This Is My Life (Part 4)

When I started preaching on weekends back in 1971 men like John Gilbert, Lynn Baker, Newby Thompson, E. F. Munn, Bill Waters, Jimmy Patterson, Bobby Johnson, and Richard Porterfield plus many others allowed me to minister from behind their pulpits either in revivals or on Sundays. What a joy it was to glean from these men what it was to be a pastor. Along with my father, Rev. Alton L. Stone, Sr., they had a tremendous impact on my life. Other men like Cecil Grant, J. B. Fortner, Max Atkins, Horace Mauldin also had a tremendous impact on me. I thank the Lord daily for the heritage of the Church of God that my Mom and Dad passed along to me, but also for the men and women of God in ministry that influenced, encouraged, and prayed for me along the way.

Our denomination is far from perfect. I have watched the politics from the inside as well as the outside of the ministry and still wonder about some situations and will probably do so until the Lord calls me home. I don't think any denomination or fellowship has not be affected by politics in their history. I always dreamed as I got older it would get better, but to be honest it never has changed. Just the faces, and maybe the places, but often the good old boy system still plays a role in our operations. I'm just thankful that I never learned to play the system. I tried once or twice and found it just wasn't me. Those who trained me may have done so, but they never revealed that side of the ministry to me.

Three men who had a very positive impact on my life were my dad, Bishop Bobby Johnson, and Bishop I. C. Morris, Jr. My dad was my grounding rod. He showed me how to fact adversity through prayer. He taught me the tenants of the faith, and he was my encourager when I didn't want to be encouraged. I don't know how I have made it these past 28 years without him. His memory will never fade. Bishop Bobby Johnson is still pastoring today. He taught me a sense of professionalism and sincerity in the ministry. He allowed me to be on the radio and television and explore that avenue of ministry for a producer's side. I contribute a lot that I learned in the early days to him. Bishop I. C. Morris, Jr. has been in heaven for a decade now, but he was the promoter. He knew what to do to get people's attention and how to minister to people in a very personal way. He and I had the Number 1 Christian music program on a Country music station for almost 4 years running. We also produced television specials, records, and started a tape ministry before that became a thing in the church of God. He knew how to intertwine praise and worship music with a large choir setting as well to set the tone for worship and allowed me to experiment with reel to reel soundtracks before they moved to cassettes.

As you can see these men had an influence on my life that was profound. I wouldn't trade it for the world. All I ask the Lord everyday is that somewhere along the way someone will say about me that I influenced them as much as these men influenced me.

(Tomorrow I will share about my associates who assisted me in ministry.)

This Is My Life (Part 3)

Family is very important to me and has played a large role in my life as a pastor. That is why I count it an honor to have such a wonderful daughter-in-law and soon to be 5 grandchildren.

I first met my daughter-in-law as a teen at camp while I served on our State Youth Board. Little did I know then that she would captivate the heart of my son and become his bride. She is one of the most talented singers that I have ever heard and one the most beautiful ladies I have ever met. She has always treated me with respect and love and has been a wonderful wife for my son and a great mom to my grandchildren. I count it a joy to have Candace (Candy) as a part of my family and appreciate so much her willingness to share in the heritage of our family. She loves her husband and her children with all her heart and I love her for that.

My grandchildren are just that-grand. I have dedicated all of them to the Lord and shared in some of their greatest
moments like giving Hannah her first ice cream, having Gracie sing for me in church, holding Hayden in both Disneyland and Disney World, and singing "It's A Small World After All" with Gannon. I am so looking forward to having Hattie Rose coming into the family in January 2016 and believing that I can share in some great moments with her and that she and all the rest will be healthy and loving in the years to come.

When I was lying in the hospital last February after my stroke I wondered if I would be able to play with my babies again. God has been good to me and allowed me to see Hannah get her license, Gracie create and perform a special Christmas worship dance, Hayden's first piano recital, and Gannon helping me drive a golf cart since that time. I am very blessed to have these memories from this year and many more from their past. The best thing is I'm looking forward to many more in the years to come if the Lord allows with all of my family.

This Is My Life (part 2)

In 1979 a bundle of joy came into our home by the name of Shane Blake Stone. I still remember having to wait 9 days to hold him because of jaundice. I remember my dad dedicating him. I remember his first day at kindergarten, school, and his graduation. I remember moving him into the dorm at Lee and the empty house syndrome his mom and I went through. I remember his marriage to my beautiful daughter-in-law Candace. I remember the birth of my first granddaughter, then the second, then the birth of my first grandson, and then my last. Now I wait with anticipation for our newest granddaughter soon to be born into our family.

I say all of this because God has blessed me with the finest son a man could ever have. He has been my best friend for a long time and I hope he will always be. I've been there for him in times past and he has been there for me. He's laughed with me, cried with me, prayed for me, and loved me when I was going through some very tough times. In some ways he's just like me or his Uncle David, and in other ways he's just like his mom. He has a gruff exterior many times, but he also has a heart of gold. He is a part of my life I will always be thankful for. The Bible says for us to be thankful for our children, and I thank God every day for a son like Shane.

He is still one of the best parts about living.

This Is My Life (Part 1)

Because of my past health issues I have had to step down from the pastorate. I wanted to share about some folks who had a tremendous impact on my ministry in the past 44 years. Naturally my wife is the first one that comes to my mind. I would have never have been able to make it as long as I have in the ministry if it had not been for her.

When the Lord allowed Becky Brigman to come into my life in 1972 it was His blessing on me. For the first 10 years of our marriage I had to take care of her. We've joked about it from time to time after her open heart surgery and pacemaker insertion. Those were rough days on Shane and I when we were worried if she would ever get back to normal. Praise God she did and man is she ever still kicking today! You can't keep a good woman down!

Little did we know that in the last twelve years she would see me through 8 knee surgeries, 5 heart attacks, and one ischemic stroke. If anybody has had a load dumped on them it was her. Yet through all of it she has stood beside me with an unfailing love and spirit. Never giving up on me, but trusting that God would bring me through. I could never have made it without her. She is my rock, my hiding place, and my true love.

Now as we enter a new phase in life, I worry that she will feel out of place. She's been a pastor's wife for so long it's going to be just as different for her as me. But I believe that she can make that transition and continue to thrive. We've made it together this far, and I believe we can make it the rest of the way.

Thanks Baby for being my all in all! I will always love you!

Total Love

The fear of rejection may be one of the most basic fears of the human experience. I read the heart-warming story of a man who finally decided to ask his boss for a raise in salary. It was Friday. He told his wife that morning what he was about to do, All day the man felt nervous and apprehensive. Late in the afternoon he summoned the courage to approach his employer. To his delight, the boss agreed to a raise.

