chronic condition they are constantly dealing with on a daily, weekly and monthly basis?  

What if we strove to understand our friends of the Muslim faith instead of responding like the attacker did at the City of Coon Rapids Applebees because she hated what this woman stood for or the beliefs she held?

I would surmise if we all learn to forgive those who have wronged us or hurt us by giving our list's to God that like the beautiful fragrance of precious perfume our lives would change for the better. Instead of a heart of stone and an exterior shell of concrete, our lives are filled with love for those around us and this would be very pleasing to God.

Remember, Jesus reminded Peter when he asked "how many times must I have to forgive him, seven times?"  Jesus's response to Peter is a response that all of us in modern day ask thinking if someone hurts you enough can you stop forgiving them?

His response? “No, not seven times,” answered Jesus, “but seventy times seven,"

There is incredible power in forgiveness

I wished I could have been in the courtroom as this young woman of the Muslim faith forgave the person who attacked her. Unlike others I may know I'm proud to live in a diverse metropolitan community.

Tevlin: Victim of Coon Rapids hate crime finds grace in courtroom

It was Jama's measured and compassionate response to her attacker in court that has provoked an emotional response.

DECEMBER 25, 2016 — 8:36AM

Asma Jama

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JON TEVLIN

Sometimes you find grace in a moment and a place where you least expect it.

That moment was Tuesday morning in an Anoka County courtroom, where hate and violence were turned into love and forgiveness.

It all began, as many transformational stories do, at a quintessentially American venue, an Applebee’s. The ubiquitous chain restaurant, often mocked for its internationally and geographically nonspecific food and atmosphere, is often wedged between an AutoZone, a Sizzler’s and perhaps another Applebee’s in an outer-ring suburb. It’s where you go to feel comfortable ordering wonton tacos or cheeseburger egg rolls with work pals over vaguely Caribbean cocktails.

At some point, Applebee’s tagline was changed from “Eatin’ good in the neighborhood” to “The flavors that bring people together.” The ad people even coined the term “togetherizing,” a nod to the great melting pot of a country in which we live.

In other words, it was supposed to be the opposite of the kind of place where an angry woman might smash a beer mug with a roundhouse punch into the face of another woman because she was speaking a foreign language and wearing a hijab.

Americans have never done very well with the concept of irony, or of cultural acceptance, for that matter.

The blow dealt by Jodie Burchard-Risch with the beer mug cut deeply into the face of Asma Jama, as well as into the fabric of this community. Burchard-Risch pleaded guilty to felony assault, admitted that bias played a part in her actions, and was sentenced to 180 days in jail.

It was Jama’s measured and compassionate response to her attacker in court, however, that provoked an emotional response. But to forgive does not mean you absolve all responsibility, and by Thursday Jama showed perhaps that she has assimilated to her adopted country by, predictably, announcing she would sue Burchard-Risch.

For Paul Young, one of the prosecutors, the case took on personal meaning early on. “No doubt, when you get a case like this, it angers you and frustrates you because of the motivations [of the offender],” he said. “That’s very clear in our minds, that we were dealing with something that is very ugly.”

The other prosecutor, Laura Schwartz, met with Jama a week after the incident. “She was pretty terrified and very upset,” said Schwartz. “She didn’t even want to drive up to see us.”

Jama suffered from a concussion for weeks, and even though she’d met with attorneys several times, she occasionally forgot their names. Yet she was determined to push the case and publicly address the violent act.

“She has always astounded me,” said Schwartz. “She was never going to be a doormat. She realized the only way to deal with the anxiety was to confront it.”

“We see so many people going through so many things,” Young said. “[Asma] was always very … direct. She said, ‘When I’m out in the community, because of how I look and how I dress, I fear about how people think of me.’ ”

Jama was angry, but only angry that her attacker made assumptions about her. Burchard-Risch somehow assumed that because Jama chose to speak Swahili that day, she only speaks one language. In fact, Jama speaks three languages, fluently. And, she was angry that her attacker assumed that her dress and language somehow detracted from her patriotism.

