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Our first Christmas with Isaac (& officially in our arms for 6 months!!!)

12.28.2010

Had to document a quick post seperate from our Journey to the Magi post of our FIRST Christmas with ITY…and yesterday marked officially SIX MONTHS in our arms!!! This weekend ALSO marked the longest our little guy has been in one place. I find myself looking at him over and over and wanting his heart to know–to really know–YOU ARE HERE TO STAY!!! Our night times have gotten a little hard again–but I know as we continue to pour into him and step back a bit to build more trust and have more time for cuddling and holding…our nights will get better too. I was looking through pictures of our trip to Ethiopia and how far Isaac has come…in just 6 months he has gone from learning to push up…to sitting…to crawling…to pulling up—and he can let go for a few seconds standing if you distract him and he doesn’t realize what he’s doing!

6 months ago from today…

This weekend…

And here’s a sneak peak into our Christmas fun…

For those of you who were concerned about Frank opening up Parker last week thinking he was a choo choo and being left disappointed. No worries. Frankie baby was pleasantly surprised with this…HOWEVER…he was scared of it until 2 days later. SO—Isaac helped him see it wasn’t scarey and that it was a lot of fun. Frank just took the role as the conductor until he was ready–and Isaac showed him the ropes:).

Laney’s 3 gifts were a digital camera, a princess skateboard and a tent… A tent like this can seriously be whipped out in 1 hour if you have all the supplies ready–so for those of you interested I’ll gladly post a tutorial as these would make fun birthday gifts and just things to play in! And it fit perfectly in her big girl room (WHICH she has actually been sleeping in at night!!! Sleeping in the ground CAN’T be comfortable but she thinks the tent is the coolest thing!)

Parker also got a tent, a skateboard and a batman block set thing…he also got an “elf that he can touch”…

Frank’s favorite gift was NOT the ride-on Thomas but the Thomas pjs from his Nana. He wore them ALL. DAY. LONG. We couldn’t even convince him to take them off to get something warmer on to play in the snow!

AND I realized I was WRONG! I said in an earlier post it hadn’t snowed here on Christmas day since 1985—but it was 1885 I do believe! CRAZY!!! AND it happened on our first Christmas with Isaac. TRULY…it felt so magical!!!

The kids of course built a few snowmen…obviously we are rookies and this doesn’t happen often—my kids used grapes and all kinds of craziness for his face. He even was given balloons to hold:)

And I wish you could have heard this little guy GIGGLE every time he took a little bite of snow…

OH his kissable cheeks!!! This baby puts up with so much from us doesn’t he?!
Okay, so if you are my friend on Facebook you have already been bombarded with all of these pictures…but I just couldn’t help but share them here too!!! It was such a sweet Christmas and my heart is still processing so much as we have thought so much about Ethiopia this season too…and those we left behind. I feel the Lord is leading us to do some big things in 2011—and I want to be obedient and faithful to follow. I am already amazed at what God does when you follow Him…and He continues to amaze me with His power as we say “yes”. He who is faithful in the small things will be faithful in much. Praying we will be obedient in 2011 and bring Him the glory in all that we do!!!

My oh wow moment happened on Christmas day…my children’s GREAT-grandmother was here and I can only IMAGINE how she has seen the world change in her lifetime. She was sitting there watching the wild…Isaac riding the Thomas…Frank running around with play dough in his hands…Laney and Parker being Indians–and I thought, “Oh no–I bet we are overwhelming her.” My heart melted when she stood up with her cane and looked me in the eyes and said, “Andrea, you and Richard have a beautiful home. I mean–not home.” Pause…oh no–you never know what older folks are going to say;). “Andrea, you and Richard have a beautiful WORLD. Do you know that? It is just BEAUTIFUL.” Yes…Mama Reid. Indeed. I feel like I’m living the fairytale. How sweet it is to be the daughter of a King–and to trust His plans and ways. So excited to see what 2011 brings!!!

Hope you all are enjoying the holidays with your family!!! With love from ours to yours!!!