The man arrived home to a beautiful table set with their best china. Candles were lighted. His wife had prepared a festive meal. Immediately he figured that someone from the office had tipped her off! Finding his wife in the kitchen, he told her the good news. They embraced and kissed, then sat down to a wonderful meal. Next to his plate the man found a beautiful lettered note. It read: "Congratulations, darling! I knew you'd get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you."

While on his way to the kitchen to get dessert he noticed that a second card had fallen from her pocket. Picking it off the floor, he read: "Don't worry about not getting the raise! You deserve it anyway! These things will tell you how much I love you."

Total acceptance! Total love. Her love for him was not contingent upon his success at work. In fact, just the opposite. If he were to fail there, if he were to be rejected by his boss he'd be all the more accepted at home. She stood behind him no matter what; softening the blows, healing the wounds, believing in him, loving him. We can be rejected by almost anyone if we're loved by one.

That's the way families can be with each other. And I like to think that's the way God is with us, too! "We love because He first loved us."

A Crabby After Christmas Day

It's one day after Christmas , I'm crabby and I'm broke.
I'm so full of ham and tater salad, I think I'm going to croak.
It's nice to see the relatives I wonder when they'll leave.
They've been camping in my bathroom since early Christmas Eve.

They're eating everything in sight and sleeping in my bed.
I been sacked out in the basement with my beagle, Fred.

The relatives have all gone out and left their screaming brats.
The toilet bowl is all plugged up and I can't find the cat.

I love the decorations, and the sleigh bells in the snow
But I wish those pesky relatives would take their kids and go.

Those cookie crunchers fed the dog a twenty pound rib roast.
His feet are sticking in the air like skinny old fence posts.
Now they're in a free-for-all, the girls against the boys.
They're fighting over boxes 'cause they're bored with all their toys

My mother-in-law is snoring in my favorite TV chair.
Those kids are stringing lights on her and tinseling her hair

I ought to wake her up before the fireworks begin.
But I want to see those blue sparks fly when they plug her in.

Merry Christmas!

Every day is Christmas when you have the kind of mind,
That stores up all the goodness and the sweetness it can find.
When you don't need an occasion, to spread a bit of cheer,
But just keep on a-giving, of yourself throughout the year.

Every day is Christmas, with a gaily wrapped surprise,
When you've learned to see the friendship, in someone else's eyes. When you try a little harder, and complain a little less,
Holding fast to all the fervor of the faith that you possess.

Every day is Christmas, when you've found that you can be
More concerned with words like "you" and less with "I" and "me." When it's fun to do a favor, and to lend a helping hand,
When being understood means less, than when you understand.

Every day is Christmas, with a beauty deeply cast, When you find it doesn't matter, if you're first or if you're last. When you can face your conscience, and be glad of what you are, Then every day is Christmas, with a stable and a star.

Toothless Grin

A few years ago I was doing some last minute Christmas shopping in a toy store and decided to look at Barbie dolls for my granddaughter.

A nicely-dressed little girl was excitedly looking through the Barbie dolls as well, with a roll of money clamped tightly in her little hand. When she came upon a Barbie she liked, she would turn and ask her father if she had enough money to buy it. He usually said "yes," but she would keep looking and keep going through their ritual of "do I have enough?"

As she was looking, a little boy wandered in across the aisle and started sorting through the Pokemon toys.

He was dressed neatly, but in clothes that were obviously rather worn, and wearing a jacket that was probably a couple of sizes too small. He, too, had money in his hand, but it looked to be no more than five dollars or so, at the most.

He was with his father as well, and kept picking up the Pokemon video toys. Each time he picked one up and looked at his father, his father shook his head, "no."

The little girl had apparently chosen her Barbie, a beautifully-dressed, glamorous doll that would have been the envy of every little girl on the block.

However, she had stopped and was watching the interchange between the little boy and his father. Rather dejectedly, the boy had given up on the video games and had chosen what looked like a book of stickers instead. He and his father then started walking through another aisle of the store.

The little girl put her Barbie back on the shelf, and ran over to the Pokemon games. She excitedly picked up one that was lying on top of the other toys, and raced toward the check-out, after speaking with her father.

I picked up my purchases and got in line behind them.

Then, much to the little girl's obvious delight, the little boy and his father got in line behind me.

After the toy was paid for and bagged, the little girl handed it back to the cashier and whispered something in her ear. The cashier smiled and put the package under the counter.

I paid for my purchases and was rearranging things in my wallet when the little boy came up to the cashier. The cashier rang up his purchases and then said, "Congratulations, you are my hundredth customer today, and you win a prize!"

With that, she handed the little boy the Pokemon game, and he could only stare in disbelief.

It was, he said, exactly what he had wanted!

The little girl and her father had been standing at the doorway during all of this, and I saw the biggest, prettiest, toothless grin on that little girl that I have ever seen in my life. Then they walked out the door, and I followed, close behind them.

As I walked back to my car, in amazement over what I had just witnessed, I heard the father ask his daughter why she had done that. I'll never forget what she said to him.

"Daddy, didn't Nana and PawPaw want me to buy something that would make me happy?"

He said, "Of course they did, honey."

To which the little girl replied, "Well, I just did!"

With that, she giggled and started skipping toward their car. Apparently, she had decided on the answer to her own question of, "do I have enough?"

I feel very privileged to have witnessed the true spirit of Christmas in that toy store, in the form of a little girl who understands more about the reason for the season than most adults I know!

May God bless her and her parents, just as she blessed that little boy, and me, that day!

Santa's Christmas Wish

It's Christmas Eve once again,

And the world awaits Santa's return,

But as children sleep with happy faces,

Santa's face is full of concern.

For he knows that many believe in him,

Even though they see him not;

Yet they don't believe in the unseen God,

Nor the Son that He begot.

They accept the many gifts from Santa,

As an expression of his love;

But they won't accept The Greatest Gift,

From the loving God above.

The gift of eternal salvation,

Was offered on Christmas Day -

Through the birth of Baby Jesus,

Who is still rejected today!

"How sad it is," thought Santa,

As he climbed into his sleigh.

And with tears staining his cheeks,

Santa bowed his head to pray.

"Lord Jesus, 'tis not for my glory,

That I return each Christmas Eve.

But to show men, women, and children,

That they don't need to see to believe.

"And if they can accept my gifts,

Even though they're undeserving -

I pray they'll learn to accept Your Gift,

Through a clearer understanding.

