Tracy's Blog

Our four-year old son, Timmy, has been having trouble going to Nursery School in the last couple of weeks. It wasn't that he didn't like the program or that he didn't have other children he knew there, it was that he worried I would forget to pick him up. He wasn't sure how I'd remember to pick him up so he couldn't trust that I would. So, we worked on a plan to ensure that Timmy knew I had reminders. First, I asked him to remember every other pre-school time – had Mommy or someone he knew picked him up? Yes. Second, I set my alarm on my cell phone for 15 minutes before I needed to be there. I showed him how it worked and assured him that I would come when it rang. Third, I wrote his name on the palm of my hand and showed it to him. Well, on Monday morning we set out to Nursery School and his anxiety was very high. He was crying alot and saying “I won't go to pre-school” and “Mommy won't pick me up”. So, I addressed these words, we prayed to...

We are still looking at John 2:1-11 this week BUT it isn't at verse 4 as I didn't get anywhere in my attempt to figure it out this week. (Maybe next week?!) What I want to ask you about this text is: Did you notice the servants? I'm so impressed with the servants in this story. Why? Well, let me tell you! But first let's look at exactly what they did: John 2:5-9a “His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim . Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so , and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine . As you can see by my bold highlights, I'm impressed with the servants total obedience to Jesus. They filled the water jars “to the brim”...

Our Christmas wreaths and garlands have been put away, the artificial tree has been stuffed into it's box which now has duck tape around it to keep all those green boughs in, and all that's left of Christmas treats is a candy cane or two but guess who is on my mind.... Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Why? This coming Sunday's gospel reading is John 2:1-11 .  It's the story of the wedding at Cana when Jesus turns water into wine, when Jesus did " the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him " (John 2:11) and it starts with Mary. John 2:1-3 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.  Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.  When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." The passage starts by saying that Jesus' mother was at the wedding.  This caught my attention because it is the first mention...

Today is the day that we celebrate the revealing of the Messiah to the nations through the visit of the Magi to the Christ-child ( Matthew 2:1-12 ).  From my heritage, it is also the day that we celebrate Ukrainian Christmas Eve.  When I put these two things together, I think of the many people who have obeyed God's call to share the good news that Jesus is the Saviour of the whole world.  And I remember the people who have shared God's Word with me. My encouragement to you is twofold: 1) take a few minutes to thank God for the people who have shown you who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him.  2) pray for people you know who need God to reveal to them that Jesus is Lord and King.