Andrea

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Kelly - December 28, 2010 - 9:37 am

Love the snow pictures, they are perfect! Excited to see all that the Lord does in 2011! 😉

Jenny - December 28, 2010 - 10:22 am

Oh what a beautiful post!!! Ugghhh… cried through reading what your Great Grandmother said!! I’ve lost all of my grandparents and oh how I wish my sweet Grandma Glover were here to see us bring Joleigh home. I’m the only Christian in my immediate family but my Grandma Glover was the most Godly woman… Love and miss her dearly!!

Love the pics of Isaac in the snow:) and desperately wanna see that tent tutorial:)

Jennifer - December 28, 2010 - 11:15 am

Love the videos. Frankie baby has great leadership potential!
🙂 I put ankle weights in the one ride on toy I bought for my youngest (there is a little area I could put them inside) to hopefully keep it from tipping over easily. I guess we shall see if it works. Great videos. Love Frank’s pjs.

Alison - December 28, 2010 - 4:10 pm

Love the pictures!! Looks like ya’ll had a wonderful Christmas! And LOVE that Isaac is standing up!! Can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for ya’ll in 2011!

Dawn - December 28, 2010 - 5:24 pm

What a beautiful Christmas!!! So adorable 🙂 Love what your grandma said- its very very true!

Renea - December 28, 2010 - 9:48 pm

Truly precious!!! =) Love the snow pictures and those kissable cheeks! ♥ God is good ALL the time! So happy for your family. Thanks for sharing. (and the tents rock!)

Kim - December 29, 2010 - 7:59 am

Magical. Just magical!

Mitzi - December 29, 2010 - 4:13 pm

Hey friend
I so need the tutorial on the tent. Want to make some for a photo session!!

Thanks
Mitzi

Linda - December 30, 2010 - 12:06 pm

Please post a tutotial for the tent. That would be awesome to make for grandchildren!! Thanks so much.

Sarah - January 2, 2011 - 3:40 pm

DITTO! To the tent tutorial!!

The Road Less Traveled – Day 3 of Our Journey with the Magi

12.27.2010

So thankful how they are enjoying this journey so far!!! Last night, we wrote on little pieces of paper how each of them saw Jesus in their day as we are seeking to see Him. Parker told me, “I saw Jesus in the dark clouds while it was snowing…there was a beautiful bright light behind them and it made me think of Jesus.” I shared with him how amazing that was because Jesus is the light in the darkness–and the Light of the world. Laney told me, “I just saw Jesus all over my heart today over and over again. And her heart kept making her do nice things.” Sweet girl…I had to hold back a giggle hearing her sweet little voice say that and I asked her to share an example. We wrote these down and put them in our treasure box. Then we all agreed on a new place for the wisement to venture to and rest until the next devotional. This will be the devotional I share tonight…

The Magi’s journey required traveling through this…And more of this…And I bet you have never thought about it—but it also required traveling through this…

And if the only way for them to find the baby they sought to bless was by following this…

THEN…it meant they could only be directed when most of us like to sleep.

It. Was. Not. Easy.

It was probably one of the most ambitious journeys ever attempted during this time.

He who called them would lead and guide them.

He who called them would protect them…from thieves who had already heard of their incredible venture as indeed each town would meet them and hear their story…an unbelievable story from reputable travelers who were known to be wealthy and carrying gifts. The Lord who called them would also protect them from the territory they traveled through that was ruled by the Roman Empire. Have you ever thought that it was God’s protection asking them to follow a star…leading them to travel only by night…and some times having to hide in protection by day? And have you ever considered that maybe the Lord has you walk through what might FEEL like periods of hardship or dark times to actually protect you and ultimately bring you to the place He desires you to be…to bring Him glory…and to help you see His glory and experience Him fully?

There were days and weeks where the wisemen were afraid…that they questioned was this God’s best for them…was this REALLY what God wanted them to do…did they hear Him right–or was He calling them to the dessert to be attacked, hungry and tired? Would His revelation really be at the end of their journey? Would it really be worth it?

Remember there were many days and nights of uncertainty and darkness in the journey of the Magi. But you and I have the gift of knowing how their story turns out…that it really will be worth it. Trust Him in the dessert and trust Him in the darkness. He is always with you and with Him you have nothing to fear. He will give you strength…protection…and nourishment for your journey just like He did for the wisemen–just keep looking for Him and seeking Him—and as you seek Him, you will always find Him.

