CatHouse Chat

Post-Christmas breakfast

I wanted something quick and easy this morning, to celebrate the fact that my dose of happy insanity is done for the year. Of course, I wanted a little eggnog, too, LOL!

THe Alphabet of Christmas: Z is for "zealous"

For unto us a Child is born,
      Unto us a Son is given;
      And the government will be upon His shoulder.
      And His name will be called
      Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
      Of the increase of His government and peace
      There will be no end,
      Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
      To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
      From that time forward, even forever.
      The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9: 6-7, NJKV)

God loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, the most wonderful, perfect gift any of us could have! God pursues us down to the depths of our sin, He chases us to the ends of our rebellion, and He tracks us to the outermost boundaries of our mutiny.

God is the Hound of Heaven, whose love and zeal for His children is endless and passionate.

Yes! God is passionate about you!

Just look at the life of His perfect Son - all Jesus did and experienced - and see that passion shining though. If God would go through all that just so that He could bring you into His family as a holy and beloved child - how can anyone say "no"?

...I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Don't you want to partake of that sort of zealous, eternal love? Haven't you always felt the need for that sort of deep and abiding and perfect love? Then, come to Him... He's waiting!

However, I must remind you that Jesus has already come as God's Servant. The Day of Grace will not last forever, and soon the Day of Judgment will arrive. Enter into God's salvation now - do not wait! - for His patience will not endure forever. The Day is coming when Jesus will return as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and take His rightful place as our Sovereign.

On that Day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Every knee! So, whether you bow in worship and joy or whether you bow in terror and defeat, you will bow down.

Now is the Day of Salvation!

The Alphabet of Christmas: previous post.

The Alphabet of Christmas: Y is for "yearning"

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ (Matthew 23:37-39, NKJV)

I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,
      Who walk in a way that is not good,
      According to their own thoughts;
     A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face;
      Who sacrifice in gardens,
      And burn incense on altars of brick;
     Who sit among the graves,
      And spend the night in the tombs;
      Who eat swine’s flesh,
      And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels (Isaiah 65:2-4)

God yearns after His children. God loves all of us with a love that is infinite and awesome - and yet, He is too holy and perfect to tolerate sin in His presence. His beloved children were separated from Him by the infinite gulf of sin and rebellion; our transgressions were far beyond our ability to pay. We had no power within ourselves to reach up to God and grasp the beauty of Heaven, and so our gracious Father reached down to us.

Today we celebrate the birth of God our Savior; God, who came down from Heaven to do for us what we could not. God came down from Heaven to live with us and show us His love. God came down from Heaven to live a prefect, sinless life. God came down from Heaven to accept the penalty for our sins. God came down from Heaven to pay our punishment in full. God came down from Heaven to die and to conquer Death. God came down from Heaven to raise Himself up as eternal proof of His love and forgiveness.

How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

God did all of this because He yearns for us to come to Him, to seek and find the unfathomable depths of love and grace and kindness and mercy and strength He has for us.

Come. Come to the Manger Throne, and bow in worship and adoration. Come to the Stable, and give all of yourself into His embrace. Come and kneel before Emmanuel, and come Home at last.

Come!

Come to the waters, you who thirst and you'll thirst no more.
Come to the father, you who work and you'll work no more.
And all you who labor in vain and to the broken and shamed:

Love is here.
Love is now.
Love is pouring from
His hands, from his brows.
Love is near, it satisfies.
Streams of mercy flowing from his side.
Cuz love is here.

Come to the treasure, you who search and you'll search no more.
Come to the lover you who want and you'll want no more, no.
And all you who labor in vain and to the broken and shamed,

Love is here.
Love is now.
Love is pouring from his hands, from his brows.
Love is near, it satisfies.
Streams of mercy flowing from his side.

The Alphabet of Christmas: previous post... next post (Yes, I am going all the way to "z"! If you haven't guessed it already, the Birth is not the end of the Story!)

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Merry Christmas! I pray this day finds you with friends and family, and that God sheds His Spirit upon you all generously. I pray that, if you have not, you find the Babe and join the family of God. May we bow down in worship and adoration of Emmanuel, God with us!

May the Christ Child be born in all of our hearts, and may He grant you grace and peace from this day forward.

The Alphabet of Christmas: X is for "eXtraordinary"

Shhh. Shhh!