"And Lord, If I could have a Christmas wish,

I would ask for it to be --

That on each and every Christmas Eve,

The world would look for Thee, not me!"

The Parisee's Night Before Christmas

Every Christmas season I get e-mail from folks who protest that Christmas is a pagan, commercialized holiday that Christians have no business celebrating. Here's a little something for those Christians who, in spite of what the Bible says on the subject, confuse their personal convictions with absolute truth:

'Twas the night before Christmas in the Pharisee's house
Not a dissenter whispered; not even his spouse.
The plywood was nailed o'er the fireplace with care
No demonic "Santa" would dare show up there!

The children were cowering in fear in their beds,
Wondering if Dad heard a voice in his head.
"Christmas is pagan!" he'd ranted and raved
"How can you kiss Baal and expect to get saved?"

"But it's Jesus' birthday tomorrow!" one child said.
"No, it's not!" his dad thundered, his face turning red.
"It's vile Saturnalia! Now get up to your room
And pray God will spare you hell's fiery doom!"

His wife tucked them in, then came back downstairs.
And timidly said, "I'm not sure this is fair."
"Fair schmair!" he yelled back. "You can't argue with facts!"
And he stomped off to study his old Jack Chick tracts.

As he read about Baphomet, old Babylon
And the Great Whore of Rome and its demonic spawn.
When what, his deaf ears could no longer ignore,
But a quiet, gentle tapping out at the front door.

He saw through the peephole long hair and dark eyes.
Annoyed and impatient, he heaved a great sigh.
"A beggar!" he groused. "Can't these bums just get jobs?"
He shut off the alarm and twisted the knob.

The stranger's eyes twinkled with humor and love
The moonlight glowed soft on his head from above.
The Pharisee sneered, and I think I should mention
He'd've known who it was if he'd just paid attention.

"Look, I gave at the office!" the Pharisee lied,
"So don't look for a handout!" The stranger just smiled.
"You have nothing for me," said the stranger, "that's true;
But you see, I came here to give something to you."

"You give something to me?" said the Pharisee. "Right!
Lemme guess: You can bless me this holiday night
With a chance to give generously, hmm? Well, forget it!"
Said the stranger with sorrow, "My friend, you don't get it."

"It's not about money at all," said the stranger,
"My gift is to warn you your soul is in danger.
I offer you peace, hope and joy - free! Try it!
If you knew the Father, you'd know you can't buy it."

"If I knew the Father?" the Pharisee yelled, till
The stranger's head rang like the Liberty Bell.
"God himself is my Father!" the Pharisee swore.
The stranger's eyes rolled. He'd heard that one before.

"Who do you," said the Pharisee, "think you are? Eh?
To malign my good standing with God in this way?"
The stranger replied to this challenge as well:
"Does 'I stand at the door and I knock' ring a bell?"

The Pharisee said, "Oh, you want to come in?
And after you dared to accuse me of sin?
Not if you were the last of the whole human race!"
And so saying, he banged the door shut in his face.

Then the stranger exclaimed as he went down the walk,
"I'll always be listening if you want to talk.
I'll return soon, my friend: I'll come, ready or not;
And if you're not prepared, things are gonna get hot!"

The True Story of St. Nick (Part 3)

Through the centuries St. Nicholas has continued to be venerated by Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians -- and he is honored by Protestant Christians. By his example of generosity to those in need, St. Nicholas is a model of Christ's call to selfless giving.

Widely celebrated in Europe, St. Nicholas' feast day on December 6th kept alive the stories of his generosity and kindness. In Germany and Poland, boys dressed as bishops begged alms for the poor. In the Netherlands and Belgium, St. Nicholas arrived on a steamship from Spain to ride a white horse on his gift-giving rounds.

December 6th is still the main day for gift giving in much of Europe. In the Netherlands, candies are thrown in the door, along with chocolate initial letters, small gifts, and riddles. Dutch children leave carrots and hay in their shoes for St. Nick's horse, hoping it will be exchanged for gifts. Simple gift-giving on St. Nicholas Day helps to preserve a Christmas Day focus on the Christ Child.

The story of St. Nicholas was almost forgotten during the 16th century as Protestants downplayed the veneration of the saints. Both reformers and counter-reformers tried to eliminate the customs of St. Nicholas' Day, but they had very little long-term success.

Because the common people loved St. Nicholas, he survived on the European continent as people continued to place nuts, apples, and sweets in shoes left beside beds, on windowsills, or before the hearth.

The first Europeans to arrive in the New World brought the story of St. Nicholas with them. The Vikings dedicated their cathedral to him in Greenland. On his first voyage, Columbus named a Haitian port for St. Nicholas on December 6, 1492. In Florida, Spaniards named an early settlement St. Nicholas Ferry, now known as Jacksonville.

Lessons I've Learned At Christmas

Lessons I've learned about Christmas in 62 years:

At age 5 I learned that shopping was easier when someone is holding your hand.

At age 10 I learned that Christmas snow didn't exist in Florida.

At age 15 I learned that getting a razor at Christmas wasn't just a special gift.

At age 20 I learned that if you want to cheer yourself up at Christmas, you should try cheering someone else up.

At age 25 I learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it and let the Christmas Spirit shine in me all year long.

At age 30 I learned that there are people who love you dearly that you least expect and show it often at Christmas time.

At age 35 I learned that if I want to do something positive for my family, the true meaning of Christmas must shine through me to them.

At age 40 I learned that the greater people's sense of guilt, the greater their need to blame others, but also that Christmas was a good time to forgive.

At age 45 I learned that I can never allow the disappointments of life to steal my enthusiasm for the reason for the season.

At age 50 I learned that I can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

At age 55: I learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance and you better enjoy every holiday you can with your loved ones..

At age 60 I learned that I shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. I need to be able to throw something back and Christmas was the perfect place to start.

At age 62 I learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one especially a Grinch at Christmas.

Isn't it true? If we're not learning, we're not improving. If we're not improving, we're not growing. And if we're not growing, we're not living. Each Christmas is special not only because of Jesus, but because of what He has blessed us with.

Some people worry about dying. I am more concerned with living as well and as fully as possible. Let this Christmas Season remind you of what life is all about-learning who He is, growing in His grace, and living each day for Him.

 

The True Story Of St. Nick (Part 4)

According to the Saint Nicholas Center Web site, after the American Revolution, New Yorkers were looking to break with British tradition, and they remembered with pride the colony's nearly-forgotten Dutch roots. John Pintard, an influential patriot who founded the New York Historical Society in 1804, promoted St. Nicholas as the patron saint of both the society and the city.

