Today, the third and final full week of Advent begins, preceding the joy-filled celebration day! It is getting closer! We can hardly wait! Light three candles today! We are actively waiting now! Intensity grows, as does the magnitude of the hope we have, and that of the peace which is coming! This week we savor the JOY surrounding His coming to live with us! Emmanuel – is coming here because of The Father’s love for all people.
In this third week, we also remember all the proclamations made about our coming Christ-child, our Messiah, our glorious Savior; proclamations by Isaiah, by angels, by Elizabeth, by Mary, by Zechariah, by more angels, and by many others.
Luke 2:9 Just then, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people!
He is coming, not to condemn the lost, but to give them a saving light. What joy it is to know Him, having been one of those lost, now bathed in His light. And what a joy it is to know the astounding love of The Father, Who sent this generous gift of His Son!
I, the least of believers, proclaim this joy, proclaim His glory, (like it says in the header at the top) And like so many believers, so many bloggers, I repeat the sounding JOY!
Joy To the World, and Peace to ALL mankind! Let every heart prepare Him room!
Joy to the World, the Lord has come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing!
Joy to the World, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy!
No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found!
He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love! ~ ~ ~
May God bless your joyous preparations, your happy, yet serious, contemplations, your thankful remembrance of His purpose for coming down, And of His all- encompassing love. He is coming, He is here, He is coming again! REJOICE!
Words are my toys, Words are my tools, Useful for wisemen, Misused by fools. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, Whether by tongue, Or whether by pen, Words can disable, The strongest of men. Yet, also they heal, Bring kindness and peace, Oh Lord, let me love all, With words, Straight from Thee.
I’m always amazed at God’s perfect use of words and how their meanings can be changed through human attempts at translation, interpretation, and paraphrasing. One verse that comes to mind is Isaiah 9:6 in the King James Version : 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Jesus, the Messiah in this verse, is prophesied to “be called” five different names. The first name is “Wonderful”, where Wonderful, appears as an abstract noun. In more recent translations such as the New International Version, it looks this way: 6 For to us a child is born, to us, a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. In the latter translation, “Wonderful” is an adjective modifying “Counselor”, attributing Jesus with only four names. Because of the placement of one small comma, the meaning of the verse is quite different. I happen to like the King James Version the most. To me, Jesus IS Wonderful in name and in truth! He is the embodiment of wonder and, in Him, I am completely filled with wonder! What do you think, dear Reader?
At Christmastime when I was a boy, my dad understood the relative poverty of his children, so he would give us each a small amount of money to be spent on gifts for the other family members. That was after Mom had bought all the presents for each of us, spending, most likely, “too much” money already. What was a small amount to him was a small fortune to us, as we received no “allowances”, so we each felt rich as we happily shopped with Mom and picked out trinkets and treasures for our siblings and parents. Wrapping the gifts was fun, but the best part was the excited anticipation we had for Christmas morning when the family would partake in what we children had built in our minds to be the Olympics of giving and receiving. It was as good as it gets, and after all the unwrapping, and showing, and laughing, and modeling, and playing, and cheering, and thanking, we all felt richer and more blessed than we were before. But it was Dad and Mom, I think, who felt the most blessed, for having given to us so that we could bless each other with gifts. The investment of money they gave us came back to them, multiplied, in seeing generosity, unselfishness, and brotherly love instilled into us and put into action. And so it is with God. He began giving early. In fact, long before mankind was even here to receive it, He gave us light! He gave us water and land – a nice place to live. In the water and on the land, He provided good things for us to eat – a perfect garden containing everything we would need. And if that were not enough, He gave us His love. He gave us His Spirit-presence. All He asked was that we love Him from our hearts, and display a small and reasonable amount of obedience, even that being a gift for our own good. But mankind had a hard time with that, so later, He gave us a baby – His physical presence – our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus. In that tiny presence was contained an unfathomable amount of love and light!
We celebrate His birth extravagantly on a day we name Christmas. because He is our everything! He provides all we need! He left His abundance and took on our poverty in order to bless us with abundant life! He gives lavishly out of His abundance, into our poverty, that we may graciously bless others.
Whether the gift of writing, of singing, of making music, of delivering a message, of healing, of encouraging, of hospitality, of giving time or treasures, of working or helping, of giving testimony, of sowing evangelistic seeds, of doing a kindness, of giving a hug, or a simple smile, you do have one gift – or more – that you can share with others who might be, in a sense, destitute until they receive your unique offering.
Remember: God gives to us out of His riches, The gifts we receive are to bless others, When we thus bless others, we gift back to Him A richly amplified Love Offering, Which is one of the greatest Christmas gifts The Father could unwrap.
All these good things were, and are, from God. Shouldn’t we make sure our gratitude gets back to Him through the proper channels?
