WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES . . .

Posted on December 30, 2020 by atimetoshare.me

Well it’s almost over – 2020 that is. We’re almost elated at the thought of saying goodbye to this year. It was like none other than most of us have experienced in our lifetime – filled with anxiety, fear, depression, insecurity, hopelessness and even death.

The pangs of ending something and beginning something new are often bittersweet, but there wasn’t really a lot one could call sweet about 2020 – or was there? Certainly it was a year of conflict within our own borders. It was a year of change in many ways. It meant giving up a lot of our freedoms and luxuries. It also was a year filled with chaos and disappointment. We could look at 2020 as a year of disaster – one we will have no problem saying goodbye to.

Yesterday, as I listened to our president elect talk about COVID19 and his mission for moving forward, I felt almost a complete lack of hope. Like the governor of my state, it’s going to require even more sacrifice in 2021. We all know that we’re living in the midst of a pandemic. We have adjusted in spite of that. We need a little encouragement right now, not a speech filled with gloom and doom. But I digress.

No matter who is running our country, we are still citizens of the greatest experiment in history – democracy. We learn from our past mistakes. We push forward in the face of disaster and adversity. We are a nation of free thinkers and entrepreneurial spirits. We are used to our freedoms and often resist when we’re told what to do. We are also a nation founded on the principles of the God of our fathers.

We can look back at 2020 as the darkest days ever or we can push ahead with hope and excitement for a new year filled with opportunities, hope and lessons learned. I choose the latter. It doesn’t matter who our leaders are really. It’s who we, the people are. If we continue as a nation under God, it’s all good.

Posted in America | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES . . .

ONLY GOD CAN

Posted on December 29, 2020 by atimetoshare.me
ORIGINAL ART & INSPIRATION FROM PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

Who are we to think we can do what God does,

He created everything,

Forming,

Shaping,

Molding,

Crafting,

Designing,

Each intricate pattern in that creation,

Because of His love for us,

Who do we think we are,

Are we able to instill wisdom in the mind,

Control the climate,

The weather,

The wind,

The storms,

Can we create new life,

Can we discern the aging process,

Can we find a cure for death,

Only God can do that,

And He gives us life everlasting,

Through His own Son,

Because of His love for us.

(God speaking to Job)  Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars and spreads his wings toward the south?  Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high?

Job 39:26-27

Posted in Art & Poetry by Paul & Kathy Boecher | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Posted on December 29, 2020 by atimetoshare.me

  
One of those Christmas songs that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense unless you do a little research – The Twelve Days of Christmas refers to the time between Christmas Day and Epiphany.  

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to receive these gifts and the mess you’d have to clean up after receiving them, not to mention the cacophony that would fill the rafters.

There’s a lot of speculation as to what this carol means, but one thought is that it was a way for children to remember the tenets of the church.

To me the focus should be on the partridge in the pear tree, since it’s mentioned with each additional gift. The “true love” in the song is reference to our One and Only God, who loved us so much more than we deserve.

A Partridge in a Pear Tree – Jesus Christ

Two Turtle Doves – The Old and New Testaments

Three French Hens – The three virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity

Four Calling/Collie Birds – Four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

Five Golden Rings – First five books of the Old Testament

Six Geese-a-Laying – Six days of creation before God’s rest on the seventh day

Seven Swans-a-Swimming – Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

Eight Maids-a-Milking – Eight Beatitudes

Nine Ladies Dancing – Nine fruits of the Holy Spirit

Ten Lords-a-Leaping – Ten Commandments

Eleven Pipers Piping – Eleven faithful disciples

Twelve Drummers Drumming -Twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed.

Gives the song a whole new meaning, doesn’t it?

Posted in Christmas | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

HE SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME

Posted on December 28, 2020 by atimetoshare.me

One of the things I miss most about not attending church “in person” is singing with my fellow believers in Jesus. This time of year especially is usually filled with songs filled with joy and celebration for the birth of Jesus. One of my favorite hymns is one that shows how God looks at us now, after His Son took on human form and paid the ransom for our souls. That grace truly is amazing. I know that we will sing in church again someday, but now I’m looking forward to singing with angels even more.

“Amazing Grace,” written by Englishman, John Newton, first appeared in print in 1779.  He was a rebellious youth who became a sailor  trafficking in slavery.  The hymn has been a mainstay for funerals for many years.   Legend has it that while crossing a turbulent sea, Newton converted to Christianity. During a storm he was replaced on deck by another sailor who perished in his place.