In January 1809, Washington Irving published the satirical Knickerbocker's History of New York, which made numerous references to a jolly St. Nicholas character. This was not a saintly European bishop, but rather a Dutch burgher with a clay pipe. The jolly elf image received a big boost in 1823 from a poem destined to become immensely popular, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," -- now better known as "The Night Before Christmas."

Washington Irving's St. Nicholas strongly influenced the poem's portrayal of a round, pipe-smoking, elf-like St. Nicholas. The poem generally has been attributed to Clement Clark Moore, a professor of biblical languages at New York's Episcopal General Theological Seminary.

In North America, the popular name Santa Claus was taken from the Dutch Sinterklaas, which originated with a contracted form of Sint Nicolaas (Saint Nicholas). The "Mall Santa" that we are all familiar with -- sporting a red suit with white cuffs and collar, and black leather belt, became the popular image in the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century because of the "Merry Old Santa Claus" images created by political cartoonist Thomas Nast.

Beginning in 1863, Nast began a series of annual drawings in Harper's Weekly that were inspired by the descriptions found in Washington Irving's work. These drawings established a rotund Santa with flowing beard, fur garments, and a clay pipe. Nast drew his Santa until 1886, and his work had a major influence in creating the modern American Santa Claus.

In the mid-20th Century a series of Coca-Cola advertisements featuring a rotund and jovial Santa Claus was drawn by artist Haddon Sundblom and further popularized Nast's depiction.
There are, of course, controversial aspects of the American Santa Claus fiction. Some Christians believe he takes the focus of Christmas away from Jesus Christ, placing it on a fictional character with little redemptive value. Others insist that it is unhealthy for parents to lie to their children to enforce their belief in Santa Claus. And others say that Santa Claus is a symbol of the commercialization and consumerism that has seized the Christmas holiday in the West. Still for others, Santa Claus and the modern celebration of Christmas is seen as an intrusion upon their own national traditions.

But beneath all the symbolism and tradition that has been attached to the modern American Santa Claus, he, like so many other "Father Christmas" characters before him can hearken back to a simple Christian bishop who loved God and loved people. Bishop Nicholas displayed his love through the giving of gifts, just as our Heavenly Father gave the gift of His Son to us that first Christmas morning over 2000 years ago.

In this season, we celebrate how God gave His Son, Jesus, to bring hope to the world. May each of us prayerfully consider how we, like Nicholas, can give of ourselves to help restore hope to those that God brings into our lives.

The True Story of St. Nick (Part 2)

The story of our modern Santa Claus begins with this same Nicholas, who was born during the third century in Patara, a village in what is now Demre, Turkey. His wealthy parents raised him as a Christian. But they died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young, and he was left with their fortune. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his inheritance to assist the suffering, the sick, and the poor.

During the persecution of Christians by Roman Emperor Diocletian, Bishop Nicholas was exiled and imprisoned along with thousands of other Christians. Though he suffered for his faith in Jesus Christ, mercifully Nicholas survived this persecution and was eventually released.

After returning to his post as bishop, Nicholas was called upon to defend Christianity against the heresy of Arianism. A contemporary of Nicholas and an early church theologian, Arius taught that God the Father and God the Son did not exist together eternally. Arius also taught that the pre-incarnate Jesus was a divine being created by (and possibly inferior to) the Father at some point, before which the Son did not exist.
Tradition tells us that Nicholas vigorously fought Arianism, and was listed as a participant in the First Council of Nicaea. This important gathering, held in Nicaea in Bithynia (present-day Iznik in Turkey), was convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in 325 A.D. This was the first ecumenical council of the early Christian Church, and it produced the first uniform Christian doctrine -- the Nicene Creed.

It is also believed that Nicholas participated in the destruction of several pagan temples, among them the temple of Artemis. Because the celebration of the goddess Diana's birth is on December 6th, some have speculated that this date was deliberately chosen for Nicholas's feast day to overshadow or replace the pagan celebrations. But December 6th is also listed as the date of Nicholas's death, which is more likely the reason the feast is celebrated on this day.

The True Story Of St. Nick (Part 1)

An ancient merchant had three lovely daughters. But due to a tragic turn of events, he had lost all hope that his daughters would be able to marry and live a happy life. It was the third century, and this businessman had lost his fortune when pirates pillaged his ship. His beautiful daughters were of marrying age, and without money he could give them no dowry.

In those days, young women without a dowry had few options for survival. Many were forced into slavery or prostitution.
The father prayed around the clock that somehow God would grant a miracle for his family. A young Christian bishop discovered the plight of this man and his daughters. One evening, in the middle of the night, the bishop secretly slipped a sack of gold through a window into the merchant's house. This timely gift saved the virtue of the man's oldest daughter. Later, another sack saved the second daughter.

Anticipating a third gift of gold, the father determined to discover who was helping his family. He stayed up all night and when the sack was dropped through the window, the father ran down the road and apprehended the mysterious benefactor. The merchant immediately recognized the young bishop and tried to give thanks to him. This bishop was a wealthy man, having received a large inheritance at the death of his parents.

The humble minister deflected the praise. "No, all thanks go to God, not to me." The father answered, "I need to let everybody know you did this." The bishop responded, "No, you must promise me that not until I'm dead will you let anyone know how you received the gold." This compassionate bishop believed literally Christ’s injunction that when we give, we should do so in secret, sacrificially in Christ’s name and not our own.

The merchant promised that he would tell no one of the way this minister helped save this family. And it wasn’t until after his death that the world learned the numerous stories of the generosity of this bishop of the early Church, Saint Nicholas.

Through his timely gifts, Saint Nicholas helped to restore the hope of this family, and hundreds more in his community. But the ministry of Bishop Nicholas extended beyond giving gifts. History tells us that he was persecuted by the Roman authorities and imprisoned for his faith. Later, when Emperor Constantine made Christianity the state religion, Nicholas boldly defended the doctrine of the Trinity at the Council of Nicea.

Throughout his ministry, Bishop Nicholas selflessly poured out his life and his fortune as he served the people in and around his home.

Blessed!

There are good people in this world. Many don't have the means to give, but they do help others. They really shine this time of year. Maybe it's the season or maybe people notice more during the holidays. In one day, I read about two heroes to humanity.

