Night Turns to Day - Shepherd's Tale

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Luke 2:8-9

All the sheep were safely in the fold
the campfire lit to ward off wolves
or any other wild creatures on the prowl
with a taste for lamb.
Old Josiah was part way though one of his night time stories.
Young Ethan was struggling to keep his eyes open...
Yes, it was a night pretty much like any other.

Then suddenly it wasn't.
There was this incredibly bright blinding light,
which was pretty freaky!
Why had night turned in to day?
Was it going to stay this way?
Understandably we shielded our eyes....
OK, I will be honest,
we hid.
Why?
We were petrified.
Where was the light coming from
and why?

Then, as our eyes adjusted
we could see a large angelic figure.
"My time has come!" announced Josiah, collapsing in a heap.
"Mine too!" echoed Jethroe, not wanting to miss out on the drama...
As for me, I couldn't say a word.
I was speechless. For a change

No Room at the Inn - Innkeeper's Wife

And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:7

It was late in the day when they appeared at our door.
Unfortunately every available seat, or space for sleeping, was already occupied.
The poor lass was clearly done in
and I am not surprised,
Having to travel all that way in her condition.

You can tell this census business was planned by a man,
and one many miles away
no real consideration for how it will affect the people involved,
no thought for the women and children
no thought for how the census could be managed
- oh no they think it will all happen by magic.

From the look on the man's face he knew that we were full before he even asked the question.
The deafening noise from within was a bit of a giveaway.
Have you noticed that the more people there are in a room,
the louder they all bellow,
in an attempt to make themselves heard over the rest.
Then the ale kicks in and it all gets even louder
as each one believes they are the only person who has a grasp of current affairs.
Inside, three planning committees are in the process of being formed,
to improve management of the next census...
Daft lot, as if the Romans are going to take any notice of them!

Anyway, back to the late arrivals.
My heart went out to them.
But what could I do to help them?
Then I had a brain wave!
"Look, I know is it not much,
but there is an animal shelter close by where you could rest,
until you find somewhere better."
The man's face lit up.
"We just need somewhere to rest.
Thank you so much!"
The woman, well I say woman,
but she was little more than a slip of a thing,
just smiled this beautiful smile,
as if I had offered them the best room in the house,
rather than a dingy, drafty, dirty animal shelter.
I showed the way,
"It is not much,
but I don't think you can go much further, dear.
It looks like it won't be long before your baby is here!"
The couple agreed,
and the young woman made herself a comfy with some animal bedding.
Then left them to settle,
whilst I fetched some rugs and refreshments.

That baby must have been listening
Because by the time I returned,
her labour was well underway.
Given her youth, I suspected that it was her first pregnancy,
so I expected the delivery to take some time,
but, no, this baby has decided that it was time to put in an appearance.

I have helped deliver babies in the Inn before,
and plenty of animal births have taken place in this shelter,
but this was the first baby born here as far as I am aware.

Meanwhile, when I returned to the inn,
My husband was still only partway through his epic monologue on goverments,
planning and innkeeping...
As long as he gave away free drinks, he had a captive audience.
Though he appeared not to have noticed that most of them were fast asleep.
I think I shall join them..."

Blessings of Travel - Joseph

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. Luke 2:4

Nazareth to Bethlehem, is a lot further than you remember,
especially when accompanied by a heavily pregnant wife.

It is a relatively straight forward journey if you are fit and healthy.
OK, it takes a few days.
I always enjoy the journey,
observing the way the landscape changes.
Sleeping under the stars by a campfire,
or spending the night in a travellers inn.
I have made the journey quite a few times
and it always feels like an adventure,
a break from the regular routine.

This time it was different.
Mary never complained,
but I could see that she was struggling.
It may have been my imagination,
but it looked to me as if the baby dropped a bit lower
with every step she took.

Every time I felt anxious,
I turned at looked at Mary.
She was so incredibly calm,
and then I would feel this incredible peace spread over me.
It must be contagious!

As we travelled, we had time to talk,
not just chat, but to really talk,
about our childhoods, like likes and dislikes,
hopes, fears, dreams.
I am usually the quiet one, content to listen
and leave space for others to share,
but I must admit that as we travelled I did much of the talking,
as Mary was finding it harder to breath.
But it was a very special time.
A gift from God,
albeit via Quirinius and Caersar Augustus.

Without the directive from Rome,
requiring the journey to Bethlehem,
We never would have spent this time together.
We would have been too busy,
me working and Mary keeping house and resting.
Although I am pleased to see our desination appearing into sight,
I shall miss this precipous time we have had together.

Now just the small matter of finding a place to stay.
Other travellers are pouring into town,
laughter, and loud voices sounding from every doorway and window.
The town looks full,
I have no idea where we are going to spend the night.
I will just keep asking at every door,
until God reveals where we shall stay.

