Interestingly to me, I wrote this blog, part of my journal, in December of 2018. As I look back now at the words, I can see my struggle, as it was roughly one month before God would answer my cry for help by hounding me to life, breaking into my sinful existence, and bringing Jesus into my broken life. Alcoholism was not the root of the problem. At the core of my being, although I believed in God and his Son, I did not trust either of them. I treated my own pain and problems. But that was soon to change. Praise be to God! Soli Deo Gloria!
( I can also see how I've grown as a writer. 😩 I'm leaving it as is. )
As we begin the Christmas season, I, fervently and continuously, pray for those around me to find deliverance and salvation in the Babe of Bethlehem, to not just acknowledge him as the wee Baby King away in a manger, but as the Sovereign Ruler, Faithful Husband, and Glorious Lord of their lives.
Star Power: December 2018
Why are we so intrigued with people of notoriety? Have you ever wondered about this? Why are there reality shows about the rich, the famous, the beautiful?
Stargazing is far from a novel pursuit. Whether one characterizes the interest as art, science, or plain intrigue, it's been around for centuries.
In fact over two thousand years ago, a collection of astrologers from the east became infatuated with a luminous, rising star in the heavens above them, and according to the Gospel of Matthew, were quite determined to follow it. These learned men, referred to as magi, obviously had a strong understanding of the Hebrew scriptures that predicted "a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel." ( Numbers 24:17 ) Familiar with the prophesies and that the Jewish people were waiting for the arrival of their king, a caravan assembled, gifts were prepared, and the journey commenced.
They wanted to meet this king, maybe that's why these wise men referred to the celestial body as "his star." ( Matthew 2:2 )
I have to back up a minute. Stay with me.
Now, most evenings in the winter with the short daylight hours as I spar to finish off the chores and get in a decent walk with the dogs, try as I might, the enclosing darkness usually beats me to the punch, inspiring the happy hens to skedaddle on home to roost and the browsing goats to roam in from the field and settle down in their soft hay. Ironically, these cool, twilight hours, especially when they're calm and clear, have become some of my favorite memories at the farm. Please don't tell summer.
Out in the pasture away from the glare of the house and front porch lights, the Pyrenees Patrol and I stroll along a narrow stretch of flat land alongside the rocky slope that leads to the back of the property. This far corner is home to a natural spring that trickles off the mountain, occasionally we're followed by the flock and a couple of cows hoping for a slice a bread or a handful of sweet feed.
One by one the stars begin to make their jubilant appearance, singing forth their brilliant night chorus as they light up our frozen way. I happily rest my tired body on the hard, vertical bank as the dogs lap a drink from the stream, sometimes pounding on the icy surface with their strong, large breed paws. The sheep stamp their hooves too, I like to think in defiance of old man winter.
I soak in the twinkling view above my head and through the bare trees silhouetted against the charcoal sky until the pack has quenched their thirst, and before I am smothered in drool and wet noses. There's usually at least a small window of time to identify a few constellations that I've researched earlier on Google.
I guess I'm writing all this to say: As magnificent as these stellar objects appear in all of their sparkling brilliance, I couldn't a bit more follow one of them if I was Ferdinand Magellan. Could you imagine just picking up and trailing after one? You'd hike around the world and back. The "Bethlehem Star" - His Star could not have been a star like the ones we admire today. No, this had to have been a glorious, supernatural occurrence, something not of this universe or even our dimension.
Could others see it too or only the wise travelers? Did it move? Just how close was it to earth? Because if the stars we see today got any nearer to our little planet, we'd burn alive. There is a lot of mystery surrounding this prophetic star.
Again according to Saint Matthew's gospel, the only one to include the magi's plight, the caravan did finally discover the king they so diligently sought, two years after his birth and living in a house. The designer of my glass nativity set apparently never read the gospels as three wise men kneel before the tiny manger with nary a shepherd in sight. Thankfully, Baby Jesus is there, so we're good to go.
This humble king of low birth and poorly circumstances must have made quite an impression on the group because they refused to disclose his whereabouts to wicked King Herod, risking their lives by defying a royal command and taking an alternate route back home.
I think it's safe to say that the magi had stardom obsession. The main difference being that the star they pursued wasn't rich or famous or of nobility, but at the end of their search they actually found a king worth following, and he was still a toddler! Wow! Imagine that, a two year old.
He must have been so unlike the stars we follow today, the ones that eventually fizzle and burn out because well, at the end of our search we are still empty, and no matter how talented or beautiful or polished or rich, anyone may seem, we're all in the same, human vessel - broken and flawed and imperfect and in need of a king, a king not of this universe or dimension.
This year more than ever I need that baby king, the one that was aware of every sin that I would commit, every tear that I would shed, every heartbreak that I would face, every failure that I would meet, every sickness that I would experience, and every day that I would feel like I most certainly couldn't survive.
Yes, this year more than ever I need that baby king sleeping in a feeding trough situated in the middle of a barn that reeked of manure and damp hay, the toddler king clinging to his young mother, the man king whose feet not only walked on water, but climbed the filthy trash heap of Golgotha under the brutal weight of a cumbersome, rugged cross, knowing full well where the road would end.
But he also knew it was the only way my life could truly begin.
This Christmas more than ever, I am seeking that king.
He is the only star worth following. 🌟
Christmas 2018
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| Yeah, Atlas is our movie star - he probably could have made us rich, the big ham. ( : |
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| Some of our Katahdin Sheep on a snowy day waiting for me to stop clicking photos and toss them their hay. |
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| Skipper meets sheep for the first time |
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| Someone has stolen Grand Paw's sleeping spot and everyone's heart here at the farm. |
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| I told Mattie that Skipper was in good hands - she would be loved and would make her proud. Mattie was born at Healing Brook to Nicky and Atlas. She is now lead dog and queen bee at Ratchford Farms, a huge cattle farm in Gastonia, NC . |
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| We enjoyed such a great day at Ratchford Farms picking up Skipper, and got back to our farm just in time for the snow. |
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| Our Atlas |
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| Shasta is now well over a year old and quite the livestock guardian |
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| Skipper with her Grand Paw Atlas |
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| Skipper meets her grandmother Nicky for the first time. ( : |
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| November 2019, Skipper now ( in front ) with Nicky and Shasta |