One is an anonymous donor from Kansas City, Missouri. They call him "The Secret Santa". Every Christmas, he shows up at homeless shelters, food banks and other places where people in need go for help. He hands $100 bills to those in need. In 2012 he traveled to parts of New York and New Jersey, where many had lost every thing to hurricane Sandy. Escorted by a police motorcade made up of policemen from both New York and New Jersey, plus FBI agents and former agents from around the country, Secret Santa visited the hardest hit areas and distributed $100,000 to those in need.

That same day, I read about a man who has much less than Secret Santa to give away.

On November 14, 2012, New York Police Officer Lawrence DePrimo was on counter terrorism patrol at Times Square, in the center on Manhattan, New York. As he patrolled the square, he noticed a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk. His feet were bare - no shoes or socks. Officer DePrimo was heavily dressed but was still cold that night. He wore two pairs of socks and to fend off the cold.

He walked up to the man, asked him for his shoe size, went inside a nearby shoe store and told the clerk, "There's a man outside with no shoes or socks. He needs help. I don't care about the cost, but give me a pair of boots and socks for him."

The clerk allowed Officer DePrimo to use his police discount to purchase a pair of socks and waterproof boots for the man.

DePrimo paid seventy-five dollars, walked outside, knelt beside the man and handed him the new socks and winter boots. The man's face glowed with delight as he accepted the gift.

Officer DePrimo did this with no thought of being recognized for his kindness. The daughter of a former policeman, Jennifer Foster, who was visiting Times Square from Arizona that night, witnessed the event and took a picture that tells a story that many will never forget - a kind man giving from his own savings to a man who was cold and had nothing.

Jennifer sent the photo to the New York Police department, who posted it on their Facebook page. Since then, the photo has gone viral and Officer DePrimo's kindness received the praise he deserved.

What would this world be like with more people like Secret Santa's and Officer DePrimo's?  Blessed!

The Joy Of A Christmas Baby

This is a first-person account from a mother about her family as they ate dinner on Christmas Day in a small restaurant many miles from their home. 

Nancy, the mother, relates: We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi there." He pounded his fat baby hands on the high-chair tray. His eyes were wide with excitement and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin. He wriggled and giggled with merriment.

I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man with a tattered rag of a coat; dirty, greasy and worn. His pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. "Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see 'ya, buster," the man said to Erik.

My husband and I exchanged looks, "What do we do?"

Erik continued to laugh and answer, ""Hi, hi there." Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do 'ya know patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo."

Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to side-step him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's pick-me-up, position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man's. Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love relationship.

Erik in an act of total trust, love and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain and hard labor - gently, so gently cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms for a moment, and then his eyes opened and set squarely on mine.

He said in a firm commanding voice, "You take care of this baby." Somehow I managed, "I will," from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift."

I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me." I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes.

I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not, I felt it was God asking - "Are you willing to share your son for a moment?", when He Shared His for All Eternity.

The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, "To enter The Kingdom of God, we must become as little children."

Yes, There Really Is A Santa; He Married Her

One of the duties of her job was to go to the post office every day and pick up the company mail. As November rolled into December, she noticed a Salvation Army Santa standing on the corner. Each day she saved her coins and dropped them in his bucket. He'd smile, wish her a Merry Christmas, and continue to ring his bell.

The second week of December came with a cold front. At night the temperature dropped below zero Fahrenheit and the daytime temperatures barely made it to fourteen. Santa stood in the frigid winds and continued to ring his bell.

"You must be freezing." She said to him, as she dropped her coins in his bucket.

"I'm so cold!" He shivered. "I can't feel the bell in my hands. And my feet? I don't know if they're there anymore."

The next day, she dropped her coins in the bucket and handed him several chemical hand and foot warmers. "Try these." She smiled at Santa. "We had them in our car in case of and emergency. I think a Santa freezing is an emergency. Don't you?"

Santa took her offering. "God bless you, Ma'am. I cannot thank you enough."

A week later, a new Santa stood ringing the bell. "What happened to the other Santa?" She asked.

"He paused his ringing to inform her, "I'm sorry to say, he's very sick today."

She dropped her coins in the bucket and walked away with a heavy heart. Her hand and foot warmers were not enough to prevent Santa from getting sick. She prayed for his health.

Later that day, a co-worker came into her office in tears. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's my ex-husband." Her co-worker wiped a tear from her eye and continued. "I don't have any money to buy my boys anything for Christmas. I called my ex-husband last night and asked if he was sending money for them. He told me that these were tough times. The boys will have suck it up. I'm not sending money. They'll get over it." She began to cry harder. "I don't know what to do. They're teenagers and will understand, but it breaks my heart that they won't have anything this year."

The lady hugged her co-worker. "I'm sure everything will work out. It's Christmas. Believe in miracles."

That evening, she sat with her husband and told him about her co-worker's situation. "Hun, I know we don't have much to help, but I'd like to get her a gift card from Walmart or something. Maybe fifty or a hundred dollars. We'll just get ourselves less this year. Last year we couldn't afford to buy anything for ourselves and still had a wonderful Christmas. It's the giving that counts."

She paused and looked at her husband. "I feel bad for those boys," she continued. "I want to send it to her anonymously. She'll never know where it came from. It will make her so happy."

Her husband saw the look in her eyes, and knew she wanted his blessing, but also that she was going to do it anyway. "Hun?"

"Yes?"

He smiled. "Give her the hundred. She needs it more than we do."

She reached up and held him. Warmth spread through his body. A glow like none other. He held her and realized there really is a Santa Claus; he'd married her. 

Go Tell

-We have the young and the old (Mary, Joseph, the Baby, and Simeon and Anna in the temple. Luke 2).

-We have the rich and the poor (the Magi and the young family. Matthew 2).

-We have the Jews and the Gentiles (the Magi were the non-Jews).

-We have the highest (angels) and the lowest (shepherds).

This wonderful story is clearly for "whosoever" and "all the world," as John 3:16 informs us.

It would appear that Mary and Joseph's account of the angels' appearances were so personal and so unbelievable that they either told no one at first or very few people.

The shepherds heard the message from the angels, left those miserable sheep to fend for themselves and raced into Bethlehem to see the Christ-child, then went out and told everyone what they had heard and seen.

Poor Zacharias. After questioning the angel inside the Temple (Luke 1), he was not allowed to tell what he had heard and seen until his son John was born.

Telling others of Jesus is a privilege many of us take for granted.

I think of the leper in Mark 1 whom Jesus healed. Then, the Lord instructed him to show himself to the priest and do what Moses commanded, but to otherwise keep the news to himself. However, he was just not able to do that. He went out and began to "blaze abroad" the matter.

Jesus tells you and me to tell everyone and we go home and sit down. Let the message of Chritmas ring out loud and clear. Don't be a Grinch. This message is for all people everywhere.

