Author: Emily Chase

  Welcome back to the 18th day of this Advent series of devotionals on the emotions Jesus’ mother felt during her pregnancy.   Holidays from work usually offer people an opportunity for rest, but sleep is always elusive for me. I average six hours per night. Through the years, I have accumulated lots of tricks …

  Daily devotionals during Advent have been a family tradition in our home for around thirty years now. We began when our children were small and had difficulty waiting for Christmas to arrive. Like most young children, our sons and daughter would lift the packages and shake them to determine what might be inside. Did …

  Thanks for continuing to come back to join in on our family’s Advent tradition.  For those who are only now joining us, be sure to read the earlier posts as well.   One year I asked our oldest son what he would like for his birthday. Tim replied that he wanted a 20-piece box …

    Advent is traditionally a time for fasting and restraint, but in our world, with all the Christmas treats around during this season, it is easy to add on pounds. Those candies and cookies magically turn into fat all on their own. Without any effort on my part, my body automatically processes the carbohydrates …

  Mary experienced powerful emotions during her personal Advent, waiting for the birth of her son Jesus.  Those emotions ebbed and flowed, not necessarily following any logical order but weaving back and forth to create a beautiful fabric of their own.   In my job with Bethany Christian Services, I work with birthmoms who are …

  Welcome once again to this journey back to the very first Advent season, the nine months of Mary’s pregnancy. One of my co-workers is completing her fourth month of pregnancy. I recently asked if she had felt the baby kick yet. Since this is her first pregnancy, she wasn’t sure what that felt like …

  My grandson had his Christmas program for preschool last night.  He practiced his songs and danced around the living room for days, flailing his arms as he whirled hither and yon.  It took four adults to keep an eye on this ball of energy. After the program, he came home and collapsed in bed …

Our time of Advent is almost half over already. How far along was Mary now in her pregnancy? It too was almost half over. The angel Gabriel told Mary that her relative Elizabeth was already in her sixth month when he first appeared to Mary. Assuming that Mary spent a few weeks preparing for the …

    Advent is a time for hope.  I trust these devotionals about events that happened two thousand years ago in the past are helping you look forward to Christ’s future return. When Mary headed to Judea to see Elizabeth, Zechariah was also in the home. As a priest, Zechariah was familiar with the Law, …

  Advent is a time of anticipation. I hope you look forward to these devotional thoughts each day.   Our 3-year-old grandson in Texas has been anticipating a visit from his grandparents. For days, our son has told Simeon, “Gramma and Grampa are coming!” Tim helped Simeon make a paper chain to count the days …