12/24/2025
Merry Christmas! Emmanuel has come to stay!
- From our home to yours, Merry Christmas!
What a wonderful time of year!
The lights, the gatherings, the goodies, the music, the connection…and the beautiful trek back to a manger in Bethlehem! We love the fresh new discoveries of the old sweet story that still delight our hearts with the most extravagant gift of all – the gift of God’s only Son to bring us Home.
This year, our thoughts were drawn to the “tangible” nature of God’s gift.
“We saw Him with our very own eyes.
We gazed upon Him and heard Him speak.
Our hands actually touched Him -
the One Who was from the beginning,
the Living Expression of God.”
(I John 1:1)
A couple of weeks ago, our dear friend and ministry partner, Jordanne Fulcher, put out a creative challenge to a group of us. In it, she reflected on Jesus as the Light of God coming into our dark world.
She encouraged us to go out and try to gaze at the sun. Even in winter, staring at the sun for longer than just seconds is not only impossible but dangerous to the eye! We cannot behold its brilliance. It is far too bright to look at.
Then she reminded us of the story of John the Beloved while on the island of Patmos in Revelation 1, when Jesus appeared to him in all His glory – hair white as wool, eyes like blazing fire, feet glowing like bronze, voice like rushing waters!! Jesus was so brilliant, John fell at His feet as though dead.
It wasn’t until Jesus came and placed His right hand on John’s shoulder and spoke, “Don’t be afraid. It’s me!” that John was able to recognize the One he knew so well, but now beheld in the fullness of His glory!
Jordanne concluded:
“If any of us were to see the full glory of God in this moment, the same thing would probably happen to us. But this blinding light is not how Jesus revealed Himself. He came like candlelight, born at night – the full majesty of God wrapped up in a vulnerable newborn. He offers His light to us meekly so that we can approach, receive, and hold closely the flame that fills all in all. He shines softly in ways that we can digest, slowly expanding our capacity to behold more of His brightness. Like the candlelight, He restrains His power for the sake of love.”
God “gentled” Himself in Jesus – brought Himself near enough to touch, to hold, to experience, to intimately know. Is there anything more precious than this gift of Emmanuel – God WITH us?
Last year, our son Trevor released a song on the Cageless Birds Christmas album called, Humble King. Give a listen and allow God’s greatest Gift to draw near to you today!
To listen to the song Humble King click on the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxVANumIMvQ&list=RDMMlxVANumIMvQ&start_radio=1
The lights, the gatherings, the goodies, the music, the connection…and the beautiful trek back to a manger in Bethlehem! We love the fresh new discoveries of the old sweet story that still delight our hearts with the most extravagant gift of all – the gift of God’s only Son to bring us Home.
