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.