Mary's Christmas Similiar to Ours Today

Tonight I received the best Christmas gift possible. I just got home from speaking at chapel services in PeeWee Valley Women’s Correctional Institute. The reaction of the women was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. I learned that the best gift anyone can receive comes from giving your time doing something for God.


Talking about Mary’s view of that first Christmas uncovered many similarities with the Christmas most of those women will have this year. Mary certainly didn’t think she would be giving birth to the son of God in a lowly stable surrounded by animals. Many of those ladies tonight certainly didn’t think they would be spending this Christmas incarcerated. I certainly didn’t think I would ever be speaking about a book I had written.

It is amazing how we often end up in unusual situations. But it is up to each individual to make the most of each circumstance. Mary could only praise God for the blessing He had given her in the form of a baby boy. I praise God for giving me the ability to share my story and hopefully brighten their Christmas. I hope each of those women will make an effort to use the time they have to the best of their ability.

The only thing that can hold anyone prisoner is their mind. As long as God gives us the ability to think and learn, we are free. When I look at all the hustle and bustle of this season and the worried expressions on the faces of most people during this season, I almost envy the solitude and quiet within those walls. What an awesome opportunity to spend some quality time with God.

Mary's Thoughts the Night Before she Begins the Journey to Bethlehem

"Everything is packed and ready to go. A good night's sleep would be wonderful, but I doubt if that will happen. All the pains, aches and swelling that women encounter when carrying a child have not made for good sleep companions. These last few months have been most uncomfortable."
Mary's excerpt from Jesus My Son reminds us that Mary endured a very normal pregnancy. How awesome is that!

Celebrating Christmas -- Through Mary's Eyes

Celebrating Christmas -- Through Mary's Point of View
It's getting close to Christmas. What was Mary thinking about this time as she prepared to travel on a donkey for 90 miles to Bethlehem?


We will leave early in the morning for the long trip to Bethlehem. It should take five or six days if everything goes as planned. My baby is due to arrive any time now. According to my estimates, he was conceived by the Holy Spirit nine months ago this time next week. My stomach is big and my body is telling me the time is soon. I’m starting to look exactly like Elizabeth right before John’s birth. Joseph is still hoping we can register for our taxes before the baby is born. He says if we get there after the birth, our taxes would increase.

Though the road will be crowded, we will be traveling alone most of the way because we will have to take more rests than the others. I am not sure how much bouncing on Droopy I can take in one day. We will start out with one group and then join other groups as we stop to rest and others come alone. Since everyone must go, there will be a constant flow of travelers. One worry I have is the thieves who take advantage of people on the trail. If Joseph and I are alone, we are easy prey for the predators. Although there is danger, I know God will take care of us. After all, I am carrying His son, but that fact still will not find a resting place in my mind.

Jesus My Son: Mary' Journal of Jesus Ministry

Dear Followers,
In the form of Mary's Journal, I plan to keep you updated with the progress of my second novel in the Jesus My Son series.
I have chosen to publish my second book with WestbowPress. After much prayer and discussion with multiple publishers, I chose Westbow. I pray God will bless that decision for me and my publisher.
I am currently working with a representative to gather all the necessary submission copy for the publication. If you think writing a novel is hard, wait until you have to prepare the copy. Imagine trying to condense 76,000 words into 200 words to appear on the back of my cover.
I have enlisted the help of friends to read the manuscript and comment on content and errors. I appreciate everyone who so graciously pointed out my errors. Really, there is nothing better than a keen eye to review your writing.
I remember when my granddaughter, Autum, pointed out the first error in my first novel. I felt like someone had struck the baby I had been nurturing for six years. The error was small and it took me three times to find it even after she told me the page number. I am trying hard to make this book perfect with no errors! May need a few extra special prayers for that one...
That is it for now. I just wanted to share with you the progress to date.
Will hopefully post a weekly update for everyone to view.
Dear Lord, please bless this work and the words You have given me for this second novel of Mary's Journal. I have thoroughly enjoyed the learning experince of creating this journal and pray that I can convey my new knowledge to all my readers. Amen

Jesus and the Woman caught in Adultry

Hi, friends and fellow bloggers. Sorry it has been so long since I have written, but I plan to try to blog at least once a week.  The blogs may be short, but I do want to keep in touch.
I have a question for you.  When the scribes and Pharisees brought the woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus and he stooped to write on the ground, what do you think he wrote?
My second book is finished, but I want to write more on that journal entry. After attending revival at Peaks Mill Christian Church tonight, the pracher sparked a question about that incident. I am going to update this chapter and would like to receive input from YOU. If I use your idea I will give you credit in my book. Make your idea as unique as possible, but it must also be believable.
It should be fun to read your ideas.