He continued in the slave trade for 40 years after his conversion, but fought for better conditions for them.  It took him a long time to realize that true freedom for him would only come if he fought for those who were enslaved.  He was later ordained as a minister and became an abolitionist.

We are all somewhat like John Newton.  We see injustice in this world.  We tolerate it for a time.  When we see how great God’s amazing grace is, we start to realize we can no longer accept prejudice, pride, hatred and fear.  Our lives should change when we experience God’s grace.

Grace literally means undeserved love.  We’re all equal in God’s sight.  When He looks at us, He sees sinful wretches, despite what our works may show – but when He looks at us through the payment Jesus made , we are cleansed of that sin..

Not everyone accepts this grace.  Many turn away from it.  There are those that spit on it and say they don’t need it.  It took a long time for Newton to see that real changes needed to be made.  For some it takes a lifetime.  Now is the time to accept God’s gift with thanksgiving and show our gratitude by living for the One who saved us.

When we’ve been here ten thousand years…
bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise…
then when we’ve first begun.

Posted in grace | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

WINTER SNOW

Posted on December 27, 2020 by atimetoshare.me
ORIGINAL ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

White was my favorite color when I was just a child,

It made me think of purity, of peace and love gone wild,

The colors of the rainbow are included in white’s glow,

Shades of blue, green, yellow and red infused within the snow,

A blanket of white on the ground at early morning’s rise,

The sun yet has not arisen,  so we still close our eyes,

And when we wake to open them, we’re in for a surprise,

Whiteness of snow is everywhere, what a perfect disguise,

It covers all the dung of life, it cleans up everything,

The snow is like the purity that God alone can bring,

He washes us in His own blood, He makes us white as snow,

So we can stand before His throne, and into heaven go,

The temperatures are falling fast,  winter is surely here,

We’ll remove snow from car windows, we’ll don our winter gear,

Another six months await us, to face another storm,

The thought of going out the door, gives way to staying warm,

We huddle beneath our blankets, put on a pair of socks,

Climb back into our winter beds,  aware that winter rocks,

Especially when you’re retired, and you don’t have to work,

The dreams of staying warm instead, is just another perk.

I need to start appreciating the color white. Fresh, white snow is falling again. It has washed away all the ugliness from the backyard – all those yellow patches. It has covered the remainder of leaves that fell after the last snowfall. It glistens like a field of diamonds.  Its a good reminder of how God has washed us clean from our sins and made us perfect in His sight.

Thank you, God for WHITE!

.

Posted in Art & Poetry by Paul & Kathy Boecher | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT

Posted on December 27, 2020 by atimetoshare.me

Shakespeare said it first. Steinbeck followed with a book with the title. I kind of like the quote above, because it describes me. When I’ve gone through a time of trial, the best thing for me is to forget about it. I know that we should learn from our testing in this life, but for me, the answer seems to be to simply erase the memory from my data bank.

Who would’ve thought our entire world would have been turned upside down because of a bacteria? Who would’ve thought isolation would be the answer? Who knows whether immunities will form and the vaccines now available will control the spread of the disease?

When the calendar jumped from 2019 to 2020, who would’ve thought old wounds would be front and center again? Who would even suggest defunding the people who are hired to protect us? In a time of peril, why would tempers fester and hatred rise to an all time high? In an election year, there would be mudslinging like no other time. There would be challenge after challenge to the legality of the voting. There would be more rage as our nation divided even further because of it.

With protests raging, kids going to school at home via the Internet, politics getting darker and meaner, all of our entertainment venues were shut down, people lost their jobs and businesses collapsed. What a year!

And now we are in the midst of the winter of our discontent. Will we recover? Will we move on? Will we set aside our differences and work together as a united nation? Will the wounds of the past, become the rage of our future? Will life ever be the same again?

My ability to erase the ugliness of past events may seem like a good thing, but unfortunately in doing so many of my good memories are lost as well. So I don’t recommend this as a solution. We must learn from the past, no matter how difficult it may be.

As we come to the end of a massively difficult year, we need God now more than ever. Let us turn back a couple thousand years ago, when Jesus came to earth as a human baby. Let’s recall the 33 years He spent on this earth. Let’s remember his horrific death to redeem all of us from hell. Let’s rejoice for His resurrection and His promise that we will also rise after death and live with Him eternally.

“Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of York;
And all the clouds that low’r’d upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.”

Spoken by Richard III in Shakespeare’s play Richard III

Posted in America | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

BABY YODA CHRISTMAS FUN

Posted on December 26, 2020 by atimetoshare.me

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

THE WORLD WITHOUT YOU

Posted on December 26, 2020 by atimetoshare.me

What would the world be without you?

God had your life planned out before you ever came into existence.

His plans are perfect and He wants His purpose to be accomplished.

If you never were ,

You never would have met your spouse,

You never would’ve had a family,

The goodness you had to offer the world would never have been experienced.

You would never have known the emotions of love,

Peace,

Joy,

The laughter of a child,

All the things that illuminate this world.

You never would know how much God loved you.

You wouldn’t know because you never would’ve been.

Life can be awful at times, but it can also be amazing,

Because you’re in it.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on THE WORLD WITHOUT YOU

STAR SO BRIGHT

Posted on December 24, 2020 by atimetoshare.me

When we decorate our Christmas tree or set up the porcelain Nativity set, there is bound to be a star involved. In actuality the star of Bethlehem wasn’t set in the sky until after Jesus’ birth, when the Magi from the East followed it in search of a new king. The real star of Bethlehem was a tiny infant, born to a virgin mother, conceived by God, Himself.

Last year on this day, I was being admitted to the hospital with an infection. Our family from S. Carolina was with us to celebrate Christmas, but that Christmas was going to be different than any I’ve ever experienced. Instead of going to church, enjoying the company of family, special Christmas treats and exchanging gifts, I would be spending Christmas Eve in a hospital bed. Even though the entire family visited me after attending church, it wasn’t the same. Yet what followed after they left, made me witness to a real miracle.

It was close to midnight. The door to my room was closed. A few distant sounds permeated the hallways as a crew of nurses and orderlies tended to their duties. The sky outside my gigantic window was filled with fog. As I thought about that first Christmas, when Christ was born, I couldn’t help but think about the brilliant sky, filled with an angelic choir praising God. In the distance, I saw a small light – a single star, visible maybe only to me – but nonetheless it began to shine brightly in the mist filled expanse. I was experiencing a Christmas miracle – a reminder that even in my aloneness, I was not alone. God gave me great comfort in that moment.

This past year has been one of many changes for all of us. We’ve learned to value our lives differently – to place others first – to work through difficulties – to share, love and help one another. We’ve grumbled when the pandemic took away a slice of our freedom. We groaned when we were restricted from dining out, traveling, living as we once did. We endured a presidential election and all the mud that goes along with it. We’ve experienced street protests erupting into violence and looting. Our schools were closed. Lives were turned upside down and businesses failed because of it.

So here we are, another Christmas Eve and we’re all eager for a miracle – an answer to our prayers – hope and peace – love, comfort and joy. Many of us will be glad when 2020 ends. We pray that things will return to the way they were. The miracle of that first Christmas changed the world. God came down from heaven, became a man and took on the sin of the world. He became our brother so that we could inherit His kingdom in heaven.

The world will probably not go back to what we once called “normal,” but one thing never changes. The true miracle of this season is that God loves us unconditionally and with Him we will never walk alone.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!

Posted in Chistmas | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

GO TELL IT . . .

Posted on December 24, 2020 by atimetoshare.me
ORIGINAL ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

Every crack and crevice can hear the angels sing,

The rocks cry out with joy to hear  the wondrous news they bring,

The Son of God is born a child, He’s come to save us all,

Let’s sing His praises everywhere, and listen to the call,

That tiny little baby, lays on a mound of hay,

He set aside His kingdom, the ransom for to pay,

So sing we now, Hosanna! And share this joyous gift,

To every corner of the world our voices now we lift.

Every crack and crevice can hear the angels sing,

The rocks cry out with joy to hear  the wondrous news they bring,

The Son of God is born a child, He’s come to save us all,

Let’s sing His praises everywhere, and listen to the call,

That tiny little baby, lays on a mound of hay,

He set aside His kingdom, the ransom for to pay,

So sing we now, Hosanna! And share this joyous gift,

To every corner of the world our voices now we lift.

Posted in Art & Poetry by Paul & Kathy Boecher | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

A LITTLE COTTAGE IN THE WOODS

Posted on December 22, 2020 by atimetoshare.me
ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©


This is a rerun of a post done in February of this year. It was just the beginning of the news of Covid 19. We had no idea what we were in for.

