Real Life by Peggi Tustan

Welcome to Real Life . Before he laid the foundations of the earth, God had you in mind! The beauty of Christmas is not in the presents, but in His presence! We usually start a story at the beginning. For this reason, John doesn’t begin his Christmas story in Bethlehem. Instead, he takes us back to the very beginning, even before the dawn of creation.  In the beginning was the Word,  and the Word was with God,  and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  (John 1:1,14 NIV Emphasis mine)  Jesus Christ is God! If we miss this, we will never fully embrace the miracle of Emmanuel. Our all-powerful God chose to inhabit the least powerful human form—a newborn babe. [1]  An infant is completely dependent on others for survival. He or she cannot speak, eat, or move without assistance. But does an infant have no power?  Does a baby do nothing? . . . Is it nothing that the baby opens such fountains of love in almost all the hearts...

Welcome to Real Life . Real faith will struggle with doubt. "Doubt is but another element of faith." —St. Augustine of Hippo He should have believed. He was a disciple who followed Christ for three years—learning, talking, watching. Yet, when the other disciples told him that Jesus was alive, Thomas wouldn't buy it. In fact, he went so far as to say, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” What drove Thomas's skepticism? He knew these men well. They were men of integrity who told the truth. Why would they lie? In addition, Thomas witnessed Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. So, why was it so hard for him to believe that his Lord had risen from the dead? Perhaps, Thomas was afraid to hope. He watched the man whom he had followed and respected being arrested, beaten, and humiliated. Then, he watched Jesus die. Maybe the words of the mockers echoed in his mind: ...