While our wise men continue to wander the area searching for the newborn King, this was happening in an inn in Bethlehem. 

Today’s Quote:  

The Many Disguises of Emmanuel

Emmanuel, God-with-us,

Long awaited, eagerly anticipated,

Delicious dreams of royal robes,

A messiah enthroned with elegance.

False notions and easily accepted illusions.

A few open ones, full of surprise,

Heard the fresh, full cry of life

Echoed in the uninhabited haven,

The only place ready for a birth that was ripe.

Shepherd, sages, and scribes,

Drawn by angels and stars,

Discovered this divine simplicity,

Then hurried from the hillside

With news that amazed them all.

But many years later the cry goes unheard,

Stifled in the roar of unyielding opinions,

Submerged in the noise of hasty judgments,

Masked in the false folds of cultural glitter.

The Surprising One continues to come,

Entering the world in endless disguise,

Concealed in those we have never forgiven,

Secreted in the hearts of people we despise,

Found in the rejected and unacceptable,

Hidden in the ones we ignore and criticize.  - Joyce Rupp

Today's Microchallenge:  “One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly." (Andy Rooney)