A little cottage in the woods,

An escape from the noise of the city,

A place to ponder on the creation of God,

And the boundless beauty of it,

Freedom from care and worry,

Peacefulness,

Quiet,

Aloneness,

A shelter from the storms of life,

Protection from the elements,

Safety,

The strength of God in the presence of all danger.

He is my refuge.

Posted in Art & Poetry by Paul & Kathy Boecher | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

BAH, HUMBUG

Posted on December 22, 2020 by atimetoshare.me

I can sympathize with this poor cat. Especially this year. We go through all the motions of dressing our houses with lights and decorations. We shop (this year online) until we drop. We plan limited gatherings with no more than ten people. In the midst of a pandemic, it’s easy for us to all shout, “Bah, humbug.”

Why is it that those who normally are pretty well-adjusted, fall into moments of depression during the holidays? A time that should be filled with joy and excitement has turned into one filled with fear of exposing oneself to a deadly virus. A year of isolation hasn’t really taught us much, has it?

The world’s view of Christmas has turned it into a festival of overindulgence – interacting with people we don’t necessarily like – spending more money than we have – trying to impress with our gifts – putting on our Christmas clothes and a happy face.  We’ve also self-inflicted emotions like sadness, impatience, anger, fear, worry and being overwhelmed.

You may have nostalgic memories of happy Christmases of your youth.  You can’t seem to make that happen for your young family.  You may have recently lost a love or suffered from a broken relationship.  Your every day is filled with time drainers, like baking cookies, buying presents, spiffing up the house, making travel arrangements and dreading seeing a relative that wronged you in some way.

You address cards, spend money on special family photo sessions and postage.  You try to schedule time for every event, dinner, festival, but just can’t do it all.  You want to get the perfect gift. Extra calories are consumed.  You’re tired, tempers flare, you feel incompetent.

You may be facing a serious illness, a grieving time, worry, anxious moments.  Maybe you just got laid off and your in that “unemployable” age group, or you’ve been  replaced by one who they can pay less. You aren’t looking forward to all the bills that will fill your mailbox in January. Your heartstrings are being plucked by confusion and the unknown.  Your kids have so much sugar flowing through their veins, that their focus is comparable to that of a gnat. None of this paints a lovely picture of comfort and joy.

Yet in the middle of our anxiety, God has chosen to give us the greatest gift of all – eternal life. This year should make that even more apparent. We have had opportunities that we might never have again. Innovation has caused people to learn how to use the tools at hand to make life doable. Creativity is coming out in brand new ways. In spite of all the crime and hatred, He has kept us safe. In spite of political division and unrest, He has kept us united. In spite of a disease that speeds across the land, He has provided technology whereby a vaccine is now available. In spite of ourselves and our anger and frustration, He is always there to hold us and give us His unconditional love.

The Prince of Peace came to earth in the form of a helpless little child. He lived a sinless life and became the unblemished Lamb of God so that we could inherit His kingdom. Instead of “bah, humbug,” we can sing, “Halleluiah,” with confidence.

Posted in Advent | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

HE IS THE SOURCE

Posted on December 21, 2020 by atimetoshare.me
ORIGINAL ART & POETRY FROM PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

These dark days of winter swell into an endless swirl of emotions,

We can’t seem to pull ourselves out of sadness, depression or anxiety,

There is only one way to eliminate those destructive feelings,

But how do you harness the sun and capture the magnificence of its light?

God is the source,

Some have tried to manage the physical light that encompasses them,

Some struggle to bring illumination back into their lives by setting goals & dreaming dreams,

Some never find it,

Some are filled to the brim with it,

Some will continue to spend their lives searching for it,

God is the source,

He created light from darkness – it was His first creation,

Separating the night from day – setting time into place,

He controls the sun, the moon and stars,

He lights the world with His radiance,

He is the source,

When the world seems so ugly and dark,

When it seems that nothing will ever be bright again,

When the darkness of sin has penetrated every aspect of our daily living,

Turn to the Creator,

His light shines brightly through His Word,

When we let Him, He shines through us,

Leading others to the flame of His truth,

He is the source,

Which allows our light to shine.

