A bit of a new twist to an old classic Christmas story...Enjoy! Merry Christmas to all.

‘Twas the night before Christmas in Bethlehem’s town,
A King was arriving, but not with a crown.
He wasn’t seen travelling in chariots of gold,
But surely was royal as the prophets foretold.
 
‘Twas not yet a man, nor even a lad,
Still to be greeted by his own mum and dad.
Chosen by God, a virgin called Mary,
Was blessed to hear of the son she would carry.
 
Pondering all of these things in her heart,
She and her beau, they both did their part.
Divinely ordained, this son would be born,
Descending from heaven, a realm that seems foreign.
 
A bright shining star in the east was the sign,
The King had come forth, for now was the time!
Mary and Joseph sought refuge in vain,
The baby was coming, Mary cried out in pain!
 
Joseph was panicked, but quick on his feet,
He found a wee shelter-a roof but no heat.
Surrounded by cattle, and hay on the floor,
The baby was born but don’t think them poor.
 
For here in her arms was a babe like no other,
Mary was blessed to be called as his mother.
Voices of angels sang proclamation,
‘The savior is born-he’ll bless every nation.’
 
The shepherds nearby, were curious to see,
“What was the fuss, who could he be?”
They followed the star, right to the spot,
Where Jesus lay sleeping upon a wee cot.
 
Approaching the manger, they saw a great light,
It came from the child, so bold and so bright!
All who beheld him, were touched by his glory,
They knew it was special, and oh what a story!
 
Shout from the rooftops, to the south and the north,
To the east and the west, “A saviour’s come forth!”
No longer will men be bound up by sin,
‘cause Satan’s defeated and God’s team will win!
 
His precious son Jesus, chose to come down,
To walk on the earth, forsaking his crown.
His days they were short—he trained up some brothers,
To walk in his ways, to teach and tell others.
 
He chose a great crew, 12 men in his fold,
‘Come follow me,’ is what they were told.
One Simon, called Peter, one Simon with zeal,
Thomas who questioned ‘are you the real deal?’
 
Bartholomew, Philip, Thaddeus were some,
Matthew replied, “I too will come!”
Two men called James, an Andrew and John,
And Judas, a traitor, who didn’t live long.
 
They took up the challenge to spread the good news,
To synagogues houses and those in the pews.
They told of this Jesus and all that was done,
His death on the cross—a victory won.
 
They told of a love that never would fail,
That weathered each storm, through wind and through hail.
The people they clapped and shouted for joy,
Is this the same Jesus, who came as a boy?
 
For many had heard of Christmas eve’s night,
When light had come down and shone oh so bright.
For times they grew darker, they all searched for hope,
Looking for peace and ways they could cope.
For life and its trials were empty and bare,
Many sought joy, finding only despair.
 
This Jesus he offers a life that is rich,
It’s given for free, but there is just one hitch,
Your heart is the treasure he longs to hold near,
He calls you his friend--to him you are dear.
 
So during this season when dressing your tree,
Remember the gift – the one that comes free.
It’s not in a box, or tucked in a bag,
Or beautifully wrapped and marked with a tag.
 
More precious than rubies, more costly than gold,
It will not decay or ever grow old.
There’s plenty for all, an endless supply,
Have faith to believe, and stop asking why!
 
Say ‘yes’ to King Jesus, in this Christmas season,
For he is the light, and he is the reason,
We joyfully sing and praise his great name,
Reflecting upon that night when he came.
 
A future with hope, when trouble will cease,
Love shining brightly through God’s Prince of Peace.