Blessings for a joyous season of giving and receiving now and all through the new year, your Gloryteller.
This is the absolutely beautiful poem That amazing Kristyn Getty recites As a prelude to the beautiful song, Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendour you’ll find below:
Into the Darkest Hour By the amazing Madeleine L’Engle
“It was a time like this, war & tumult of war, a horror in the air. Hungry yawned the abyss – and yet there came the star, and the child most wonderfully there.
It was a time like this of fear & lust for power, license & greed and blight – and yet the Prince of bliss came into the darkest hour in quiet & silent light.
And in a time like this how celebrate his birth when all things fall apart? Ah! Wonderful it is: with no room on the earth, the stable is our heart.”
~ ~ ~
“Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour, All for love’s sake becamest poor; Thrones for a manger didst surrender, Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor. Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour, All for love’s sake becamest poor.
Thou who art God beyond all praising, All for love’s sake becamest man; Stooping so low, but sinners raising Heavenwards by thine eternal plan. Thou who art God beyond all praising, All for love’s sake becamest man.
Thou who art love beyond all telling, Saviour and King, we worship thee. Emmanuel, within us dwelling, Make us what thou wouldst have us be. Thou who art love beyond all telling, Saviour and King, we worship thee.”
Thanks again, to Keith and Kristyn Getty for a brilliant rendering of this song which is highly appropriate to the Advent season, or any season of a Christian’s life.
Violin played beautifully by Deborah Klemme (Music copyright 2015 Paul Campbell (BMI) (Admin. by Arlon Songs Ltd.)
A joyous Advent season to you and yours, Your Gloryteller
Like when I wrote this three years ago, another Christmas Eve has arrived in which we can partake. So rejoice in it! Partake of it! Rejoice in and partake of our Savior, Jesus Christ!
The last few hours of The Advent of Christ are before us. We can wait no longer and we don’t need to. Our hunger for hope, peace, joy, and love, is hard to bear; We prepare the meal we will eat tonight after church. We know we will be hungry for that food too,
but I want my hunger for Jesus to be foremost!
We can stay awake watching long into the night, or go to sleep and let Him be born in peace. Either is fine, for in the morning we will have the certainty of Jesus’ birth!
The birth that shook the earth!
About 2021 years ago, everything was in place to bring the astounding event into reality for humanity. God’s gracious, merciful plan was about to take a new turn and reach a new level.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became human. And the Word was named Jesus, He was born in a stable, wrapped in cloth, and placed in a manger to sleep . . .
Placed in a manger . . . Have you ever thought about that? A manger is a type of feed trough for animals. Here on the farm we call that a “feeder”.
It occurs to me that Jesus, lying in that feeder,
among all the other deep meaning and symbolism, seems to have made Himself a symbol
for our spiritual nourishment!
Both a symbol and a reality all at once! Is it any wonder that He told Peter, “Feed my sheep”? Is it any wonder that He called Himself “The Bread of Life”, or spoke over some bread, saying “This is my body“? He wants us to partake of Himself! To drink deeply of Him in a spiritual manner! “The Bread of Life”, and “The Water of Life”!
He, lying in that feeder, was already telling us, “I AM your nourishment, your sustenance,
your very life’s provision; Come to Me and be filled”!
This is the absolutely beautiful poem That amazing Kristyn Getty recites As a prelude to the beautiful song, Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendour you’ll find below:
Into the Darkest Hour By the amazing Madeleine L’Engle
“It was a time like this, war & tumult of war, a horror in the air. Hungry yawned the abyss – and yet there came the star, and the child most wonderfully there.
It was a time like this of fear & lust for power, license & greed and blight – and yet the Prince of bliss came into the darkest hour in quiet & silent light.
And in a time like this how celebrate his birth when all things fall apart? Ah! Wonderful it is: with no room on the earth, the stable is our heart.”
~ ~ ~
“Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour, All for love’s sake becamest poor; Thrones for a manger didst surrender, Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor. Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour, All for love’s sake becamest poor.
Thou who art God beyond all praising, All for love’s sake becamest man; Stooping so low, but sinners raising Heavenwards by thine eternal plan. Thou who art God beyond all praising, All for love’s sake becamest man.
Thou who art love beyond all telling, Saviour and King, we worship thee. Emmanuel, within us dwelling, Make us what thou wouldst have us be. Thou who art love beyond all telling, Saviour and King, we worship thee.”
Thanks again, to Keith and Kristyn Getty for a brilliant rendering of this song which is highly appropriate to the Advent season, or any season of a Christian’s life.
Violin played beautifully by Deborah Klemme (Music copyright 2015 Paul Campbell (BMI) (Admin. by Arlon Songs Ltd.)