Holiday Tips

-Carrot sticks-avoid them. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving hot wings.
-Drink as much eggnog as you can. Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an egg-nogaholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have two. It's Christmas!
-If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy.
-Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free.
-Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food.
-If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention.
-Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Coconut. Have a slice of each. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?
-Fruitcake? Avoid it at all cost!
-If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips. But hurry! Cookieless January is just around the corner.

1 Corinthians 13 Christmas

-If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

-If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.


-If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.


-If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.


-Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

-Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

-Love is kind, though harried and tired.

-Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

-Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way.

-Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

-Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

-Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust. But giving the gift of love will endure.

The Christmas Carpenter

One of the "joys" of Christmas is late Christmas Eve, you take "it" out of the box (whatever "it" is), read the so-called simple instructions always including the magic words, "No assembly required", or "Easy assembly instructions enclosed", and the fun begins! You can't find all the parts, the parts don't fit together, you read and re-read and re-read the directions, you count and re-count and RE-count the parts, you hit your left thumb with the hammer held by your right thumb, you let out a scream, and the nightmare begins. Remember?

Two thousand years ago, a carpenter's life was turned upside down by the news that his betrothed was with child and not his. The child was the Son of God, promised by prophets of old, and Joseph was about to become the early caregiver of the Lord Jesus Christ. Can you see him making wooden toys for Little Boy Jesus? Can you see him patiently showing a teenage Jesus the "tricks of the trade," so He too, could become a GOOD carpenter from Nazareth?

Jesus, a carpenter? God had bigger dreams for Him. But those plans still included being a Carpenter; His shop was just located in heaven's halls. He's the heavenly Carpenter who puts things together, who fixes what's wrong, who makes it brand new, and who can take the broken things of your life, reassemble and restore all the pieces, and bring love and joy back to your life.

Like all good carpenters, He knows how to "hit the nail on the head" in whatever you need.  Whatever repair is in order, you can open His Word and find the precise word you need to hear from His holy lips. The answer may be in a song or verse or a "word in season" from a friend that finds its way into your heart and you know the Carpenter has been at work. His shop never closes, there's no charge for His services, and He does incredible work.

Now believe it. Let the Christmas carpenter have full control in your life. Give Him all the broken pieces. He wants to fix whatever's wrong, to assemble all the parts, put them back in working order, and place you on display before the world as a heavenly-crafted person, repaired and renewed by heaven's Workman, the Christmas carpenter from Nazareth who is your Savior and Lord.

A Mom's Letter To Santa

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned, and cuddled my two children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughter's girl scout sash with staples and a glue gun.

I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache after a day of chasing kids (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year, I'd like a car with fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals, and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler, two kids who don't fight, and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother", because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

And please don't forget the Playdoh Travel Pak, the hottest stocking stuffer this year for mothers of preschoolers. It comes in three fluorescent colors and is guaranteed to crumble on any carpet making the In-law's house seem just like mine.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container. If you don't mind I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely.

It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family; or if my toddler didn't look so cute sneaking downstairs to eat contraband ice cream in his pajamas at midnight.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the chimney and come in and dry off by the fire so you don't catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table, but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours always.....

Mom

PS: One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.

A Perfect Couple

Once upon a time, a perfect man and a perfect woman met. After a perfect courtship, they had a perfect wedding. Their life together was, of course, perfect. One snowy, stormy Christmas Eve, this perfect couple was driving their perfect car (a Grand Caravan) along a winding road, when they noticed someone at the side of the road in distress. Being the perfect couple, they stopped to help. There stood Santa Claus with a huge bundle of toys. Not wanting to disappoint any children on the eve of Christmas, the perfect couple loaded Santa and his toys into their vehicle. Soon they were driving along delivering toys. Unfortunately, the driving conditions deteriorated and the perfect couple and Santa Claus had an accident. Only one of them survived the accident. The mind numbing  question is: Who was the survivor?

Scroll down for the answer...





The perfect woman survived. She's the only one who really existed in the first place. Everyone knows there is no Santa Claus and there is no such thing as a perfect man. Women stop reading here. That is the end of the joke.

Men keep'a scrollin'...





So, if there is no perfect man and no Santa Claus, the perfect woman must have been driving. And that explains why there was a car accident. By the way, if you're a woman and you're reading this, this illustrates another point: Women never listen, either

The Legend Of The Poinsettia

The legend of the Poinsettia comes from Mexico. It tells of a girl named Maria and her little brother Pablo. They were very poor but always looked forward to the Christmas festival. Each year a large manger scene was set up in the village church, and the days before Christmas were filled with parades and parties.

The two children loved Christmas but were always saddened because they had no money to buy presents. They especially wished that they could give something to the church for the Baby Jesus. But they had nothing. One Christmas Eve, Maria and Pablo set out for church to attend the service. On their way they picked some weeds growing along the roadside and decided to take them as their gift to the Baby Jesus in the manger scene.

Of course other children teased them when they arrived with their gift, but they said nothing for they knew they had given what they could. Maria and Pablo began placing the green plants around the manger and miraculously, the green top leaves turned into bright blood red petals, and soon the manger was surrounded by beautiful star-like flowers, just like we see them today.

Christmas Rose

This Christmas we celebrate the giving of a rose more beautiful than words can describe. God's gift to the world: the Rose of Sharon! His fragrance fills our heart and especially during this season of the year, His warm, loving presence seems to even flood our world. People are kinder, gentler, more loving, more friendly, more giving than at any other time of the year.

People are lonely too at Christmas more than at any other time of the year. I heard a story that touched my heart and I hope will touch yours. It's about an elderly lady named Rose. She lives aloneand apparently has no family, but there's a faithful Avon lady who calls on her regularly. The Avon lady related with sadness how Rose selected and purchased an Avon item, then looked at her and asked, "Could you wrap this up for Christmas for me and write on a card, 'To Rose, from Santa'?"

Our hearts break as we realize how many others, just like Rose, live all around us in our world today. They watch the warm family love and fellowship of everyone around them and they weep alone. Jesus Christ, the Rose of Sharon, came to earth for them too. Look around; is there a "Rose" in your community, your church, your neighborhood?

Let's share the fragrance of Christ-a smile, a hug, some warm baked cookes, a small gift-something that says, "Smile...God loves you...and I do too. Think about it, do it, and you will have a blessed day! 

The Christmas Alphabet

A is for Angels, appearing so bright, Telling of Jesus that first Christmas night.

