grateful – True Vine Living

The Valentine

Read Time 5 Minutes

Valentine’s Day is an annual celebration of romantic love, friendship, and admiration. When the question, “What is love?” is asked, the answers take on many forms. Love is a word used frequently, much of the time overused and misused in ways that make it casual and lose its meaning. However, there are some very famous quotes about love bringing the word back up to a level of powerful importance once again.

” I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” ~ Mother Teresa

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” ~Martin Luther King Jr.

“We shall not long have love to man if we do not first and chiefly cultivate love to God.” ~ Charles Spurgeon

Entertainers like to chime in on “love” as well. Here are a couple…

“You always gain, by giving love.” ~ Reese Witherspoon

“It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them.” Agatha Christie

TRUE LOVE is more than a feeling! Love is more than an action! AND true love is not up for interpretation!

The real and full truth about love comes from knowing and experiencing that God Is Love! (1 John 4:8 and 1 John 4:16)

The question about love should not be, “What is love?”. The correct question about love is, “WHO IS LOVE?”.

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” 1 John 4:16

HOW CAN WE TAKE PART IN THIS TRUE LOVE? Abide in God and let Him abide in you. Ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior and to live in your heart!

HOW CAN WE LOVE, AND THEN IN TURN LOVE OTHERS? Because He first loved us! (1 John 4:19)

HOW MUCH DOES GOD LOVE US? He loves us so much that He gave His Only Son for us!!

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

HOW DO WE SHOW THIS LOVE?

“This is the most important,” Jesus answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE WHEN WE LIVE IT OUT ACCORDING TO GOD’S PLAN?

“Love is patient, love is kind.
Love does not envy,
is not boastful, is not conceited,
does not act improperly,
is not selfish, is not provoked,
and does not keep a record of wrongs.
Love finds no joy in unrighteousness
but rejoices in the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.” I Corinthians 13:4-7

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

Valentine’s Day is upon us. It is a manmade day to celebrate love, particularly a romantic love. However, whether romantically involved or not, people have found fun ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Having been a teacher for 28 years, this day meant Valentine’s Day parties where the kids exchanged cards, and I received a lot of gestures of love!

How amazing it is that no matter the day, we can always experience a True Love that is more powerful than we can comprehend, never failing, and never ending! If you are a Christ-follower, than you have this Valentine from God:

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

When we are a Christ-follower, we can claim on Valentine’s Day and everyday and into eternity that, “My beloved is mine, and I am his.” (Song of Solomon 2:16).

In 1 John 4:19 we learn that “We love because He first loved us.” Thanks to God’s goodness, I have had the opportunity to show love and receive love in many ways during my life. I hope you have too. I put together a little photo gallery with captions that exemplify expressions of love that I have been blessed by God to experience or take part in throughout my life. There have been mountains and valleys, but God’s love for me and the way He also demonstrates His love through others in my life has been the prevailing force that spurs me on!

May you experience the fullness of God’s love today and everyday, and like me, reflect on how His love has touched your life!

My students forming a heart to emphasize kindness in our community.

Dog Love…a blessing from God as a reminder of His unconditional love!

My mom is an example of selfless love…a life lived of giving to her children and an example of living a life of deep faith in God.

My dad holding me shortly after arriving home from the hospital. Japan 1968

Michael’s family on our wedding day…a new family to belong to and be loved by.

This sweet couple in Haiti lovingly wanted to participate in the VBS experience alongside the children. They wanted to be a part of the excitement of learning about God!

It’s so exciting to watch the ones we love accept Jesus into their hearts and follow in believer’s baptism.

Lifelong friends are so special! We taught together, shared time together in book club, walked beside each other in faith, and remain a dear group of friends to this day!

The joys of teaching! It’s also a happy day when the teacher and student unknowingly show up in matching boots.

The love of a grandma presents a whole other level of comfort and love!

When you and the one you love accidently match, it’s just more confirmation of how you were meant to be together!

More dog love with this special pooch and “girl’s best friend”!

Michael is such a good dad to his sons. He is a Godly dad because he faithfully follows Christ.

Sister time! Having my sisters means friends for life and a level of protection you feel knowing they will go to battle for you.

Again, dogs are such special friends! Rueger is the newest addition.

It’s great when we can share adventures with those we love.

These two are an expression of years and years of faithful love and devotion to one another.

Shoebox gifts in Haiti! Share a box of love and the love of Jesus with a child.

Winter Blues

Read Time 4 Minutes

The season of winter provides for many people a wonderland of snow, outdoor sports activities, warm fires and hot chocolate, and many other delights that are special to this time of year.