A joyous Advent season to you and yours, Your Gloryteller
Hi, Sisters and Brothers! Tomorrow is already the third Sunday of Advent. That’s hard to believe; time is flying by. This year is as it was in 2017 when I wrote the article below – the fourth Sunday of Advent coincides with Christmas Eve Day. Perhaps you are like me in your extra-special “rejoicement” when this happens. I just want to wish you and yours a good and meaningful Advent and a joyous Christbirth celebration!
With hope, peace, joy, and love,
Your Gloryteller
First Sunday
“Advent” is here! It is today!
All Creation is pregnant with anticipation!
This is the time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth – the most unprecedented, and unequaled; the most earth-shakingevent in human history!
(Well, depending on how you perceive it, it’s definitely one of the top two!)
The word “Advent” comes from the Latin “adventus” which means coming, or arrival, of a person or thing.
In this special and absolutely unique case, Who and what is coming is rich in mystery;
profound in its implications! Excitement builds in Heaven and earth!
I find it interesting that the words “Advent” and “adventure” are so closely related, which is fitting since we are waiting and preparing for the arrival of a series of awe-inducing, exciting events :
All that surrounds Jesus’ Nativity celebration, A son is to be given, 700 year-old prophecy to be fulfilled, The imminent arrival of Emmanuel, “God With Us”,
The Kingdom of God being established on Earth,
Reconciliation with the Father,
Renewal of all things, Rescue of the perishing, Redemption of souls,
Atonement,
Forgiveness,
Abundant life,
Signs and wonders,
Miraculous acts, Great Joy will be made available to all people,
Messiah! Savior! Christ! He’s coming, already, not yet, and soon! The image of The Father will walk on earth, The advent of Love!
And more, and more, and more! And, in the fullness of time, Jesus’ long-awaited final return!
When someone important to us is coming to visit, we know we must wait. Patiently or not. Before their arrival, we must prepare as best we can. Thus, we are waiting, and prayerfully preparing, not just for events, but for the arrival of the Personage without whom there would be no experience of exciting spiritual adventure, no exploration of mysteries unknown, no real and true experience of love and life whatsoever.
But for the birth of the little Lord Jesus, I could not live. As He is born, so am I.
So are we all!
I wait and look forward to honoring His birth; to observing the amazing circumstances that surround it.
It has “happened” again and again in countless hearts and minds. It is happening now in mine,
and will again, endlessly, with passage of time.
I ceremoniously light the first candle in the Advent wreath,
the candle of hope, also, the first flame in my heart.
The expectant waiting and preparation of my heart applies not only to Christbirth,
but to Resurrection Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Jesus’ final return as well.
Advent is an important concept.
It is exciting, yet peaceful at the same time.
I want to make it part of me;
I want to live it.
Advent First Week
The first week of Advent is said to be concentrated upon the hope of the Savior’s arrival as supported by the Scriptures’ prophetic promises. There are several pertinent verses, but I chose this one :
“The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.” (Jeremiah 33:14-15).
O, Jesus, We await your sweet arrival!
~~~~~~
Words and Music for Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow by Charles Wesley:
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
1. Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee. Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art; dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.
2. Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King, born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring. By thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone; by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to Thy* glorious throne.
The hope that we children of God have is a confident hope,
an enduring and an eternal hope. Peter tells us that the Child of God has “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade – kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter: 1-4 )
Advent Week Two
The second week of Advent is focused on peace.
Waiting becomes a bit more intense as we add the expectancy of hope and peace in preparation for our Savior’s arrival.
We light the second candle,
the candle of peace, If not on our tables, Then in our hearts. And light increases. It doubles! We can hardly wait until the full light
of His glorious presence shines upon the world,
and also upon each of us!
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Jesus is the only one that can bring peace with God.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all mankind upon which His favor rests!” Luke 2: 13-14
Here’s a song that is full of hope and peace, And light too!
Advent Third Week
We are in the third and final full week preceding the joy-filled celebration day!
This week we savor the JOY surrounding His coming to live with us!
Emmanuel – here because of The Father’s love for all people.
In this third week, we also remember all the proclamations made about our coming Christ-child, our Messiah, our glorious Savior; proclamations by Isaiah, by angels, by Elizabeth, by Mary, by Zechariah, by more angels, and by many others.
Luke 2:9 Just then, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people!
He is coming not to condemn those lost in the dark, but to give them a saving light. What joy it is to know Him, having been one of those lost, and now having His light.
And what a joy it is to know the astounding love of The Father,
Who sent this generous gift of His Son!
(many thanks, Spadecaller, for the upload. Your art is moving!)
I light the third candle,
the candle of joy,
And light increases again.
Even the stars seem brighter,
and the moon waxes!
The candle flames have kindled
a fire of rejoicing in my heart!