It's quiet. The donkey is snoring softly in its stall, while the cow placidly chews her cud. The chickens are nestled in their nests, and a little lamb curls up to the warm body of its mother.

Starlight sneaks in through a crack in the wall, and the moon manages to guide a moonbeam through the door.

The town is asleep. The night is dark. All the earth lies quietly under the night sky...

And something extraordinary is about to happen!

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may his His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel 

Shh! The Light of the World is about to enter into Bethlehem!

The Alphabet of Christmas: previous post... next post.

Welcome to the Carnival of Christmas, 2008!

“ Glory to God in the highest,
      And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

It is truly an honor and a joy to be able to host this wonderful Carnival again. I had so much fun last year that I pretty much badgered poor Adam Graham into letting me do it again! I am grateful that he said yes. And we have over sixty wonderful entries (well, at least I think so – I believe I lost count at around fifty, LOL).

To open up and set the mood, I offer up the Wexford Carol, performed by Celtic Women (sent in by my Cotillion sister, Nice Deb):

Welcome to “Bethlehem” this joyous season! I pray that this Carnival will be a blessing to all who read, and that God sheds His infinite grace and  love upon us all. I hope that this Day finds you with family and loved ones all around, and that you look back on the year and remember all the blessings given to us. I pray, as always, that we don’t leave the “Christmas Spirit” behind when the season is over, but rather that we spread the kindness and love to all we meet throughout the rest of our lives. But most of all, I pray that this Carnival, now and in the future, reminds us of the Reason for the Season, and helps us still our minds and spirits so that we may truly have a glorious Christmas – and

REJOICE!

Pride of place this year goes to Hoosier Army Mom, who reminds us of the men and women in our armed forces. These brave and unselfish citizens volunteered to serve our country in a time of war, and many are far away from home and family. Please remember them in your prayers, and go over to buy them some phone cards at the Online Military Exchange.

Our second pride of place entry goes to Gayle, who writes of Christmas Lost and Found. Truly, this is a wonderful post about how God can – and does! – turn mourning into dancing, and works all things together for good to His called. Gayle is a perfect example of this year’s REJOICE! theme!

Oh – DON’T FORGET TO TRACK SANTA ON CHRISTMAS EVE!

And now for the rest of all those excellent entries:

Christmas Traditions and Memories:

Our Carnival Daddy, Adam Graham, starts us off in this category with The Christmas Advantage. Don’t forget, in these uncertain times, “a lean Christmas doesn’t have to be a poor one.” Amen, Adam. Amen!

Jenn H. presents His Christmas Legacy over at Mixed Metaphor.net. It is a beautiful and touching tale about the simple faithfulness of the season, and how rich a simple, loving life can be.

Rick Sincere, one of my Virginia blog-brothers, has sent in two delightful posts – one about his memories of how his family celebrated Christmas in Milwaukee (and he’s got pictures AND a video – gosh, you were a cute kid, Rick!). I love seeing how other families have traditions springing out of their former cultures… His second entry is no less worthy, and speaks about new traditions being made, this time in Arlington, VA. I will definitely have to try and get up there next year for some good music and theater – maybe Rick can get me the tickets! LOL *wink*

Have you ever wondered whether wrapping presents is worth it? Well, according to a study that GrrlScientist dug up, it certainly is!

Suldog reposts Pointy the Poinsettia this year, and all Pointy’s fans will be delighted to know he’s doing very well!

TF Stern sent in his Gingerbread Cookie Tradition – which ought to go in the recipes section, except it’s not a recipe. It’s a story about sacrifice in lean times, and how the true value of any gift is how much of yourself you put into it.

Here is a very worthwhile read: Teaching Your Children About Giving on Christmas Day. Vickie of SidetrackedMoms is one of our prolific contributors this year, and I think this is my favorite entry from her. But then again, I also adore her post about Christmas traditions, so you ought to go over and decide for yourself!

Oh, I remember cutting our own Christmas tree – and this story about a family’s first experience with cutting their own tree is both funny and heartwarming… Thanks to Philaazophy for this contribution!

Laura Lee Donoho tells us a beautiful tale of how she learned to give the gift someone wanted. That’s a very difficult lesson to learn – we often want to give what we think someone ought to want – but Laura relates the story with a simple honesty that is truly touching. There’s a lot more, so you really really need to go read! Thank you, Laura; I’m so glad you found the Carnival this year! (And Jo was always my favorite, too!)