Getting Accustomed to the Unpredictable - Joseph

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) Luke 2:1-2

'Look on the bright side." I said to Mary,
"The announcement of the Census is now the major topic of discussion,
and your 'surprise' pregnancy is now yesterday's news!"
"Imagine losing count during a census,
and having to start again..." giggled Mary.
" I should imagine they keep very accurate records, " I replied,
though I was amused at the idea of the census counters getting say 50,000 in,
losing count and having to start again....
"They may want to know exactly how much money they can raise through taxation."
"I wonder if this one will arrive before the census."Mary pondered.
"Time will tell, meanwhile we have a journey to go on, I am afraid."
"Do we need to go far, " asked Mary, stroking her heavily extended stomach.
"Bethlehem, where my family is desend from.
Just a few days journey.
We will take it slowly..."

I took care to inject a note of optimism into my voice,
but in reality I really was quite worried.
It really wasn't ideal for a heavily pregnant woman to travel that distance.
To make things worse, Mary is still quite young
and this is her first child.
What if things go wrong?

I can't pull the wool over Mary's eyes, though.
She suddenly reached out and took my hand, and said.
"Don't worry, Joseph, God has got all this planned,
right down to when and where the baby will be born.
Our role is to trust the plan of the Creator God,
and to follow instructions,
whether from God or Caesar Augustus."
We smiled at each other.
"You are right, Mary.
I am sorry, I was used to a life where things were certain.
I knew what I was going to make,
what wood and tools I would use,
When I would start and stop work each day,
what I would eat,
and where I would sleep.
I even thought I knew when I was getting married,
but God changed that as well!.
God has changed a lot of things recently,
and I think more changes lie ahead,
but I am getting accostomed to the unpredictable."
Mary smiled.
"At least the intended wife stayed the same!"

Stepdad in Waiting - Joseph

But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Matthew1:25

Mary is back from her stay with her cousin Elizabeth.
It did her the world of good to get away from all the stares and nudges.
Everyone is convinced that we have pre-emped our wedding vows.
I notice the furtive looks,
and those who turn away.
I can hardly blame them,
after all, I jumped to the same conclusion, myself!
Mary, however, appears not to notice,
and she probably doesn't.
Mary, is a very special person,
as you have probably realised by now.
She genuinely sees the good in everyone.

To think I came so close to losing her,
because I dismissed what she said as fanciful nonsense!
I am so grateful for the dream I had,
it helped me to understand a bit of God's plans
and how we fit in to them.
Now Mary is here with me,
rather sooner than we imagined.
But we shall wait until after the baby is born,
before we get more intimate.
I want there to be no doubt,
that this baby IS the Son of God.
Already, my heart is filled with such love for him.
I will love and care for him, as if he was biologically mine.
Yes he will study scriptures,
but I will also teach him to be a skilled carpenter, too!

What have I learnt so far?
That sometimes God asks you to follow his plans,
and set aside your own.
When that happens,
you have to say yes,
because he is God.

His name is John - Elizabeth

On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”
They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”
Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote,
“His name is John.”
Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.
All the neighbours were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.
Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
Luke 1:59-79

My beloved son is a week and a day old
and already it feel like he has been here forever.
What did I do with my time before I was feeding, changing and nursing an infant?
Today our son will be circumcised in accordance with the law.
I try not to think about that too much,
but if God has plans for him,
then our responsibility is to bring him up according to the law.

They gathered round our son to carry out the procedure
and were all set to name him Zechariah after his father.
However, his name had already been chosen by God,
and it is most definitely NOT Zechariah!
So I just had to speak
"No! He is to be called John!"
Well that set the cat among the pigeons.
Firstly, a woman speaking out.
Secondly, a woman challenging them.
Thirdly, providing an answer they didn't expect.
They all turned and looked at me.
I didn't let my gaze waver,
for I knew the name that God had given him.
"John?" they queried.
I could see them mentally going through our family tree,
trying to identify a 'John' he could be named after,
and failing.
"There is no-one in your family with that name?"
They turned and looked at John to see what his thoughts were,
but of course, he was still unable to speak,
so he asked for a writing tablet,
and wrote "His name is John".

Well, I was astounded at what happened next.
I have to admit, I never saw this coming at all.
As soon as he confirmed what I had told them,
Zech instantly regained the power of speech.
Goodness me!
Didn't that set all the other tongues wagging!
Zech and I had a jolly good laugh about that, I can tell you.
We were the talk of the village,
the area,
the world probably!
Then they all knew for sure that this child was going to be very special.

Just one thought I have,
If I hadn't spoken up
Zechariah could never have disagreed with me ever again....
Though I have to say, it is lovely to hear his voice once more!

Great Celebrations - The Neighbours

When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. Luke 1:57-58

A group of women stood chatting
"Did you hear that?"
"The sound of baby crying? Not really an unusual sound, is it?"
"Yes, but where the sound is coming from?
I just don't recognise that cry..."
"It's not James' house, the twins are still asleep
Besides they always cry together and that a single cry."
"Louder than two babies, though"

"True!"
Nor is it baby Mirriam. Her cry is higher pitched."
"That is true."
"..and it isn't Suzannah's baby either,
as she is visiting her mother."
"One thing for certain, that baby knows its mind.
That is a very uncompromising yell!"
"It certainly is, but I cannot work out where it is coming from."