I, the least of believers, proclaim this joy, proclaim His glory, (like it says in the header at the top)
And suddenly, we come to:
The Fourth Sunday of Advent Today, December 24, 2017 (four years ago) is the fourth Sunday of Advent,
which also coincides with Christmas Eve.
We light the fourth candle – the love candle,
in my book, the easiest one to light in the heart,
for Father God loved us first, and then sent His Jesus
to enable us to fully love Him.
Love rescued and love reconciled!
This candle also signifies His presence.
The Advent season is all about expectant waiting;
excited, hopeful, waiting for the Baby’s presence!
We want Him to be born soon!
We want to see Him!
He seems so close,
The air is charged.
We can almost feel angels in the air.
The Spirit of God certainly presides over our village.
Everything is poised; miraculously in position.
Mary, her Baby, Joseph, shepherds,
angels – lots of angels!
Peace and joy are closing in.
Tonight is the Holy Night – Jesus Christ’s night.
The Advent of Christ is all but complete.
Are preparations perfect? Is my heart ready for His arrival? I find myself wishing that I could be better prepared, And more ready, But, He. Was. Born. Last. Night ! ? !
Could it be?
Yes, it is:
Christmas Day
And so, the season of expectant waiting is complete!
I light the largest, purest, center candle,
the only One left. and the flame in my heart roars to life! To life! Hope is fulfilled! In our Immanuel, our Jesus,
all prophecies and promises are now reality! His name is Light of the World! His name is Peace!
His name is Son!
His name is Love! His name is Savior! His name is King! His name is Everlasting! His name is God! His presence is good news, bringing great joy for all people! His presence makes darkness flee! The Light of the World has finally come! And like so many believers, so many bloggers, I repeat the sounding JOY!
Joy To the World, and Peace to ALL mankind!
Joy to the World, the Lord has come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing!
Joy to the World, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy!
No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found!
He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love!
~ ~ ~
And yet,
it is not over . . .
I must stay prepared;
keep waiting expectantly;
with confident hope,
with all the peace, joy, and love, grace can provide; The “second” Advent begins now, And all Creation is pregnant with anticipation!
~ *~* ~*~*~* ~
A fun little distraction while we wait.
Do you like prime numbers?
(Prime numbers are evenly divisable
only by themselves and 1)
To help you get started, the first three
prime numbers are 2, 3, and 5.
Remember, 1 is not a prime number.
Children of any age, look what can be done with them:
(One Star and five prime numbers . . . a Christmas tree of perfection!)
(Remember to turn your phone sideways or it won’t work right)
Can you decipher the pattern? Count up the stars (*s) or the words in each row.
Which numbers do you get?
Are they all prime numbers which make up the “trees”?
* ** *** ***** ******* *********** !
The
Star is
on top, sovereign
His light illuminates all life
below. All below Him, made in perfection.
Gathered, enfolded, protected – like a mother hen does – under His wings.
!!!
!!!
Is this tree upside-down? Wrong? Distressing? Let it not be so! It
is made in perfection, for He is still supreme and sovereign.
All lives supported upon His shoulders. Kept
by His strength. Maintained by
His goodness. Lit
by His
Love. * * *
~ ~ ~
Always remember Who created the prime numbers,
and all numbers, and how to count
things, and math, and music, and rhythm,
and orderliness, and the dance of the
moons around planets, planets around stars, and
stars inside galaxies! God created all those for our use
and our enjoyment!
Merry Merry Christmas! Happy Happy Christbirth! How many days left? Is it a prime number? : >)
~~~~~~~
Here’s a repeat piece that I didn’t get posted before Christmas:
“What do you think about the false deification of Santa Clause?” asked somebody. “Sure, I’d be glad to weigh in on the Santa controversy,” I replied . . .
It has been said, ad nauseum, that secular traditions such as Christmas trees, Santa Clause, and even the word “Christmas” should be condemned and abolished by Christians because they distract and detract from the true meaning of Christ’s birth.
I disagree.
Those many traditions are so ingrained into society that they cannot now be reversed nor abolished even if we wanted to, which most of us don’t. They can, however, be used in a positive manner to point to God’s glory. I’ve previously discussed how the Christmas tree points to Jesus Christ. It is easy for me to tell, as well, how Saint Nicholas‘ (the real-life man behind the legend of Santa Claus) life and existence points to the life and teachings of Jesus.
I only implore you, dear reader, not to foster the mistruths about Santa Clause, or Father Christmas, but tell the factual truth about those figures. Fact is, they are legends and fantasies based on a good man’s acts, but they must not be passed down as reality. The generous acts, themselves, are the Christlike reality.
It’s the same for the gift-giving, the lights, the colors, the tree, the decorating, and the joyous celebrating. One can ignore any or all of it, or one can use those traditions of secular Christmastime as reminders of Jesus’ birth, life, instructive words, and miraculous deeds. I strive for that as I constantly try to keep Him at the forefront of the celebration.
