One Shepherd's Story

Janie stretched her back as she stood to walk around her herd once again. Being a shepherd was not an easy job, despite what people thought. She nodded to a fellow shepherd, giving her a quick smile as she softly petted one small sheep that was nuzzling her. Off in the distance, on a hill, she could see a couple other shepherds. One man was sitting on the ground while another was leaning on his crook, talking. The night was quiet, with a slight breeze. Despite the long hours of the job, Janie loved being outdoors, tending her sheep.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Janie saw a bright light in the sky! Fear immediately gripped her. Fear for herself, fear for her sheep, fear for the other shepherds. Janie was terrified! Seeing her fellow shepherds reacting the same, she jerked as if to run when she was stopped by a loud voice. "And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.'"

Suddenly, faster than Janie could even respond, there was a great multitude of the heavenly host, with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward mankind.'" Then the angels left and went back to Heaven. (Luke 2)

Janie looked at the other shepherds and said, "Let's go to Bethlehem, now, and see for ourselves what the Lord has told us!" And they ran and got to Bethlehem and saw.....there was Mary, and Joseph....and then they saw Him, just as the angel had said, lying in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. It was true!

And they told everyone and made known everything the angel had told them about this child and everyone was amazed at what the shepherds said. And Janie knew that her job of being a shepherd would never be the same.

Merry Christmas!
~Tricia

Christmas Blessings from Afar

Every year, I prepare and send out a number of Christmas cards.  Many times, I make the cards myself since I am an avid paper crafter. This year's card was plain and simple, pictured here, with a verse on the inside.

One of the greatest things about Christmas cards is receiving them in the mail. And we get a lot of Christmas cards in the mail. A good number of these cards come from members and former members of the churches my husband was pastor of at one time. Being in pastoral ministry has allowed us to make life-long, true friends along the way and it's one of the biggest blessings of my life to have continued contact with so many we have ministered beside.


Although being in the pastoral ministry can sometimes be trying and difficult, the ministry blessings - the people we learn to love and cherish, the eternal decisions we get to see people make - make it all worthwhile.  We are indeed blessed to have made so very many eternal friendships!

Merry Christmas!
~Tricia

A Real Pause

There's a lot of hype about saying "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays" this year.  I, personally, don't get offended either way.  Saying "Happy Holidays" does not mean that someone is leaving Christ out of Christmas, it simply means  they hope their hearers will have happy times through all the holidays of this season.

But, did you notice that the entire world pauses for Christmas?  Yes. The entire world pauses for Christmas. Whether they "celebrate" it or not, they pause.  And that pause speaks volumes because the world does not pause for any other "holiday" or occasion in the same way it pauses for Christmas.

Even though they might not understand what it's all about, they pause.

Even if they are just looking at their retail bottom line, they pause.

They pause for our Christ, even if they don't know Him.

They pause.  Think about that. The entire world pauses.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
~Tricia