Just then a midwife appeared in the doorway of Zechariah's house.
"Oh my goodness! It is Elizabeth's baby!"
"Is everything OK?"
"Oh yes!" said the midwife, everything went very well
and the baby certainly has a good pair of lungs!"
"WE KNOW!" chorused the women.
"Let us know when we can visit and see this miracle baby."
The midwife disappeared back inside.

A few minutes later the midwife reappeared.
"Come and see the child."
The women didn't hesitate.
They entered the house and saw Elizabeth cradling her son.
The women marvelled at the dark curls and long eye lashes of the sleeping child.
"He is absolutely perfect."
"I am so pleased for you."
"You are truly blessed."
"The Lord answered our prayers." rejoiced Elizabeth,
"and he has a special task for this child.
"The Lord is good!" rejoiced the women.

Somersaults of Pure Joy - Elizabeth

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful
 of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
 holy is his name. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home Luke 1:39-49, 56

I was overjoyed when I heard that my young relative Mary was coming to stay.
She needs a safe place to be until all the fuss dies down.
Zech and I were the obvious choice
after all, we too are awaiting the birth of an unexpected child.
I could do with someone to have a good chat to,
Zechariah still can't speak,
and won't until after our baby is born.
Meanwhile we have become very profficient in communicating by signs, sighs and giggles.
I must admit, the news that we are to finally become parents
in our very old age,
was a huge shock.
Now I am getting used to the idea I treasure every moment.
Zechariah had good reason to doubt the angel.
But God's plan's are always perfect.
Zechariah's lack of speech certainly gave credibility to his story.
The Chief Priests would have insisted that he had made it all up,
but you cannot argue with someone who has lost the ability to talk.
Anyway, Mary and I had a lot to catch up on.

Mary has always held a special place in my heart
When she arrived, she rushed in, with arms wide open
to embrace me and my baby bump,
which was lovely.
Then something amazing happened.
For the first time I felt the child within me move,
I say move, but it was more like a somersault of pure joy.
What perfect timing!
Then I felt this warmth flow through my body
God silence Zechariah,
but to me he gave words of knowledge, understanding and praise.
As it hit me that I was in the presence of the woman
who was to bring God into the world as a baby.
The child within me gave another somersault of pure joy.
Mary responded with her own words of praise to God.

We just stood and held each other,
and marvelled that the babies within us
both had a unique role to play.
The child inside me,
who was to prepare the way,
was inches from the one he will prepare the way for
as part of God's amazing plan.
I felt like doing a somersault of pure joy!

The Calm after the Storm - Joseph

An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:20b-23

A thousand thought raced round and round inside my head.
"Why has this happened?" I whispered,
"Why did Mary betray me?"

The events of yesterday bewilder me.
Yesterday morning I was content with life.
Working with my carpenter's tools,
making and mending items as required.
Waiting until the day when Mary and I were to complete our betrothal
and become man and wife.
"I wish yesterday had never happened." I said bitterly
A voice in my head reminded me
that yesterday was not when the problem happened.
The previous day was merely when I found out
that my plans were in tatters.
"And now I face a future without Mary for she has clearly chosen another."
Joseph lay down on his bed and wept,
for the future which had been snatched from him.


Eventually exhaustion took over and I fell into a deep sleep.
In my dream I say Mary standing before me.
Her growing stomach distorting the clothing she wore.
He face was radient with joy.
A deep voice spoke to me
Joseph, son of David.
I have chosen you to fulfill and difficult mission.
The words Mary spoke to you are true.
Incredible as it may seem,
the child she carries is not from some act of human will.
Instead the child has been conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Take Mary home to be your wife.
I am trusting you to be my son's father here on earth.
When he is born, you should give him the name, Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.
All this is to fulfil the scriptures."

When I awoke, my tears were gone
and, despite everything, I felt such peace.
"What and amazing dream," I reminded myself,
"Everything is going to be OK.
Mary has not let me down.
Our betrothal still stands
Mary has not chosen another.
It is just as she said,
part of God's plan for mankind
and we have been called to play our part in bringing this plan to fullfillment.
I should have listened,
but I was so shocked by her news.
It is not going to be easy
tongues will wag, and some will shun us.
But with God on our side,
together we CAN do this.
We can raise God's Son,
just as he wishes us to
Now, the most important thing for me to do is to apologise to Mary.
I hope she will accept my apology.
Why am I worrying?
I know Mary.
I know she has already forgiven me.

A Second Angelic Assignment - Gabriel

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream Matthew 1:20a

"Gabriel, I want you to return to earth.
I have a second assignment for you."
"Yes, Lord."
"...and before you ask, no it isn't to anyone powerful or influential."
"To whom shall I be paying a visit this time, Lord?
"To a humble carpenter named Joseph, whose heart has been broken."
"Forgive me for asking, but isn't this a task for one of the cupids?"
"I can understand why you might think that.
This isn't just a broken romance
which can be healed by the arrow from a cupid's bow.
No, Joseph needs the awe of an archangel,
to understand the role I have for him.
Joseph is, or rather was betrothed to Mary,
and he soon will be again.
At the moment he thinks she has been unfaithful.
Joseph is a good man and wants to protect Mary's reputation as much as possible,
but he thinks she has prefers someone else.
Mary did try to explain that their child is the gift of the Holy Spirit,
but Joseph was not convinced.
He prefers to believe Mary has been hoodwinked.
I need you to go and set the record straight."
"So back to Bethlehem, then, Lord?"
"Absolutely right, and be gentle with him,
he has just cried himself to sleep,
and you are about to wake him up with news that will astound him
mend his broken heart,
and enable them to fast track the betrothal.
They have no time to waste,
things are starting to happen down there,
but this is as much as Joseph and Mary need to know right now.

