I am taking a week off from writing between Christmas and the New Year. Thanks for reading the weekly blogs. Let’s walk confidently into 2026 knowing that God is with us. His grace and power will be sufficient.

The “three” wise men in scripture are often not given credit for anything but the gifts of worship they brought to Jesus. There is only one account of the Magi and that is in the gospel of Matthew. We are not told there were only three men, but we assume that because they offered three gifts.

How wise were these Magi?

First, they were wise to find their way to the Christ child and worship Him. They did not come to observe Jesus, stare at Jesus, or make judgments of what they thought of Jesus. These men set out on a journey to find the living Lord and bow before Him in worship. They, by faith, accepted that He was Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. With all the “wisdom” around us, the wisest thing one can ever do is to worship the Lord Jesus and offer our gifts to Him.

Second, these men were wise to listen to God and act based on what God communicated. God had provided a star so these fellows could find Jesus, and they took the time to follow the star. Later, God gave them a dream telling them to return home a different way. Herod intended to interrogate them, so he could find Jesus and kill him. The important thing is not how many sermons we hear or Bible studies we attend, but how much of that becomes action in our lives. We might know a lot, but that in itself is not wisdom. It is a wise man or woman who listens to God for direction and quickly puts it into action.

As I reflect on these wise men, I have purposed in my heart that I want to be a wise woman. The Bible tells of many wise people:

• There was Enoch and Noah who were wise enough to walk with God in their day while the world around them refused to live for God. Thus, they were both saved while others perished.
• There was Ruth who was wise enough to say to her Jewish mother-in-law, “…for where you go, I will go; and where you live, I will live; Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” – Ruth 1:16, while her sister-in-law turned around and went back to a sinful society. Thus, Ruth became an ancestor of Jesus.
• There was Andrew who was wise because he brought people to Jesus. “He that wins souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30.
• There was David, who was wise enough to say and understand, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
• There was Martha, who was wise enough to invite Jesus into her home.
• There was Mary, who was wise enough to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word.
• There was Peter who was wise enough to step out in faith towards Jesus, even though the storm around him was raging.
• Then, there were the wise men, who came to worship the Lord Jesus and offer their gifts.

Am I some sort of wise guy? I hope so. I want heaven to record that Barbara Benton was wise. Why? She followed God, worshiped at His feet, and lived by His word. Are you a wise guy?

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. At least that is what the song says! Is it? Yes, it is in many ways. All the laughter, the food, the candlelight, the carols! Decorating the tree, or these days – trees! Wrapping the gifts and listening to the giggles and excitement as children open them. So many are singing and hoping for a white Christmas where everything is merry and bright. White Christmases can be so beautiful. However, some are experiencing a blue Christmas as they walk through grief, suffering, or personal difficulty.

What about those who just are not feeling so merry and bright? For many this year is difficult. I am praying with and for several people who have lost significant loved ones this year. My heart aches for them, and my tears stream for them. Grieving can be the most challenging time for people who are trying to balance the feelings of pain and loss, while going forward with everyday life. I found this to be true when we lost our son Bryan.

Sometimes we find ourselves mourning on Christmas morning. If you are in grief, especially fresh grief, it is okay not to feel that it is the most wonderful time of the year. It is okay not to feel merry and bright. It does not make you grinch, it makes you a person in pain.

God is hugging you today. He understands where you are, and He cares about every tear. Jesus Christ left the splendor of heaven and was born as a babe into a world that was dark and broken. He became Immanuel – God with us. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER WILL JESUS LEAVE US! He will be with us in good times and tough times, in sickness and in health, in success and failure, in poverty and prosperity, in joy and sorrow.

He will be with you this Christmas even when you do not feel like being merry and bright.

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” –  Psalms 34:18

Every year, I take the time to go back and read the blogs I posted during the Christmas season. They often encourage me. This one really reminded me of the gift of God to find me and call me His own.

As a kid growing up, I was “po.” I have often said that we were not poor, since we could not even afford the “o and the r.”  We were plain old “po.” Additionally, we grew up in a really bad house, unlike so many with whom I attended school. By societal terms, we were not much of anything.

