The First Noel

HELLO FRIENDS!

As I steep in the warm feelings of Fall, I become very excited about what is to come.  

Snow.  

Cold.  

Christmas…

It's a blessed thing to remind ourselves - even as we baste in Fall flavoring - that something incredible happened on a cold, miserable night a very, very long time ago. 

It's a wonderful story: young couple seeks shelter in busyness and mayhem of a city fraught with the oblivious and unknowing.  Said young couple is resigned to a "suite" weighted down in the stenches of old animal feed, animal dung and dust. 

Holding on by sheer will power, as the pain grows and persists, Mary breathes the dusty air and exhales hope made possible by the Spirit that fills her.  She is cold.  She is scared.  She is brave.  She is strong.  She bears down, and within moments becomes the mother of the Light of the world. 

This Light interrupts the darkness of the stable.  This Baby replaces thoughts of fear with His first human cry, loud and strong.  His presence ushers in an unfamiliar but welcomed peace, while His tiny body is swaddled for protection.

There was no night like this.  No night like this Noel.

Nuvo drops helped me get a more 3-dimensional affect
for the stars in the sky.

Colors used are shown above.

When we read the account of Jesus' birth,  we forget that He entered humanity and lived humanity.  He did this to present humanity fully before God as His first love and vow.  This birth was beyond anything Mary or Joseph would experience.  It was far more spectacular than anything the Shepherds had witnessed as lowly and forgotten as they may have been.  It was far more anticipated than the Magi ever knew as they traveled long, hard hours to behold a prophesied King.  This Noel was Jesus' Noel.  His timely birth became the catalyst through which God would Redeem His people.  The Messiah had come, and the world could not comprehend.

We're not given to gratitude, but I think even the most grateful of people could not quite come close to the thankfulness due to the Lord for His act of loving-kindness.  Jesus is His tender mercy to us; our one and only Hope for eternity with the Father.  In His birth, Jesus fulfills God's promise of a coming Savior.  By his Life, Jesus demonstrates His grace, mercy and compassion for the world.  By His death, Jesus satisfies the wrath of God making it possible for this crumby, undeserving world to know and receive Him.  Oh, that First Noel!

That First Noel - Jesus' transition from glory to lowly - is remarkable, beautiful and definitely worthy of song!

Embossing powder aided my attempt to make the snowflakes and deer
stand out above the darker areas.

God bless, and much love,

Deeds