Broken - Joseph

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. Matthew 1:18-19

And just like that, ALL my hopes and plans for the future, were destroyed.
I was absolutely devastated.
I keep going over the past, searching for evidence that she was unhappy,
resentful even of the plans I was making.

I cannot remember not knowing Mary.
I feel as if she has been part of my life forever.
Our marriage was arranged when she was quite young,
with the understanding that she would become my wife in the fullness of time.
I thought she was happy with these arrangements.
But it appears I am mistaken.
Mary has not waited for our wedding
instead it appear that she has given herself to another and is to have a child.
There are so many questions racing around my head,
but of one thing I am completely certain of
is that the child Mary is carrying is not mine!

She came up with some fabulous story about an angel visiting her
and telling her that she was going to bear a child.
Wait for it, not by a 'normal conception'
but through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Well I am sorry, but it just doesn't work like that!

When she broke the news to me I was shocked.
Speechless, even.
And the part that I am really struggling to comprehend
is that she looked like she expected me to react as I did.
She was so calm and serene.
Not embarassed or ashamed, or even defiant.
I wanted to reach out and shake her!
whilst trying so hard not to cry.
Not wanting to make things worse than they already are.

Finally, I managed to get some coherent thoughs together.
I didn't want her to know how devastated I was.
So I expressed my concern for her.
"Mary, you do know they neighbours will be scandalised?
They will reject you!
Shame you!
Ostracise you!"
I didn't have the heart at this stage to point out that they may even kill her.

Infuriatingly, she didn't seem concerned for herself.
Instead she looked at me with such compassion, gentleness and grace.
Normally she keeps her gaze respectfully downwards,
like the gentle maiden I thought she was.
But today she looked straight into my eyes, with an unwavering gaze.
With eyes that seemed to have knowledge and wisdom way beyond my understanding,
that could see inside the depth of my being
where I had hidden all the hurt, confusion and disappointment.
"I know this is very difficult for you, Joseph," she said,
"but this is part of God's plan for all mankind."
I swallowed the words I wanted to speak,
words of hurt, disappointment and heartache.
I shook my head sadly and left.
This particular man was not having any part of these plans.

On reaching home I sat unmoving,
racking my brain for a solution.

Tomorrow I will go and make arangements to quietly cancel the betrothal.
and allow Mary to be free to move forward with the father of her child.
Leaving me with my shattered dreams and a future with no wife and no children.

"MARY, WHY?"

Extraordinary Interruption - Mary

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”
Luke 1:27b-37


Another ordinary day
in the life of an ordinary person,
living in an ordinary town,
doing the ordinary things
to keep our family home tidy.

The bread is baked,
the stew slowly simmering,
the floor swept.
All is well in my ordinary world.

Then suddenly everything changed.
One moment I was alone,
the next I wasn't
and I really don't know how it happened

The door had not opened, yet this being stood before me.
"Greetings, you who are highly favoured."
It was a quaint turn of phrase, to be sure
I couldn't move.
I coun't speak.
Perhaps he has the wrong person and should have visited next door instead
"Do not be afraid, Mary."
Oh dear, I thought. It is me he is looking for.
Now if he had said
"Do not be afraid, Anna," I could have sent him on his way.
But no, it was "Do not be afraid, Mary."
and I knew the being really had come to see me.

It is hard not to be afraid, when something unexpected miraculously appears in your home.
He held my gaze, I couldn't look away.
And that was before he dropped the bombshell
God has chosen me, ordinary Mary,
betrothed to ordinary Joseph,
from ordinary Nazareth,
to give birth to His extraordinary Son.
and what is more, God has already chosen his name, Jesus.
Mindblowing!
I had a few questions...Like, how?
Joseph and I may be betrothed, but that is all!
As you may expect the being had an answer for that,

The Holy Spirit will make all this happen.
He even knew about Elizabeth's miraculous pregnancy!
Just one problem, I now have to breeak that to Joe.
I notice the being left that to me!

