Emmanuel – God with us

The creator of the

heavens and the earth,

didn't stay in the distant skies

to let us stumble on our way.

He came,

a helpless babe,

born in a stable,

to a poor family.

He grew as a child,

in “wisdom and stature,

and in favour of God and man.”

He walked the roads of Palestine.

Ministering, teaching, healing.

He saw the publican in the tree.

He found the lame man

by the pool of Bethesda.

He suffered all things,

pain in body, mind, and spirit.

He felt every temptation,

and bled in anguish,

yet never fell to wickedness.

Though perfect, He experienced

each of our imperfections,

each of our struggles,

so He knows how to succour us.

He paid for each of our sins,

suffering the full extent of the law,

so we may be free to repent.

Emmanuel is no distant God.

He is with us.

– Mosiah 3, Alma 7:11-13, Luke 2:52

Valentines day (2/16/06)

“Will you be my Valentine?”

My husband’s lips brush my cheek,

waking me.

Later I find a love note,

composed in the middle of intense school and work.

Signed, “your knight in shining armor.”

He is.

Harvest Ball (2004)

New parents with six-week-old baby in tow,

we trudge through snow to the harvest ball.

Exhaustion from baby nursing nights

and intense school days

melts under music.

We jive and spin to the

rich brass call of Sing, Sing, Sing.

I float in his arms as we

trace the steps of Strauss’ Vienna Waltz.

We laugh our way through fast songs.

He has natural rhythm and style.

I follow in stumbling imitation.

Walk like an Egyptian and Cotton Eye Joe

I lay my head on his shoulder

to the gentle swaying of Lady in Red.

Our baby watches from her car seat,

then begs to join.

We dance, her nestled between us,

until she falls asleep.

A limbo line starts.

I try my luck and startle to find that

pregnancy limbered my joints.

I skim under the stick at waist height.

He cheers me on.

We return to our dancing.

Two become one in music and movement.

Hours later we return home,

the dance making our steps light over snow

and our hearts ready for the coming struggles.

Emmanuel – God is with us

The creator of the

heavens and the earth,

didn't stay in the distant skies

to let us stumble on our way.

He came,

a helpless babe,

born in a stable,

to a poor family.

He grew as a child,

in “wisdom and stature,

and in favour of God and man.”

He walked the roads of Palestine.

Ministering, teaching, healing.

He saw the publican in the tree.

He found the lame man

by the pool of Bethesda.

He suffered all things,

pain in body, mind, and spirit.

He felt every temptation,

and bled in anguish,

yet never fell to wickedness.

Though perfect, He experienced

each of our imperfections,

each of our struggles,

so He knows how to succour us.

He paid for each of our sins,

suffering the full extent of the law,

so we may be free to repent.

Emmanuel is no distant God.

He is with us.

Advocate (D&C 45:3–5)

He felt my struggles,

He suffered my pains.

He knows each of my

weakness and faults--

He paid for them

with His blood.

And knowing my

imperfections perfectly,

He pleads my cause.

He pleads that I may enter heaven,

broken as I am.

He pleads, “Father,

behold the sufferings and

death of him who did no sin,

in whom thou wast well pleased.”

“Spare these my brethren

that believe on my name,

that they may come unto me

and have everlasting life.”

He advocates for me,

with understanding,

justice, and mercy.

May I turn to Him,

my true hope

in eternal judgment.

Mix and Match Nativities

Seven Nativity sets:

Felt, stone, ceramic,

One thimble sized,

Precious Moments,

Squeezable dolls,

Nesting Matryoshka.

Some fragile, some not.

We set the felt and doll sets low,

for our children to play with. 

The other four find high shelves.

Three-year-old watches wide-eyed,

then drags a stool to each shelf 

and carefully takes the sets down.

She gathers the many Marys 

around baby Jesus.

They talk about their baby

And their day.

The Josephs stand guard.

The wisemen all lie down

To sleep under the Christmas tree.

The shepherds chase their 

flocks across the room.

Then she gently takes my hand,

and tells me the story of Christmas.

Goodnight

Sun lies to sleep. 

Pulling a cover of blue over 

sheets of purple and pink. 

Moon blinks yellow face, 

as he rises from the mountains.

“Wait, don’t go.” 

He calls to sun. 

“I just got here.”