For some, however, this cold season can seem long sometimes leading to a feeling of sadness, mood swings, and even depression. This is particularly true for those that live in colder and less sunny climates. This seasonal change in mood has been labeled (SAD) Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Seasonal change, of course, is just one in many reasons people deal with sadness and depression. Traumatic circumstances and “seasons of life” may also cause these changes in our mood. Times like these can be mild to severe. They can come on slowly or be sudden. I personally experienced many years ago an unexpected and sudden attack of full on depression!

In the fall of 1986, I excitedly began my freshman year at Texas A&M University. I was ready to experience college, all the unmatched Aggie traditions, and even the academics! The fall semester was filled with new experiences…college football games, roommates, large academic classes, and new independence with very little parental oversight. On the flip side, it also revealed that I felt very different being a little fish in a VERY big sea! In high school, I was very involved and active with friends with a feeling of belonging. I had a cozy home with family and a homecooked meal at the end of each day. That first college semester began to become a time of identifying where my place was in this new vast world that I now found myself.

And then, right before Christmas break, I received word that my grandpa had suddenly passed away! It felt shocking! My grandpa was so special to me! I had to make arrangements to take my finals so that I could fly to Denver with my sister to be with my grandma. Over the Christmas break, in one intense moment, I felt a dark heaviness set over me… a feeling of dread, fear, and confusion. People did not really talk about depression back then, so I didn’t really know what was happening to me or how to seek help.

I returned to college for the second semester only to encounter no relief from the daily depression. Strangely, the only reprieve I got from the torment was when I threw myself into studies. The moment I stopped studying, I would cave in and fear even more! I had been a Christian most of my life, so I prayed and prayed, but could not find the peace. Months in, I began to question if God was even there…did He even exist? I would tell myself the truth…that He did, but it did not change the cycle of dreadful thoughts. Finally, I decided to go to the campus emergency counseling office. In that one hour emergency session, the lady asked me if I thought about suicide. I told her that I didn’t think I would take my life, but that I was beginning to get fearful of the thought of getting to that point. She told me that people who commit suicide see themselves in a box and they do NOT see anyway out of the box. She asked if I saw a way out of the box. In that moment, God revealed Himself mightily to me! I pictured a big square in my mind. That square had one door opened in it. That door showed me that my One Hope was God and He was there for me!!

I didn’t instantly get better, but that confirmation of hope in Him spurred me on to trust Him, believe His promises that I knew, and cling to Him for the right thoughts. As I continually and purposefully pushed out every fear and confusing thought and replaced them with real truths no matter how I felt in the moment, I began to heal. This healing led to a strengthening in my faith which would in turn serve me well in the future. When the next valley would inevitably arrive, I was more prepared to trust God. Now I knew that the “valleys of life” provided opportunity, growth, and the ability see God’s glory manifested!

“For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

If you or someone you know is experiencing “winter blues” or even severe depression brought on by circumstances in life…grab onto or encourage them to grab hold of true hope that is an anchor for our souls! (Hebrews 6:19) Maybe my story can be of some help as well.

The Bible is full of many verses that are helpful promises and commands from our Loving and All-mighty God. When we are struggling, we can recite them and put them into practice continually and purposefully to replace the fears and confusion just as I did many years ago. Here is one of my favorites:

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

There are 3 lovingly prepared actions above that God asks us to do. Simply put…rejoice, pray, and give thanks. Choosing to turn to these actions anytime the fearful feelings surface moves us onto a healing and victorious path. Some people find it helpful to keep a grateful journal. This is one way to rejoice and give thanks. However you carry out these actions, remember that the most important reason to rejoice and give thanks is truly because we have a living hope in Jesus, and because of who we are in Christ…a child of God! This is the kind of rejoicing that moves us into His perfect peace!

Another Bible verse that proves timeless in helping so many people as they deal with anxieties and fears is:

“…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Did you catch the similar actions on our part…prayer and thanksgiving? In this passage, we also see a beautiful promise from God revealed when we do as He says. We can have the “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding”! Also, our hearts and our minds will be guarded by His perfect provisions. This is what we need to be victorious when faced with discouragement, sadness, anxiety, and depression!

I hope you along with me will reach out and take God’s hand no matter what the season and no matter what we are going through now and in the future.

May we experience His perfect peace!