Angelic Assignment - Gabriel

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. Luke 1:26-27

"Gabiel, I have a task for you."
"Yes, Lord. What would you like me to do?
Sing a few verses of the hallelujah chorus?
Fly around and show everyone how marvellous the wings you created are?
Play a new concerto on the harp?"
"No, Gabriel. I want you to go to earth."
"Oh, excellent, Lord. A meeting with one of the big players in earthly politics, perhaps...?"
"Not quite. I want you take take a message to a young girl."
"A young girl, sir? That is a triffle, erm, irregular, if I may say so!"
"You may not say so, but as you have expressed your feelings I had better explain."
"Thank you, Lord."
"Mary is a young Jewish girl.
She is a good and faithful lass, kind and generous.
I have chosen her to be the mother of my Son,
who will be born on earth in human form."
"Born, as a vulnerable baby, sir?" spluttered Gabriel
"Yes, Gabriel. The authorities have convinced themsleves
that their Saviour will come to them as a swashbuckling warlord.
Goodness knows why!? I suppose it is because that is what they would do!"
"But your thoughts are not their thoughts, nor are your ways their ways..." observed Gabriel. "Exactly."
"Yes, Lord."
"Now, Gabriel, be very gentle with Mary.
This is going to come like a bolt from the blue.
She has no idea that this is going to happen.
As far as she is aware, she is an ordinary girl,
bethrothed to be married to a carpenter.
An older man, who needs a young wife to provide him with sons and daughters.
She has no idea how strong she is going to be.
This is not an easy task I am asking of her."
"What if she says no?" queried Gabriel.
"Oh, Gabriel! You still haven't fully grasped my omiscience, have you?"

Two will become Three - Elizabeth

When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favour and taken away my disgrace among the people.” Luke 1 :23-25

Zechariah and Elizabeth - Liz and Zech.
The day that we got married was one of the happiest days of my life.
Oh the dreams we had.
We both wanted a lrage family,
sons to be taught scripture and a living
daughters to be taught to be capable wives and tender hearted to all.
Yet it was not to be.

After all these years of marriage it is still Zechariah and Elizabeth, Liz and Zech.
We have learnt to ignore the cruel whispers,
insinuating that we are bad people
as God has not blessed our marriage with children
and assuming that Zech is somehow lacking is his devotion to God,
despite being a priest
or that we have never consumated our marriage - which
a) is none of the business and
b) totally untrue.

I knew that something had happened when a silent husband returned from serving in the temple.
He had to write everything down - thank goodness I defied convention and learnt to read.
I would have hated to have heard his incredible story through an interpreter!

The news he brought blew my mind.
I was so shocked when he told me that we were going to have a son
at our age!
Forgive me, but I did wonder if he had taken a second wife
and not had the heart to tell me
But, actually, I knew that wasn't true,
there was no way certain gossips would have failed to bring that news to my attention!
Goodness knows, havent our lives been subject to enough scrutiny
and speculation
over the years?

And now, it will no longer be just Zechariah and Elizabeth - Liz and Zech,
instead it will be Zechariah, Elizabeth and John - J, Liz and Zech.

And so in my old age my body is still not my own,
they all want to see me,
eager to detect my extending stomach and breasts,
to reach out to see if they can feel my child.
But I have chosen to stay at home in seclusion
and marvel at the changes in my body I have wanted to experience for so long
and treasure each and every moment.

Tales of the Unexpected - Part 2

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous —to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” Luke 1:11-20

From the outside everything looks normal,
but deep, deep inside the temple
the heart-beat of the spirit of God is beating in the form of a messenger.
Zechariah's heart is beating too, wildly and loudly,
a relentless drum beat pounding in his ears.
So loud that Zechariah worries that it will drown out the prayers of the priests
worshipping adjacent to the Holy of Holies.
The angel cannot hear Zechariah's heartbeat,
but he sees the fear in his eyes.
"Do not be afraid, " he reassures the Priest, "your prayer has been heard."
"Which prayer?" wonders Zechariah,
but he knows, oh yes, he knows!
The prayer that was at first so fervant
secure in the knowledge that God can do anything,
but more muted and automated as the years passed
acknowedging that God can do anything,
but is the Master, not the Servant
and choses how he answers prayers.

Zechariah scarcely registers the role description for all his son will accomplish,
because the angel seems to have overlooked one thing.
Both Zech and his wife are old
very old
past the age of conceiving children

Then the angel points out that it is not God who has done the overlooking
but Zechariah himself.
For God can do anything,
even the impossible.
Then Zechariah remembered Abraham and Sarah and the son given to them in their old age.
"There is a precedent for this situation" he mused to himslef

Just as Zechariah is wondering how he will tell everyone,
the angel solves this probleem to by removing from him the power of speech
whch will not returrn until the child is born.

Then the angel left him.
Zechariah completed his priestly dutues.
and left the Holy of Holies before the rest wondered if needed to be dragged out.
"What I a lot I have to tell Elizabeth when I return home
and how full of joy she will be..."
and then he remembered.

Tales of the Unexpected Part one - Zechariah

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. Luke 1:5-10

An elderly man, kisses his beloved wife goodbye
and heads off to the temple
to join the rest of the priests of the order of Abijah.

God has blessed the generations
and there are so many priests that they take turns to serve in the temple.
Zechariah's heart is filled with joy as he approaches his destination.
He wouldn't admit it for the world,
but this is his favoutite place,
a place where he can leave behind
the whispers and callous gossip of the neighbours
and the shame of childlessness
and lose himself in the mystery and awe of worshipping God.
Letting the familiarity of the rituals heal his wounds.
Here Zechariah can hide and be anonymous,
just another elderly grey-bearded priest.
There is nothing to make him stand out,
from all the others who have gathered.

