In the first chapters of Luke we learn about the angel Gabriel bringing the message of hope to two unlikely couples. The first couple is Elizabeth and Zechariah — good people but getting on in years and Elizabeth was barren. (Luke 1:5-7). Gabriel says they will have a son John who will “turn the hearts…

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A few last thoughts on giving and receiving, as I frantically scour the Internet for the perfect last gift. Despite my desire to find that perfect gift, I know in my heart that the best gifts are simple, come from the heart, and can come from anyone. No better example of this is to watch…

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“because there was no place for them in the inn.” — Luke 2:7 For many of us Christmas meant coming home. When I was a boy, my mother and her sisters along with their husbands and children would head to Memphis for Christmas to be with Grandfather and Grandmother Erwin. When I was in college…

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About this time of year I go out of  control. I get so much joy out of giving presents to my friends, family, and Suzy I have to reign myself in. Its nice to not need anything, and my wants are so outrageous that no one takes me seriously — really a pick-up truck? God…

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I don’t know about you, but when I’m asked, “have you been born again?,” I want to run. Yet I’ve come to believe with the wisdom of old age that the phrase “born again” itself has gotten a bad rap. Advent is not just about the preparing for and the literal birth of Jesus. It…

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