Epiphany 2025

(Wrote this on the 6th/Epiphany, but didn't get it posted immediately. It fits for the entire season though.)

✨

During Christmastide this year I read Elizabeth Goudge's 'I Saw Three Ships'. (Such a sweet little story, highly recommend!) The paragraph at the top of this page has really stuck with me and I wanted to share for Epiphany today.

Epiphany is when we remember the Wise Men bringing their gifts to Christ and the light -- the Gospel -- now going to the Gentiles. 💓 I've always heard how the gold points to Christ's kingship, the frankincense to His divinity, and the myrrh to His death. We should always, ALWAYS see how every passage points to Christ first and foremost (so that's good), but downstream from that I think Goudge's quote above is very intriguing and fits the context too. 

As we celebrate Epiphany today -- with joy and gladness for God's unimaginable goodness and kindness in sending His precious Son to save us poor lost sinners -- may we respond with utter humility, prostrate with trembling joy before Him -- laying all of our living, our prayers, and our death in His service. Not for what we think He should best do with them, but really and genuinely in His service, however that looks and whatever He pleases for us to do. ✝️

Christmas 2024

🌲 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23 🌲

The Seed of the Woman (a seemingly impossible thing), coming to crush the Serpent's head...

Without Christ coming in the flesh there would be no death on the cross and no resurrection -- no atonement for our sin and no hope for the great restoration of all things. Christ came in the flesh (mind-boggling), forever absolutely glorifying His tangible, physical creation. An angel coming to save us wouldn't have worked. He came in weakness, in flesh and blood, to save us, the fallen sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. 

And -- looking forward to Easter -- what He came to do, He accomplished. 

And He has promised to never leave or forsake us -- to dwell with us forever. He is our Great High Priest, in perfectly glorified flesh. Our Great King. And our Good, kind, loving Shepherd. 💓

All cause for the very greatest and highest joy indeed !♥️💚🤍

🎄 Merry Christmas!! 🎄

Inklings // December 2024

Rules:

1. At any time during the month, on your own blog post a scene from a book or film that matches the prompt, including a link back here in your post.

2. Make sure to come back and leave a link to your entry in the box on this post. That's it!

~

December's prompt is:

Scene by a Christmas tree

Believe it or not, it took me like an extra week to post this as I had my chosen scene in mind, but wasn't exactly sure how to form it into a prompt. Then I decided to just be masterfully original and go with the above. (And I'm enjoying keeping things very simple and traditional round here this year. So in the end it all works. xD)

Full admission, I'm not a fan of a few of the dance numbers in White Christmas -- and in other ways as well it's not a perfect film -- but, come the ending, I'm always misty-eyed. The loyalty and camaraderie (all hearkening back to everything the men were going through at the beginning) is just a tear-jerker.

(Special edit re the song and dance interludes: As much as I like to skip some numbers, I equally love Other Ones, so... I'm always conflicted where it falls on my list.) 

Plus, about halfway through this last time, I realized that Betty Haynes (played by Rosemary Clooney) is one of my all time favorite characters in classic cinema.

But let us focus. Back to the ending. 

There are the red dresses...

But the entire ending is iconic. *mild spoilers and speaking with deliberate obtuseness* I just love the whole metaphorical imagery / dialogue Betty and Bob (Bing Crosby) develop throughout, epitomized by Betty's surprise gift at the end. {{melting}} And then the backdrop lifting... and the snow... *end spoilers* 

All absolutely epic and iconic. And so festive. *happy sigh*

Have you seen White Christmas? 💚

You can pop your links below:

🎄 Can't wait to see what y'all come up with and have fun! 🎄