Not Just a Number

I’m not just a number, for God has counted the hairs on my head. (Luke 12:7)

I am not invisible, for God is a seeing God and He knows my heart. (Genesis 16:13 and Samuel 16:7)

I am not misunderstood, for God understands my thoughts from afar. (Psalm 139:2)

I am not insignificant, for I am engraved on the palms of His hands. (Isaiah 49:16)

I am not ignored, for He hears my every prayer. (1 John 5:14)

I am not an accident, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)

My hurts are known, for He counts my sorrows and holds my tears in His bottle. (Psalm 56:8)

I am not alone, for God is with me always. (Matthew 28:20)

I am unique and special to God, for He saw me before He formed me. (Psalm 139:16)

I am greatly loved, for He calls me His child. (1 John 3:1)

I am intimately known, for He calls me by name. (John 10:3)

I never have to fear, for God is with me and will uphold me with His righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

I have a bright future, because He has perfect plans for me. (Jeremiah 29:11)

I will live forever with Him in paradise, because He is preparing a place for me. (John 14:2)

I am “the apple of His eye”, and He will always love me and protect me. (Psalm 17:8)

I am not just a number to God!

Good Tidings

“Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2: 10-14

“Good tidings of great JOY”…the JOY of the birth of Jesus! The JOY that is ours because He was born in Bethlehem that night long ago! Isn’t this what Christmas is all about? The JOY set before us… Comfort and JOY…JOY to the world! For the Christian, this is the theme of Christmas, JOY because of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

I hope this Christmas season (2023) finds you feeling the great JOY there is to be felt at this celebratory time of year. However, you might be one of many who are struggling to grasp that joy and even feel guilty that you are not feeling it! You might be experiencing a present hardship or tragedy, or maybe you are still unreconciled from past hurts. Maybe you are feeling depressed or just overwhelmed with life and can’t seem to feel the joy right now that this season reminds of us.

So, what can I offer in the way of encouragement that hasn’t already been talked about and written about concerning JOY? In this blog post, I hope to encourage you by sharing my own “Aha moments” through my life journey in discovering how to experience JOY in each and every circumstance. If you are on a mountain high right now and don’t need reminders of how to experience joy, then maybe you can store up new thoughts for the future when indeed you may find yourself struggling once again. If you need help right now, then I hope my thoughts might lift you up today.

It is almost a given that anyone reading this article has experienced hardships and hurts in their lives. I have too…some in early childhood and others as an adult. It was during a very tragic event in my life 16 years ago that I truly learned what it means to experience both sorrow and joy at the same time. Without going into much detail, I experienced the ultimate rejection a woman can experience (which ended my 19-year marriage)! It was then that I learned what it meant to not just say, “I have faith in God”…I learned how to actually cling to that faith, hold God’s hand, and actually live out my faith. I experienced great sorrow at what was a sudden and unexpected change in my life. All I could do was cry out to God for strength, comfort, wisdom, and love. When all I could do was count on Him, I learned the secret of JOY…simply discovering Him in His fullness! I learned that I can exist in a victorious state right along with the pain. When you realize that you are truly in a relationship that can NEVER disappoint because God keeps His promises and never changes His love for you, then you can find the greatest JOY available!

Now, you might think that after that experience, I would never have to struggle again to understand JOY, but sometimes I slide backwards. When I do, God gives me more big moments to remember again just how good He is!

While I have not experienced in recent years another tragedy on the level of the one I just shared about, I have experienced some other difficult circumstances. One of those times when God taught me something new was during the uncertainty and unsettled feelings that the Covid Pandemic brought on. In a blog post during that time a few years ago, I wrote about another discovery of joy. To understand this discovery, think about your heart (the emotional part of your heart) being like a bucket. You can pile it with all kinds of objects. You can fill it with unpleasantries, you can fill it with things that seem good but don’t really help you, or you can fill it with delightful things that lead to joy. Think of this bucket as your “joy bucket”. With that in mind, read the following excerpt from my post in 2020…

“I find it a daily struggle to stay positive and grab hold of all the peace and joy available to me through God in the midst of so many negative issues in our country. A couple of nights ago, God made it clear to me why I have been struggling with this matter of joy. I have the head knowledge and the experiential knowledge of joy, and I have been praying to feel God’s peace and joy during these tough times; however, I was forgetting a very important action on my part. I was forgetting to actually REJOICE! When I choose to rejoice, then the “joy bucket” in me begins to be filled up. Because each day seems to be filled with so much negativism in the media and in the conversations of so many, the negatives have been the focus and what I have been piling in my bucket. The negatives we are all facing were the big things in my mind that were depleting my “joy bucket”. I needed to adjust my thoughts by beginning with the action of rejoicing.

