Hi everyone, the readings coming up for Sunday are Psalm 24; Isaiah 7:10-17; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25. Hearing the Christmas story told year after year, some of the messier details of that story can begin to lose their edginess and start to sound quaint and predictable (which is a funny thing to say about a miracle). But the situation described by Matthew is anything but quaint: an unwed mother, an unplanned pregnancy, the prospect of divorce. Sounds more like the sad and messy reality of our modern lives than anything God would have planned. But this is how He wanted it to be. God might have sent His Son into the world under circumstances that were more noble, or at least not so messy. But this was the storyline He chose. And in doing so, God showed us His preference for using those who are weak and confused to accomplish His will. In this way, God’s power and grace shine even brighter. Can God work through you? Remember, you don’t have to have your life completely together or have everything figured out before God can use you. If the Christmas story is any clue, He does His best work when things are messy. Have a blessed Christmas!