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What gift could be more special than a journal written by God’s chosen mother about the everyday activities of the son she shared with our Father? Any mother will enjoy listening to Mary’s heart as she pours out her emotions in her journal entries.

Mary’s journal offers a fresh perspective to a very old story.

A reader writes, “The story, written as if Mary, mother of Jesus, was keeping a journal of her life, drew me in and absorbed me completely from beginning to end.”

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Share this blog with your friends and family.

Where has the time gone?

I can't believe my last post was in March.
I have been busy packing up things in Florida to come back to KY. I arrived home the day before spring break started for my grandchildren. I am so happy most of them were allowed to spend a few nights with us during their break. We also got to go for a donkey ride in Owen County. What a fun day.
Now I am busy working on a book campaign I will launch on April 27. I have been extremely busy, but that is not an excuse to forget my blog.
I promise to do better this summer. I want to keep everyone updated about my book campaign.

Tired of homosexuality displayed on TV

I just turned off The Mentalist and will not watch it again. I have always enjoyed the show, but I am so tired of having homosexuals thrown into my face every time I watch TV anymore.


I am not judgemental and don't really care what people do, but I do believe homosexuality is a sin. People sin all the time and I can't stop that, but it is repulsive for me to watch two men or two women being sexually involved. I refuse to watch any more shows where homosexuality is displayed.
I apologize if this offends anyone. I have some dear friends who are homesexuals. They respect my belief and do not flaunt their relationship in my presence. I enjoy their company. I am not condeming them.
I am condeming the TV stations for flaunting homosexuality in every show they produce anymore.

Just wondering, what kind of journal entry Mary would have written tonight. Her prayer would be:
Dear Lord, please give me the wisdom to know what you would have me to say and do and the courage to fight for what I think is right for my children and grandchildren.

Valentine's Day--A Day of Love

How did you spend the day dedicated to recognizing the love of your life?

Darrel, my husband, gave me a ruby necklace packaged in a beautiful red velvet heart-shaped box with a few chocolate hearts when I got up this morning. There was also a live rose fresh from Sear’s rose garden.

I appreciated his thoughtfulness, but the plethora of red in the stores during this season makes it easy to remember Valentine gifts.
Wouldn’t it be nice to receive a gift of love the first thing every morning? Truly that gift is available just by asking. God wants to shower His children with His plethora of blessings each day. Unused blessings are the biggest waste of our lives.

Maybe we should make a new resolution for the rest of the year. Begin each day open to receive the blessings God wants us to have. He gave the ultimate gift of love through His son and wants us to receive the grace that gift allowed us to have. Ask for it and you will receive.

Do you have a Valentine story to share? I am working on an article and want to hear your story. Comment with your story and automatically be entered to win a copy of Jesus My Son: Mary’s Journal of Jesus’ Early Life.

Mary's View: Why God chose Mary to be the Mother of His son

“For nothing is impossible with God” Luke 1:37

Did Mary really write a journal? Most scholars will say girls during Mary’s time were not able to write. But is it possible? Yes, it is and how much better is Jesus’ story when written by His mother. There is so much during Jesus’ early life that only Mary would know. If we are not allowed to believe she wrote these events for us to know the real Jesus, how will we ever learn of them?

(The following blog uses excerpts from Chapter One of Jeus My Son: Mary's Journal of Jesus' Early Life)

When the angel greeted Mary, she wondered why God had chosen her. She was a humble peasant girl with no unique qualities except one.

     The only difference between me and all the other girls is my ability to read and write.

Girls during those times, as a rule, did not read nor write. So how did Mary learn these skills?

     Fortunately, my parents believed in the importance of education for girls as well as boys.

Did Mary enjoy using her writing skills?

      Like the patriarch, David, with his holy verses of praise, my love for writing is only second to my love of serving my dear Lord.

Writing material was scarce during Mary’s time. How did she obtain the material she needed to learn the skill or to record in her journal?

     Since both my parents work closely with the priests in the synagogue, they have access to the parchment and papyrus left from the priests’ studies. They bring home every scrap piece of writing material and every extra drop of ink they can find to encourage us to write.


God looked at Mary’s heart and saw that she was worthy to be the mother of the Messiah. Did Mary think her ability to write may have influenced God’s choice?

     God knew I would be compelled to record the events of his son to tell the world things that only a mother would know. Surely that is one of the reasons God chose me.