Posted in ART & POETRY BY THE BOECHERS | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

“AND THIS SHALL BE A SIGN UNTO YOU”

Posted on December 21, 2020 by atimetoshare.me

This has been quite a year – one most of us would happily like to see drift into oblivion. From the very beginning of 2020 our lives have been changed, turned upside down, depressed, confused, challenged and discouraged. Little lights of hope shine, but have been quickly snuffed with new outbreaks and more difficult strains of a disease that doesn’t want to leave us alone. Unfortunately, the changing of the date on a calendar doesn’t guarantee that everything will be better from then on. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

We have come to a point in time when we could use some good news for a change. I personally believe that God still performs miracles. He even presents signs of hope for us in modern times. The fact that planets are going to align and create a bright “star” in the sky tonight, might be just what we need to lift us out of our pit. However, to try and guess what God has planned for our future, we simply need to place our faith in the fact that He’s got this. He knows how to change darkness into light. He created the universe after all. He placed each star in the sky and uses them to light the darkness.

He knew even then what was going to happen to His creation, but the greatest part of His plan would not be revealed until the sky was illuminated with hosts of heavenly angels, singing praises to the new born king. That lowly shepherds would leave their flock in search of the Anointed One. He knew that a brilliant star would lead men from the East to the Messiah. He knew that the little, fragile, child, born into poverty and sadness, would become the Redeemer of all mankind.

We, in our desire to figure things out, cannot begin to comprehend what God has in mind, but we know that whatever it is, it will be for our good. We are His creation and He loves us unconditionally.

The real miracle, sign, whatever you want to call it, occurred in the birth of a baby boy who was not just human, but also God. God chose to come to us in human flesh – to teach us how He wants us to live – to pay the price for our salvation – to give us eternal life.

People will look through telescopes in search of the Bethlehem Star. They will be witnesses to a natural act of God who placed those planets in the sky. They will wonder if this is a sign for a better future. They will place their trust in the sign, but miss the source of that light. For Jesus is the Light of the World.

COME, LET US ADORE HIM!

Posted in corona virus | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on “AND THIS SHALL BE A SIGN UNTO YOU”

A PLACE FOR ME

Posted on December 20, 2020 by atimetoshare.me
ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER

The bridge looks over a seething scene of poverty and loss,

Though filled with much there is no hope for life at any cost,

The desperate soul seeks recompense and tries to make amends,

But there is nothing good enough to take away its sins.

The bridge itself is perilous, it’s filled with ice and snow,

The wind is raging as it sings and beckons, “come below,”

“A refuge you shall surely find, an end to all your tears,”

The voice grows loud within your head, a call to end your years.

But suddenly a light appears, a beacon from above,

The holy angels call to you and tell you of God’s love,

There is a place reserved for you beyond this heavy veil,

But now you must live out your life, with God you will prevail.

Dont think that you’re not good enough to walk through heaven’s gate,

The price for every sin you’ve done, by Christ it has been paid,

When God is ready for your soul, it’s been made white as snow,

He has prepared a room for you, and that’s where you will go.

Posted in ART & POETRY BY THE BOECHERS | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

BORN FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

Posted on December 19, 2020 by atimetoshare.me
Pregnant Mary holding stomach at manger on Christmas Eve

When they arrived at the city of Bethlehem, it was time for the baby to be born. Anyone who has given birth knows that a baby usually arrives when it’s ready, not when we are. There wasn’t any place to go. No rooms were left anywhere.

I can picture the innkeeper, up to his ears in patrons and not enough food to serve them. He didn’t have room for a woman who was about to give birth. He most certainly didn’t know that he was turning away the King of Creation. I can see the wife of the innkeeper looking at the pregnant woman with sympathy and prodding her husband to find a place. Jewish women can get right to the core of things. She most likely thought of the little room in the barn which was reserved for the newborn lambs.

So there they went. Both Mary and Joseph were exhausted from the hundred mile trek to Bethlehem. Now confined to the shelter of a barn, she undoubtedly looked down at her swollen belly and feet, wondering how this would all turn out. She had made the journey on the back of a donkey, but the extra weight she carried and coming to the end of her pregnancy, she had to be more than a little discouraged by the accommodations. Yet she knew that the life within her was ready to be born. The contractions were coming closer together.

It’s hard to comprehend that God had such a humble birth in mind for the Prince of Peace. He humbled Himself and became a human being, a servant, a carpenter, a man of kindness and truth so that I could have all the benefits of His royal kingdom. Then He sacrificed that life to take away my sins and rose again to life, as I will too someday. He came for all of mankind – not just me. He came to heal, to forgive, to give us a second chance.

