Joy and Peace

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another Romans 15: 13-14

Rejoice in God

And Mary said, "My soul doth magnify the Lord,

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." Luke 1: 46-47

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS.
Where love takes, let love give, and so doubt not:
Love counts but the will,
And the heart has its flowers of devotion
No winter can chill;
They who cared for "good will" that first Christmas
Will care for it still.

—A.A. Procter


At the end of the day many of the gifts will be long forgotten - or but a pleasant memory. Here's hoping our beloved children will remember the joy of Christmas for generations. And may their hearts long hold comfort and peace in the words of our Lord!

Hope and Peace

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 1 Peter 3:10-14

A simple prayer:

Have mercy upon those to whom God has sent the bitter trial of separation from those they love!

Have mercy on that loneliness of heart, so full of sadness, so crushing, sometimes full of terror!

Have mercy upon those struggling against the difficulties of life, and faint with discouragement!

Have mercy on those whom fortune favors, whom the world fascinates, and who are free from care!

Have mercy on those to whom Thou hast given great tenderness of heart, great sensitiveness!

Have mercy on those who cease to love us, and never may they know the pain they cause!

Have mercy on those who have gradually withdrawn from Holy Communion and Prayer, and losing peace within, weep, yet dare not return to Thee!

Have mercy on all we love; make them holy even through suffering! if ever they estrange themselves from Thee, take, oh, take all my joys, and decoy them with the pleasures back again to Thee!

Have mercy on those who weep, those who pray, those who know not how to pray!

To all, O Jesus, grant Hope and Peace!

Good Will

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" Luke 2:14

This wonderful verse - so famous around the Holidays - is worth sharing year round isn't it? If we can share but a few lessons with our youth - perhaps this tiny little piece of wisdom might be at or near the top of any list.

Glory to God - whatever you perceive him to be. Kindness and good will towards others!

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." John 13:34

"When the Spirit of God really dwells within, there is a baptism of love which evinces itself not only in the household, and to those naturally lovable, but goes out to all the world, and embraces in its tenderness such as have no natural traits of beauty. Thus the soft waters of the Southern Ocean lap against unsightly rocks and stretches of bare shingle.

Where love reigns in the inner chamber of the soul, doors do not slam, bells are not jerked violently, soft tones modulate the speech, gentle steps tread the highways of the world, bent on the beautiful work of the messengers of peace, and the very atmosphere of the life is warm and sunny as an aureole. There is no doubt of the indwelling Spirit where there is this outgoing love."
F.B. Meyer 1898