Zechariah has never been selected
and has no expectation of being picked.
He is the last of his line,
with no sons to mentor and encourage
and no one to be an inspiration to,
he sees no reason why he would be chosen.
What purpose would it serve,
other than to boost his own vanity?

Zechariah thought back to the days of his youth,
when he accompanied his father,
uncles and cousins to the temple.
Many of those were no longer here
or were too frail to make the journey.

Zechariah is suddenly aware that every pair of eyes are looking in his direction expectantly.
The Chief Priest is nodding approvingly at him...
Thoughts of the past vanished abruptly
dismissed by the dawning realisation that he had been finally chosen.

He had always wondered what it would feel like to have the rope tied around his ankle,
and feel the courseness of the rope rasp against his skin
and now he knew,
and, oh what a joy it was!
He had always assumed that it would no more than a reminder
of the other priests waiting for the chosen priest to emerge
but suddenly he understood that it was instead
a cord that held him in unity
with the rest of the priesthood.

"Thank you, thank you, Lord!" Zechariah rejoiced,
"Today my Lord has chosen me!"

Zechariah stepped away from the harmony of the priests prayers
and stepped into the silence of the Holy of Holies
and the divine presence of God.

Winds of Change - Micah

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2 NIV

Out there in the land of sleepy sheep
where there is no expectation that tomorrow will be any different to today.
Man Micah stands and listens to the wind in the olive trees.
The Creator is grieved by the corruption and injustice
from the twisted minds of those who have climbed into positions of privilege and power.
Micah sighed.
Not for the first time.
For prophets rarely have good news to tell.

The prophet speaks out over the land of Judah,
knowing his word will reach the ear of Hezekaih himself.
"You could keep quiet" his friends remind him.
"A prophet is compelled to pass on the messages given.
It is up to the hearer to decide how they will respond." was Micah's reply.
Hoping the wind in the olive trees would soon to bring better news.


Then God spoke again.
"Time for a bit of a rebalance.
Those who have gained positions of power and influence,
do not trust in me.
No, instead, they rely on clinging to their positions by corrupt means
and seek to provide for their future not by trusting in my provision,
but by storing up wealth from bribes.

Time to turn everything on its head.
The new ruler will come from Bethlehem,
but he will be one whose ancesters have lived godly lives."

Micah didn't sigh.
Instead he smiled.
God had a plan.
There would a leader who would challenge the courupt status quo.
A leader who would come from relative obscurity
and blindside the rich and powerful.
Justice would prevail.

"There is just one point I am not quite clear on" mused Micah,
"and that is exactly when this will happen..."
"In the fullness of time."
replied the wind in the olive trees.
"Given the ages of those olive trees,
I don't think it wiull happen next week." pondered Micah,
"but hopefully we won't have to wait too long..."

Day 17: Write a story in which a child must parent their elder

(Inspiration: In Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut, Kilgore Trout tries to write a short story about meeting his father in heaven, but his father has decided to spend the afterlife as himself at nineyears-old while Trout enters heaven as a forty-four year old man. )

I cry
You look worried.
It is time to feed me.
Why do I ALWAYS have to remind you?
How am I ever going to grow to be a comparable size to you
unless I receive regular nourishment?
And when I said regular I meant regular,
yes two hourly feeds while I am awake.

How do you know if I am awake?
Use your god-given senses.

Firstly am I gurgling?
If so probably awake.

Are my eyes open?
Probably awake.

Am I fidgeting?
Definitely awake!

Not complicated is it really…
I mean even a baby could work it out…

Yes, I can cry for other reasons…
Again use your senses.
In particular YOUR NOSE.
Yes some spectacular toxic volcano has erupted from my rear end
and it requires your immediate attention.
Like NOW!!!

Day 16: Write a story that takes place before sunrise…

Sleep eluded me.

I arose, wrapping my dressing gown around me,
I went down to the kitchen and made a coffee.
Sitting on the settee I drank a coffee
and regarded the darkened world beyond the French windows.
It looks like the evening,
but in reverse,
so instead of the familiarity of the day slipping away,
the light increased.
Secretly and stealthily.

Unusually I spent most of the rest of the day sat on the sofa,
reading, watching endless reels on my phone.
Whilst I coughed and spluttered my way through the day.
It was rather unnerving to watch the light gradually recede again
as the day ended and night began. And that, my friend, was my day.

PS. Not all my story took part before the day began, but I am using the prompts to inspire not dictate…

Day 15: Take a story you’ve drafted. Cut it in half word-wise. Then add an orange balloon to it

I had no real idea what I was getting into.
It sounded simple enough.
Write 100 words a day in response to a prompt.