His birth place wasn’t the setting for a king’s birth, but it was the perfect time for a Messiah. He couldn’t wait to be born and we can’t wait for Him to return.

I love you, Lord Jesus, as softly you lay in a crude little manger asleep on the hay. Be ever my Savior, my Lord and my King. Please stay at my side, Lord. Your praises I sing.

Posted in Advent | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

INTO THE LIGHT

Posted on December 18, 2020 by atimetoshare.me
ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

Through the cobwebs of existence – through the darkness of our strife,

Through the dankness of our sinning, through the wickedness of life,

Through the eternal pits of hell and the helplessness we feel,

A single beam of light from heav’n will hear our final appeal.

The light grows stronger as we move to get a closer glance,

but as we reach to touch it, we’re enveloped in a trance,

It’s just within our reach we think, but no matter how we try,

We can’t escape the darkness that consumes us from all sides.

Just when we think that all is lost, we surrender every hope,

The light erases the darkness, gives reason for us to cope,

This little light from Bethlehem became a radiant star,

Who came to earth to save the world from sin’s conspicuous scar.

The star that shone like heaven’s best, leads us to God’s only Son,

Our Savior, God, Immanuel, eternity He has won,

We are redeemed by His great might.  He always will abide,

He came in darkness of the night, but brilliance He cannot hide.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on INTO THE LIGHT

JULIE’S FRIDAY FUNNY

Posted on December 18, 2020 by atimetoshare.me
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

THE LONG, RUGGED ROAD

Posted on December 17, 2020 by atimetoshare.me
WOOD SCULPTURE  & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

A child just turned a woman, became the chosen one,

To hold the Son of God within – to be her firstborn Son.

She wasn’t someone special – a lowly servant girl –

But God had special plans for her and also for the world.

Through Mary’s contemplation of this high exalted state,

She knew that God would come to earth to wipe away all hate.

To bring to man forgiveness from his every single sin.

Fulfill His word of promise and make us clean within.

Though she was just a child herself, with faith and confidence,

She rode across that rugged road, with God’s own providence,

The journey would be over soon and Jesus would be born,

To save the world from death’s strong hold as angels did adorn.

The Savior of the world was born – redeemer of our souls,

This little child of Bethlehem would heed His Father’s goals,

He came in lowly poverty yet King of all the earth,

We praise Him for His holiness and for His human birth.

Posted in ART & POETRY BY THE BOECHERS | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

HEY, ANGEL OF THE LORD

Posted on December 17, 2020 by atimetoshare.me

If you’ve ever read, “The Best Christmas Pageant, Ever!” by Barbara Robinson, you’ll remember how the nativity was portrayed by the five Herdman children –  the worst kids in town.  The only reason they came to Sunday School was for the snacks.

Gladys, the youngest, wanted to play the part of the Angel of the Lord, because she figured it was the best part.  After all – out of nowhere – there she was in the middle of everything – Shazam!  Kind of like a super hero with magical powers.

It makes me wonder who was the Angel of the Lord anyway?  How do you refer to this angel?  Do you simply call her “Angel of the Lord.”  Do you greet her by saying, “How’s it going, Angel of the Lord?”

As this story unfolds we see a little family who has been deserted by their father and their mother works two jobs to keep them alive.  They are well known by the welfare department as well as the police and fire departments.  This tight knit group of hooligans is bound together tightly and the Christmas story is new to them, but it kind of fits their lifestyle.

Jesus was born in a difficult time – in poverty – in a time in history filled with sin and corruption.  His little family was cast aside by relatives, who thought Mary and Joseph had betrayed their premarital vows of chastity.  They had no money, no one to turn to and yet they faithfully carried out the work God.

There are many families who struggle through life like that today..  They try to make ends meet.  They sometimes take the wrong path in life and get in trouble, but we know that Jesus didn’t come into this world to save the good guys.  Actually there’s no such thing.  We all share that commonality of inherited sin. In the midst of family trouble, there is hope.  We know that even though we have sinful, guilty hearts, Jesus became a human to take our place – to be the final sacrifice for sin.  We all have been gifted with that.  No matter what our plight in this life, we’ve been given a life assurance policy from the Son of God.

Angels don’t speak to us today like they did before the Bible was actually written, but if they did, you can bet we’d sit up and take notice.  Still I wonder what it would be like to talk to the Angel of the Lord.  Someday, I’ll get the chance.

Posted in Advent | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on HEY, ANGEL OF THE LORD