Praising God

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Luke 2: 15 - 20

Good Will Toward Men

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."  Luke 2: 7-14

A Christmas Prayer

A Christmas Prayer
by Robert Louis Stevenson

Loving Father,
Help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate
and open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift
and good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing
which Christ brings,
and teach us to be merry with clear hearts. 

May the Christmas morning
make us happy to be thy children,
and Christmas evening bring us to our beds
with grateful thoughts,
forgiving and forgiven,
for Jesus' sake.
Amen

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.  Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

Isaiah 7: 14-15

Good Tidings

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." Luke 2: 8-10

Sing, Christmas bells! Say to the earth this is the morn Whereon our Savior-King is born;  

Sing to all men,—the bond, the free, The rich, the poor, the high, the low, The little child that sports in glee, The aged folk that tottering go,  

Proclaim the morn That Christ is born,

That saveth them and saveth me!

 

Sing, angel host! Sing of the star that God has placed Above the manger in the East; Sing of the glories of the night, The virgin's sweet humility,  

The Babe with kingly robes bedight, Sing to all men where'er they be This Christmas morn; For Christ is born,

That saveth them and saveth me!

 

Sing, sons of earth! O ransomed seed of Adam, sing! God liveth, and we have a king! The curse is gone, the bond are free

By Bethlehem's star that brightly beamed, By all the heavenly signs that be, We know that Israel is redeemed;

That on this morn The Christ is born That saveth you and saveth me!

Sing, O my heart!

Sing thou in rapture this dear morn Whereon the blessed Prince is born! And as thy songs shall be of love, So let my deeds be charity By the dear Lord that reigns above, By Him that died upon the tree, By this fair morn Whereon is born The Christ that saveth all and me!

A Joyous Song

Oh, hush thee, little Dear-my-Soul, The evening shades are falling,— Hush thee, my dear, dost thou not hear The voice of the Master calling?

Deep lies the snow upon the earth, But all the sky is ringing With joyous song, and all night long The stars shall dance, with singing.

Oh, hush thee, little Dear-my-Soul, And close thine eyes in dreaming, And angels fair shall lead thee where The singing stars are beaming.

A shepherd calls his little lambs, And he longeth to caress them; He bids them rest upon his breast, That his tender love may bless them.

So, hush thee, little Dear-my-Soul, Whilst evening shades are falling, And above the song of the heavenly throng Thou shalt hear the Master calling.

THE THREE KINGS OF COLOGNE

From out Cologne there came three kings To worship Jesus Christ, their King. To Him they sought fine herbs they brought, And many a beauteous golden thing; They brought their gifts to Bethlehem town, And in that manger set them down.

Then spake the first king, and he said: "O Child, most heavenly, bright, and fair! I bring this crown to Bethlehem town For Thee, and only Thee, to wear; So give a heavenly crown to me When I shall come at last to Thee!"

The second, then. "I bring Thee here This royal robe, O Child!" he cried; "Of silk 'tis spun, and such an one There is not in the world beside; So in the day of doom requite Me with a heavenly robe of white!"

 

The third king gave his gift, and quoth: "Spikenard and myrrh to Thee I bring, And with these twain would I most fain Anoint the body of my King; So may their incense sometime rise To plead for me in yonder skies!"

 

Thus spake the three kings of Cologne, That gave their gifts, and went their way; And now kneel I in prayer hard by The cradle of the Child to-day; Nor crown, nor robe, nor spice I bring  

As offering unto Christ, my King.

Yet have I brought a gift the Child May not despise, however small; For here I lay my heart to-day, And it is full of love to all.

Take Thou the poor but loyal thing, My only tribute, Christ, my King!

The Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.
 All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.
 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
 And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.
 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.
 The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him.
 He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light.
 There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world.
 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not.
 He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not.
 But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe in his name:
  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
  And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.
  John beareth witness of him, and crieth, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is become before me: for he was before me.
  For of his fulness we all received, and grace for grace.
  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
  No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
  And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent unto him from Jerusalem priests and Levites to ask him, Who art thou?
  And he confessed, and denied not; and he confessed, I am not the Christ.
  And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered, No.
  They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
  He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.  John 1: 1-23

An Olde Christmas Poem

God rest you, Chrysten gentil men, Wherever you may be,— God rest you all in fielde or hall, Or on ye stormy sea; For on this morn oure Chryst is born That saveth you and me.

Last night ye shepherds in ye east Saw many a wondrous thing; Ye sky last night flamed passing bright Whiles that ye stars did sing, And angels came to bless ye name Of Jesus Chryst, oure Kyng.

God rest you, Chrysten gentil men, Faring where'er you may; In noblesse court do thou no sport, In tournament no playe, In paynim lands hold thou thy hands From bloudy works this daye.

But thinking on ye gentil Lord That died upon ye tree, Let troublings cease and deeds of peace Abound in Chrystantie; For on this morn ye Chryst is born That saveth you and me.