P.S. My sister, April, and my brother-in-law Harris made it safely to Jo-burg (South Africa) this morning. It’s night time there–so they are going to bed and will take off for Zambia in the morning. Please pray for saftey and that they can get all 6 bags to Zambia between the two of them. Please pray for wellness and strength and their bodies quickly adjust to the new time zone so they can serve the orphans and widows in the week ahead. Thank you!!! And say a prayer for my mom and dad as they care for their 3 little girls here!!! More updates to come on their journey!

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Dawn - December 27, 2010 - 4:23 pm

Love all the different thoughts on the wisemen’s journey!!! Thank you for sharing!

Vanessa - December 27, 2010 - 8:40 pm

Love the visuals for the magi!!! And, yes, I have never thought of the war part before.

They came from the east… (Day 2 – Our Journey with the Magi)

12.26.2010

This is for those of you who want to journey with the Magi with us for the next 2 days…I’ll do my best to post what we share with our little ones each night—they are LOVING getting to take the Magi to a new place in the house after our devotional by the way!!! So tonight we shared the importance of stepping out in faith…even when you feel like you are alone…and trusting God to provide others to run this journey with you…

Matthew’s book in the Bible gives the fullest story of the Magi in the Bible–and from Matthew we are only told they are from the east. Tradition, however, has passed down and it has been historically documented that there were, indeed, three; it is also documented in historical writing that they were from the families of Shem, Ham and Japhet–therefore one of them would have been Ethiopian. Their names are given as Casper, Balthasar and Melchoir—and it is said that their bones were discovered in the 12th century by Bishop Reinald of Cologne which are now exhibited in a casket a cathedral of that city.

During this time, Magi were key leaders in the government. For these leaders to leave their city and place in the government would have been quite a big deal. To tell those who were under them, in their care and who followed them that they were leaving to follow a star to see the Son of God–would have not only raised eyebrows but might have also risked their reputation being the wise men that so many saw them to be. Magi were not only powerfully politically, but they also had priestly duties and were seen as holy.

Their journey was not a short one–but most likely over 900 miles by camel. Not an easy journey…and if scholars are correct that they were each from different countries–then you can imagine each of their journeys had to begin seperately…and then together–one day they came…as they got closer to Bethlehem following the star that would take them to the Light of the World. Many times our journeys…the most difficult ones the Lord asks us to take…will be like the wisemen, and we feel like we begin it alone in faith. However, God is always with us–willing to lead and guide us as we look to Him and follow Him step by step. Many times, the Lord will also provide others to journey with us—who kind of meet us half way yet they become just a big part of our journeys. Together we encourage one another and cheer one another on—pick one another up when one falls and rejoice as we get closer to the finish line that the Lord has called us to.

The Lord always guides, and He always provides. And with Herod ahead at their next stop in Jerusalem…they would need one another for what was ahead. Thank you God how you always provide for us on our journeys. Thank you that you are always with us–and that in your great grace you also provide others to journey with us. Help us to step out in faith and follow you before we see others doing the same–and to trust that you will provide others to encourage us along the way when we need it most.
Please keep my sister, April, and my brother-in-law, Harris in your prayers…they have packed their bags…their sweet girls have commissioned them off…and they are in the air as I type to Africa to minister to the orphans and widows in Zambia. For all of you who participated in the recent “It’s a Girl Thing” project, there are almost 200 womens kits in THESE bags…

I’ll be updating their journey there as April is able to share. They will be feeding the Wiphan community a Christmas meal, training the girls and ladies how to use the “It’s a Girl Thing” kits and catching up on business for Wiphan schools. Please keep them in your prayers–and if you are interested in hearing more about Wiphan–April will be at the women’s retreat to share more and how you can get involved!!!

More pictures to come from Isaac’s first Christmas…but how’s THIS for a Christmas kiss?!

And he LOVED eating snow:)

Have a wonderful night!!!

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Asher Collie - December 27, 2010 - 10:11 am

Did the Zambia crew get off okay with all of the snow? I’ve heard there are a lot of flights canceled from the ATL airport. Look forward to hearing about their trip. 🙂

Journey with the Magi (a new family tradition) and a WHITE Christmas!