It cannot be difficult I though,
but oh my goodness,
I often had to step well out of my comfort zone

Talking of approaches, hark, there is something in the sky.
I strain my eyes,
squinting against the harsh sunshine.
Is It a UFO or a continuation of a dream from yesterday?
I listen intently,
but all I can hear is next door’s leaf blower.
It draws closer and closer.
I hope it isn’t one of those 'let's set fire to the world' sky lanterns.
Then I realise that it is merely a balloon.
I say merely a balloon,
but even that is not great for the environment.
They use some of the world’s precious supply of helium.
Then they get trapped in trees and remain there for years,
taunting passers by.

The future could be bright,
but not if it features orange helium balloons!

Not a balloon, but it is orange...

Day 14: One Breathless Sentence

Think of a distant memory, one perhaps you have not written about (or might have a while ago). Then with either pen to page, or fingers to tablet, begin!!! Do your best not to stop- this is an exercise in freeing up the cognitive process- Punctuation be gone!

Summer days, in the garden

The swing was the focal point of our games sometimes we used it as a swing how many kicks before you can touch the washing line with your foot the swing was the hot seat for quiz games my dad tied an old ladder on to the side of the swing holes were sunk in the lawn and a bent piece of tubing became our golf club we all knew each others parents as well as the other adults in the neighbourhood we played hopscotch on the pavements and ball games in the road, keeping an eye out for the occasional vehicle some teenagers passing by noted the bright cheeks of my friend hello Rosy they greeted him how rude! I thought I AM ROSIE

Day 13: You find yourself in an abandoned shopping mall from the 1980s.

You are leisurely making your way through the ruins when you begin to hear Muzak.
As you near the sound, you realize there is one store still open,
though you are unclear how it could possibly be open for business.
"We've been waiting for you," a cheerful sales lady says as she waves you over.
"Quickly now!" she says, bustling you into the store, 
"the ritual is about to begin!"
What happens next?


I look around in bewilderment,
seeking clues as to the purpose of this establishment,
but all I can see is a cupboard full of tins.

“Quick, close your eyes.
Empty your mind and choose a tin.
But choose carefully.
We cannot take responsibility if you end up at the wrong destination!”

“What’s this, some kind of low budget travel agent?”

The woman glared at me.

“Hardly. We are a portal for time travel.”

I laughed incredulously.

“What did you expect a time machine to look like?
A phone box, or a gadget with light bulbs and wires?
Items of such predictablility are reserved for fiction!”

“What would happen if I took the tin of beans outside?”

“Nothing. The objects can only trigger time travel within the portal.”

I grabbed a tin of beans and suddenly found myself spinning.
Where would I end up?
What would I encounter?
Was this the swirling vortex of doom?

Day 12: The world's going to end because of global warming, and your character does something unbelievably stupid. Now show how the action is perfectly logical.

Twenty-four hours in and I am still lying on a trolly in corridor.
The guy on the adjacent trolly cannot believe how I came to be in Casualty.

“So Eco-warrior, remind me how you managed to break BOTH legs?”
“I fell down the stairs…”
“Were you staying somewhere new?”
“No, it was in my own home. I turned off the lights to save energy.
I forgot to count the stairs and thought I was nearer the bottom and fell awkwardly.”

A nurse, hurries by, trying not to get dragged into questions about how long it will be before any of the patients lining the corridor get a bed.

“Can you move Eco-Warrior further away from the light switches, please?
We don’t want her turning off any more lights and causing further disasters…”

Day 11: A story in which you meet your past or future self

I thought I would find you leaning against the coal place wall,
by your favourite 'burnt brick'.
Big sis has passed the 11+ and off to the County High School.
This is where your paths diverged.
You will never again be at the same educational establishment.
Years of Primary Education lie ahead for you before you are hived off to Middle School.
You will never reach 4th Year Juniors
and the rites of passage of the 11+ and running a stall at the school fete.
Instead you will be bored by liberal education,
endless unmarked projects that no-one cares if you ever complete.

Your face says it all.
The future was bright, but it was goofy.

Day 10: Write a story that is 10 sentences

Alas, the instruction was more complicated.

Day 10: Write a story that is 10 sentences,
then take each sentence and rearrange their order to make a new story.


I tried
and tried
and tried.
And failed.
Hence why I am posting day 10 on day 12...

But all is not lost...
Instead I wrote a random series of sentences, which will suffice

"Whose bright idea was this,” demanded Miss Pike, “Looking at the fish dying in the carpet.
It was meant to be a present, a surprise, something wonderfully memorable.
“Happy birthday, darling, and many happy returns.”
“Well, you have made a right spectacle of yourself!” She replied bitterly.
They left soon after, keen to been rush hour.
The traffic lights were stuck on red - awkward.
Who was going to be brave enough to take a risk?
It was the sort of day that you were surprised to find that the house was still standing.
They entered the house and collapsed in a heap on the sofa.
Out in the garden the dog celebrated their arrival by jumping in the pond, again…

Feel free to make your own story from the above random sentences.
After all it's not winning tor losing,
it's about how you play the game, or so they say..

Try telling that to the fish…

Day 9: November 9 Start with "Someone is dead. Even the trees know it…"

Someone is dead.
Even the trees know it…
The whole forest is sighing with sorrow,
shaking with grief,
whispering condolences,
seeking answers.