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host."   Luke 2:13


B is for Bethlehem, crowded and old, Birthplace of Jesus by prophet foretold.

"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel."   Micah 5:2


C is for Cattle, their manger His bed, There in the stable where He laid His head.

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger."   Luke 2:7


D is for David and his ancient throne Promised forever to Jesus alone.

"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."   Luke 1:32


E is for East, where shone the bright star Which Magi on camels followed afar.

"Behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?"   Matthew 2:1 & 2


F is for Frankincense, with myrrh and gold, Brought by the Wise Men as Matthew has told.

"And when they had opened their treasurers, they presented unto him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh."   Matthew 2:11


G is for God, who from heaven above Sent down to mankind the Son of His love.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."   John 3:16


H is for Herod, whose murderous scheme Was told to Joseph in a nocturnal dream.

"The angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt... for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him."   Matthew 2:13


I is for Immanuel, "God with us," For Christ brought man back to the Father's house.

"Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."   Isaiah 7:14


J is for Joseph so noble and just, Obeying God's word with absolute trust.

"Then Joseph being raised form sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife."   Matthew 1:24


K is for King. A true king He would be, Coming in power and authority.

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, they King cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation."   Zechariah 9:9


L is for Love that He brought down to earth That night in the stable in lowly birth.

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him."   1 John 4:9


M is for Mary, His mother so brave, Counting God faithful and mighty to save.

"And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."   Luke 1:38


N is for Night, when the Savior was born For nations of earth and people forlorn.

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night."   Luke 2:8


O is for Omega, meaning "the last;" He's eternal: present, future and past.

"I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."   Revelation 22:13


P is for Prophets, when living on earth Foretold His redemption and blessed birth.

"I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel."   Numbers 24:17


Q is for Quickly, as shepherds who heard Hastened to act on that heavenly word.

"And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger."   Luke 2:16


R is for Rejoice. The sorrow of sin Is banished forever when Jesus comes in.

"And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth."   Luke 1:14


S is for Savior. To be this He came; The angel of God assigned Him His name.

"She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins."   Matthew 1:21


T is for Tidings related to all, Telling of Him who was born in a stall.

"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 2:10


U is for Us, to whom Jesus was given To show us the way and take us to heaven.

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."   Luke 2:11


V is for Virgin, foretold by the sage, God's revelation on prophecy's page.

"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."   Matthew 1:23


W is for Wonderful, His works and words The King of all Kings, the Lord of all Lords.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given... and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."   Isaiah 9:6


X is for Christ. It's X in the Greek, Anointed, Messiah, mighty, yet meek.

"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power."  Acts 10:38


Y is for Yes, called God's Yes in His Word; God's answer to all is Jesus the Lord.

"For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us."   2 Corinthians 1:20


Z is for Zeal as it burned in Christ's heart. Lord, by thy Spirit to us zeal impart.

"And his disciples remembered that it was written, the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."   John 2:17

The NIght That Changed The World

The green hills near the town of Bethlehem, five miles to the south of Jerusalem, are dotted with caves, most of them man-made. Two thousand years ago, some of the caves were carved into the soft white limestone by shepherds. Here these outcasts of society made their homes and raised their families. Other caves were hollowed out as stables. These were dark, dank, filthy holes, fit only for the animals that inhabited them. In one of these unspeakably dirty hollows -- surrounded by sheep, donkeys, and maybe a camel or two -- the Son of Man was born of a virgin. It was a night that changed the world.

The Jews had been anxiously expecting a Messiah for 500 years before He actually appeared. The prophets of old had predicted it and, since Jews were indoctrinated in the Scriptures from childhood, nearly everyone knew the prophecies by heart. Yet, with anticipation came misconception. A king, they said, should be born into a palace surrounded by magnificence, not in a lowly stable. Furthermore the first announcement of his birth should have been made to the greatest men of Israel -- the chief priests of the Temple -- not to lowly shepherds.

But Christ did not come into the world to save just the rich and the powerful. He came to offer salvation to all. Could the lowliest of people have accepted Him had He been born into splendor and hobnobbed only with the rich?

The mistake of many people today, as it was then, is to expect God to conform to their expectations. The Jews expected a king, a great sword-wielding warrior who would be their salvation from the pagans of Rome. Instead, they got a gentle man of love and peace who taught that the way to salvation was repentance of sin and trust in God. What they got was totally unexpected, and Jesus went largely unrecognized by the powerful Jewish rulers except as a clear and present danger to their authority.

It was mainly the lowly and the humble who followed Him, who listened to His words and were ultimately saved. The powerful Jews of the Temple, with few exceptions, considered Jesus a dangerous, itinerate preacher from Nazareth who uttered blasphemy and, since He had so many followers, threatened to lure Jews away from Temple worship. All they saw was that Jesus was raining on their parade. The signs that the prophet Isaiah and others had predicted were largely ignored.

The fact that Jesus was miraculously born of a virgin proves that He was truly sent from God. His humble birth illustrates that He came to save all of mankind, not just the elite. His birth on that night of nights, in a humble cave in Bethlehem, began a chain of events that changed the world forever.

"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."   (Isaiah 7:14 NIV)

Things Not To Say When Hanging The Lights

Did you know that hanging lights on a Christmas tree is one of the three most stressful situations in an on-going relationship?

Page Six's Psychiatrist claims the other two danger zones are teaching your mate to drive and wallpapering. He is rarely wrong on these things.)

We rush to print with an emergency prompt list of Things Not To Say When Hanging Lights on the Christmas Tree.

... "You've got two red lights right next to each other, dummy.  You're supposed to go yellow, green, red, blue, not yellow, red, red, green, blue..."

... "Up a little higher.  You can reach it.  Go on, try."

... "What the heck do you do to these lights when you put them away every year?  Tie them in knots?"

... "Come away from that aluminum ladder, kids.  I'm going to fry that sucker."

... "If you're not going to do it right, don't do it at all.  Don't just throw them on, like you do the icicles.  You're worse than your father."

... "Give me that."

... "You've got the whole thing on the tree upside-down.  The electric pluggee thing should be down here at the bottom, not up at the top."

... "I don't care if you have found another two strings, I'm done, period!"

... "You've just wound 'em around and around -- I thought we agreed it shouldn't look like a spiral this year?"

... "Have you been drinking?"

... "Where's the cat?"

Who Started This Christmas Stuff?

A woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable; and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids. She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card. 

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot." 

From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't worry we already crucified Him." For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. 

Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be.

What Do You Want For Christmas?

A poem sent to Dear Abby from a couple who have too much stuff.

