Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you,

Don't you just loved those words? To be called favored one, to know that the Lord is with you? It speaks deep into my heart. I don't always feel that the Lord is with me though. Sometimes I feel alone in this world, fearful of almost anything. That is when I need to not rely on my feelings but rely on the truth. The truth that the Lord is with me always. That He loves me more than I could ever love anyone else. More than I could ever understand.

In hard times I have to remind myself of that a lot. Jesus has not left me. He is right here with me, in fact He lives inside me. The Holy Spirit dwells within me, and Oh How Thankful I Am. When I feel scared, hurt, alone, confused, unloved, unwanted, robbed of joy, stressed out, sick, tired, emotionally empty, or broken, I am thankful to know that I have a Father, Friend, Savior, and Lover of my Soul to pick up the pieces, put my feet on solid ground and put my heart and life back together again. It is a very natural response to feel these things. Mary the Mother of Jesus felt scared as recorded in Luke 1 when the Angel of the Lord came to her.

28“Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹ But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. ³⁰ The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; ³³ and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

Even Mary was unsure, perplexed, and afraid. Aren't we glad though that Mary believed and trusted God? Scripture records in Luke 1:46-55 some of the most beautiful words ever written. Its called The Magnificat, also known as Mary's Song.

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

“My soul ^]exalts the Lord,
⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
⁴⁸ “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
⁴⁹ “For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.
⁵⁰ “And His mercy is upon generation after generation
Toward those who fear Him.
⁵¹ “He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
⁵² “He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.
⁵³ “He has filled the hungry with good things;
And sent away the rich empty-handed.
⁵⁴ “He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,
⁵⁵ As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

Beautiful words by the Lord's favored. I want my heart to continuously be in a humble state just as Mary's was. I want my thoughts and actions to be of those of thanksgiving. I want my words to express my love and appreciation for the Lord. He has done so much for me. He has saved my life.

As I read these words verse 53 stuck out to me. He has filled the hungry with good things;.

This past week A Hope was blessed by several people in their giving. We received goodies wrapped in pretty Christmas packages, someone even gave us their Christmas bonus, and others gave us new clothes to be given out. This past weekend we did just that and we were blessed.

With the money given to us we purchased socks, hand warmers, razors, soaps, deodorants, toothbrushes/toothpaste, and other toiletries. People were almost in tears as they told us that this was probably the only Christmas gift they would receive. God is good and faithful. This weekend he used us and those who gave so unselfishly to fill the hungry with good things. What we want our homeless friends to see is not that we are giving to them or doing something for them but that God is. That even in hard times the Lord is with them.

We want to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas! Thank you for supporting us, loving us, and giving us grace. This is still all so new to us and so exciting to see what God is doing. We are truly blessed. With out you, your support and encouragement we would not be. May the Lord bless you and be with you favored one.

My favorite picture of all. My little man extending out his sweet little hand to give.

My second favorite picture. What a good lookin man I married. Look at his silhouette. Isn't he cute? He's so awesome! Sorry off topic. :)

Love ya'll! Merry Christmas!