I first have to blame for my writing this piece. So, if it sucks, blame her. I keed, I keed! She asked me to join her in writing for this challenge (she got it from ), and what follows is my attempt. But how do you follow a story like hers (Prom Night)? Song lyrics are in bold. Please click on unfamiliar words - the meanings are linked on the first use. I wanted to give it the flavor of the language Mary was likely using - I think she would’ve used a mix of Hebrew and Koine Greek. For those unfamiliar with the Bible, I’ve also linked where the Bible lays it out. Full lyrics are at the end of the post. Note: I’m more of a poet, not really a story writer. If it’s terrible, I blame that.

Betrothal and Good News

Joseph asked my abba, “Sir, I love your daughter with all my heart. I ask you for your blessing to marry her. May I have it?”

The wait for my father’s reply took eons. Please let Abba give his berakah! I waited, my heartbeat seeming to be louder than hoof-beats on the day of the Exodus. Because of the thunder in my ears, I almost missed Abba’s quiet, “I could ask for no one more worthy of my beloved Mary. You may ask her.”

I scrambled away from the door, so as not to be caught eavesdropping, flying to the stable. My heart had wings and I was barely on the ground for happiness. That’s when Joseph walked in, calling my name. Of course, I accepted his offer of marriage! Much to my dismay, he had to leave shortly thereafter.

This is where the malak found me. “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!”

I looked around, in case the angel was talking to someone else - it would almost be a relief if he was. There was no one. Highly favored? Me? Not possible. I just eavesdropped on my abba and Joseph - my fiance!

Interrupting my thoughts, “No need to fear, Mary. You’ve found favor with Elohim.” He went on to tell me I’d have a Son, and my Son would rule in the name of David and Elohim, as Elohim’s Son. He would rule the House of Jacob forever. The malak was saying incredible things…

“Sorry, but…how? I’ve never been with a man in the marriage way.”

“The Spirit will come upon you, Mary. Did you know Elizabeth is in her sixth month of pregnancy?”

I have to visit her!

“Nothing is impossible with God. Remember that”, the malak ended.

“Let Elohim do as He wills with me.”

He was gone.

Elizabeth

That’s how I found myself visiting my cousin. Six months, and I didn’t even know?

There’s her house! “Cousin Elizabeth, shalom!”

“Mary! You’re baruk of all women! As soon as I heard your voice, Ruach haKodesh made my boy jump and I was filled with joy!”

Evidently, I wasn’t the only one who has been visited by malakim. As I told Elizabeth what had transpired between Gabriel and me - how did I know his name?! - she listened intently. She shared how her pregnancy had been going, and that Zechariah was unable to speak because he’d doubted Gabriel’s message from Elohim. The message about their son, now growing in Elizabeth’s belly.

I decided to stay with her until either John was born or I had to leave. How surreal it still felt, to be carrying Heaven’s perfect Lamb!

The Census Trip

“Why do I have to go?!”

Em looked at me with a furrowed brow. “Because you’re aras to Joseph.”

“But my time will be here any yom, Em. I’m hardly fit to travel all the way to Bethlehem.”

“Mary, Augustus decreed a census. You must go. I suggest you ride a donkey.”

Travelling while this far pregnant is for the birds! Nonetheless, I packed for the journey. Em made my favorite version of the Roman’s isicia omentata. I love Hebrew foods, but this goat burger is my ultimate comfort food, and Em knows it. It’s something of a family secret. If our friends knew, they wouldn’t take kindly to my liking of food the Romans brought. Especially with the fish sauce.

Joseph nearly divorced me. He told me about it later. How a malak told him in a dream to stick around. He asked me, “Do you know this baby Boy is going to calm the storm with His hand?

I looked at my soon to be ish sharply. How much had the messenger told him?

As I packed, I thought about all the events that transpired since Joseph asked for my hand. It sill was palah to me, even as heavy with zera as I was. Rudely interrupting my musings, I heard Joseph holler a “Shalom, House of My Wife!” Time to go. I finished setting my omentatas on one side and closed my sack. They smelled ta’im!

When I opened the door to greet Joseph, my feet wouldn’t move - Em must have had a thought from Elohim Himself! There stood a donkey, and it looked outfitted just for me. How thoughtful of my ish!

The journey was miserably long, but Joseph and I made the best of it. We kept each other’s spirits up. We arrived at Bethlehem, but couldn’t find an open kataluma. Every one of them were full-up from others being counted for the census. At last, we found a kindly person who allowed us to use their apothéké.