I am now consciously taking action each day. I am choosing to REJOICE in who I am in God. Just the simple fact that I am His puts me in an overriding victorious circumstance at all times no matter what is going on in this world. I am His, a child of the one true King. My life will always be abundant because He is always good to me. He promises to get me through anything I face in my life. I am secure in eternity because of my salvation through Jesus Christ. Because He lives, I can face each day with confidence. With this kind of security, why would I not choose to rejoice every day! I hope that you too can choose with full confidence and peace to REJOICE in knowing God, His goodness, and His Son, Jesus! Join me in filling our “joy buckets” with all the fullness of His goodness today!”

Our Christmas story is the perfect reminder of Rejoicing! You can find the Biblical evidence of how Mary rejoiced (Luke 1:47), the angels rejoiced (Luke 2: 10-14, the Shepherds rejoiced (Luke 2:20) , and the Wise Men rejoiced (Matthew 2:10) in very difficult circumstances.

If you are not sure how to have this ultimate JOY, you can choose to open the greatest gift right now and experience the true JOY of Christmas this year! JESUS is the everlasting Gift! He came as a baby so that He could die on the cross for our sins. You just have to ask Him into your heart and make Him your King by admitting that you are a sinner and there is nothing you can do to save yourself. Acknowledge that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for your sin and ask Him to be your Lord and Savior this Christmas! Then you too can experience real JOY no matter your circumstances!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

May this Christmas find you RECJOICING no matter what because of the glorious gift of JESUS!

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12

The Greatest Provision

“And the Lord will guide you continually
    and satisfy your desire in scorched places
    and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
    like a spring of water,
    whose waters do not fail.” Isaiah 58:11

It’s been a little over 7 months since I have written a blog post. There are several reasons for this gap in writing, one being that God blessed me with a thriving personal training business over the last couple of years as our country slowly made its way back to “normal” from the Covid Pandemic.

Another factor is that my husband, Michael, and I were seeking God for His will in making a move back to Texas. Over the three plus years that we had been serving in Washington, it began to stir on our hearts to be back in a region of the US where we could be closer to our three adult children and other family members. There was also the fact that Michael was working two jobs, and he had a desire to have one full-time job in ministry again.

As most Christians know well, when you begin seeking God’s will and praying for change, it pretty much never happens when and how you think it might…and that is a GOOD THING! While it’s not always easy, it takes patience and full trust in God for His perfect provision! When you wait and you trust and you don’t act on your own out of impatience, then the result is flawless because you are right where God wants you to be! And right where God wants you to be does not mean without difficulties and challenges. That’s part of the joy of being in His will…you get to be lifted up in His strength, supplied with His peace, and see His faithfulness in all circumstances!

When studying the Bible, we learn immediately that God is the perfect provider as He created the perfect environment for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve failed in their trust of God, just as we all do at times since that very first disobedience. A few chapters over from the Creation story, we learn again that we CAN and SHOULD trust God as our provider in Genesis 22:14:

“And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said: “It will be provided on the Lord’s mountain.”

It is in this dramatic story about Abraham and Isaac that we learn God’s name – YHWH Yireh translated Jehovah-Jireh meaning “The-LORD-Will-Provide”.

One of the blessings of living a number of years on this earth is that you get to see God display His faithfulness over and over again to where you begin to never doubt that HE WILL provide. Too bad we spend so much time worrying! Oh, if only it didn’t take so long for us to realize that God does not think and act like we do! His time table is not ours. He does not have responsive actions to circumstances because He already has His perfect plans laid out! Praise God! We just have to trust!

When the waiting and wondering gets hard; however, it helps me to remember some of the big moments in life when God provided for me in dramatic ways during dramatic trials!

One of those times in my life was when I had a major life threatening medical emergency. I sustained a major injury that began as a bruise to my right kidney much like some football players get during games. In my injury, a vein in my bruise ruptured and created major internal bleeding! Two weeks, two different hospitals, two operations, and two units of a blood transfusion later, I began a long road of recovery to gaining my strength back. When I think back to that time, it is the joy of God’s provisions that trump all other thoughts!

I remember a moment in the first hospital when I was so weak that I told God that I couldn’t even think to pray. His gently voice told me in the quiet of my heart, “It’s okay, Robin. There are so many praying for you right now. Just sleep.” I felt the prayers of many then, and I slept. I remember all the nurses and doctors and how much they truly cared for me and were so kind to me. I knew God provided all those special people to help me. And then, I remember when I was told that I would need a blood transfusion, family and friends were willing to get tested to see if they could give me blood. I ended up receiving a unit from my mother and a unit from my sister. When the transfusion was over, I truly felt revived and like I finally had life in me again!