      Amy Carmichael, Gladys Alward, Lottie Moon and Mary Slessor—these are just a few missionaries of long ago whose stories continue to challenge and motivate us today—particularly single women who aspire to follow in their footsteps. Statistics show that there is still a strong presence of singles on the mission field, with a surprisingly high number of women (of all ages) embarking on the adventure of missions. OMF reports, of their current Canadian missionaries traveling abroad, 93% of the singles are in fact women. Over the centuries, the obstacles of travel have been mitigated putting the world within our reach. However, women missionaries of today have their fair share of challenges—some that are remarkably similar to heroines of the past; others that have emerged from progressive times and changing cultures.  
     Verna Aspray, octogenarian that continues to serve in many Asian nations, recalls that in her early years a woman over thirty was rarely accepted to be part of a mission, but thankfully, the sovereignty of God always prevails. Wisdom led one agency to make an exception in her case, welcoming her contributions, and today she continues to labor in the nations garnering a great harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God. Interestingly, another well-established mission organization, SIM, has noticed a trend of older women having an easier time transitioning onto the mission field due to their experience and maturity that lends to flexibility and contentment throughout the cross cultural adjustment.
     Trained as a nurse, it was Verna’s medical background that opened doors for the Gospel in many nations. Tribal villages placed no value on what she sought to teach, believing that “a women’s teaching has no flavor (value).” Her messages fell on deaf ears…until they sought essential medical care. As she continued to help them with their physical needs, she witnessed countless spiritual breakthroughs including many who were set free from opium addictions. Nancy Gibson, a 23 year veteran of SIM remarked that age is no longer a barrier to serve in missions. In fact, life experience proves to be one of the most valuable commodities in a woman’s kit bag.
     Although the numbers reflect a large percentage of women in the field today, how many have ignored the prompting from the Holy Spirit due to their age or their “single” status?  Having read that Jesus sent His disciples out in twos, how many women have discounted themselves as candidates for long term missions choosing to “wait for their mate” who has yet to make an appearance? Lottie Moon was said to have remarked, “I pray that no missionary will ever be as lonely as I have been.” The transparency of her confession is refreshing—it is human nature to long for a companion. Some of the women I spoke to said they rarely experienced loneliness due to the constant needs of the people which acted as a distraction of sorts, and often there was a strong sense of community amongst the villagers. Others candidly admitted that there were often times they felt the tug of loneliness, feeling the burden of having to wear so many hats from being the keeper of the vision to attending to all the details along the way. With a woman’s natural ability to multi-task, it seems that personal care and rest often suffers when there is no one walking with her to say “take a break” or “let me help you with that.” So what is the verdict on singles going out alone?
     Today we have the benefit of choosing to partner with ministries that have established infrastructure in foreign countries providing support to various degrees. This certainly makes the leap of faith less intimidating, but the most important considerations above all, are to know with certainty that you are called by God for the journey, and to wait for His command to go. An independent wanderlust heart may have the makings of a great missionary, but the season of preparation at the feet of the Lord is essential if one hopes to succeed on the mission field. It is in our daily life that we learn to discern and obey His voice, and where we will grow in wisdom and faith. As we delight ourselves in the Lord, His desires will become our own; yielding to His ways will become second nature and His love will compel us to carry on in the face of insurmountable odds. What seems like an endless season of waiting upon the Lord could actually be His divine providence in preparing us for what lies ahead.
     Many books have been written about the adventures of great ‘single’ missionary women who, for generations, have braved turbulent times, wars, health issues and cultural barriers to carry the Gospel to the nations. God is empowering a new generation of single women to run with the baton, whose stories have yet to unfold. We are from a long line of courageous women, fully prepared to stand up for Truth at any cost. As we look to the Lord, we dare to believe that He will use us for great exploits and that we may indeed be the next Corrie ten Boom. In the words of Mother Teresa, we will choose to simply be the pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.
 

I love springtime—cherry blossoms, magnolias and sunshine! Although we have longer days, I feel that time is marching on much too fast for me to keep up with! Has it really been five years since Vancouver hosted the winter Olympics and sixteen years since Y2K?
This month I celebrate a personal milestone as I graduate from Bible College. Incredibly, it has been three and a half years since I made the decision to go back to school and I am delighted to be crossing the finish line. Last week the graduates were asked to share what the experience has meant to them—what they have learned, how they have changed and what they are looking forward to in their future. Initially, I thought this would be a straightforward task as so much has transpired in these past few years—I’d have more than enough to share! However, when I tried to put pen to paper, I realized I was so elated to be finishing up that “last” paper and my  “final” final exam that I had not given much attention to reflecting upon all that had been accomplished. In a sense I had been in survival mode, keeping my head down and forging ahead at a steady pace with the hope I would make it out alive! I’m beginning to see that times of transition are not to be taken lightly. In fact, this is the point where the Holy Spirit reveals many of the purposes behind all that we have endured!
The word for this year at my church has been about “crossing over” into our Promised Land and in March it became clear we had indeed “crossed” over into new territory—a new season had begun. When we read the account of Joshua leading the children of Israel across the Jordan River, God spectacularly holds back the waters to allow them to cross over on dry ground. When they had all made it to the other side, their first act was to build a monument as a testimony to the generations to come. It was done so “all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful” (Josh. 4:24) and that they would forever fear the Lord. I believe this sets an important precedent that we should be following today as believers—taking time to reflect upon our journey, to see how far we have come and to acknowledge where God was in our midst. This not only secures in our own heart the truth of what we have overcome, but brings glory to His name.
Before we set our eyes upon the next mountain to conquer, let’s set aside some quiet time to meet with the Lord, asking the Holy Spirit for revelation and insight on this past season. Often in these times we have tremendous losses—perhaps a job, a friend, a home or something else that we held dear. Perhaps we had to say goodbye to a close relative. We know that it is in these trials when we cling to the steadfast love of Christ. Although we don’t always like the circumstances, Christ is always there and it is to these challenges that we can attribute our growth. One thing I have come to understand is that when God redeems losses, rarely will things look like they used to. We cannot turn back the clock and what is lost is gone. We have left these losses on the other side of the river. I found great freedom in giving up the hope of something “coming back” to me. Instead, I looked towards how God was going to redeem it. This perspective makes room for joy rather than a longing and sadness for what is gone.
As you reflect upon what you are leaving behind, search your heart in answering these questions:
What has been your biggest challenge in this past season?
What did you learn about yourself and how did this experience change you?
How has your attitude towards others changed?
How has your outlook on life changed?
How do you see the church? How has your love for others grown?
Is there anyone that you feel you have not yet forgiven?
How have you experienced God’s grace and forgiveness?
How has your relationship with God grown?
What is the greatest attribute of God that you love?
What is the greatest gift God has placed within you?
What is the desire of your heart in this next season?
Take some time to meditate on Psalm 139—perhaps beside a local river. Then, when you are ready, declare this past chapter of your life to be closed as you offer it up to the Lord and await its redemption. Confess your hope and trust to be in Christ alone as you turn to face the inheritance that awaits you…then keep calm and carry on.