“Just because I look different doesn’t mean I don’t love this country,” Jama told her lawyers.

Asked if Jama expressed hostility toward her attacker, Schwartz said: “Never.”

“She almost felt sorry for her,” said Young.

At sentencing, Burchard-Risch did not apologize to Jama. Instead, she sat emotionless as Jama spoke. The prosecutors say that a relative of Burchard-Risch who was also in the courtroom Tuesday reached out to Jama, and they intend to keep in touch. “Asma was very appreciative,” said Schwartz.

In court, Jama asked the judge if she could address the attacker: “Would that be OK?”

Turning to Burchard-Risch, Jama said: “I wanted to tell you in front of everybody today that I do forgive you. My religion teaches me to forgive so I can move on with my life. I do think of you, and I do hope you choose love over hate, I really do, because it makes your life easier. Having hate just eats up you.”

“I just want you to know, at the end of this, we are all the same,” Jama said. “It doesn’t matter what’s on my head. It doesn’t matter the color of my skin. I am an American citizen and I would fight for this country as much as you would.”

I would argue that, standing in that courtroom and clearly speaking for justice, Asma Jama had just fought for American values more than her attacker likely ever will.

“I’m 27 years into prosecution work, and every now and then you come across a victim that handles it better than you ever would,” Young said. “Asma showed courage and class and compassion, setting the standard for every victim. That’s to be admired.”

jtevlin@startribune.com Follow Jon on Twitter: @jontevlin

Jon Tevlin is a metro section columnist. 

jtevlin@startribune.com 612-673-1702

Shadowlands - God's Megaphone

1. “We were promised sufferings. They were part of the program. We were even told, 'Blessed are they that mourn,' and I accept it. I've got nothing that I hadn't bargained for. Of course it is different when the thing happens to oneself, not to others, and in reality, not imagination.” 
   ― C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

It was a rather gloomy day in this small town. Hardly anyone is outside these days. You walk down the street and you see window curtains drawn with slivers of light shimmering through breaking the darkness outside.

 Fear seems to have drawn people indoors since 3 young people were killed in a head-on collision coming home from a basketball game in a neighboring town. This was once a gregarious town with people so friendly that one didn't have to venture far without someone saying hello and referring you by name.

 It was in a sense a town that one would envision just listening to Garrison Keillor Prairie home companion. Since the losses of these young people, such profound grief had settled upon this town as though a permanent black cloud had settled in overhead.  I decided to enter the Up Town family restaurant for a warm cup of coffee and no sooner I entered was a remembrance photo of the 3 teenagers with a vase of red roses nearby.People in this quiet restaurant would offer their memories of the deceased young people as though they needed help getting the awful memory of what just happened as they were coming from a simple basketball game in a neighboring town; something no parent could rationally comprehend would happen to someone younger than them.  

 The Pastor at Our Saviour's Lutheran church did offer some condolences in his weekly message, but also encouraged people to keep talking, keep writing, and keep reading the gospels of Jesus for guidance on this journey no one expected to be on.

 Life, I've learned is filled with uncertainty.  One day we're celebrating and drinking champaign and the next day we're sitting in the middle of the church sanctuary staring at a friends casket, as though we're sucking on a sweet and sour Lozenge, enjoying the one flavor while detesting the other. 

As I paid for my coffee and take one more look at the photos I thanked the cashier and quietly thank my Lord for giving me Jesus who walks with me as I walk this uncertain life filled with joy and sorrow, sometimes with enough tears to fill a small river basin.   I know from my own experiences with traumatic grief several years ago that God will come through for the parents and friends of these 3 teens killed returning from an ordinary basketball game.

