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Tara Johnson

sharing stories through writing, speaking and singing

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nativity

Christmas Treasure: The True Eyewitness Testimony of Bethlehem Shepherds

December 3, 2020 By Tara Johnson Leave a Comment

One of the blessings, and sometimes headaches, of being a historical author is the amount of research I have to wade through each week. On occasion, a gem appears that is so rare, so astoundingly beautiful, that it makes the hours of sleeplessness worth every moment. Each Christmas I find particular joy in digging anew into the accounts of Jesus’ birth. I’ve studied Simeon, Anna, the outposts around Bethlehem, the innkeeper, Mary…the possibilities are endless. But this year, I was giddy to discover a letter Read More

Filed Under: Christmas Tagged With: bethlehem shepherds, biblical history, Christmas, eyewitness account of shepherds, Jesus' birth, nativity, savior is born

Why Mary?

December 9, 2019 By Tara Johnson 4 Comments

Last night, I sang a solo in church entitled “Be Born in Me”. It’s a haunting and beautifully composed set of lyrics woven around the thoughts that might have spun through young Mary’s mind and heart as Gabriel revealed the news that God had chosen her to give birth to the long-awaited Messiah. Here is a portion of the lyrics: Everything inside me cries for order Everything inside me wants to hide Is this shadow an angel or a warrior? If God is pleased with Read More

Filed Under: Christmas Tagged With: Be Born in Me, Christmas, christmas story, empty me of me, God's plans, mary, nativity, what did Mary think, when God's plans don't match your own

Was Jesus Really Born in a Stable?

November 30, 2019 By Tara Johnson 2 Comments

There are so many traditions I adore about Christmas…hanging stockings over the fireplace, caroling, and reading Luke 2 as a family on Christmas Eve. Of course, the crazy thing about traditions is that growing up, we usually accept them and rarely question them until the habit becomes truth in our mind. As one person put it, “Tradition is peer pressure from dead people.” Imagine my surprise when I recently read through Luke 2 looking to learn more about the stable Jesus was born in. No Read More

Filed Under: Christmas Tagged With: christmas story, Jesus' birth, lamb of God, Migdal Edar, nativity, sacrificial lamb, Shepherds, stable, swaddled

A Whole New Spin on the Innkeeper of Bethlehem

December 22, 2018 By Tara Johnson Leave a Comment

“No room.”  Most of us have heard the story. The fabled innkeeper who turned away Mary and Joseph in their hour of need. The calloused man has become a staple in the Christmas story, though he’s never mentioned in the Bible. No, really. The only Gospel that makes mention of there being ‘no room’ is Luke chapter two. Check it out: “and she gave birth to her Son, her firstborn; and she wrapped Him in [swaddling] cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was Read More

Filed Under: Christmas Tagged With: Christmas, christmas story, innkeeper, Jesus, Jesus' birth, luke 2, nativity, no room, no room in the inn

Holding Jesus

December 21, 2017 By Tara Johnson Leave a Comment

A stable foreshadowing a tomb. A weary girl trembling with fatigue and pain. A father with the weight of a new family pressing on his shoulders. A king gripped with fear that the Promised Child will be his undoing. And shepherds, their limbs trembling as angels announce a message that rocks their world to the core. Yet amidst these poignant images, the part of the Christmas story that touches my heart most deeply comes through the words of an aged man…Simeon. God has promised him that Read More

Filed Under: Christmas Tagged With: Christmas, Emmanuel, Holding Jesus, Jesus, jesus came, Jesus is Enough, nativity, Simeon, the Messiah

When Christmas Plans Fall Apart: What We Can Learn From the Chaos

December 16, 2017 By Tara Johnson 2 Comments

Are you in the middle of a Christmas gone bad? I’m not talking about a pile of stress you brought on yourself by setting unrealistic expectations. I’m not talking about trying to be the Martha Stewart of party throwers, scrambling to find those oh-so-perfect gifts, being up to your elbows in ribbons, or any of the other ridiculous ways we let ourselves be drawn into the spiral of insanity that drives so many this time of year. What I’m talking about is altogether different. The Read More

Filed Under: Christmas Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas chaos, Christmas disasters, christmas story, Jesus, nativity, peace amid chaos, Prince of peace, What we can learn when Christmas plans fall apart, When Christmas is hard

The Angel

December 11, 2017 By Tara Johnson 2 Comments

Past stars and galaxies, the glittering lights of mysteries beyond I flew. I was not alone. No, an entire heavenly congregation soared with me. We danced past shimmering hosts and luminescent wonders, winging and dancing, spiraling and speeding past the diamonds of the Holy One’s masterpiece until we pushed past the transparent glass of the blue marbled planet’s firmament. I breathed in the frigid air, peering through the night sky, to look down on this strange place…the King’s new home. Humble. Broken. Needy. Such a startling contrast Read More

Filed Under: Christmas Tagged With: angel, Christmas, Christmas angel, Emmanuel, Even angels long to look into these things, heaven and earth rejoice, jesus came, nativity, peace on earth

The Widow of the Nativity: Anna

December 8, 2017 By Tara Johnson 4 Comments

Anna. One of the most overlooked people in the Christmas story but what a rich, beautiful legacy she left. Her life is one that reaches through time and tugs my heart closer to Jesus even today. People who are passionate for Jesus have a way of doing that. Not many verses are dedicated to Anna, (only three) but they pack a punch if we take the time to ponder them.  “There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She Read More

Filed Under: Beyond What We Can Imagine, Blog, Christmas Tagged With: Anna, Anna the widow, Bible, Christmas, christmas story, does age matter to God?, Jesus, jesus came, luke 2, nativity, proclaimed the Messiah, prophetess, serving, worshiper

The Innkeeper

December 19, 2016 By Tara Johnson 9 Comments

“No room.”  Most of us have heard the story. The fabled innkeeper who turned away Mary and Joseph in their hour of need. The calloused man has become a staple in the Christmas story, though he’s never mentioned in the Bible. No, really. The only Gospel that makes mention of there being ‘no room’ is Luke chapter two. Check it out: “and she gave birth to her Son, her firstborn; and she wrapped Him in [swaddling] cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was Read More

Filed Under: Beyond What We Can Imagine, Uncategorized Tagged With: Christmas, christmas story, Christmas tradition in Bible, God, Jesus, Jesus' birth, luke 2, Mary and Joseph, Mary and Joseph rejected, nativity, no room, no room in the inn, The innkeeper

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“Engraved on the Heart brings Savannah, Georgia, during the Civil War to life.” Read more “Sarah Sundin”

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“Tara Johnson delivers a stirring tale of danger and hope.” Read more “Robin Lee Hatcher”

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Meet Tara

Tara JohnsonTara Johnson is a writer, singer, speaker and passionate lover of stories. Tara uses fiction, nonfiction, song and laughter to share her testimony of how God led her into freedom after spending years living shackled to the expectations of others. She lives in central Arkansas with her husband and children.

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