Mary Bailey is the author of Jesus My Son: Mary's Journal of Jesus' Early Life. Visit http://www.jesusmyson.com/ for more information.

Mary's View: Losing God's Son in the Temple

Have you ever lost a child? I lost my two-year old son one sunny Sunday afternoon when a few mothers from church decided to take our children to a carnival. The group was walking along when suddenly I couldn’t find my son.
My sister and I frantically retraced our path asking everyone if they had seen a little boy with a burr haircut. No one had seen him. I dreaded telling my husband how I had lost his son.

A few minutes later I saw him standing under the Ferris wheel just watching the people go around. When I ran up and grabbed him, he couldn’t understand all the tears. He didn’t realize he was lost.

When I hear the story of Mary losing her twelve year old son in the temple, I recall the fear I felt that day. I can’t imagine how Mary must have felt.

       We had lost Jesus—the son God had entrusted to our care.

This trip was special to Mary because at the age of twelve

      Jesus will soon graduate from one of the schools of the synagogue of Nazareth. He will be presented to us by the rulers as a responsible citizen of Israel.

Joseph searched throughout their caravan to no avail. Jesus could not be found. With no other choice they headed back to Jerusalem in search of their lost son. Did Mary not worry knowing this was God’s son and He would take care of him? Not quite--she was a mother.

       The roads are not safe and I knew something bad had happened for Jesus not to come to our site. I repeatedly apologized to God for losing His precious son.

When Mary found him, I am sure she was as relieved as I was.

      I wanted to rush to him with hugs and kisses before I scolded him for not staying with us.

Did Mary forget who Jesus was? If she did, Jesus reminded her.

        He looked me straight in the eyes and respectfully asked, “Mother, why were you searching for me? Don’t you know that I must be about my father’s business?”

As any mother today, Mary worried for her lost son. Nothing can replace the bond between a mother and a child.

      He is still my flesh and blood. My heart will always have a special place for him.

It doesn’t matter how confident we are that God has us in the palm of his hands, there are times when worry is the only thing a mother knows to do. We easily forget that the angels who watch over our children are the same ones who sat at God’s throne every day.

Mary is the author of Jesus My Son: Mary's Journal of Jesus' Early Life

Mary’s View: Did Jesus Perform Miracles at Home?

 Did you ever wonder if Jesus performed miracles when he was living at home with his earthly family? John records Jesus’ first public miracle when he turned the water to wine at a wedding in Cana.

             

Why was this wedding so important to Mary that she would be concerned about the wine shortage? If she was a guest, she may have felt sorry for the bridegroom since it was a disgrace to run out of wine, but would she want Jesus to expose his abilities for some wine? The ceremony must have been extremely important to Mary for her to want Jesus to identify his ministry to these people over a wine shortage.

We know Jesus had brothers and sisters. We also know weddings were a very important event during Jesus time. Most would last for a week.

This particular wedding could have been one of Jesus’ brothers or sisters. Since it was of such value to Mary, perhaps it was the wedding of her youngest daughter. Jesus is believed to have been around 30, so Mary’s youngest daughter would have been around 12 or 13 which is the accepted age for Jewish girls to marry during Jesus’ time.

Mary simply said to Jesus, “They have no wine.” She didn’t ask him to do anything. She just made a statement. She knew Jesus would be concerned if the groom of his little sister was embarrassed at their wedding.

Jesus replied, “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.”

Woman? Why would Jesus call his mother woman? Perhaps this was a term of endearment Jesus had used for Mary before. It almost implies he was teasing Mary. 

Mary wasn’t upset with the salutation because she turned to the servants and said, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

Mary knew without a doubt Jesus could fix the wine shortage. She didn’t ask him to do anything. She knew he would do it because she had seen him do so much more at their home in Nazareth.

He knew how important it was to his mother and little sister and he could not bear to disappoint them. His little sister was marrying the man of her dreams and he wanted the ceremony to be one she would remember forever. He may have also thought this was the last time he would see her.

By the power of two persuasive women, Jesus did perform the miracle and John was there to record it.

So did Jesus perform miracles at home? Mary would not have known Jesus could fix the wine shortage if she had not witnessed similar things at home.    

This miracle also reinforced to the six followers he had already chosen that he was indeed the Messiah with special powers. 

John writes about a lot of events the other disciples don’t mention. He knew of the importance of this miracle to show Jesus’ concern for his earthly family. To identify this as just a first miracle is an injustice to the relationship of Jesus and his family.  He performed this miracle for his little sister and his mother whom he deeply loved.