“And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.”  Matthew 2:9  NLT

Today is the winter solstice, when shadows are longest and days are shortest. Short enough, in fact, that our first and last walks of the day are in the dark and in the cold. Such mornings tend to keep us from any desire to linger. This morning, however, with the sun’s disk still beneath the eastern horizon, the last quarter moon caused me to look up at its now waning orb to find a lesser light, the morning star (a planet) whose radiance, though less than heaven’s moon, still stood out in a brightening sky. (Another five minutes and it would surely succumb to the sun’s glow.) But instead of disappearing, in that moment it gained brilliance. It came not of its own accord, but by the contrails of a jet making most likely its first flight the day. As I watched, the aircraft appeared to intersect the distant light giving it “a tail as big as a kite” such that their combined width was now greater than the moon’s. If I had not been standing at that exact place at that exact time, or if the cold pre-dawn air had caused me to keep my head lowered without the desire to look up while Famous lingered over a patch of frozen grass, this wondrous star, half natural and half manmade would have been missed.

Christ came to bring God’s light to those who walk in darkness, to those whose circumstance and experience have given them little reason to look for his miracle of grace.

In every day, place me where I might see Your Light and bear witness of It.

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.'”  Luke 2:13-14  NIV

I have Famous on video crooning with me. I suppose his singing is a little more like a howl, but it is a high pitch “ooooh”, very similar to Snoopy when he is howling at the moon in his cartoon. Famous even rounds his lips to produce the “ooh” sounds. In truth, he is probably expressing more irritation than pleasure. Still, it grabs my attention.

Music is one of the special parts of Christmas celebrations. Often music helps to convey messages which words alone would leave ambiguous or shallow. Music unites our voices in a way shouting and cheering could never achieve. The angels needed such a vehicle to celebrate the birth of the Messiah. Famous needs it to announce his participation in my life.

Teach me to sing the angel chorus, “Gloria, in excelsis deo!“

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”  Matthew 1:23  NLT

Immanuel. Such an important name! A name prophesied in the Old Testament. A name full of promise, and one that would have to deliver. We see the significance of other names in the Bible, particularly how the name relates the one who bears it to the Almighty God. Names are usually given to us by our parents, identify us as individuals, help establish and explain relationships, tell stories, and can live in history–whether it be for a good or a bad reason.

Famous has a name which he has learned to recognize as his own. But it also identifies him uniquely to others as my dog. Perhaps he is not the first dog named “Famous,” but he may well be the first to have an owner named “Rich”, short for “Richard.” Together, we are “Rich and Famous”, and often it is the recognition of the phrase which causes many a laugh when people meet us for the first time. Time will tell if our names will have any literal meaning, but certainly we are better as a team together than when we are apart.

Christ came to earth to show us we are better together, with God among us, than we are without him.

I will write Your blessed name upon my heart, Immanuel, to remember You came to love even me.

“Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.'”  Matthew 2:1-2  NLT

Cold weather and busy schedules have kept me from taking Famous on anything but short neighborhood walks this week, so even with sub-freezing temperatures again this morning we headed out for a longer journey led by Famous over to the nearby trail around the baseball and soccer fields. We were almost done when a pair of joggers dressed warmly from head to toe passed us on the sidewalk. One took an extra breath to say what a beautiful springer spaniel Famous was. I thanked him, impressed that he knew the breed on sight.

The wise men obviously recognized something special about the star of Bethlehem. But think about it. It had to be new for these astrologers who studied the skies. And at the same time, it was not so stunning a light which might catch the eye of everyone who would look up in the sky and cause everyone to journey to the little town of Bethlehem. No, just these three kings who were led by their knowledge and curiosity.

Peak my curiosity to discover new direction today as I journey to be closer to Christ.

“They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11  NLT

Famous is well-known at the salon where I get my hair cut. When he accompanies me, he likes to greet the stylists who work there. He knows where they have hidden a stash of dog biscuits, and usually he is patient for one of them to offer him this gift, of course with the prerequisite “sit and shake.” If he is lucky, other customers want to say hello and give him a pat or a belly rub. And if he is very lucky, he gets a second treat from someone who did not see him get the first treat!