To those who have recently loss loved ones hang on and cherish the memories of them and then see them not in their empty shell, but as a redeemed soul in their new heavenly body celebrating with our Lord and Savior Jesus

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7

One day before Christmas, my wife and I helped a friend celebrate the life of her mom and grandmother who went home to be with the Lord.  She, by my estimation, was in her early 90's.  As I look back over my life, it seems that when I was in my 20's I attended more wedding ceremonies than funeral services.

 Life, in a sense, was a never ending joyous occasion after joyous occasion. Life was good. We were happy because the friends who got married were happy.

As time went on, we would lose an occasional friend who we might learn died suddenly and in our mind unjustifiable. Depending on how we process the pain of our earlier losses will determine how we process the pain of those future losses.  If we choose to keep looking for those never ending life celebrations we will likely choose not to attend those sadder occasions when death occurs. Such is the method that many of us in America choose, To bury our pain instead of facing it and processing each emotion one at a time, I learned, only creates more problems down the road to our bodies, to our general happiness, and how we see life.

Which is why I choose to refer to funerals, not as sad occasions, but a celebration of sorts, a celebration of life. The reason?  When you consider over 2000 years ago when God decided to come to earth in the form of a little baby to grow up and experience life as a human being before teaching us the things that were important to God is an amazing story of redemption.  

To Think that God loved you so much that he learned to walk in your shoes and die for each of our sins on the cross of calvary and then to rise again from the dead and take his rightful place in heaven makes our lives worthwhile and meaningful. I know this life can be filled with pain and sometimes, misery beyond imaginable, but God assures us that he will make all things new. 

Whenever I attend a service for a friend who has died, I see a redeemed soul who is right now in the very presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I see the endless celebrations,, like the kind we experience at weddings with the dancing and the bountiful mounds of food and the joshing of the bride and groom with the clanging of our champaign glasses. I see the earthly shell full of their new heavenly body without the earthly limitations.  

To all of the families who have recently lost loved ones, hang onto the picture of your loved one celebrating in their new body filled with joy and happiness and enjoying the feasts of heaven. They are in heaven because God learned to walk in our shoes and decided for all time sake to pay our penalty for sin once and for all.

Happy Birthday Jesus and Merry Christmas to all!

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us remember that God is bringing millions to Jesus, including many of our Muslim friends.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Over the past year, I've grieved for the American people for the hate filled comments made by people on both sides of the spectrum against each other. 

I grieved for the young Muslim woman who was physically attacked with a beer bottle in my hometown Applebees because someone else didn't care for her beliefs or that she wasn't speaking English with her friends.

 I grieved for people's lack of understanding of our Muslim friends wishing they would go home without realizing that most of them were legally here in America. 

As you will see in this video, our Muslim friends are no different than our Catholic, Jewish, Lutheran friends. If you were one of that religious affiliation it was because you were born in a Catholic, Jewish, Lutheran family and it was commonly believed that you were naturally of that faith. 

This young woman's story is only one of thousands of testimonies other Muslim people who came to a saving faith in Jesus Christ because Jesus appeared in their dreams. 

 I guess it doesn't surprise me when you consider that one of the hallmarks of the Muslim faith is prayer and fasting.  Christians who pray and fast on a regular basis will also tell you that they personally have heard from Jesus in their dreams. In essence, sacrificial giving opens up the floodgates of heaven for God to do amazing things like revitalizing lives that have become hopeless and lost.  

Everyone in this life is redeemable because God loves you so much that not only did he come back to experience your life as a human, but he decided to die for all of your sins.

 Remember, sin is simply anything you might have said, thought or done that was considered wrong. From the time we are born it doesn't take much to create a stack of sins so high that clearly, you can't see the top, but God essentially paid the penalty of those sins with this death and resurrection from the dead. God died for you, yes YOU.

If during this Christmas celebration of Christ birth, you are not sure if you are a Christian or not I urge you to watch this video all the way to the end because within that video will be an opportunity to pray an invitational prayer to open the door of your heart and ask Jesus in.  