My dear blog-brother – and new grandapa! – GM Roper writes about Daddy Bah and his Gift of Love. The GMan writes so well, and the story of enduring and selfless love will really bless your heart!

How many of us sing the story of Frosty the Snowman? Well, Jody Wilcox at Contemporary Conservative shows us how very like Jesus ol’ Frosty is… And does an exemplary job of reminding us of the meaning of Christmas!

Obi’s Sister sends in two entries of Christmas memories: the Best Santa Ever! and one about singing with Robert Shaw’s youth chorus one year *happy shivers* I love hearing big, well-trained choirs sing!

Finally for this section, Big Dog (yeppers, another blog-brother!) reminds us that a Simple Gift for Christmas is what it’s all about.

Christmas Meditations:

My dear blog-brother Scott, after the terrible deaths during the Black Friday shopping frenzy, reminds us of what is really important about the season. He goes on to remind us that it’s OK to wish people a Merry Christmas! After all, for all the political correctness running around, the holiday (short for HOLY day) we are truly celebrating is Christmas!

GrrlScientist (who sent in several entries) posts America’s food-availability crisis, a strong reminder that amid all the bounty many of us enjoy, there are others in need. Please keep the season in mind, and open your hands as generously as you can to help those less fortunate.

Crystal Clear Conservative posts Joy in the Heart, a beautiful memory of how she learned that Christmas is about giving – and giving of yourself is the most rewarding thing you can do.

Connie sends in an unusual contribution: her Christmas story is a day by day journey with lots of beautiful images. Well worth the read!

Save Your Christmas! Brent, of the Ominous Comma, gives us this wonderful, practical post which shows us how, with a little personal sacrifice (just a little), we can give someone in need the gift of pure, clean water (and he’s going to see this and tell me to take out at least eight commas, I’m sure!) Go on over and watch the video – and then put the Christmas Spirit into action!

Robert and Jennifer from Conservative Convictions send in two excellent posts, about appreciating the simple things, and finding peace in those simple things. These are two posts well worth the reading to remind you of the meaning of the season!

SWACGirl thinks back to a 10 year old boy she knew long ago, and how his joy amid his trouble reminds her to be grateful during this season. Merry Christmas indeed, Stacy – wherever you are.

In Eight Ways to Ruin Christmas, Michael Teft relates a story that looks at our Christmas decorations and points to what they should remind us of – definitely something to teach our children! (Odd title, though *grin*) He also sent in the Gift of a Bible, which has a link to a video by Penn Jillette (of Penn&Teller fame) that is a MUST-WATCH.

Another very dear blog-brother of mine, Ogre, posts two items. One is a cartoon about the Christmas rush – look carefully, because that is what the Christmas rush ought to be! The second is a reminder of what the Christmas story really is – and, oh, I love that old, old story!

Christmas Recipes:

Toni presents "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" posted at Wifely Steps. She’s got a love of excellent videos up, starring the wonderful Food Host, Nigella Lawson. Nigella’s recipes are always easy and delicious – and you’ve gotta love that accent!

Oh, sugar cookies! I love holiday sugar cookies, but don’t usually have the time to make them. Gretchen at Dishes and China offers a simple recipe for them that I’m sure taste as good as they look.

Vickie of SidetrackedMoms, sent in a recipe for Christmas ornaments you can make with children. No, it’s not for food, but the fun you can have with your children is certainly the best part of a recipe for cherished memories!

We also have an entry from Making This Home – a link to some delicious German Christmas Cookies! Oh, dear – all I have to do is look at that recipe, and the pounds just glom onto me *grinning*

The Merry Widow is posting several recipes which, taken all together, will make sure you’ll roll out of the house on a very full and satisfied tummy Christmas night: Christmas Breakfast, Christmas Appetizers, Christmas Bread, and a Christmas Standing Rib Roast (OMG, I have just died in ecstasy – it’s been ages since I’ve cooked a rib roast…). I know she’s going to post a couple more after the Carnival’s deadline, so make sure you swing on over to find out what else she’s cooking!

Well, he calls them “cheap,” but really, these are foods you can get on a budget and still celebrate scrumptiously. Thanks to Ben of Money Smart Life for sending these in!

