Dear family & friends,

We're now into the church season called Epiphany. Hopefully, Christmas time and the announcement of our Lord's birth isn't old news. Now, we've fast-forwarded to baby Jesus as a toddler.

Stage right...enter three kings to inspect and respect this great gift called the Christ Child. They see his power is stronger than theirs and any kingdom they've reigned over. We don't know how long they hung around, but we can figure it was a rest stop well worth waiting for.

Finally filling their eyes & heart with a lifelong fullness, the three agree to leave by a different route, wanting their tracks to be hard to follow. They'd heard that insecure, jealous Herod had ordered all boy babies under two years old to be killed. Jesus' folks took him to another country for safety.

We will be in the season of Ephiphany until Lent begins February 9th.

Here at our new church, The Family of Faith, I enjoyed setting back watching all the Christmas pageantry in it's finest. Having directed for 19 years myself, I can tell you it's no small feat to get it all pulled together for the big night. The best part, for me was always when it was finally over.

The fighting shepherds were headed home for their action-packed times, the crying baby angels kept their clothes on for their family photo, angry Mary lay asleep in her own bed dreaming that next year her one-eyed, wee-wee baby wasn't substituted for the sock monkey she was to watch lovingly; the wise men were planning to bring the gold back next Sunday after they bet Joseph it wouldn't be missed.

I used to believe that Epiphany marks the hectic beginning for only clergy families, but now I realize hectic happens to everyone. We tend to forget to seek out the Christ Child in all our traveling to and fro, wondering how many more miles before we get somewhere, and feeling we've got to hurry so we won't be caught...off guard, or unprepared.

It's ok. Take a breath, our stop is the manger. Our REST stop. That's our entire agenda. The other stuff will fall into place as we remain open to listening to the lord's direction. Just like the wise men of old, we'll get the message when we have to high tail it, but for now may we recognize how wise God makes us all if we only will listen.

God's blessings,

Kathleen & Bill