12.26.2010

Last year, I spent some time studying the journey of the Magi, and just like my recent post on Joseph (a must read on his perspective if you missed it…if you only read one blog entry from me this year read that one)–and just like Joseph, their story is miraculous but often overlooked. Also last year, I read an amazing book on Christ-centered homemaking No Ordinary Home by Carol Brazo. (By the way, this book is out of print and I’ve emailed back and forth with Carol about getting it reprinted…I think it should be stay-at-home mom required reading:). In Brazo’s book, she shares some of her family’s traditions…some that we also have adopted–the Jesse Tree, the Lent Tree…and this year we will put a twist on her Journey with the Magi. For her family’s Magi journey, leading up to Christmas she pulls out 3 wisemen that she and some of her girlfriends handcrafted with paper mache. They dreamed up their decor and the Magi move a little each day toward the nativity—and like today’s “Elf on the Shelf” with little connection to the true meaning of Christmas (I’m guilty! My kids love it too!!! But I want to always emphasize truth over anything else…and this is another sweet way to do just that.) Brazo accounts in her book how her children would run down stairs each morning to see where the Magi were and how far they had come from their last resting place. If you don’t want to do what we are doing–Brazo’s tradition is pretty sweet and something I wish I had heard about years ago.

In our craziness, I didn’t want to forget there is something to be learned with the magi’s journey to Christ. Yet, because their journey began after the birth of Christ–I decided ours too would begin on Christmas night–just after we celebrated the birth of Christ in our home. (I’ll share more pictures later of Jesus’s birthday with our children later in the week—it was full of balloons, streamers, a cake…and excited little ones to sing and blow out candles!)

Then tonight…we curled up on the couch—and we began our journey with the magi…

Matthew 2:1-2 “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

For the next 2 weeks (ironically falling the weekend Ethiopia will be celebrating Christmas), our family devotionals will be centered around the wisemen and their journey to Jesus. We will explore with our little ones the Journey of the Magi–where they were from, who they were, the star they followed…we will dream about what their journey must have been like together…and twists and turns they had to take to help protect Jesus from King Herod. We began tonight with Matthew’s account of their story in Matthew 2, and sweet little Laney informed us all that she does not like King Herod one little bit even before we began:).

Throughout the day–like the wisemen…we will look for Jesus. We will look for His majesty in creation. We will look for him in kindness and acts of love in others. And we will even look for Him in ourselves. (Another Laney quote from today, “I will find Him every day all over my heart momma.” So sweet.) Each night for the next 2 weeks, we will learn something new about the wisemen and their journey, and we will end by sharing ways we saw Jesus that day. I am hopeful this will help foster the habit of looking for Him throughout the new year–and what a GREAT way to start the new year with our children!!!

Of course introducing to your children “how you look for Jesus in others” will be different depending on their ages. Because all of our children are 6 years and under–I used this book to help them see how they can see Jesus in others and be the hands of Jesus to others…This sweet little book is about what it would be like if Jesus was one of their friends and came to their house–what they might do–and later in the book the little boy realizes that he can do little and big things that Jesus would probably do for others and show others Jesus by his actions. This was perfect for my kids ages–and they are excited to look for Him. (They were ready to tell a way they had already seen His love today even!)

After we learn something about the wisemen and their journey to see Jesus, each little one will have a chance to write down a way they saw Jesus that day. We will put our “Jesus sightings” in this treasure box (similar to what we are imagining the wisemen to carry)…and at the end of our journey we’ll share them all and rejoice in all the ways we have see Him during our journey Then, we will take turns moving the wisemen to a new place chosen in our home to remind us when we see them of their journey and our purpose here…to always look to Him and for Him.

I remember being amazed when I studied the wisemen on my own last year–so I’m excited to do it again and share this with my children. We can pretty confidently guess their journey was between 1-2 years–so each of our days will represent a MONTH. Can you imagine traveling that LONG to deliver gifts…all by following a STAR…and going to see in faith a baby that you have been told is the Son of God?! Their journey is amazing—it is full of faith, wonder–and even adventure as they are tricked by King Herod yet because they have learned to listen to God they are redirected and Jesus’s life is saved. They are redirected in the end a more difficult route—but for His sake it would be worth it.