I believe that we should not only accept, as a fact of life, the secular traditions – the things that have been distorted and perverted away from the original intent of honoring the Christ-child, but turn them back upon themselves to their original purpose which is to celebrate His birth, to point to Him, to highlight Him, and to glorify Him in the unfettered, hopeful, optimistic, rejoicing manner in which the host of angels announced His arrival to the shepherds, and to us.
We can’t do away with Santa, and I don’t want to do that anyway. We can, however present him in a different light – the light that shines when he extends a gift to a child who has none, or the glow when he calls to a little one to come sit on his knee, or the beacon that shines when he tells the story of Jesus’ birth to a group of awestruck children, or when he silently prays for a sick or needy child and their family, or the radiant streaming rays that illuminate the scene when he kneels to worship beside the manger which contains his Savior Lord swaddled in humble cloth. All those actions mimic or respect Christ, The Light of the World, as Santa, the legend, mimics the real man, Nicholas, who was a somewhat Christlike child of God, himself!
We have so many commonly seen secular symbols that can be used to point to Jesus at Christmastime:
Common decorative wreaths, for example, can be found on doors, in windows, or inside many secular homes, even on city light posts, but the circles of evergreen boughs symbolize eternal life and the never-ending love of God. The non-believers don’t even know that! We believers even elevate the wreath to worship status. The five candles of the Advent wreath are lit in order bring to mind hope, peace, joy, love, and the purity of Christ, the Light of the World who was sent for us. It also encircles the promise that He will return to us, not in humility this time, but in His full power and glory!
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined. Isaiah 9: 2-7
The Advent wreath is loaded with symbolism to “get the ball rolling” early in December before the really secular traditions begin.
The ever-present Christmas tree itself is a real or a reasonable facsimile of an evergreen tree, which also symbolizes eternal life. It points to Heaven, and, in my world, all the lights, ornaments, and decorations on the tree represent all believers in Jesus. The lights remind me that The Light of the World has come and we wait for Him to come again.
The presents under the tree are reminders of the original Christmas gift – the gift of Jesus sent to us by Father God, and His presence with us – and the wrappings, His swaddling cloths. Everyone who is able participates in the giving of gifts. Some gifts are frivolous and some needful. Gift giving is a reminder of how Father God sent us, the very needy, a huge gift of forgiveness, grace,mercy, hope, and love delivered through His Son. And we all, believers and non-believers, must receive any and all gifts with gracefulness and gratefulness. The gift of The Savior Child, our Light of the World, is given to every one of us Earthlings, but that gift must be received, and willingly accepted before it can be unwrapped and enjoyed.
The star at the top of the tree points to Christ and leads people to Him. It reminds us of the nativity story because of its important role therein. If there is an angel instead of a star, it evokes memories of the very powerful presence of angels involving Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph. Even more astonishing was their appearance to the shepherds just after Jesus’ birth – not just one, but a whole host of them!
Those traditions and others I’ve not thought of can be used to help us illuminate Jesus in a darkened world. I believe proclaiming Him is our commission, our duty, and our pleasure, as believers and as beneficiaries of The Father’s miraculously generous, humble, and humbling gift.
We are still living in a land of deep darkness, thousands of years after Isaiah’s God-given words. Billions of people are walking in darkness today, but many have seen the great Light. It is given to them to shine the Light of the World upon the land of deep darkness and all those walking in it.
*
Whatever you do, Whatever you think, Seek Him in all things And have yourself a happy, Have yourself a joyous, Have yourself the merriest Christmas!
Above all,
Remember Who is glorious, Give Him all your glory, Keep it Christmas-Story-ous!
~ *~* ~*~*~* ~
A fun little distraction while we wait.
Do you like prime numbers?
(Prime numbers are evenly divisable
only by themselves and 1)
To help you get started, the first three
prime numbers are 2, 3, and 5.
Remember, 1 is not a prime number.
Children of any age, look what can be done with them:
(One Star and five prime numbers . . . a Christmas tree of perfection!)
(Remember to turn your phone sideways or it won’t work right)
Can you decipher the pattern? Count up the stars (*s) or the words in each row.
Which numbers do you get?
Are they all prime numbers which make up the “trees”?
* ** *** ***** ******* *********** !
The
Star is
on top, sovereign
His light illuminates all life
below. All below Him, made in perfection.
Gathered, enfolded, protected – like a mother hen does – under His wings.
!!!
!!!
Is this tree upside-down? Wrong? Distressing? Let it not be so! It
is made in perfection, for He is still supreme and sovereign.
