When It Is Over,, Christmas Is Over, Right?

 

I'm always on the lookout for new and meaningful Christmas poems.  This one, by the well-known Helen Steiner Rice, was on the back of a vintage Christmas card I recently came upon.  It surely fits in with the spirit of my Christmas blog, since I like to celebrate Christmas all year round (google)

LET US LIVE CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY 

Christmas is more than a day at the end of the year, more than a season of joy and good cheer,

Christmas is really God's pattern for living, to be followed all year by unselfish giving ...

For the holiday season awakens good cheer and draws us closer to those we hold dear,

And we open our hearts and find it is Good to live among men As We Always Should ...

But as soon as the tinsel is stripped from the tree, the spirit of Christmas fades silently

Into the background of daily routine and is lost in the whirl of life's busy scene,

And all unawares we miss and forego the greatest blessing that mankind can know ...

For if we lived Christmas each day, as we should, and made it our aim to always do good, 

We'd find the lost key to meaningful living that comes not from Getting, 

but from unselfish Giving.

Helen Steiner Rice 

This is one of my favorite Christmas poems but I have given away all the printed cards I had. Soo, I went to Google and found more information than I was looking for. 

SOOO, Be sure you make Jesus Christ the center of every day!

Blessings, Gma J

 

The Wonder and Awe of the Christmas Story

 

Monday, December 14, 2015

 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).

Hey Gang, There is no doubt that the Christmas story is filled with wonder and awe. It fills young and old with delight that is even more enjoyable and amazing because it is all true! I found the following quips about Christmas somewhere in my travels and will share them with you this morning.

Shepherds, at the bottom of the social fabric of that time, were entertained and blessed by a choir of angels that filled the night with glory and hope. Mysterious Wise Men from the East followed a star that brought them to Bethlehem, where they worshipped and presented gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the child- King.

Then there is the centerpiece of the story: A young couple, at least was a teenager, were uniquely chosen to bring the Christ-child into the world and raise Him. They faced a challenge of faith and courage that was undergirded by angelic visitations! Mary, the young virgin maiden, was with child without ever knowing a man before marriage; an outward looking scandal, by any stretch of the imagination. Then there was Joseph, who had to endure the gossip and “whispering” in a community that knew nothing of the angelic announcement heralding the birth of Jesus.

More sinister still was Herod’s plot to kill the child and, and if successful, would frustrate the will and purpose of God for world redemption. The Christmas story is truly beautiful, amazing and thought provoking. For Christians, it teaches us:

       1. Christmas is worth celebrating, since all of Heaven did so and gave beautiful voice to the wondrous events as they were unfolding in Bethlehem. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke devote lengthy passages to this story of wonder and great joy. We should do the same.

       2. Christmas is the hope of the world. God became man and did so to save us from our sins and give us a new beginning. The message is ever the same - peace and goodwill to all the world; a peace and goodwill which has to be appropriated individually by repentance and faith in the finished work of the Son of God on the cross.

      3. Christmas has a unique message in the gifts delivered to the Christ-child by the Magi from the East. Gold was a tribute to his identity, royalty, as King of the Jews and the King of kings of all the world. Frankincense, a priestly connection of His diety, meant His life would be pleasing to God and sinless. Myrrh, foreshadowed His death, which we know that would be for the sins of world – for all who would repent and accept His salvation. This is because myrrh was a burial ointment that was used to prepare the body for its final resting place. He died in our place.

     4. Christmas reminds us of a conflict that ever rages over the souls of men. Dark forces were at work on that beautiful, awe inspiring night; they sought to destroy the babe born to Mary and Joseph and thus they ultimately sought the destruction of all of humankind. This battle continues!

Soooo good buddies, we would do well then to gather our families together and carefully read this wonderful narrative from the Gospels. Worship and prayers of thanksgiving and joy should ascend to Heaven and sweet carols and should bathe our souls in the wondrous love of God. We would do well to visit the House of God on Christmas Eve or morning and there, together with all the family of God, give thanks for God’s Gift of all gifts that became ours on Christmas Day.

Blessings,

Gramps

Christmas hassel or Peace? You choose

 Hey Gang, Soo often devotionals I read say things that are in my heart.  Christmas is such a special Holiday for Christ-followers, celebrating with families, the Birth of our Savior, Jesus, the God’s special gift to us and inspires our own gift giving. 

But the world and our culture continue to try to obscure even His name (Christmas some now call Winter Festival) -with glitz and glitter, merchandise, hustle and bustle -instead of the joy of sacrificial giving with music celebrating Jesus’ birth. 

