Sunday Mornings

  Set on the donkey,  Fears hunting the indepts of my heart,  The cold winter breeze chewing my skin,  The struggle to hold on to hope.  The first census in what seemed like forever  My unfortunate predicament of journeying with a swollen stomach,  Swollen with another life,  The world's greatest miracle,  I smiled to myself,  Willing the beauty to remain.  Oh, he would be born in his home town,  The land of my very beloved...  The pains of the journey weakened my bones,  Every muscle screaming for help,  The constant battle to stay calm and strong.  For my beloved and unborn child.  The night stole the sun  And the moon, its glory.  I lay facing the stars,  The journey of the first day had come to an end.  With fears still breathing inside my heart  Unsure of what is to come,  I drifted into a beauty sleep.  But It lasted only for a moment.  And in what seemed too short a time, Morning light screamed at me.  The journey needed to be completed.  Yes,  it was a struggle to get by, 

  Ima limped painfully out of the wadi into which she fell earlier. It was not her fault. She fell in trying to protect me from a thornbush. Now there was a pebble stuck in her foot. But the Boy took it out. Ima must rest now. I am allowed to remain with her though I am old enough to be separated from the other young Rams. They are rough and tease me saying I will turn into a Ewe just like Ima, but Ima said it is not possible. I believe her. She is soft and smells of sweet grass. I lie next to her in the pen. Her breathing is slow and steady. I start to fall asleep. “You were always a queer little one, weren't you?” There was a smile in her voice as she said it. I turned my ears to Ima's voice as she spoke. “When I held you in my womb, my dear, the shepherd thought I was carrying twins! I was so heavy with you. I could not move like the other sheep. So, the farmer delayed our herd's migration until I had given you birth. I am eternally grateful. Yours was a difficult one. B

  The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, Light has dawned! ( Matthew 4:16 ) Christmas draws nearer and as we continue to look through scriptures on Christmas themes, may God open our eyes to the realities of the season. Amen. Light has dawned! Hallelujah!! But before then, the people sat in darkness. In this passage, Matthew is alluding to a poem in Isaiah; Isaiah 9 . Yes, the same chapter with the famous " for unto us a child is born ". I will encourage you to read the chapter in your spare time. Because one must ask; what is it about this child that is born? Why is this Son that is given to us important? The answer simply put is in the echoes of dark times. You will find out that in vs 4 , Isaiah said God would deliver them, but when he went on to describe how that would happen, it would be through a child being born; through a son being given. And that is Christmas. O the famous dark ages - the time

  Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." Isaiah 35:4 What year it has been in 2021. And as usual, the year ends with a Christmas theme. Today, in view of the christmas season, we would like to glean on what the birth of Jesus meant for a 1st century Israelite. To set the text in context, Isaiah had spent majority of the previous chapters pronouncing woes on Israel and Judah for forsaking God and His covenant with them. Isaiah 35 comes along to proclaim that God's wrath will not have the final say; He would yet again have compassion on Israel. So, Isaiah told the people: Be strong Fear not Behold! Your God will come He will come and save you. For me living after the biblical era, I cannot wrap my head around this verse without seeing Jesus in every word. That night, as Mary birthed her first born son, it was God fulfilling His promise to Israel about a