All lives supported upon His shoulders. Kept
by His strength. Maintained by
His goodness. Lit
by His
Love. * * *
~ ~ ~
Always remember Who created the prime numbers,
and all numbers, and how to count
things, and math, and music, and rhythm,
and orderliness, and the dance of the
moons around planets, planets around stars, and
stars inside galaxies! God created all those for our use
and our enjoyment!
Merry Merry Christmas! Happy Happy Christbirth! How many days left? Is it a prime number? : >) * * *
At Christmastime when I was a boy, my dad understood the relative poverty of his children, so he would give us each a small amount of money to be spent on gifts for the other family members. That was after Mom had bought all the presents for each of us, spending, most likely, “too much” money already. What was a small amount to him was a small fortune to us, as we received no “allowances”, so we each felt rich as we happily shopped with Mom and picked out trinkets and treasures for our siblings and parents. Wrapping the gifts was fun, but the best part was the excited anticipation we had for Christmas morning when the family would partake in what we children had built in our minds to be the Olympics of giving and receiving. It was as good as it gets, and after all the unwrapping, and showing, and laughing, and modeling, and playing, and cheering, and thanking, we all felt richer and more blessed than we were before. But it was Dad and Mom, I think, who felt the most blessed, for having given to us so that we could bless each other with gifts. The investment of money they gave us came back to them, multiplied, in seeing generosity, unselfishness, and brotherly love instilled into us and put into action. And so it is with God. He began giving early. In fact, long before mankind was even here to receive it, He gave us light! He gave us water and land – a nice place to live. In the water and on the land, He provided good things for us to eat – a perfect garden containing everything we would need. And if that were not enough, He gave us His love. He gave us His Spirit-presence. All He asked was that we love Him from our hearts, and display a small and reasonable amount of obedience, even that being a gift for our own good. But mankind had a hard time with that, so later, He gave us a baby – His physical presence – our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus. In that tiny presence was contained an unfathomable amount of love and light!
We celebrate His birth extravagantly on a day we name Christmas. because He is our everything! He provides all we need! He left His abundance and took on our poverty in order to bless us with abundant life! He gives lavishly out of His abundance, into our poverty, that we may graciously bless others.
Whether the gift of writing, of singing, of making music, of delivering a message, of healing, of encouraging, of hospitality, of giving time or treasures, of working or helping, of giving testimony, of sowing evangelistic seeds, of doing a kindness, of giving a hug, or a simple smile, you do have one gift – or more – that you can share with others who might be, in a sense, destitute until they receive your unique offering.
Remember: God gives to us out of His riches, The gifts we receive are to bless others, When we thus bless others, we gift back to Him A richly amplified Love Offering, Which is one of the greatest Christmas gifts The Father could unwrap.
All these good things were, and are, from God. Shouldn’t we make sure our gratitude gets back to Him through the proper channels?
Blessings for a joyous season of giving and receiving now and all through the new year, your Gloryteller.
I’m not thrilled about the word Christmas. I’m not crazy about the word Easter either. But I very much love the events those two words represent.
Words are only symbols that we use to convey, or identify, things, events, or ideas. Often, the words we devise (or, in this case, that are devised for us) are less than ideal, or appropriate, or even accurately descriptive in representing the actual thing being described.
I believe that “Christmas” is such a word. I’ll leave it to you, dear reader, to delve into the origins, meanings, and protests concerning the word “Christmas”. I have been through it, and it’s not pretty. Some say it’s downright blasphemy, wickedness, and sin to use it.
However, Nevertheless, and, Be That As It May, the event that has come to be known to us as “Christmas” is the event that shook the earth. It is the truth of the event that is important, not necessarily the word we have adopted to describe it. To my way of thinking, the birth of Jesus was, and is, the most momentous occurrence in history. It is to be celebrated – its story told and retold in truth to the ends of the earth. So ( Blast semantics!) I do say both “Merry Christmas”
as well as “Happy Christbirth”, and I do say “Happy Easter” although “Happy Resurrection Sunday” is much more descriptive, because I know I will be understood by the general public
when I use the common language, and also by Christians, in general. And by any of those greetings, I mean Hallelujah! Rejoice! Celebrate enthusiastically! For, unto us a child is born! Our Savior lives! He has come to live with us!
– And –
In the Spring, I mean He is risen! Our Savior lives! And in His glory He will come down again!
So, here’s the thing – here’s my point: Instead of the term “Christmas”,
I prefer the much more descriptive word, “Christbirth” (which I think I have invented, haha,) (but someone may have beaten me to it, I really don’t know) to represent this wondrous, marvelous event, but, no matter what word we use in reference, at Jesus’ birth, the very Word of God came to live among us, with us, and, in time, in us, so that we, despite our inclination to sin, might have the right to be “born” into a new world – a world of saving grace, faith, hope, and of love, into God’s presence; born and reborn in a new, a wondrous, a marvelous, and a miraculous way, Just as Jesus was, before us!