I started to paper mache wisemen like Brazo…but this momma realized this isn’t the year and we’ll be using our own wisemen. We’ll save that for when the kids are older and can really be a part of dreaming what they looked like and we can make them together in their splendor. I’ll share some things we are learning…and please feel free to join us in your own journeys. And please do share any insights you gain along the way!!!

Last but not least–it has been an AMAZING Christmas with our little ones. I have held back tears (and cracked just a few times) as I watch Isaac Temesgen and think of our journey to him and how far he has come. At the Christmas Eve service, I got stopped several times and someone would say, “This is his FIRST Christmas with you all, isn’t it?!” I wasn’t able to say yes without my voice cracking one time. Three people asked me, “What does it feel like to have him home this Christmas??” And I just shook my head all three times smiling…and tried to answer but couldn’t!!! I was holding him in my harms singing Hark the Harold Angels Sing and every time I sang the words “Joyful all ye nations rise” I thought about our son’s birth family and their hardship…and the state my son would be in right now had he not come into our arms…I thought about how God rescues and saves…how He loves and forgives…how His story for our lives is SO MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL than the story we could write for ourselves! I have been overwhelmed! And that is a very good place to be!!!

As if things couldn’t be any sweeter. I think the last time it snowed here in the South ON Christmas day was in 1985…25 years ago!!! Could Isaac Temesgen’s first Christmas with us been any more perfect?!

And he is getting SO STRONG!!! Here is ONE last Christmas gift for you all!!! CHECK THIS OUT…OKAY…sooooo…I had to take a million pictures to get THAT…but he CAN stand by himself for like 2 seconds if you distract him!!! My heart has been praying he would walk by January 15th–because this was the date of the first picture we have of him and he has come SO FAR since then. I don’t think we’ll make that date…but you never know!!! YOU KNOW this baby is FULL of surprises!!!!And can I just say this…is he NOT the cutest thing?!?!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!! May your journey with the Magi officially begin as you now go and look for the King in your everyday lives.

XOXO,

Andrea

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Bonnie Nieuwstraten - December 26, 2010 - 1:35 am

Those pictures are priceless! Glad you had a good Christmas!

Kim - December 26, 2010 - 9:27 am

We are back from Bali and I am way behind in the land of blog. What a great place to start … with this post. Love the Magi Journey ideas and oh … that ITY!
Merry Christmas sweet friend and thank you for allowing us the gift of following your journey!
Love & Blessings from Hong Kong,
Kim

kristin cowden - December 26, 2010 - 10:35 am

i first have to say…blessing after blessing…i have so enjoyed following your blog and journeying with you and your sweet family! And once again i am going to take our family on the “journey of the wisemen with you!” …what a fabulous idea! And i too…LOVE Carol Brazo’s book…”No ordinary home”. I discovered her about a year and 1/2 ago and wow! blessing. So..my question for you is…where did you do your research of the journey of the magi? Blessings to you!

abby - December 26, 2010 - 11:18 am

look at him!!! seriously…a miracle boy.

Jen - December 26, 2010 - 12:56 pm

love the idea of the journey of the wiseman. is there a day by day devotion to go with it?

Dawn - December 26, 2010 - 1:31 pm

We also have traveling wisemen around our home. The kids love it! Love the idea of how we see Jesus every day. What a great idea. 🙂

I too am in awe of our family how it has grown where we came from this past year.

AND YES!!!! Isaac is the cutest little man 🙂 !!!!! Go Isaac!!!

admin - December 26, 2010 - 5:12 pm

Kristin and Jen…I just do the research myself and pull from every source I can find. I will be posting each night our devotional for the next 2 weeks–so feel free to just follow us a day behind if you begin your journey tonight (doing something similar to what we did last night…just introducing the journey). I just can’t type much until all my littles are down for the night:).

Becca Harley - December 26, 2010 - 7:21 pm

oh andrea – he is just precious!!! Merry Christmas! Cannot wait to SEE you in a month!!!