That night, my Son came into this world. The Son of God. This Baby you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you. I tucked it away into my me’eh. Strange, how it has ceased to surprise me when these thoughts come.

A few yom after Jesus was born, some shepherds came. Many “shalom”s later, one of them told Joseph and I how the melek told them the Messias was born, and they would find Him in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. I looked over at Jesus, Who was the very picture of their words, sleeping away. Messias?! “Mary, did you know that your baby Boy would Save our sons and daughters?”

On the 8th day after His birth, we had to take Jesus to be circumcised by the priest. The Law of Moshe was still in effect, so we had to follow it. Simeon asked to hold my Son. I handed the Baby to him. The zaqane man gave us both good news and troublesome tidings. “Your baby Boy has come to make you new and rule the nations.” I was still pondering these words when Anna showed up. We recognized her as a prophetis of Elohim. “He has come to make you new, Mary. This Boy has walked where angels trod. The dumb will speak the praises of The Lamb. The deaf will hear. The lame will leap. The dead will live again. The Baby you’re holding is The Great I AM.” Stunned, I could only stare at Anna. She kissed His soft cheek. “When you kiss your little Baby, you kiss the face of God.” With those words, off the zaqane ish went. Joseph and I left the temple, speechless and processing all we’d just heard.

My Son is really Lord of all creation?! I stared at the alert infant in new wonder.

The Storm and Water

Kephas came in one day, looking somehow, both elated and deeply troubled. He hadn’t even the time to shout the customary “Shalom” greeting, he was going so fast. It was obvious this man needed to get something off his chest. So, I fetched him some milk and artos with cheese. I grabbed myself an omentata and offered one to him. He declined. We sat and I waited out his silence while the disciple gathered his thoughts.

“Mary,” he began, “yesterday, your Son sent us in a ship across the sea.”

His pause drew out. Perhaps he was waiting for me to say something? I nodded. That was all the encouragement Kephas needed.

“Jesus came later, and joined us. But He had no ship.” He made sure I understood that fact. before continuing. “Mary, He walked on the water like we walk on the ground!”

But he wasn’t finished…

“We all thought He was a phantasma, well, at first. Then Jesus shouted it was Him, so not to be afraid. Before I even knew what I was saying, my words told Him to tell me to come to Him. Mary, He did so. ‘Erchomai!’ I got out of the boat and…you’re not going to believe me.”

“Kephas, you come in here and tell me my Son has walked on water, unbelievable all on it’s own, and you somehow think I’m going to stop listening when you tell me the rest?” I raised a brow at him. He could be dense at times!

“…I did as He was doing. I also walked on the water, as if it were solid. Then, I got afraid and looked down to make sure I wasn’t sinking.” He chuckled sardonically. “That’s when I began sinking. Jesus pulled me back up and rebuked my lack of faith.” This one of Twelve sat there, deeply ashamed of what he’d done.

“He’s right. You showed a remarkable lack of faith in Him, Kephas. You know something?”

He looked up, searching my eyes for an answer.

“He Saved you even from your disbelief.”

The soon-to-be-Apostle began eating his artos and cheese. I tucked into my favorite burger.

Kephas’s story reminded me of another time Jesus was sailing on the sea of Galilee, and a storm had appeared out of nowhere - which is normal for this body of water. Back then, Joannes was the one at my table, visibly shaken.

“Mary, I’m sorry to come in without even a Shalom to you, but…”

“Joannes, you’re my Son’s best friend. You’re family and like a son to me.”

I finished making the isicia omentata with garum, made from some fish Kephas had brought over. I set the plates on the table, and the man already known as The Beloved Disciple took a hearty bite. He must’ve been hungry.

“Jesus had us sail to the other side. At some point, He had fallen asleep. As you know, the weather is unpredictable on Galilee’s sea, and a lailaps raged up. everyone was afraid for their lives, including me.”

“Clearly, you lived.”

A broad grin appeared on his face as he nodded. “We woke Him, asking how He could sleep through such violent winds and rain. Didaskalos uttered no word to us. To the hurricane, He commanded siopao! and phimoo!”

My Son had calmed the storm with His Hand.

Joannes wasn’t finished. “He then rebuked us for having no faith.” This man looked sheepish. It was almost comical on him.

“Did you not believe Him when He said you were going to the other side?”

The disciple and I finished our snack in silence, as he sorted through what he’d just learned. I was content to keep the peace of silence, as it was a comfortable one.

The Blind Man Who Now Sees

Suddenly, there was a commotion just within earshot. Shouts, some of anger, some of awe. Having the Son I do, I had a gut feeling this was something to do with Him. The blind man we passed by every week was shouting incoherently. In wonder. He’d been blind from birth. What’s he got to make such a fuss over?