He was born in an obscure village,
the child of a young peasant woman.
He grew up in another obscure village,
where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty,
and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He never had a family or owned a home.
He never went to college.
He never visited a metropolis.
He never traveled more than two hundred miles
from the place where He was born.
He never did any of the things that usually accompany greatness.
He had no credentials but Himself.
In His early thirties, the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. Another betrayed Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for His clothing,
the only property He had on earth. When he was dead, He was taken down
and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. More than twenty wide centuries have come and gone,
yet today He remains the central figure of the human race,
and the leader of mankind’s progress. I am well within the mark when I say
that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of mankind
upon this earth as significantly as has that One Solitary Life.
I lift up Keith and Kristyn Getty and I thank them for this beautiful song.
And I thank Him for them!
And I thank Him for you, my dear reader!
This Baby, making His first sounds, learning His first words, taking His first steps, becoming self-aware. Just like us in every way. Yet, in every way, different.
“Come to turn me, a stranger, into a child of God.”
Remember, JESUS is the subject of Christmas,
and the object of Christmas is US.
Α&Ω
My Christbirth **tree isever-green**
***With everlasting life*** Its branches & its members ***Clothed in colorful lights*** *Lights reflected by ornaments* *****Of all shapes and sizes***** ***Which shine just as brightly*** *******It’s filled with surprises!****** ***Wrapped ’round with garland**** **********As a bundling rope********** *********The whole tied together******* *******With warm faith and hope******** **********The star at its crown is********** ***********Wreathed in white light********** *********Can be seen near and far********** ******’Cause it’s clear, pure, and bright******* ************That’s the part of the tree*********** **************That ultimately pleases************* ********************You see************************* *******For theStar at the point and the apex******* ************************Is Jesus************************* *****And the branches, the lights, and ornaments***** **************************Are we***************************** ****************For He is the Bridegroom******************** ************We are His church, bride, and wife -************* **********We are the trunk that stands in The Water,********** ****************************The Water of Life.*********************** Water of Life
Sixteen years ago, almost to the minute, Breath of Heaven visited me. Permeated me to the depths of Body, Soul, and Spirit. I was forever changed, Becoming the best version of myself. Forever, infinitely, and most of all, eternally.
Breath of Heaven is always there, softly taking me in, gently sending me out . . .
I still can scarcely breathe . . . Oh! My Breath of Heaven! Oh!
~ ~ ~ ~
Not even one of us can fully understand,
nor scarcely appreciate young Mary’s plight . . .
And consider Joseph’s . . .
These poignant video clips are from The Nativity Story, upload thanks to Aaron Hassen.
Please read down to the end:
Breath of Heaven
By Amy Grant
I have traveled many moonless nights, Cold and weary with a babe inside, *And I wonder what I’ve done, *Holy father you have come, *And chosen me now to carry Your son.
~~~
*I am waiting in a silent prayer, *I am frightened by the load I bear, *In a world as cold as stone, *Must I walk this path alone?
~~~
*Be with me now . . .
*Be with me now . . .
~~~
*Breath of heaven, *Be forever near me, Breath of heaven.
~~~
Breath of heaven,
*Lighten my darkness, *Pour over me your holiness, *For you are holy. Breath of heaven.
~~~
Do you wonder as you watch my face,
*If a wiser one should have had my place? *But I offer all I am, For the mercy of your plan, *Help me be strong Help me be . . . Help me . . .
~~~
Breath of heaven,
Hold me together, Be forever near me, Breath of heaven.
~~~
Breath of heaven,
Lighten my darkness, Pour over me your holiness, For you are holy.
~~~
Breath of heaven,
Hold me together, Be forever near me, Breath of heaven.
~~~
Breath of heaven, Lighten my darkness, Pour over me your holiness, For you are holy.
~~~
Breath of heaven Breath of heaven Breath of heaven
~ ~ ~
. . . Have you ever found yourself saying these same words –
the ones I starred?
I have.
Yes, I have been chosen to “carry The Son”, in a sense.
In that very important sense, all true believers have been chosen to
“carry Him”.
And, sometimes, I feel completely unworthy.
Do I offer all I am?
Do I LOVE?
And I pray that the Father stay near me and hold me together. The thought of bearing this precious burden; this gift;
this responsibility; this sacred life, is daunting – sometimes frightening.
What if I fail?
A wiser, less broken, less flawed soul should take my place . . . Yet, I am exactly the kind of person He seeks,
chooses, and challenges, to “carry Him inside”.
One only must be willing.
And the Archangel, himself, said, “Don’t be afraid”.
Yes, the world is cold as stone, and the path, often difficult, but I don’t have to walk it alone – never alone. The Lord is with me.
*Breath of heaven
Hold me together-
My desperate plea –
Like David, He hears, and holds me up.