Heidi - December 26, 2010 - 10:01 pm

He is just so stinking cute .. and I love him in a hat shows his cute cheeks!

Lara - December 27, 2010 - 2:54 pm

What a neat idea. I struggle so much with doing structured things like that with my kids. My almost four year old has the attention span of a fly and seems to get all squirmy everytime we try to do a devotional. We flunked out of the Ann Voskamp Jesse tree devotional this year because it became frustrating to try and get him to stay focused 🙁 Next year I’ll try something simpler.

Joseph is broken…

12.24.2010

One of Rich’s famous sayings in our home is, “Just glue it back together…” Yep, with four little ones six years old and younger–and three of those being boys…things just seem to get broken a lot. Last night, one of our other family members “Stuffed Tiger” (yes, my kids give their stuffed animals very creative names) was flying across the living room without our knowing it. From Parker to Laney and to Laney to Parker. Lots of laughs and giggles…and then we heard a crash. Then tears from our sweet girl.

“Oh mommy!!! It was an accident!!! Joseph is broken!”
I picked up all the pieces, put them on the table…and Richard and I stood there looking. This time Richard said, “Umm–can he even be put back together?”

Something in my spirit was determined to try. The Lord speaks to me in crazy ways–and constantly He speaks to my heart in analogies…so I set the pieces aside…finished bath time and bed time for the children–and realized we were out of super glue. So, off to the store I went.

Yes, I had a million other things to do…but I felt there was a lesson here–so I wanted to be quiet and listen. I felt the Lord teaching me…

Have you thought about it? Don’t forget him. He was also a beloved child of mine. I knew Joseph’s hopes and dreams. I knew his deep love for Mary. I knew how he was esteemed in the community…seen as a devout believer…upright and a reputation that others looked up to. And then, and then I broke him…

Matthew 1:18-19 “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.”

There were three parts of a Jewish marriage. The agreement. The announcement. The union. For this couple, their had been a courtship. Trust built. Deep love. And the community had watched and rejoiced. But before the union and the marriage was complete, it was obvious to both–she was with child. An angel had appeared to Mary to tell her what would happen–and I can only imagine what was going on in her heart…as she loved the Lord and she also loved her betrothed. She would understand if he left her…after all–would it be fair to him…to ask him to do this with her…to believe her that she had not been unfaithful to him…to raise a child that wasn’t his flesh and blood…to leave her as a single mom and to leave Jesus as what we refer to as a “single orphan” in poor countries. To ask him to join her in this unbelievable reality–and not to care if the world didn’t believe it…if they excommunicated them…if they gossiped about his (in their eyes) “unfaithful” bride…

Joseph could have broken it to Mary gently. She would have understood. And his heart was a mess. “Why Lord? Why? Your word says there are few reasons for divorce–but unfaithfuless is one of them…I won’t embarrass her…I will still honor her and leave her quietly…”

Matthew 1:20-22 “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’—which means, “God with us.”

I felt the Lord teaching me as I sat there and tried to put our manger scene Joseph back together. He was broken. And it looked impossible to fix the situation. Nothing was as Joseph had planned…as he had hoped for…and to him, his world had just come crumbling down. It didn’t make sense. Could this REALLY be God’s plan? Could this REALLY be God’s will for his life? Could this really be for his good…the best for his life…because right now–it just hurt…it didn’t make sense. Sure God, following You is the best thing we know–but WHY some times does it have to be so hard? Why some times does it have to hurt? Why some times to You have to break us in a million pieces where it looks to be impossible to be put back together again?

Because with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. ” Matthew 19:26

Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name, That He might make His power known.” Psalm 106:8

“You are my servant…in whom I will show my glory.” Isaiah 49:3

And some how in the watches of the night (and with the help of some powerful superglue), our manger Joseph was put back together. The cracks…obvious. A few pieces I couldn’t find. And I crawled around on the floor and even laid there looking under the couch trying to find one last piece. I felt the Lord speak to my heart again…

My child…and that is why I also had to come down. I had to stoop down…leave the heavens…and come down to your level. It was the only way I could truly pick up the pieces…YOUR pieces…and restore the broken world. It was the only way for you to know my Father in heaven. Through me–your brokenness would be put back together.

