I am enamored by The Chosen series, for many reasons. It’s startling to “hear” Jesus speak the words of scripture I know so well. It makes me weep to see the heroes of our faith in their humble beginnings. Matthew the hated tax collector. Mary the possessed woman. Simon the cheating, angry man. What beautiful transformations— just like you and me. We are not who we used to be.

I went on a crazy rabbit trail with the Lord the other day. About swaddling cloths. Really? Yeah.

Turns out the details matter to God and ultimately to us when He reveals them. I have been deep diving into Garments (which will come later). One thing led to another and the swaddling cloths came into focus where I learned two important distinctions for our Advent meditations.

The God who IS. The One who is not created, imagined or even ignored. The great I am that I am.

In the most basic way, the Christmas story confronts my Christian story. The Christmas story is loaded with miracles, the unexpected, the impossible…

We live in a world of multi-layered confusion. “Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like people without eyes.” (Isaiah 59:10) So many in and out of church ask questions about our origins, identities, purpose, and calling.

And yet a greater Truth proceeds the resounding “what about me” question.

It is the eternal matter of I Am—the God who was.

You have read the words yourself. “Never will I leave you or forsake you.” The Old and New Testaments are full of these promises from our beautiful God. And yet, I wonder how we think about this Holy Presence? Is it begrudging? Is it out of duty? Is it out of fear of reprisal? Some cosmic shadow simply enduring the whole of humanity?

God has been talking a lot about Expanding. It’s a new season. I can feel it in my very spirit. At the recent Yes and Amen Beach Retreat, I could literally sense the excitement of Holy Spirit to unleash, unlock, begin a new work in all of us. It’s no mistake we call it the Yes and Amen Retreat.

At the beginning of this year, Chuck heard from the Lord these words, Free and Clear. This message created a domino effect in our lives with many changes to follow. New job. Changes in relationships. New goals. Changes in the rhythm of our lives.

Something happened yesterday and it was simply incredible. I was talking to a friend about financial things. There was absolutely nothing emotionally charged about our conversation but I kept seeing something on her face. It almost looked like she had been crying. It wasn’t a mascara run but it looked like fresh tears without the glisten. I was becoming increasingly distracted by it so I finally interrupted her and said, “Have you been crying?”

Happy Fourth of July! And God’s favor on the freedom you enjoy today. I can’t help but ponder the 4th because, like most of our holidays, we are removed from the real pain and sacrifice of the individuals who broke the ground before us. It’s embarrassing really. I am trying to decide whether to grill hamburgers AND hot-dogs, as compared to my ancestors who were literally fighting with their lives for the independence I am now enjoying.

I was blessed to attend a baby shower the other day. A long-awaited miracle baby. A baby of promise. The air was thick with celebration. It’s as if we all let out a collective sigh of relief that this prayer had been answered. Finally.

As we began a blessing and prayer time, I looked around the room of women and choked back a sob.

This was holy ground.