A Christmas Prayer

Star of the East, the night were drear But for the tender grace That with thy glory comes to cheer Earth's loneliest, darkest place; For by that charity we see Where there is hope for all and me.

Star of the East! show us the way In wisdom undefiled To seek that manger out and lay Our gifts before the child— To bring our hearts and offer them Unto our King in Bethlehem!

Father of all men, look upon our family,
Kneeling together before Thee,
And grant us a true Christmas.

With loving heart we bless Thee:

For the gift of Thy dear Son Jesus Christ,

For the peace He brings to human homes,

For the good-will He teaches to sinful men,

For the glory of Thy goodness shining in His face.

  

With joyful voice we praise Thee:

For His lowly birth and His rest in the manger,

For the pure tenderness of His mother Mary,

For the fatherly care that protected Him,

For the Providence that saved the Holy Child

To be the Saviour of the world.

With deep desire we beseech Thee:

Help us to keep His birthday truly,

Help us to offer, in His name, our Christmas prayer.

From the sickness of sin and the darkness of doubt,
From selfish pleasures and sullen pains,

From the frost of pride and the fever of envy,

God save us every one, through the blessing of Jesus.

In the health of purity and the calm of mutual trust,
In the sharing of joy and the bearing of trouble,
In the steady glow of love and the clear light of hope,

God keep us every one, by the blessing of Jesus.

In praying and praising, in giving and receiving,
In eating and drinking, in singing and making merry,
In parents' gladness and in children's mirth,
In dear memories of those who have departed,

In good comradeship with those who are here,
In kind wishes for those who are far away,
In patient waiting, sweet contentment, generous cheer,

God bless us every one, with the blessing of Jesus.

By remembering our kinship with all men,
By well-wishing, friendly speaking and kindly doing,
By cheering the downcast and adding sunshine to daylight,
By welcoming strangers (poor shepherds or wise men),
By keeping the music of the angels' song in this home,

God help us every one to share the blessing of Jesus:

Fill the Hungry with Good Things

"He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever."
Luke 1: 51-55

Nothing Shall Be Impossible

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
 Luke 1: 30 - 50

Lest we not Forget

And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered. 

 And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 

 And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.

 And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

 And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2: 6-11

Advent Wishes

   As we enjoy all the Christmas lights and the annual Christmas parties we suddenly realize this Month is flying by way too fast. The demands of jobs and homework somehow slipped in between Christmas programs at school and the usual responsibilities. We still haven't tossed the leftover cranberry sauce from ThanksGiving and yet today marks the 3rd Sunday of Advent.

Maybe today is a Great Day to sit back and enjoy the Winter weather from the warmth and comfort of home. And a great day to be reminded of the real reason for all the shopping and festive fun.

God rest you, Chrysten gentil men, Wherever you may be,— God rest you all in fielde or hall, Or on ye stormy sea; For on this morn oure Chryst is born That saveth you and me.

 
Last night ye shepherds in ye east Saw many a wondrous thing; Ye sky last night flamed passing bright Whiles that ye stars did sing, And angels came to bless ye name Of Jesus Chryst, oure Kyng.

God rest you, Chrysten gentil men, Faring where'er you may; In noblesse court do thou no sport, In tournament no playe, In paynim lands hold thou thy hands From bloudy works this daye.

 
But thinking on ye gentil Lord That died upon ye tree, Let troublings cease and deeds of peace Abound in Chrystantie; For on this morn ye Chryst is born That saveth you and me.

What Do You Want for Christmas?

    Try to hold back the goosebumps while you enjoy this Christmas classic:

Sounds from Heaven

 

  Why do the bells of Christmas ring? 

  Why do little children sing?

 

  Once a lovely shining star,

  Seen by shepherds from afar, 

  Gently moved until its light Made a manger's cradle bright.

 

  There a darling baby lay,

  Pillowed soft upon the hay;

  And its mother sung and smiled:

  "This is Christ, the holy Child!"

 

Therefore bells for Christmas ring,  

Therefore little children sing.

Take the High Road

  "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." 

  Matthew 6: 14-15
   

    We've all felt the impact or sense of hurt, betrayal, and sadness when unfair things that happen to us. When someone treats us badly.

    When someone treats us badly - we have two simple choices:

We can choose to hold on to the hurt, feel bitter and angry, and carry around that anger to the point where it poisons us.

    Or, we can choose to let it go and give it up to God. Some might even suggest that we Thank God for this opportunity to better ourselves. Thank God for the lessons we learn and strength he gives us to endure and forgive. While none of us always find it easy to forgive when someone hurt you so badly. Our best long term option is simply "Let it go"! Turn it over to Our Lord and try to forget it as quickly as you can.

    Rremember - you don’t forgive for their sake; you forgive for your own sake. When you forgive, you are taking away their power to hurt you. But if you hold on to that offense and stay angry, you are only poisoning your own life. You are letting someone else ruin your day. Don't give in! Connect with God, Talk it over with God and ask the Good Lord to help you put this unpleasant situation behind you!

    Try to focus on your blessings. Keep your thoughts as healthy and happy as you possibly can.