Julie from More4Kids sends in some recipes for fun Christmas desserts… And my scales are still creeping up-up-up!

Melody Rhodes sends in a post with a smorgasbord of items, but since she starts with several recipes, I’ll put it here. Go on over for some wonderful ideas!

SWACGirl returns to this edition of the Carnival with Forgotten Cookies, which look fascinating – I’ve never heard of cookies you can bake all night!

And gingerbread – at least in my memories – plays a huge part in making Christmas festive. I haven’t made gingerbread or gingerbread houses in years, but go on over to Walking Prescott, and look at the pictures of their annual gingerbread house competition. No recipes – but, WOW! – I didn’t know you could do that with gingerbread!

Christmas Songs, Pictures, Video and Poetry:

My goodness, this section got a lot longer than I expected…!

I want to thank the very talented Warren, of Longshot, for the graphic to the left. He created it especially for my dear friend, Always On Watch. AOW has composed a beautiful acrostic, A Piano Christmas, for her contribution to the Carnival.

Yet another of my blog-brothers, Kender, who is an extremely talented storyteller and writer, wrote the Love that Burns Brightest, which is a marvelous poem about the meaning of love, and its greatest Example.

GrrlScientist has a beautiful picture of Helsinki draped in snow – I wish Finland would send some of that white stuff to south-central Virginia; it would be lovely to have a white Christmas!

Chaosgone sent in two video-rich entries – one with beautiful traditional songs, and one with the *ahem* more amusing side of Christmas music, LOL!

NiceDeb, who gave me the link to the Wexford Carol video up top, sent in several pictures of her beautiful decorations at home. I’m jealous; I don’t usually “do” decorations – I leave them to my Beloved Husband and the Darling Munchkin, while I cook and clean, LOL

Fishersville Mike sends in his favorite Christmas carol – which is one of the most beautiful and uplifting of the traditional hymns.

Our Carnival Dad, Adam Graham, pops back in with the story of the Big Little Jesus – go on over and have a listen! And then he’s also posted his Christmas Eve (got THAT one in under the wire! LOL) roundup: a Truth and Hope Christmas.

Alton, who blogs at I’m not Emeril, has two posts with video. First, the Christmas story with a little video he made, and then the lyrics to “Christmas Wrapping.”

Homesteader Belle presents a post with lots of pictures of the beautiful Christmas ornaments and paper snowflakes her family made. What a gorgeous way of decorating!

SWACGirl, one of our prolific sender-inners, posts a picture of the gorgeous Christmas quilt made by her grandmother. Just lovely – and something, as a quilter myself, I can really appreciate! Then, she makes me very jealous with her pictures of snow, Christmas lights, and elegant old Virginia, dressed for the holidays. If she sends some snow to her “sister” (me!) down in south central Virginia, I will be an extraordinarily happy camper!

Another of my dear blog-brothers (gee, I do have a lot of them, don’t I? LOL), David of Third World County, has a whole set of discussions on Christmas hymns in his Christmas Alliance category. I love the old songs so much, and particularly like Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendor, Beautiful Savior, Ding Dong Merrily On High, and Still, Still, Still. You need to go over and check him out; he has a neat way of ferreting out interesting tidbits of information about the most beautiful music!

You definitely need to stop by Carrie and Danielle’s place for a list of worthy Christmas songs. I love their first choice so much, that I’m going to embed the video here (but do go see their other recommendations, because it’s a fantastic list, and full of really fun stuff!):

Christmas Advent Series:

My dear blog-brother Michael, of the Write Side of My Brain, has been posting beautiful Advent meditations all this month, and they have been a wonderful blessing to me.

I also have my Alphabet of Christmas series, which I hope has helped us all focus on the Reason for the Season… And, yes, I am going to go all the way to the letter “z”!

Christmas Humor:

GrrlScientist returns with the hilarious How to Stuff Your Parrot for Thanksgiving – which would work equally well for Christmas, I’m sure!

Madeleine Begun Kane, of MadKane, slyly gives us the Mad Gift Giving Guide, a contract between a husband and wife. WARNING – although this will make you laugh, there’s a lot of good sense in there, too!