 Like this new Christian in this video, God wants to be your source of hope.I assure you that once you accept Christ,, God will help you embark on one of the greatest and exciting journeys of your life.

What if you and I could be eyewitnesses to the day of Christ birth?

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (1st coming, a prophecy of Messiah Yeshua's virgin birth, refer to: Isaiah 8-10

One of my all time favorite movies is 'It's a wonderful life’, about a man who is given a second chance of seeing how his life impacted everyone around him and thinking twice about throwing it away when problems and pain surfaced.

My favorite song is 'Dear younger me', which is about what we might tell our younger selves the things so they could avoid the pain their older selves endured.   

There are no do-overs in life because life is a first run production.   Fortunately, we have a Savior that can make all things new again when we mess up, screw up, or suffer consequences we wished we hadn't.

Imagine, if you will, if you could travel back in time to the very moment that Jesus was born.  If when we turn in for the night we wake up moments later with the taste of animal stench in our nostrils and some prickly hay beneath our feet.  You stumble to find your glasses so you could see what was going on.

“What’s this,” you ask. “Why am I smelling the stench of animals?”  You walk toward the bedroom door, grasp the handle turning it until the door opened. As the door opens, nothing seems familiar. You don’t see the familiar hallway leading to the bathroom on your right and the kitchen to the left. You don’t see the familiar family black Labrador retriever with its tail wagging and it’s never ending quench for hugs and kisses. You feel the unevenness of the surface beneath your feet, almost as if you were in a barn.

As you walk into this room, you feel the cool breeze, and the subtle light from the moon and a glorious ray of light shining in the direction of a feeding trough. As you walk toward the man and woman who were not dressed as you might dress today, but in clothes that were akin to another era.

You mutter to yourself, but you soon discover that no one hears you.  You stand momentarily as you watch some shepherds, with sheep in tow, standing and then kneeling beside the feeding trough which to your surprise held a little baby wrapped in a blanket making those little baby sounds you have become accustomed to in life.

As you focus on this little baby, you watch with wonder as 3 men came up and like the shepherds knelt and bow down one by one before this little baby, as though this baby held some important and historical purpose.

It was that point, you began to see the connection between this baby ‘Jesus’ and what it meant for you personally.  Your mind dwells on the very moment of your own acceptance of Jesus in your life.  

You remember the moment when life had lost it's meaning and purpose when your tears began  flowing so freely that you cried out to Jesus, the savior of the world, and opened the door to your heart and invited him to come in and take control.

You kneel before the feeding trough holding this wonderful baby Jesus and in a prayer you give thanks. “Thank you for saving me Jesus and coming into my heart when I messed up. Thank you for forgiving me for all the times I neglected you because of my busyness.  I know you wanted to spend time with me to show me how much my life meant to you.  I know how much you wanted to give me an encouraging word from the greatest book ever written.”

As you slowly get up, wiping the tears from your cheek, you watched a ray of light shining on this baby Jesus, as though God was reminding you of the importance of this new born baby.   You remembered how much God loved you and wanted to have a personal relationship with you.

It seemed almost surreal to think that God loved you so much that He chose to enter the world through a simple working class couple as a baby lying in a feeding trough.  While the world worships wealth, status, and prestigious titles, God taught us about humility and value of human life and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Because of what Christ did for all of us, our lives do not have to be defined by our losses after loved ones die, nor by the state of our finances, nor by tragedies that seem to mar our existence. 

Because of what God did when he brought this baby Jesus into the world, his message to all of us is that he wants to walk with you on your life’s journey, no matter what life dishes up. 

Life is truly a journey and our life isn’t defined by our circumstances, good or bad, but by God revealing to us through his son Jesus the things we need to know to get through each day.

Then it occurred to you that in the very words of the bible are the actual eyewitness accounts given to you by the prophets that God chose to use to bring his message.  You glance across the living room to your leather-bound bible resting on the bookcase. 

You grabbed the book and recline in your chair and begin reading another eyewitness account from the book of Matthew