So many of you asked us (since Yuletide's drawing near)
"What do you want for Christmas? What can we give you this year?

If we say, "We want nothing!" you buy something anyway,
So here's a list of what we'd like; believe now what we say:

Pajamas for a little child, food to feed the poor.
Blankets for a shelter, and we ask a little bit more--

Perform good deeds and let us know, or volunteer your time.
These last are worth a fortune, and they needn't cost a dime.

We have to many things now, vases, candles, tapes and clocks. We have our fill of garments, ties, underwear and socks.

Candy is too fattening, crossword books we've more than 20. We don't need trays or plates or cups, and knickknacks we have plenty.

We've no walls to hang more pictures; we have books we've not yet read; So please take what you'd spend on us and help the poor instead!

Just send a Christmas card to us and tell us what you've done; We'll open them on Christmas Eve, and read them one by one.

It won't cost as much for postage as a package sent would do,You'll need no wrapping paper, ribbons, ink or glue.

And we'll thank God you listened to what we had to say,
So we could be the instruments to help someone this way.

The True Christmas Spirit

Someone shared this story with me last year. Read it carefully and receive it's full impact.

It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas -- oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it like overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma -- the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, tie sand so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoe.

As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. it was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.  Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids -- all kids -- and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came.

That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition -- one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure.

The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope...

May we all remember the true Christmas spirit this year, and always.

The Light of Christmas

John 9:5 & 8:12 "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. - He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Christmas is a special time of year. I can't imagine what it would be like if we did not celebrate Christmas. What better time of year than Christmas, to teach our children the true meaning?

Christmas is not about lights, trees and presents, turkey dinners, or family gatherings. Oh yes. Those things are great, and "God has given us richly all things to enjoy." But more importantly, Christmas is about God's LOVE, about LIGHT. John 3:16 sums up the true meaning of Christmas, God s ultimate gift to EVERYONE His Son, the LIGHT of the world. God loved His creation, US, so much that in order to redeem us from eternal death, which we so deserves, He sent His Son to be the substitute for us.

I don t care that some say that the first Christmas was not observed at the birth of Christ, that it originated back in Rome to honor Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture, or some other theory that someone else might have come up with. To me, the first Christmas was the day that God sent LIGHT into the world.

I am glad that Sunday schools and churches put on pageants with the manger scene and the shepherds. What better way to teach a child about Christ and why He came to earth. I am glad that the authors of the Bible recorded that the humble shepherds celebrated on the night of Christ's birth, by leaving their sheep when the skies filled with LIGHT and the angels sang, and they went seeking for the Light of the world, JESUS. The wise men began their search for the King that same night because they saw a LIGHT in the sky a star in the East.

Does it matter that the usual scenario is of the wise men at the inn with the shepherds in these pageants? Is it really giving the children the wrong idea? Of course we know that the wise men came on the scene much later. The child will learn to put things in their proper order as he grows up. I did. So let the Sunday schools put on their pageants, with the wonderful Christmas scene of the shepherds and the wise men worshipping Jesus.

I don't care that research has shown that we do not know the exact day of Christ's birth. It does not matter whether it was not December 25th or some other day of the year. What matters is: Christ, the LIGHT of the world was born. And that He lived--as a man; suffered--as a man; died a cruel death on the cross--as a man; and rose again on the third day--as God, triumphant over sin and death, our REDEEMER, our SAVIOR, our LORD.

I don't care if they tell me that the exchanging of gift idea did not originate with the gifts that the wise men took to the child Jesus. To me, gift giving, 'though enjoyable, is not important. God's ultimate Gift is. If people get pleasure and comfort from giving and receiving gifts, then let them carry on with it. To me it does not detract from the true meaning of Christmas.

I don't care what they say about the Christmas tree--that it is a pagan symbol. To me that is not important. I have heard several opinions on this. Great that people get pleasure out of putting up and decorating a tree. It doesn't bother me a bit. In fact, if it uplifts someone from their humdrum existence, bringing light and giving them something to look forward to, at least once a year, let them put up a tree. To me this is not a distraction from the true meaning of Christmas. Perhaps it even adds to it. Christ came as the Light of the world: so let the lights at Christmas help remind people of this. Christ died on a tree for our sins: so let the tree be a reminder of this.

 

 

Thanks Helen Marjorie Dowd. You said exactly what I feel!

Thanksgiving Prayer

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl
when the alarm rings each morning, thank
you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many
who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes tightly closed
against the morning light as long as possible,
thank you Lord, that I can see. There are
many who are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off
the effort of rising, thank you, Lord that I
have the strength to rise. There are many
who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is
hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned,
and tempers are short, thank you, Lord, for
my family. There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks
like the pictures in magazines and the menu
is at times unbalanced, thank you, Lord for
the food we have. There're many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate
from day to day and wish my circumstances
were not so modest, thank you, Lord, for the
gift of life.

'Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving

'Twas the night before Thanksgiving and all through the kitchen;
I was cooking and baking and moanin' and gripin'.
I've been here for hours, I can't stop to rest,
This place is a disaster, just look at this mess!
Tomorrow I've got thirty people to feed,
They expect all the trimmings, who cares what I need!
My feet are both blistered, I've got cramps in my legs,
The dog just knocked over a bowl full of eggs,
There's a knock at the door and the telephone's ringing;
Frosting drips on the counter as the microwave's dinging,
Two pies in the oven, dessert's almost done;
My cookbook is soiled with butter and crumbs.
I've had all I can stand, I can't take anymore;
Then in walks my husband, spilling rum on the floor.
He heaves and he wobbles, his balance unsteady;
Then grins as he chuckles "The eggnog is ready!"
He looks all around and with total regret,
Say's "What's takin' so long? aren't you through in here yet?"
As quick as a flash I reach for a knife;
He loses an earlobe; I wanted his life!
He flees from the room in terror and pain,
and screams "MY GOODNESS WOMAN, YOU'RE GOING INSANE!"
Now what was I doing, and what is that smell?
Oh, GOODNESS, it's the pies! They're all black right down to the shell!
I hate to admit when I make a mistake,
But I put them on BROIL instead of on BAKE.
What else can go wrong? Is there still more ahead?
If this is good living, I'd rather be dead.
Lord, don't get me wrong, I love holidays;
They just leave me exhausted, all shaky and dazed.
But I promise you one thing, if I live 'til next year,
You won't find me pulling my hair out in here.
I'll hire a maid, a cook, and a waiter;
And if that doesn't work,
I'LL HAVE IT ALL CATERED!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!