John 3:16 - Day 8 - Holiday Haiku Challenge

Welcome to Day 8 of our Holiday Haiku Challenge  

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Today's haiku is based on John 3:16. I challenge you to meditate on these familiar lines from Scripture in light of Christmas, then pen your own 17 syllable response. If you have forgotten your Jr. High teacher's lesson describing how to write a haiku, read this beautiful post by guest author (and Jr. High teacher) Bethany Hockenbury for a short and worshipful refresher.

And now, I give you today's #holidayhaiku writing challenge:

John 3:16

Make Room - Day 7 - Holiday Haiku Challenge

Welcome to Day 7 of our Holiday Haiku Challenge Today's writing prompt is

Make Room

I invite you to enjoy our guest's haiku. If you are inspired, please leave your own 17 syllables in the comment threat below or on Instagram, #holidayhaiku. If you have missed the beginning of our series, start here. And now, today's haiku...

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Make Room

by Elise Hurd

"And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger,

because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:7

We sing freely: "Let every heart prepare Him room..."

But what if He doesn't come alone? What if He comes with "them"? This advent season, as we prepare room in our minds, hearts, and lives to welcome and celebrate Jesus -- let's make sure we prepare enough room for the "them" He will bring our way. Let's ask Him to open our eyes to who we don't have room for, who He wants us to prepare a special place for this season.

Let's prepare room for Him by preparing room for them, and not miss the gift of the great King who is Emmanuel.

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Our guest, Elise Hurd, is a creative mom with a passion to encourage others that ordinary faithfulness is the stuff of miracles. Yet her poetic contribution is anything but ordinary. Like all true art, Elise' haiku is open for interpretation. When I first read her words I was sure she had hidden some social commentary on the Syrian refuge crises within her 17 syllables, but she simply confessed that the people that are often the hardest to fit into our busy lives are the little ones who already live within our homes.

Elise Hurd is a wife and mom to four girls, with a little one on the way. She is a full-time caretaker for her father in law with Alzheimer's, a writer, the director of children's ministry at her home church, and the designer and shop owner of Little Lunch Maker. You can connect with her on Instagram @littlelunchmaker, or on her blog The Giving Place.

The Fragrance of Christmas - Day 5 - Holiday Haiku Challenge

Welcome to Day 5 of our Holiday Haiku Challenge Today’s guest, Mandy Mianecki, is preparing her heart this advent season by praying through the ancient scents mentioned in the holy Scriptures. The fragrances of frankincense and myrrh are literally wafting through her home as she leads her children deep into God’s Word this Christmas.

Perhaps the fragrances that fill your home today smell more like spiced cider and pork chops or candy canes mingling with evergreen boughs.

Regardless, don't we know at Christmastime that our lives poured out in worship is the most fragrant offering of all?

Dear Friends, today's Holiday Haiku Writing Prompt is

The Fragrance of Christmas

"Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." -John 12:3

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Mandy Mianecki is a wife and mom of four. She is passionate about encouraging others in their healing journeys from brokenness into wholeness, in uncovering their unique kind of God-breathed brilliance, and in living in the freedom won by Christ. A God-sized dreamer, art maker, lover of all things turquoise, and Nutella-eater, Mandy also runs an essential oil business, blogs at mandymianecki.com, and is a contributing writer for God-sized Dreams. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

For more information on oils referenced in scripture, see Mandy's Bible Oils page.

Christmas Lights - Day 4 - Holiday Haiku

Welcome to Day 4 of our Holiday Haiku Challenge. Today's guest is Julie Kieras, author of the popular website happystronghome.com. Julie and I "met" a little over a year ago when she ran a series on her blog entitled, "The Poetry of Parenting Boys". As a BoyMom myself, who also happens to love poetry, I knew immediate that I had found a soul sister. We've been scheming up a way to work together on a project ever since!

Julie chose today's Holiday Haiku Challenge writing prompt:

Strands of Christmas Lights

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Light is always needed in the dark

By Julie Kieras

Colorful leaves give way to colorful lights in my part of the country. This year, I spy Peanuts gang instead of peaceful manger scenes as I drive through towns and neighborhoods.

Yet as municipal decor grows increasingly secularized, one standard Christmas decor remains: lights. Lights looping around evergreens, rooftops, and doorways. Telegraph lines of lights sending dotted messages down streets.

Winter's season is darker than the others by nature. And Light is always needed in the dark.

"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light." Isaiah 9:2

People walk in darkness of the soul these days, just as Israel walked in darkness.

Passage after passage in Scripture reveals the need for the Light of the Gospel to shine forth from our hearts to the world. Jesus said both "I am the light of the world," and that "ye are the light of the world." (John 8:12; Matthew 5:14).

So when Wendy invited me to write a haiku for Christmas - a small dwelling place in a poem - my heart was drawn to speak of the Light that came for us through the darkness.

I hope this haiku shines into your holiday celebrations, and that you are blessed:

This year as you walk through bedazzled streets and shops, each time you see a strand of Christmas lights, dwell on the image of God, commanding the light to shine out of darkness (2 Corinthians 4:6) into the hearts of men.

Lord, may Your Light shine forth from our souls, that those who see it may be drawn out of darkness to You. Amen.

Amen

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Don't forget to use today's post to inspire a holiday Haiku of your own. Share it in the comment thread below or post it to Instagram #holidayhaiku

For more information about this series... start at the beginning.

Advent Light - Day 2 - Holiday Haiku Challenge

Welcome to Day Two of our Holiday Haiku Challenge.

Today's guest is writer Michelle DeRusha. Michelle is the author of the incredible collection 50 Women Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Heroines of the Faith and the recently released Spiritual Misfit: A Memoir of Uneasy Faith. She writes regularly (and beautifully) here on her website, and loves connecting with women on Facebook and Twitter.

Michelle offers us today's #holidayhaiku writing prompt:

Advent Light

Advent Light

by Michelle DeRusha

It seems I’m always drawn to Isaiah during Advent – the prophecy of the coming Immanuel and the metaphors of light overcoming darkness help to orient my mind, body and soul toward the spirit of Christmas. I light the Advent candles in my dining room, lower the lights, turn on the Christmas tree, and open my Bible to Isaiah, soaking up the quiet anticipation of a new beginning that will arrive in the form of a sweet infant on Christmas Day.

This year, as we fight to see light amid darkness, as we struggle for hope in the face of senseless suffering around the globe, Isaiah’s words seem more important than ever.

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” (Isaiah 9:2)

This Advent season, may we hold tightly onto the Light that penetrates deepest darkness. May we hold tightly onto Jesus. Amen.

If you are inspired to join our holiday haiku challenge, then leave your poetic offering of 17 syllables in the comment thread below or on Instagram, #holidayhaiku. Remember that there are 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the middle, and another 5 on the third line. Let those few words communicate the essence of your worshipful theme. Metaphors from nature and a surprise at the end is always a nice touch to the traditional Japanese haiku. To join us from the beginning of our challenge, begin here.