I pray you will enjoy family, and gift giving in memory of the special God gave to us – Jesus our hope of Eternity together in Glory.

Jesus IS the Light of the world (John 8:12). Let His Light shine brightly and boldly through You, (Matthew 5:14) that others may see your good works and glorify our Father in heaven….  He was born a baby – all of God that could be put in human flesh –“A white hot moment when eternity melted into time” …but died a willing sacrifice for my sin and yours.

From my Mornings with Jesus  by Guideposts  Dec 10, 2022,

“She brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for the in the Inn.” Luke 2:7 (NKJV)

            I live in a divided household. My husband, Hal, always wants a real live tree for Christmas. I am fond of artificial evergreens for their convenience. Hal has won the annual tree standoffs.

            One recent Christmas I felt overwhelmed by the responsibilities and expectations.  The big day was a week away, and we didn’t have a tree.  I told Hal to forget about finding one.  We didn’t need it. Hal thought otherwise and said, ”Ill get us a tree.”

 A few days later, I walked into our living room and found that Hal had made good on his promise.  Here in the corner was a miniature ceramic Christmas sitting on top of some boxes that were draped with a tablecloth. This homemade display was wrapped in a single string of lights. I call it our Charlie Brown tree – reminiscent of the sapling the Peanuts character chose for a holiday celebration—and it made me smile.

Our humble little tree was special, even without all the usual flashing lights, ornaments, and ribbon. It reminded me of Jesus, who also had humble beginnings. Born in a stable surrounded by animals and hay, the Savior of the world entered with no fanfare or bright lights, except for the angels who sang to the shepherds.

            I hope our Charlie Brown tree will be a new tradition, reminding me to focus more on Jesus and less on the holiday hoopla.                                            ___Barbranda Lumpkins Walls

 

Faith Step: What can you decrease so that Jesus will increase in your life this holiday season?  

Have a Christ -filled Christmas

 Gma J                                                                                                                                                             

Christmas in story and daily living

 

Gramps was not into seasonal blogs. But as you see had an imaginative mind! A couple years I wrote on Advent and stories of the Carols.  But – as those of you who know us – Christmas is important and you can still find Nativity sets on display at our house all year.

This Devotional from My Mornings With Jesus  December 2, 2022.

“Behold the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” which is translated, God with us,” Matthew 1:23 (NKJV)  (Read Isaiah 7:14)

     I love the whole Christmas story in the Bible, but if I had to pick a favorite Christmas verse, Matthew 1:23  would be it.  There’s just nothing else that expresses what really happened – what Christmas means-  like “GOD with US.”

     We have a tradition in our family that illustrated the beauty of this concept.  Every Christmas Eve, the whole Triple F Ranch family gathers at my house. We make cookies, turtles, Mexican food, and mischief of one kind or another.  The culminating event is a live Nativity play, which is cast and directed by all the children. The best laid plans are always perfect, until the play starts – then chaos ensues. Crowns fall off, angels fight for position, baby Jesus cries and Joseph ends up smacking somebody with his staff. It is always a comedy of errors – a complete Zoo. Not unlike life!

    Wasn’t you spouse perfect before you got married? Your vacation perfect before you took it? What about retirement? My kids were perfect before I had them. So was my job. In my head, church is perfect, and so are friendships, and so am I.  And then there is what happens outside my head, in real life.  But Jesus enters into the mess, the joy, the heart ache, the accidents, the headaches, the good choices and the bad. HE IS WITH US THROUGH IT ALL!              -------Gwen Ford Faulkenberry 

 In my mind Christmas’s are perfect – as I remember many of them: growing up as a pastor’s kid and all the church activities followed by an hour trip to grandparents. As a teen I remember playing football on Christmas in KS: as a Parent with young family in CA - no snow there either.  However, back in MI – snow; breakfasts were special and reading the Bible Story– our first snowmobile (second hand). Moving to Eagle Village LIGHTS, platforms of home-made lighted villages and visitors. Gramps made us hunt for gifts – sometimes a scavenger hunts, over 500 acres!  One year my gift was hanging in a tree.  Fun and laughs - often with grandparents and Eagle Village boys. Fun stories -  

Today we continue to gather as a family – share a meal, fun and games and always the Christmas Story – Jesus, God wrapped in human flesh – “ The Creator became the created” to experience life as we know it, crucified as sacrifice for our sins, rose from the grave and lives with Father in heaven – our Hope of life eternal – if we choose to accept him as Savior and Lord.

One last quote  from one of my favorite Christmas books The Wonder of Christmas by Daniel Partner:  “Christmas – that white-hot moment when Eternity melted into Time.’

Have a Christ-filled Christmas

Gma J