At last, I got close enough to see him. A pair of friends to my left, one recounting the event to the other, “He had not sinned. Nor had his parents.” “Then why was he blinded? From birth, no less?” “Jesus said it was for God’s glory to be revealed today.”

Aha! My intuition had told me right, and here was this man, once blind, now seeing. Shouting, “I CAN SEE!!!” My Boy gave sight to a blind man.

Oh, no. Here come the Pharisees. I could see Jesus had made Himself scarce before they came, so I decided to do the same, praying for the once-beggar to be left unharmed.

Did She Know?

All of those events are a long time ago, now, and people have always wondered whether I knew these things. I’ll leave that up to you to decide.

NOTES:

I wanted to do a Gospel type of story, and I’ve loved the version Pentatonix did of, “Mary, Did You Know?” ever since I heard it. Some liberties with the tense of lyrics had to be taken in order to make them fit into the story.

This is my speculation. These exact details are NOT in the Bible, but, as you can see by clicking the links, are based on the Bible. I tried not to veer too far away from Scripture.

The ISV is the Bible linked to, not based on my doctrinal beliefs, but because I wanted to keep this as easy to understand as possible for my unbelieving readers.

Any and all errors are mine. Remember, this is a fictional, speculative story, so please bear that in mind while commenting. I do NOT use mimmix (AI), except either unknowingly or for the spellcheck. This is 100% (minus the song lyrics and certain Biblical words) written by me, a human.

Mary, Did You Know?

[Verse 1: Scott, Avi, Scott & Avi]
Mary, did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you delivered, will soon deliver you?

[Verse 2: Kirstin, Mitch, Kirstin & Mitch & Scott]
Mary, did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy would calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God?

[Interlude: Kirstin (Kevin), Mitch, Scott, Avi]
Mary, did you know? (Mary, did you know?)
Mary, did you know? (Did you know?)
Mary, did you know? (Mary, did you know?)
(Mary, did you know?) (Mary, did you know?)
(Mary, did you know?)
Mary, did you know?

[Bridge: Scott (Kirstin & Mitch)]
The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb (Lamb)

[Verse 3: Kevin, Mitch & Scott & Kirstin, Mitch]
Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is Heaven’s perfect Lamb?
That sleeping child you’re holding is the great I am?

[Outro: All]
Mary, did you know? (Mary, did you know?)
Mary, did you know? (Mary, did you know?) (Mary, did you know?)
Mary, did you know?
Mary, did you know?

Taken by me

Since we're below the line of poverty, we get creative with our meals. This is one of those creations. The Krafty Panda came up with the basic recipe about 5 or 6 years ago. Since then, we add whatever veggies we have on hand or our bodies are craving. We normally have enough for two meals.

Burger Soup

Serves at least 8, usually 12 - 16

2 LBs Minced Beef, half-browned, don’t drain it

~5 LBs or so Potatoes, peeled, diced or quartered, and cooked until just before mashed potato-soft (keep the water)

2 Onions, diced and pre-cooked (or not, if you like the crunch)

Veggies that you have on hand, prepared and cooked (we peeled, sliced, and chopped carrots and cut broccoli for the one in the picture)

Water to cover (how much is up to you, as long as you have enough to make it at least a stew)

Spices to taste (garlic powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, basil, or whatever floats your boat)

Salt (use RealSalt or Celtic Salt - table salt is horrible for your health) to taste

We normally cook ours in the 8QT Instant Pot we have, reusing the water from each type of food for the rest of the dish. That keeps the nutrients entirely within the dish and allows better melding of the natural flavors within the soup - resulting in less use of spices.

Pressure Cooker:

Cook the veggies in a steamer basket on high pressure for 5 mins (use 2 C water for them). Quick pressure release.

Leaving the water in, take out the veggies and add the potatoes. Cover those with water, add salt (I usually use 1 TBS) and pressure cook on high for 20 mins. Natural pressure release (at least 15 mins after it’s finished).

Half crumble the meat, using your favorite spices (I used salt, onion powder, umami seasoning, paprika, and powdered (yellow) mustard). Once it’s about half-browned, remove the beef from the heat and cover it while you wait for the potatoes to finish.

After the potatoes have finished natural releasing, vent the rest. Add in your meat (including the grease) and your veggies. Give it a good stir. Put that lid back on, then set it to pressure cook (on high again) for 1 minute. This allows the meat to finish cooking and helps the flavors combine well. Natural release, then vent.

