2. LUKE 2:4-20
4 So Joseph also went up from the town
of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to
Bethlehem the town of David, because
he belonged to the house and line of
David. 5 He went there to register with
Mary, who was pledged to be married to
him and was expecting a child. 6 While
they were there, the time came for the
baby to be born,

3. LUKE 2:4-20
7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a
son. She wrapped him in cloths and
placed him in a manger, because there
was no guest room available for them. 8
And there were shepherds living out in
the fields nearby, keeping watch over
their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the
Lord appeared to them, and the glory of
the Lord shone around them, and they
were terrified.

4. LUKE 2:4-20
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be
afraid. I bring you good news that will
cause great joy for all the people. 11
Today in the town of David a Savior has
been born to you; he is the Messiah, the
Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will
find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying
in a manger.”

5. LUKE 2:4-20
13 Suddenly a great company of the
heavenly host appeared with the angel,
praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to
God in the highest heaven, and on earth
peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and
gone into heaven, the shepherds said to
one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and
see this thing that has happened, which
the Lord has told us about.”

6. LUKE 2:4-20
16 So they hurried off and found Mary
and Joseph, and the baby, who was
lying in the manger. 17 When they had
seen him, they spread the word
concerning what had been told them
about this child, 18 and all who heard it
were amazed at what the shepherds
said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all
these things and pondered them in her
heart.

7. LUKE 2:4-20
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying
and praising God for all the things they
had heard and seen, which were just as
they had been told.

10. LUKE 2:4-7
4 So Joseph also went up from the town
of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to
Bethlehem the town of David, because
he belonged to the house and line of
David. 5 He went there to register with
Mary, who was pledged to be married to
him and was expecting a child. 6 While
they were there, the time came for the
baby to be born,

11. LUKE 2:4-7
7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a
son. She wrapped him in cloths and
placed him in a manger, because there
was no guest room available for them.

22. JOHN 10:10
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill
and destroy; I have come that they may
have life, and have it to the full.

25. LUKE 2:8-14
8 And there were shepherds living out in
the fields nearby, keeping watch over
their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the
Lord appeared to them, and the glory of
the Lord shone around them, and they
were terrified. 10 But the angel said to
them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good
news that will cause great joy for all the
people.

26. LUKE 2:8-14
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has
been born to you; he is the Messiah, the
Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will
find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying
in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great
company of the heavenly host
appeared with the angel, praising God
and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the
highest heaven, and on earth peace to
those on whom his favor rests.”

34. JOHN 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he
gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life.

41. LUKE 2:15-20
15 When the angels had left them and
gone into heaven, the shepherds said to
one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and
see this thing that has happened, which
the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they
hurried off and found Mary and Joseph,
and the baby, who was lying in the
manger. 17 When they had seen him, they
spread the word concerning what had
been told them about this child,

42. LUKE 2:15-20
18 and all who heard it were amazed at
what the shepherds said to them. 19 But
Mary treasured up all these things and
pondered them in her heart. 20 The
shepherds returned, glorifying and
praising God for all the things they had
heard and seen, which were just as they
had been told.

46. 1 PETER 1:3-6
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he
has given us new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance
that can never perish, spoil or fade. This
inheritance is kept in heaven for you,

47. 1 PETER 1:3-6
5 who through faith are shielded by
God’s power until the coming of the
salvation that is ready to be revealed in
the last time. 6 In all this you greatly
rejoice, though now for a little while you
may have had to suffer grief in all kinds
of trials.

50. 1 PETER 1:3-4
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he
has given us new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance
that can never perish, spoil or fade. This
inheritance is kept in heaven for you,

53. 1 PETER 1:5
5 who through faith are shielded by
God’s power until the coming of the
salvation that is ready to be revealed in
the last time.

56. 1 PETER 1:6
6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though
now for a little while you may have had
to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

60. “ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”
Last night, I cried my eyes out.
A young mom passed away, after her
three year long bout with cancer. I
doubly cried when I found out that she
left this earth on the day of her eldest
daughter’s, 18th birthday. She had three
young girls.

61. “ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”
Sad things happen to good people . . .
and we are left with question marks in
our thought bubbles.
Why???

62. “ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”
At the memorial service, all three of her
sweet young daughters spoke. Laughter
mingling with tears, aching pauses, at
the memories and beautiful photos of
their mom and family times together.
Then her husband spoke. The man who
loved her, who aside from his work,
became her constant partner, confidant,
cheerleader, chef, driver, injection-giver,
stress reliever . . .

63. “ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”
He shared how, on his first night alone,
he opened his wife’s Ipad and found
instructions and a password. His sweet
wife had left letters. Lots of letters for him
and for each of the three girls to read at
different stages. She had also left her
favorite quotes and songs to be sung.
All worship songs for her wake and
funeral.

64. “ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”
He talked about the vows they had
shared as husband and wife on their
wedding day.
“. . . Knowing that it is God’s will for me to
marry you, I make a commitment to you
today, to love you with an everlasting
love . . . to live with you in an
understanding way . . . ” He talked about
the joy of having her as his wife.

65. “ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”
Then he did something very brave and
inspiring. In the midst of his tears, he
addressed each daughter, one by one,
and spoke words of blessing over each
one. He also told the eldest, never to
think of her birthdate with sadness as a
date marred by the death of her mother.
Instead, to regard that day as a very
special day.

66. “ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”
A day of two combined celebrations, two
birthdays. Her birthday on earth and her
mom’s birthday in heaven. Two reasons
to celebrate.
He then proceeded to give each
daughter a ring. I was wondering why.
Then he spoke.

67. “ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”
Just as he and his wife had committed
through these same rings to love each
other unconditionally, many, many years
ago on their wedding day, he began to
speak these words of affirmation now to
his daughters.

68. “ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”
“. . . I make a commitment to you, our
daughters . . . To love you with an eternal
love . . . to live with you in an
understanding way. Never leaving you
or forsaking you . . .” He then gave his
daughters, their rings as a sign of his
unconditional fatherly love for them.

69. “ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”
(Two were the wedding rings he and his
wife had worn, one was the ring his wife
also wore which came from his parents.)
By this time all the Kleenex in my bag, all
the Kleenex in the room, perhaps, all the
Kleenex in the universe was gone, after
he finished speaking.

70. “ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”
Needless to say, I was in a reflective
mood when I arrived home that night. I
was supposed to write a blog on Easter
for Joey’s website, but all I could think of
was that scene. How the father, in the
midst of his own pain, grief and
mourning at his own loss, chose to bless
the children that he loved.

71. “ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”
And I thought of our Heavenly Father
and of Jesus, who at the expense of his
own trials, extreme pain and cruel death,
chose to pay the price we couldn’t pay,
to win a prize we couldn’t win.

72. “ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”
And how Easter, to me, is somehow,
another birthday of Jesus.
Christmas, we celebrate his birth on
earth, as a man.
Easter, we celebrate his freedom from
his earthly body and his life reunited
with his father in heaven.

73. “ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”
Most of all, we celebrate HIS WIN. He
punched death in the face and rendered
it powerless. He rendered sin toothless
in its efforts to bite us and hold us
captive in its grip. And all I could say
was thank you.

74. “ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”
Thank you Jesus, for your “heaven
birthday” and thank you for my friend’s.
We think so much of this life on earth,
when we really should think of where we
are spending our “other” birthday.
Do you know where you’re spending
your “eternity” birthday?

75. JOHN 11:25-26
“ Jesus said to her, “I am the
resurrection and the life. Whoever
believes in me, though he die, yet shall
he live, and everyone who lives and
believes in me shall never die. Do you
believe this?”