Following the Star 
Pause
Breathe deeply.
This is the time for you to stop and notice the light on the window, scents in the dry winter air, and the subtle sounds that are the background of your day. Take a moment to notice the beating of your heart and the gentle brush of cloth against your skin.
These moments are a gift that Christ has given you and that you can give back to Christ, the gift of presence and companionship.
Breathe and pause and listen.
Listen
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning.
Everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word nothing came into being.
What came into being through the Word was life,  and the life was the light for all people.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.
John 1:1-5
Think
I once had the opportunity to take a class in Science Fiction. We covered many of the “classic” authors: Isaac Azimov, Robert Heinlein, and Ray Bradbury. Their words created whole universes of new possibilities. Amazingly, some of the things that they just imagined are now reality. The words and imagination of these writers have helped shape our world.
A deeper Word underlies creation itself. The Word of God is present before the beginning of all things. The Word shapes the formation of the universe, bringing life and light, and the Word continues to engage this world of ours and all that is in it.
Jesus’ presence here in our universe brings that Word into our world. He brings the light of God’s love into our shadowed world. Nothing can put out that light: not pain or evil, not loneliness or fear, not even those words that wound us. God’s light is present, and God’s Word is present to create new possibilities. Enjoy the Light.
Linnae Peterson
Pray
Jesus, you are the Word that is always with me. Help me to be aware of your presence with me and of the light that you bring, even when I feel lost in darkness. Open my eyes so that I can see the light you bring and the new paths and possibilities it opens. Amen.
Go
The wise men followed the star. They walked in the light of God’s presence and found Jesus at the end.
Go walk in the light of Christ, knowing that God is with you, and there you will find Jesus.
Go discover the light of Christ that shimmers around you.
Go celebrate the light of Christ with you and within you today.