Serve with a hunk of buttered sourdough. If it needs more salt, everyone adds it into their bowls.

On the Stove:

Cook each thing on the stove as you normally would, keeping the drippings/flavorings from each cook. Once everything is pre-cooked, add it all to a stockpot, then add your desired amount of water. Remember to use spices and salt.

Bring it to a boil, then simmer until the meat is browned.

Once the meat has cooked all the way, it’s time to serve!

Notes:

This can be made with just the ground meat, potatoes, and salt, making it super budget- and last-minute-friendly.

The sourdough isn’t necessary, but it is a delicious add-on to the meal!

We’ve only ever made this with beef, but I’m sure you can use other ground meats, adding healthy fats for turkey or chicken (or you can add chicken feet if you don’t have enough healthy fats available). I’m not sure how any other meats would taste/behave in this, so if you try anything other than beef, I’d really like to hear about it! Especially venison or bison. Mmmm!

Naturally, the cleaner, higher quality ingredients you use, the better this will taste and be for you. Try to source organic grass-fed and finished beef that’s been happily pastured and fed what cows are designed by God to eat; organic/non-GMO or homegrown or heritage veggies; organic, fresh spices - preferably spices you made yourself; butter/ghee falls under the same criteria as beef; and healthy fats, such as olive oil (not great for cooking at high heat), avocado oil, coconut oil, butter/ghee (all organic and as unrefined as possible, of course).

If you need less, scale the recipe down to your needs. You can also double it, as long as you have big enough cookware.

This was apparently the favorite breakfast of Marilyn Monroe (every time I hear that name, my heart breaks for Norma Jean. 💔)

With the knowledge I have now, I can tell you this drink is healthy and packed with nutrients if you can use raw milk; eggs from happy, pastured hens; and either Celtic or Real Salt. If you choose to sweeten it, don't use refined white sugar.

I'm sharing the version that's in my cup as we type: turmeric, black pepper, sweetened with maple syrup.

Good Morning! In A Cup

Serves 1

1 c Milk

2 lrg Eggs, at room temp (no less than 15 mins out of the fridge - 2 hours is best)

Pinch or 2 of Salt

1 TBS Greek Honey Yogurt (or use a healthy fat, such as coconut oil, avocado oil, light olive oil, or butter/ghee or 10% cream)

⅛ tsp Turmeric

A teeny bit Black Pepper

1 TBS or so of your preferred sweetener (I used 1 T maple syrup and it ended up being a hair too sweet, so I'll use less next time)

1. Froth your eggs. If you don't have good eggs, I'd pasteurize them first.

2. Pour your milk into a small pot and start warming it. Add the spices and sweetener (unless you're using honey - add honey after the drink is all mixed up) to the warming milk.

3. Temper the eggs. Add the milk very slowly to the eggs while whisking them.

4. Pour into a thermos or mug (see the update). Add any garnish you'd like (perhaps a bit of nutmeg) and enjoy warm.

It tastes delicious & is filling! We'll see how it affects me throughout the day. I'll update this post tonight or tomorrow.

UPDATE: I was full and satisfied almost the entire day! I didn’t eat all my dinner, either - we had two burger patties, a spoonful of mixed veggies, and a couple spoons of mushrooms…I left half of one of my patties. I also take two homemade energy shots per day, which helped to keep me full (though less satisfied when I don’t have a protein drink). Definitely a filling drink for a busy morning, or, for those times you just don’t want to make breakfast. I’d recommend putting it into a thermos, though, if you’re going to sip at it rather than chug it down; mine got cold before I was done, and I almost couldn’t finish it.

I’m a Christian homeschooling mom of 5. My oldest is a teenager, my youngest still a toddler. Coffee is my beverage of choice! Teas are good, too, depending on the kind. Especially Bobas! (My second oldest just asked me to mention the other three of them, so here goes.) I have 4 girls and a boy. my middle three are very special in their own ways to me. One paints/draws, one knits, and the other crashes cars and causes wonderful chaos.

Reading has always been my escape from life - I enjoyed books growing up that I wouldn’t allow my children to read. My creative mind always has ideas, but my wallet is always saying “no”. Story of adulthood, isn’t it? I love writing - it helps me to process things and connect with people when spoken words won’t cut it.

Drop something in the comments and let’s get to know one another!

Nothing in this publication will ever be behind a paywall, so I hope you newbies subscribe. :) If any topics of such a nature are brought up, there’ll be a post about it over on Bible Nectar, though I’ll always endeavor to keep the pay-walled information to the barest of minimums.