The Joy of Advent #5 ~ Joseph Takes Mary as His Wife & Joyfully Embraces God’s Plans

December 23, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Joseph Dreams, Takes Mary as His Wife & Joyfully Embraces God’s Plans

The Dream of St. Joseph, Painting by Anton Raphael Mengs, 1773

Joseph’s Dream from God to Take Mary as His Wife

Today, we turn to Matthew’s Gospel and hear about Joseph’s dream to take Mary as his wife, and how he joyfully embraced God’s plan. Mary and Joseph often changed their plans  as they listened to God. They serve as an example to us of how to trust in God’s plan rather than our own. Join the podcast today as we learn about an angel sent to Joseph in a dream and discover how God can help us most when we exchange our plans for His!

The Family Record & Embracing God’s Plans

Today, we will discuss these points: (1) the genealogical record or family tree, of Jesus through Joseph, (2) how Jewish lineages around the time of Christ often did not include women’s names, but Christ’s ancestry in Matthew mentions five women, (3) Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba were four women in Christ’s lineage who turned from sin or idolatry to God, (4) Joseph’s dream involving communication from an angel and his response to embrace God’s plans, and (5) how we can trust in God’s plan. 

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The episode is based on a chapter from my book: The Joy of Advent: Journey with the People, Events and Prayers at the First Coming of Jesus Christ.

For bookmarks or prayer points from The Joy of Advent Podcast series, go to: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com.

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The Joy of Advent #4 ~ Joy at the Birth of John the Baptist & Zechariah’s Benedictus

December 17, 2025 by Leave a Comment
The Joy of Advent #4 - The Birth of John the Baptist

The Birth of John the Baptist: “Zachariah wrote, His Name is ‘John’.” Painting by Jacopo Pontormo, 1526, USA

Celebration at Zechariah’s Home and Naming of the Baby

The Scriptures invite us to a celebration at Zechariah’s home. It’s time to name his newborn boy and perform the baby’s circumcision. You can imagine yourself as one of the neighbors who has come to help name the baby born to the old couple, the priest Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth. What would you say? Maybe this: “The boy is a miracle baby! What a blessing from the Lord for Elizabeth! Shockingly, Zechariah has been muted since the last time he served in the temple. I wonder if he will ever recover his speech.”

Zechariah’s tongue is freed

Today, we will cover these points: (1) John’s circumcision, (2) the neighbors choosing the name Zechariah to honor his father, (3) Zechariah wrote, “his name is John” and immediately, his tongue was freed, (4) Zechariah praises God for the promises that will be fulfilled  in His son John and the coming of the Messiah, and (5) we can pray the Benedictus with joy every day of Advent.

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Links

The episode is based on a chapter from my book: The Joy of Advent: Journey with the People, Events and Prayers at the First Coming of Jesus Christ.

For bookmarks or prayer points from The Joy of Advent Podcast series, go to: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com.

Check out more podcasts here!

Find Karen’s  books:

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The Joy of Advent #3 ~ Filled with JOY: The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth

December 14, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Filled with JOY: The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth

The Visitation Painting by Philippe de Champaigne, 1643-1648

The Visitation of Mary & Sharing Joy with Elizabeth

Do you need more JOY  in your life this Advent? Today, Mary and Elizabeth will show you how to share and receive more joy.

In this podcast, we join Blessed Mary on her journey from Nazareth to the Hill Country of Judea, near Jerusalem. There she visits her old cousin Elizabeth. Both women are expecting, celebrating the upcoming births, and excited to see each other. Previously, we read that God supernaturally conceived His Son Jesus in the Virgin Mary and granted a child to be born to old Zechariah and Elizabeth. “For nothing is impossible with God!”

Today, we cover these inspiring events: (1) John the Baptist leaps for joy, (2) Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaims words of great joy, (3) Mary praises and skips with joy in the Magnificat Canticle, (4) and the two share joy-filled fellowship around stories of Gabriel and Scriptural promises about to be fulfilled with their sons, including Jesus, the Messiah.

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Links

The episode is based on a chapter from my book: The Joy of Advent: Journey with the People, Events and Prayers at the First Coming of Jesus Christ.

For bookmarks or prayer points from The Joy of Advent Podcast series, go to: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com.

Check out more podcasts here!

Find Karen’s  books:

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The JOY of Advent #2 ~ The Annunciation of Mary: With God, Nothing is Impossible

December 9, 2025 by Leave a Comment
The Joy of Advent - Gabriel Announces, Nothing is Impossible with God

The Joy of Advent – Gabriel’s Annunciation to Mary & Nothing is Impossible with God

The Annunciation and Nothing is Impossible with God

With God, nothing is impossible! If God can supernaturally conceive the Son of God in a virgin and grant a child to an elderly couple, then He can make your impossible become POSSIBLE. Join us today as we travel to Nazareth. We will hear the Great Annunciation of JOY to Mary as well as Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy. “For nothing is impossible with God.”  The episode is based on my book: The Joy of Advent: Journey with the People, Events and Prayers at the First Coming of Jesus Christ.

Another Message from Gabriel and Mary’s Fiat

Today, we will cover these points from Luke 1: 25-38: (1) The powerful Archangel Gabriel brings the second annunciation– this time to a young girl in Nazareth, (2) The Baby would be named Jesus, [Yeshua in Hebrew] after His Heavenly Father [Yahweh God in Hebrew], (3) Mary’s Fiat [Latin for Let it Be],  (4) The incarnation means God became man, reaching out to mankind, and (5) Mary’s example shows us to Listen, Dialogue with God, and Surrender.

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Links

The episode is based on a chapter from my book: The Joy of Advent: Journey with the People, Events and Prayers at the First Coming of Jesus Christ.

For bookmarks or prayer points from The Joy of Advent Podcast series, go to: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com.

Check out more podcasts here!

Find Karen’s  books:

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The Joy of Advent #1: Zachariah ~ Keep Hope Alive, God Answers Prayer

December 1, 2025 by Leave a Comment

The JOY of Advent: Journey with the People, Prayers, and Events at Jesus’ First Coming

Are you hoping for a Joy-filled Advent?  Join our podcast series and celebrate the joy of the people, events, and prayers at Jesus’ first coming. You will meet Zechariah, Elizabeth, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist, the Angels, the Shepherds, Simeon, Anna, and the Magi.  It’s as if you will travel with them via Scripture and partake in the most meaningful events in their lives. In Episode #1, we will share the Joy of Zechariah and God’s answer to his prayers.

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Episode #1 ~ Zechariah’s JOY: God Answers Prayer

Are you waiting for an answer to prayer? Stay hopeful this Advent!  In our Joy of Advent Episode #1, we meet Zechariah. He will teach us a joy-filled lesson in an unusual way: Don’t give up hope – God hears & God answers prayer. We will cover these points today: (1)  the meaning of Advent, (2) the two annunciations in Luke 1: 1-7, (3) Gabriel, the might of God- no puny angel, (4) God was preparing Joseph and Mary while Zechariah had to wait a little longer, and (5) prayer points for a new and fresh encounter God, asking for new joy and everyday miracles.

Links

For bookmarks or prayer points from A Joyful Advent Journey Podcast, go to: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com.

Check out more podcasts here!

Click here for the Advent book: The Joy of Advent: Journey with the People, Events and Prayers at the First Coming of Jesus Christ.

Find Karen’s  books:

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