The gifts of the magi were the first Christmas presents bestowed by humans to celebrate a great, no, a miraculous birth. How amazed must Joseph and Mary have been to see the fuss being made over their firstborn son! Certainly, it gave them a deeper understanding of the significance of their miracle child. These precious gifts may also have been the only way they were able to survive after becoming refugees in Egypt soon after Jesus was born.

Help me discover the gifts You have bestowed upon me and when I need to use them for Your glory!

“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. ” John 1:14  NLT

When Famous has had enough of the day, when he rests on the floor in the evening patiently waiting for me to call it quits and turn in for the night, I can slip down on the floor in front of him so that we face one another. Our eyes just inches from each other, he gazes into my eyes, and I gaze into his. It becomes one of those “ah” moments filled with awe and amazing satisfaction. Perhaps he senses a portion of the love and admiration I have for him. I sense an instinctive trust and natural peace from him. It is the ultimate staring contest!

Even with all of the paintings and sculptures and stained glass windows depicting the infant Jesus, we can only imagine what Mary, Joseph, and their visitors that night might have seen and felt when they looked upon his face. Did they sense wonder, peace, or divine love? I feel certain that everyone who gazed into his eyes, or watched him feeding in perfect innocence sensed a connection to the Creator of the entire universe.

Help me today to see beyond what my eyes can see.

“And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.” Luke 2:4  NLT

As in years gone by, Famous will make the journey with me on Christmas Eve to my parents’ house less than an hour away. There is no written decree that compels us to travel there every year but rather the family ritual of gathering to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. It will be a short commute for us compared to the many people who must use airplanes and congested highways for their reunions.

The journey made by Mary and Joseph was long simply because of her condition and their mode of transportation. Otherwise, you can look on the map and see how easy it would have been with modern transportation. But then there was the complicating factor of crowds of people heading to the same place on poor roads.

Our lives are journeys that every year take us back to Bethlehem, not just out of custom, but for the answer to our profound need to gaze upon God’s love.

Today, help me to find the star that will direct my steps.

“And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.”  Luke 2:6-8  NLT

I can just imagine if Famous had been one of the animals in the stable the night Jesus was born. He would have been curious to greet the other animals in this shelter of sorts. He would have been fascinated by the size of the cows and mules, and his ears would have perked up every time a lamb would bleat. He would have explored every pungent scent on the straw before choosing a soft, warm spot for himself. If Mary would have let him, he would have lay at her feet to keep them warm. At first Joseph would have been too worried and busy to pay him any mind, but once all the excitement was over, I bet Famous could have wrangled a belly rub or two from him. He would have been the first to have noticed shepherds approaching from a distance, and he would have announced their arrival with loud barks unless the holiness of the moment gave him perfect peace.

How do we greet the newborn King? With rejoicing, with reverence, or with curious wonder? We should greet him with devotion and sacrificial love.

Draw me close to You, Baby Jesus, and let me see the love of all eternity in Your face!

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” Romans 5:6  NLT

When is it convenient to get a dog? Never. Dogs were not meant to be a convenience. They require time and work that fits their schedules, not yours. It is not convenient to walk a dog in the dark when it is cold outside. It is not convenient to have to stop by the pet store when you are out of dog food. It is not convenient to take him to the veterinarian when he is sick. We do these things out of necessity and out of love.

When is Christmas ever convenient? Never. I have often said I cannot wait until January when there is “nothing” to do. What I mean is that I have to fit all of the extra “stuff” into my December calendar, things like concerts, special services at church, parties, and gift-giving. We do these things not because they are convenient, but because we understand the joy which is at the heart of the season.

When is the right time for Christmas? Always, because we are utterly helpless without Christ, and because God knows the depth of our need. Famous came into my life at exactly the right time, and Christ came at exactly the right time for us all!

I celebrate with joy today the divine gift of God’s timing in me.