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Good day dear hearts, I love you. On Sunday, May 12th we dedicated the day to our mothers. Moms have had an impact on their children since the beginning of time. Most of us can say we have had wonderful life learning experiences, nurturing and love from our moms. I was blessed with a beautiful mom who I love and miss, as she has been with the Lord since 2016. We use the term "momma bear" because moms are protective of their children. All of us who live here understand to keep your distance from bear cubs, because momma bear will tear you up!

Over 2,000 years ago a little girl around the age of 13 or 14 was visited by an angel and was told she would give birth to the Son of God. During the time of Jesus girls matured to women rapidly. They married at a young age and bore children at a young age. That was the norm, but what wasn't the norm was for a young girl without a husband to become pregnant. This was a joyous occasion for Mary as she was educated in the things of God and her response to the angel was simply, "Be it unto you according to thy Word." Those simple words set off the greatest event of all time in this universe, the birth and arrival of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Those words also set off a life of joy, complication and heartbreak for Mary.

The first complication was Mary was not married, which this set off two complications. One, she faced execution because her being pregnant without husband was against Mosaic Law. The second complication was she was engaged to a man by the name of Joseph, who did not have a clue as to what was going on and was considering breaking it off with her. God resolved these complications as He sent an angel to Joseph to explain, and Joseph became a faithful husband to Mary and loving father to Jesus. The next complication occurs as Mary is becoming adjusted and comfortable with what is to pass, Ceaser orders a census, and she is required to travel to the city of David with her husband. Remember, she couldn't get on a bus or take an Uber to get there. She traveled for miles on a donkey for days, while being a week or two before she was to give birth. The complications continue as Joseph and Mary cannot find a room in Bethlehem and wind up in a barn with farm cattle. Let's pause the story for a moment and think about the attributes of a mom. First off, God sure knows well pregnancy can be handled far better by a woman than a man. As someone who doesn't have a clue on how it is, how it feels to carry a child, I find it awesome how God equips a woman with the physical and mental endurance to carry, give birth and then raise a child. It is no doubt how a woman develops a deep love, a deep loyalty and a deep commitment to help make their child successful. Think about the sacrifices mothers make for us. I know what my mother has done for me and I'm sure many of you can say the same.

The story of Mary's journey to motherhood continues. She settles down in the barn accepting what is and not questioning why or how the Son of God is coming into this world and she continues in her new role as mom. Jesus is born, the heavens erupt, the shepherds come to meet the Messiah and when all the hoopla ends, Luke 2:19 says, "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." What did she ponder? All moms want their children to rise to be something special. Mary knew Jesus was something special because an angel told her. Except for Mary, no mom knows their child's destination, but they stay in the background to support, cajole, encourage and watch with pride from a distance. Mary did not know everything that was to occur to her Son. When the time came and Jesus was betrayed and turned over to authorities Mary, like most moms, was devastated and worried and I'm sure like most momma bears wanted to rescue her baby. Her Son Jesus had a mission to carry out and that was to sacrifice himself for us. Momma Bear stood at the foot of the cross and watched her little boy suffer and die. To a mom, nothing could be worse. However, in Mary's case she saw the end result of what Jesus did for the world and she was as proud and blessed as any mother could be. Today, we honor mom, we thank mom, we love mom as they sacrifice and dedicate their lives to us. Love ya, Ma! God Bless.

Join us Saturday, May 18th at our free Community Dinner and then join us Sunday, May 19th starting at 10:00am with a Biker's Worship service followed by a free BBQ. Lord, watch over our community. Bless our children. Heal the sick and broken-hearted. Let your Spirit hover over our community. Amen.

Contact me anytime. Pastor Vince Chiaramonte, 570-853-3988, Susquehanna Christian Community Church, 1361 Main Street, clearmountain2158@gmail.