I was recently chatting with one of my sisters and asked her if she could help me recall fun memories as a kid. She said, “Are you kidding? We were abused and poor. We have no happy memories.”   Though she said this in jest, there was more truth to the statement than either of us wanted to acknowledge.

For years, I considered myself as the bottom rung on the ladder.

There are many characters in the story of the birth of Jesus. I love the fact that God chose to involve shepherds in the story. In that time, shepherds were considered to be people of the lower class, a very low rung on the ladder. These “low-class” shepherds were visited by angels, who told them of the birth of the Savior. After that experience, they took the initiative to say, “We must find Him. We must see Him. We must meet Him.”   They started the journey towards the Savior. After finding Him, they could not help themselves – they began to announce the Savior to everyone who would listen. It was life-changing when they met Jesus.

As we peer into our nativity scenes, let us not pass over the shepherds. Let us not lose sight that God chose those diminished by society, to be the ones who would herald the birth of Jesus Christ. Let us rejoice in the shepherds. GOD visited them and invited them to be a part of the story.

I am so incredibly thankful God included the shepherds. I cannot identify with kings in palaces, but I can identify with those who have felt less than, those who have felt hopeless that they could ever get off the bottom rung. A baby wrapped in swaddling clothes changed my perspective.

I once was a shepherd, but now I am a child of the most high God. “Nuff” said!

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth.”

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. – Luke 2:8-17

I hate bugs. More than once, I have received a speech about the importance of bugs. I do not care! I hate bugs that fly, jump, crawl, Samba, Waltz or do the two-step! I hate bugs. I am so grateful for a husband who will rescue me when he hears me scream because a bug startled me. Have I told you that I hate bugs?

When Gaylon was on a mission trip to India, I was about to go to bed alone one night. When I turned on the light in my bedroom, the ceiling was covered, as in COVERED, with small Asian beetles. They were even on my bed. There was no way I could go to bed and sleep with the enemy!

I wondered how so many of those beetles got in my room. There were three windows in the room, and they were raised so fresh air could come inside. As I examined each window closely, I discovered that the screen on one of the windows had come loose on the corner. When Papa Beetle saw the opening, he made his way in and called all his family and friends to join him for the party. They wanted to take up residence.

What a job it was to get rid of those lady bugs before I could even think of going to sleep. The root of the problem was a small opening that allowed the enemy to take up residence and wreak havoc on my peace and rest. If I had just paid attention to that small opening!

“Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. ‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (Ephesians 4:25-27)

Ephesians 4:27 instructs us not to give even a foothold to the devil. If you take time to read that portion of scripture in its entirety, you will see the Apostle Paul instructing the Church in ways that the enemy makes entrance into our lives. A good rendering of that word “foothold” is not to even give him a place in your life to gain power.

A foothold can be best understood by imagining yourself being chased by a bad person. You run up to your room and try to close the door, but the person sticks his shoe at the bottom end of the door so you cannot close it. That part of his foot that prevents you from closing the door effectively is called a “foothold.”

I have seen too many believers over the years lose ground spiritually or even walk away from the things of God. Most often, falling away did not start with a large overt sin. Most often, it started with a small opening that allowed the way for Satan to creep in and begin a campaign of destruction. He will take any opportunity.

God has given us all authority to live a victorious Christian life. Living victorious boils down to the instructions we are given in James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.” Victory is always available for the believer. Submitting and resisting are the keys to living an overcoming life.

We must be alert to the little things that open us up for pesky issues. Not dealing with the little things that do not belong in the Christian life can lead to an inability to walk victorious and to have peace and rest in Christ.

When we provide the devil with a foothold, and we do not slam the door on his foot, he will push his way into our abode. Once inside our home, he is no longer a foothold but rather a stronghold. He has gained more control. It will take a lot of work to evict him. So, the better option is slamming the door on footholds and bolting the lock as soon as the devil withdraws his bruised foot.

Do not give the devil a foothold” is a call to arms—to engage in the battle that will define our lives. Are you ceding ground? Take back the ground today. Submit to God today. Resist the devil today. Walk in victory today!