There will be cracks. There will be holes. And to the rest of the world–it won’t look perfect. The holes will remind you of the brokenness in the world…because of sin–brokenness will always be there. There will be pain. There will be loneliness. There will be heart ache. Even this Christmas as you remember Jesus–his coming…Mary–her faithfulness…and Joseph–his willingness to be a father to the fatherless on this Earth…it is hard to even see clearly because of your own brokenness. But God didn’t just say, “She’s broken…I can’t use her…” Nope. He said, “I will not give up on her–I am always here–and if she is willing to let me…I will always put the pieces back together…and it will be for my glory. Yes, as she lets me put her back together–there will be cracks…there will be holes that always hurt…but she will shine my glory as she seeks to be restored by Me, and Me alone. And if she is willing, I will use her like I used Joseph. To love those that are not even her flesh and blood…but to love each of them deeply and to not care what the world thinks or says or even if they agree or support her. Because I am all she will need…and it will be for my glory.”

Matthew 1:24-25 “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

This wasn’t how Joseph would have planned it. Even in his obedience to God, his pride had to disappear as he couldn’t even provide more than a stable to bring in his love’s firstborn. None of it made sense–but it was just as the Lord desired His only Son to come into the world. Had He been born in a palace…sure it would make sense for the story to be told and for us to still tell it more 2000 years later. But in a stable and for us to know…that is a miracle. And Joseph—in his obedience—was part of the most miraculous event in history. And HE gave him the name Jesus…he was his adoptive father…and he was charged to help raise the Son of God. He was put back together. And the glory of God was revealed.

…Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests…

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Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - December 24, 2010 - 2:25 pm

Thank you for this perfect reminder of what God does with our brokenness.

Lauren - December 24, 2010 - 2:32 pm

No words… just tears and a thankful heart….

Shelly - December 24, 2010 - 2:39 pm

Oh my word, you know I’m shedding some tears reading this post. With my own dear “Joseph” in Uganda this week completing our adoption and becoming a father to the fatherless, this one really hit home. So beautiful. I can’t wait to send to Dan over in UG.

Lara - December 24, 2010 - 2:51 pm

Beautifully written, Andrea.

Larisa Maibach - December 24, 2010 - 3:19 pm

I love your heart, Andrea – thanks for sharing it. What a beautiful, beautiful post!

Alison - December 24, 2010 - 5:21 pm

So sweet, Andrea! Merry Christmas to ya’ll!!!

Beth Lewis - December 24, 2010 - 8:42 pm

We reviewed these same words from Matthew tonight in our church service and it never really hit me until I was in service tonight what Joseph gave up and did. Usually we focus on what Mary did. But can you imagine how broken (like you say) he was? What other people thought and how bad that hurt him? It’s ironic to see this post you wrote, but I know it’s the Lord’s hand just reinforcing this thought, this lesson that we need to remeber, always!

Dawn - December 24, 2010 - 9:32 pm

WOW!!!! THANK YOU!!! What a wonderful post!!!

Kristin - December 24, 2010 - 9:54 pm

Perfect read for this CHristmas Eve. Thanks for sharing your heart/ God’s heart. Have a blessed day tomorrow!

april - December 25, 2010 - 3:46 am

i loved this. so glad God showed you this through what happened and so glad you shared it with us! Merry Christmas

Christy - December 25, 2010 - 6:10 am

WOW – this was incredible and such powerful words. You should get this published in the MOPS magazine or somewhere similar next year. More people need to hear this message – it is incredible! Merry Christmas to you and your amazing family!

Amanda F. - December 25, 2010 - 10:58 pm

So funny that you posted this….the Lord and I had a similar “conversation” just the other day. 🙂 Thank you for posting.

Christine - December 25, 2010 - 11:38 pm

Thank you, Andrea! I needed to hear this message today. Beautiful words. Simply beautiful.

Journey with the Magi (a new family tradition) and a WHITE Christmas! » Babe of my Heart - December 26, 2010 - 12:48 am

[…] year, I spent some time studying the journey of the Magi, and just like my recent post on Joseph (a must read on his perspective if you missed it…if you only read one blog entry from me this […]