When the waiting and wondering gets hard, it helps me to remember that God’s provisions have nothing to do with material things (although He does bless some of us in that way). I have had the privilege to visit Haiti, the western hemisphere’s poorest country, twice on short mission trips. The biggest thing I brought back with me from those trips was that Christian Haitians have something that the vast majority of American Christians do not. They wear carefree joyous smiles on their faces because rather than being concerned about what they don’t have, they soak up the best thing that God provides them…Himself!

When the waiting and wondering gets hard, and I am trying to grasp and understand my present circumstances, it helps me to remember how God has promised the provision of my future and forever home with Him! It helps me to remember that my citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20-21). This life is a journey to grow and know Him better, to bear His fruits, and to be a light to others, with the promise that one day there will be no more sorrow and only forever joy (Revelation 21:4-7)! Praise God!

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe…” Hebrews 12:28

Recently, as I said above, Michael and I were seeking God’s will and His provision for our next steps in life. It is a blessing to be a part of how He has rolled out His plan for us over this past year! He provided on His time table in His perfection! We are now living in Floresville, Texas in full-time ministry, and within driving distance of many friends and family! Are there challenges? Yes, but we are excited to see how God provides all of our needs and how He blesses us, our children, our church family, and our community beyond all the we can imagine!

“Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

As we begin December, this time of the year is a reminder that THE GREATEST PROVISON of all is JESUS, God’s Son, who came in the form of a baby to be Immanuel, God with us! To be our Savior! To be our reason for all we do!

May your CHRISTmas be blessed with the abundance of His provisions for your life!

‘Tis the Season…a reflection

*Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.* ~
*1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18*

Read Time 2 Minutes

This time of year is filled with many emotions. Warmth, gladness, gratitude, excitement, sentimentalities, sadness from loss or what might be missing, and often life reflections. As I listened to people talk this Thanksgiving about what they are thankful for, I noticed that many people expressed their gratefulness in relation to the last 2 years. I heard, “The last two years have been tough…” expressed more than once. The pandemic seems to have left no one untouched, whether they have had the virus or not, by difficulties due to domino effects that have occurred. What made my heart glad though, was hearing the 2nd part to the statement above, “however, God has blessed me”.

I have my own story from the last two years…a story of challenges during this pandemic. Like many others, this historic time period has often led to a feeling of anxiety due to the uncertain times. Not only did I move across country far from my familiar surroundings 2 years ago, but the stress of a big move and the start of the pandemic certainly aided in emotional distress at times. Beginning a business as a personal trainer was very difficult as well with shut downs that particularly effected restaurants and gyms. There are a variety of circumstances I could continue to share that have provided a challenging past 2 years for myself, but like I heard other people express, I too can say, “however, God has blessed me.”

One of my blessings is being able to move into a new home after a year and a half of apartment living. The way God allowed this progress forward in a time when so much was at a standstill has been amazing! More blessings include having family finally make the trek to the PNW to visit us this past summer, a loving husband to share these times with, the beauty of Washington state that surrounds me, overall good health, and new friends and adventures.

However, the biggest blessing that stands out to me is that God never leaves me alone. Now while it is true that I am never alone because He is always with me, that is not what I’m talking about when I refer to Him not leaving me alone. What I mean is, no matter what hardships I have already been through in my life and overcome through clinging to my faith in Christ, He still does not stop challenging me to overcome more difficulties and grow deeper in my faith walk. So, I give thanks that He delights in me so much that He keeps on shaping me like pottery on the wheel. He is continuing a good work that He started in me. I am thankful for the trials God has allowed in my life these past 2 years because He has been and still is using them to grow me closer and closer to Him. I am thankful that when I ask God, “Why are you allowing this?”, that He gives me reminders of His perfect goodness and also pours out tender mercies and blessings through troubled waters.

As I now look towards Christmas, and think about the the perfect gift of Jesus in this imperfect world, I am thankful for something else too! Due to the past 2 years and all the uncertainty that it has held, I feel a heightened since of peace in the one thing that is always certain…Immanuel. God is always with me, He never changes, He is always good, He never breaks a promise, He will never leave me, and I will be with Him forever one day! Halleluiah!

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. ~ Hebrews 13:8

See, the virgin will become pregnant
and give birth to a son,
and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us. ~ Matthew 1:23

May your Christmas be merry and may your new year be filled with many blessings from above!