“Was it Birch, or Cherry,
Ash, Aspen or Beech,
Hazel or Holly,
Rowan or Willow?
We really don’t know!
We could say we fear the worst,
but sadly that has already happened…

It is a grave situation
justifying soul searching,
But where will it all end?

We shall sorrow on the morrow,
mourn in the morn
and grieve in the eve.

Day 8: Write a road trip story. Two characters, tension, going from where to where?

“Take the third exit…
That was the second. The satnav doesn’t always recognise supermarkets”

“How was I supposed to know?
What time were we supposed to have arrived?”

“Midday.”

“And we will be there at 12:10 according to the Satnav.
We will be late. You are always late.”

“Late is if we arrive after it finishes.
This is the sort of event where we just join in when we get there.”


This was the sound track to every trip we made on our journey together,
until one day we could not have the conversation
because one of us wasn't there.

Day 7: Write a story about a character who is keeping a terrible secret that has just been discovered..

Where do you hide a secret?
Under the bed?
In the airing cupboard?
In the loft?
Maybe the garage?
Perhaps I should have chosen a better place,
but I decided that hidden in plain sight was the best policy.

But now my children are taking an interest in their family tree
and noticing that they look nothing like the rest of the family.
Not even much like me!

Their birth certificates will not reveal anything.
We made sure of that.
But one day they will ask why is there is always the same priest on the family photographs,
and where he fits in to the family tree…

Miracles come in many forms...

Day 6: There's a stranger in your kitchen…

The aroma of an apple crumble reminds me of my mother’s cooking.
With six mouths to feed on a carefully calculated budget.
Food was simple and tasty, supplemented by fresh fruit and veg from the garden.

Whiff of winter stew, wafts around the room.

The fragrance of freshly baked bread makes my mouth water.

Icing sugar can be detected the moist warm air.

Who has created all these wonderful aromas?


If I peep in the mirror I can see a stranger in my kitchen.

I realise, with a start, that it is me!

Day 5: Write a story set in the 1990s

“But what WILL happen when the clocks strike midnight?”
“No-one, knows. All we can do is plan for the worst case scenario,
for the whole of the computer system to come to a halt,
and have strategies in place to cope if that comes to pass.”
“They didn’t have this problem at the end of the previous millennium!"

We sat, with baited breath, waiting as the last seconds of 1999 ticked away…

But I cannot tell you what happened next, for that is part of the story of the third millennium.
By the time that ends, it will all be lost in the mists of time.

Day 4: The cult leader had once been a child star.

The adulation ended once my voice began to fail and I lost the cute look that had brought me fame.

In a bid to get more healthy I experimented with new health drinks - rose/sprout, blueberry/rhubarb, banana/cabbage.
I developed a cottage industry, which went commercial as demand skyrocketted.
Regular purchasers joined a Facebook group.
I started publishing daily motivational guidance to promote my business.
Before I knew it I was a guru with a blossoming business.
Speaking events followed.
My fans met up regularly, analysing every word I published.
If I said ‘jump’ they duly obliged.
Thus my cult was born.

Day 3 The Sound of Silence

 Day 3: Write a story whose descriptions rely only on the sense of smell or hearing (or both) 

There is nothing more I can do, but wait.
The rasp of your breathing cuts the silence.

I open the window, mentally bargaining with God.
If I can hear the noise of a car, an indication that life exists beyond these walls,
it will be a sign that you will survive the night.
But the only sounds from the world outside are the sorrowing sighs of the trees.

I strain my ears, longing to hear.
In the distance a fox howls

The headlights of an electrical vehicle pulling up outside distract me.
Does this count?

You cough,
splutter.
Your breathing eases.
Crisis averted.

For now.

November 2nd - Amoransia - 100 word story

 Day 2: Word Prompt: Amoransia
Portuguese amor, love + ânsia, craving.
Pronounced "ah-moh-ran-see-uh."
n. the melodramatic thrill of unrequited love; the longing to pine for someone you can never have,
wallowing in devotion to some impossible person who could give your life meaning by their very absence.


I close the door quietly and walk away,
holding my head high,
never looking back.
I am strong.
I am capable.

In reality as I walked away they sighed a deep sigh of relief,
as my unspoken intensity irritated them.
The door blew open after my departure,
sending paperwork everywhere.
Smoke backed up into the room,
stinging eyes.

“She cannot even manage to depart without leaving a trail of chaos and carnage in her wake…” you announce.

I am oblivious.
I am strong.
I am broken-hearted.
One day you will realise that you cannot live without me.

You are pissed off.

November 1st Wrong Body - 100 Word Story

We found a body, but not the body we were looking for
All night we had trudged
scratching arms and faces on thorns,
snagging clothing on protruding branches.
Periodically we would freeze with fear, at some unfamiliar sound.
Only to discover it was some unsuspecting wildlife that was just as spooked by us as we were by them.
On reaching the hilltop, the moon pierced through the clouds, illuminating the landscape.
We could see the lake.
“Phew!” Jan stared ahead
“Good heavens!”
“Whassup?”
“That’s Fiddlers Island! We have found the body, but it is the wrong body…of water”