He lightens my darkness, and if that were not enough, He pours His holiness over me, and His grace, and His mercy.
I am not wise, but He chose me, somehow. He chose me and He helps me.
And through Him, I am sufficient.
And I am honored.
Breath of Heaven is always there, softly taking me in, gently sending me out . . .
I lift up Keith and Kristyn Getty and I thank them for this beautiful song.
And I thank Him for them!
And I thank Him for you, my dear reader!
This baby, making His first sounds, learning His first words, taking His first steps, becoming self-aware. Like us in every way. Yet, in every way, different.
“Come to turn me, a stranger, into a child of God.” Remember, JESUS is the subject of Christmas, and the object of Christmas is US.
“What do you think about the lie of Santa Clause?” asked somebody. “Sure, I’d be glad to weigh in on the Santa controversy,” I replied . . .
It has been said, ad nauseum, that secular traditions such as Christmas trees, Santa Clause, and even the word “Christmas” should be condemned by Christians because they distract and detract from the true meaning of Christ’s birth.
I disagree.
Those many traditions are so ingrained into society that they cannot be reversed nor abolished. They can, however, be used in a positive manner. I’ve previously discussed how the Christmas tree points to Jesus Christ. It is easy for me to tell, as well, how Santa’s (“Saint Nicholas‘ “) life and existence points, to the life and teachings of Jesus.
I only implore you, dear reader, not to foster the lies about Santa Clause, St. Nicholas, or Father Christmas, but tell the factual truth about those figures. Fact is, they are legends and fantasies based on a good man’s acts, but they must not be passed down as reality. The generous acts are the Christlike reality.
It’s the same for the gift-giving, the lights, and the joyous celebrating. One can ignore any or all of it, or one can use those traditions of secular Christmastime as reminders of Jesus’ birth, life, words and deeds. I strive for that as I constantly try to keep Him at the forefront of the celebration.
I believe that we should not only accept, as a fact of life, the secular traditions; the things that have been distorted and perverted away from the original intent of honoring the Christ-child, but turn them back upon themselves to their true purpose which is to celebrate His birth, to point to Him, to highlight Him, and to glorify Him in the unfettered, hopeful, optimistic, rejoicing manner in which the host of angels announced His arrival to the shepherds, and to us.
Those traditions can be used to help us illuminate Him in a darkened world. I believe this proclaiming is our commission, our duty, and our pleasure, as believers and as beneficiaries of The Father’s miraculously humble, and humbling gift.
The gift of The Savior Child, our Light of the World, is given to every one of us, but that gift must be received and willingly accepted before it can be unwrapped and enjoyed.
*
Whatever you do, Whatever you think, Seek Him in all things And have yourself a happy, Have yourself a joyous, Have yourself the merriest Christmas!
Above all,
Remember Who is glorious, Give Him all your glory, Keep it Christmas-Story-ous!
I’m not thrilled about the word Christmas. I’m not crazy about the word Easter either. But I very much love the events those two words represent.
Words are only symbols that we use to convey, or identify, things, events, or ideas. Often, the words we devise (or, in this case, that are devised for us) are less than ideal, or appropriate, or even accurately descriptive in representing the actual thing being described.
I believe that “Christmas” is such a word. I’ll leave it to you, dear reader, to delve into the origins, meanings, and protests concerning the word “Christmas”. I have been through it, and it’s not pretty. Some say it’s downright blasphemy, wickedness, and sin to use it.
However, Nevertheless, and, Be That As It May, the event that has come to be known to us as “Christmas” is the event that shook the earth. It is the truth of the event that is important, not necessarily the word we have adopted to describe it. To my way of thinking, the birth of Jesus was, and is, the most momentous occurrence in history. It is to be celebrated – its story told and retold in truth to the ends of the earth. So ( Blast semantics!) I do say Merry Christmas, and I do say Happy Easter, instead of Happy Resurrection Sunday, because I know I will be understood by the general public, and also by Christians, in general. And by those greetings, I mean Hallelujah! Rejoice! Celebrate enthusiastically! For, unto us a child is born! Our Savior lives! He has come to live with us! – Or He is risen! Our Savior lives! And in His glory He will come down again!
So, here’s the thing – here’s my point: Instead of the term “Christmas”, I prefer the word “Christbirth” (which I think I have invented, haha,) (but someone may have beaten me to it, I really don’t know) to represent this wondrous, marvelous event, but, no matter what word we use in reference, in Jesus’ birth, the very Word of God came to live among us, with us, and, in time, in us, so that we, despite our inclination to sin, might have the right to be “born” into a new world – a world of saving grace, faith, hope, and of love, into God’s presence; born in a new, a wondrous, a marvelous, and a miraculous way, Just as Jesus was, before us!
Alone in the Rockies.
Gloryteller 