Where Hannah Writes

Every year, December rolls around and we start hearing Christmas songs on the radio, in stores, and in the hallways at school, and every year there are a few songs that stop me in my tracks and remind my soul that the creator of the cosmos shed his glory and honor, gave up his throne, and became an infant. Until this year, "Mary, did you know?" had been one of those songs. But after years and years of listening to dozens of versions of that song sung by dozens of artists in dozens of stores on dozens of radio stations, the question that the song repeatedly asks finally raised my eyebrows. Why do we sing a song asking if Mary knew things that scripture states that she knew? Why don't we believe that she knew what she claimed to know? As hard as I looked, I never found a verse in the Bible that said that Mary did not understand what was happening and felt confused and thought her baby boy was normal. Rather, Luke tells us that Mary marveled and treasured up moments and ...

"It is the thermal fuse," Phil explained to me as he handed me a small part that he had replaced. Phil is the very knowledgeable and helpful home appliance service technician who came to my home not long ago to examine my broken dryer. Phil pointed out to me that my dryer vent slowly narrows as it nears the wall and carefully explained that this could have caused the thermal fuse malfunction. He expressed concern that this could cause the new fuse break soon. "If he has had to replace the thermal fuse before within the past year, I'd get this ventilation replaced," Phil concluded. Huh? If he has had to replace the thermal fuse before within the past year, I'd get this ventilation replaced. I don't remember what Phil said next. I think I might have nodded and signed the paper that he slid my way. But I was stuck on that one word. He ? Who is he ? Where is he ? What's his name? Is there a man hiding in my house that I don't know about...