Christmas Miscellany:

I know it’s late for shopping tips to help us this year, but I thought I’d post Vickie’s suggestion for a Girls’ Shopping Day, as well as MoneyNing’s 32 Shopping Tips. OneFamilysBlog also has some frugal shopping tips. If you bookmark them and come back to them for next year, I’m sure they could be very helpful!

And looky here – Christmas card designs which are downloadable! I am going to bookmark this post and use some next year – thanks to Brent Diggs who sent this in from Home Life Weekly.

Finally, don’t forget the animals who share our lives – they should enjoy the season, too! GP from Manely Montana helps us have a Doggone Safe Holiday (there’s even a recipe for some doggie treats), and GrrlScientist gives us tips on how to keep our feathered friends safe as well.

UPDATE - Christmas Delays:

I knew this would happen - there would definitely be a couple of extremely worthy late-comers to the Carnival that I absolutely HAD to link... LOL

Yet one more from my dear blog-brother, David - but not musical this time, even though it's a poem.

And this post is truly fitting to end with: A Police Officer's Story. Truly, an ending done right is only the beginning...

Well, that’s all for this year; I hope you’ve enjoyed reading through the Carnival entries as much as I have. It’s been wonderful fun, and I hope we can keep this annual tradition going for a long while. In the meantime, I will wish you all a very blessed and merry Christmas, and hope to see you again next year!

The Alphabet of Christmas: W is for "wonderful"

For unto us a Child is born,
      Unto us a Son is given;
      And the government will be upon His shoulder.
      And His name will be called
      Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.(Isaiah 9:6, NKJV)

I have said it so many, many times: how wonderful - how astonishing! - that God would come down to His creation and dwell among us!

To give you an idea, I'd like to show you some of the names of God from the Old Testament, and let you get a glimpse of all the wondrous ways Jesus lived these names and proved Himself, over and over, to be God incarnate:

Jehovah-jireh, "the Lord will provide." It is through God's provision of His Son that we can come to Him and live with Him. Jesus lived and died for us - the perfectly holy sacrifice that God provided on our behalf.

Jehovah-rapha, "the God who heals." Jesus healed the sick - the deaf, the blind, the leprous - but He has also healed a sickness far more lethal: sin.

Jehovah-Shalom, "the Lord our peace." Jesus' birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection have brought us near to God. Where we were once enemies, the blood of Christ has reconciled us to God and made peace between us.

Jehovah-tsidkenu, "the Lord our righteousness." Jesus lived a perfectly righteous and sinless life here on earth. He, and He alone, gained any and all of the merit we need to gain Heaven. Through faith in Him, and in His works, we are clothed in His perfection and righteousness and can stand before God without fear.

Jehovah-ra-ah, "the Lord our Shepherd." Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who lays His life down for His sheep. He goes before us and leads us in the way of truth. He protects us, He shelters us, and He guides our paths.

Jehovah-shammad, "the Lord is present." Jesus came to live among us - Emmanuel, God with us - and now, through faith in Him, His Spirit lives within us. We are never alone, for He is always with us to give us His strength, His love, and His wisdom.

But in a way, I think that El Shaddai Elohim Adonai, "the Lord God Almighty, God our Master," is my favorite. This powerful, eternal being, this almighty God, stepped out of Heaven and into history - all for the love He bore us. For the glory of His Name, He chose us and set His heart upon us. God is not too big to give Himself wholly to us...

His name is, indeed, WONDERFUL!

His name is Wonderful, His name is Wonderful,
His name is Wonderful, Jesus my Lord;
He is the mighty King, master of everything,
His name is Wonderful, Jesus, my Lord.

He's the great Shepherd, the Rock of all ages,
Almighty God is He;
Bow down before Him, love and adore Him,
His name is Wonderful, Jesus, my Lord.

The Alphabet of Christmas: Previous post... next post.

Submissions are now closed for the Carnival of Christmas, 2008, and it will be posted tomorrow (probably pretty early in the day, because I was able to get 99% of it done today).

The Alphabet of Christmas: V is for "vulnerable"

Image via Wikipedia

I have no verse for this word - it's something I picked out of the air, so to speak, as I was going through this series. But, think about it: in coming to earth, in incarnating, in being born, God became vulnerable.

The Lord God Almighty - He whose hands and power sustain the universe, He whose might can do anything, He whose will cannot be thwarted - God Almighty came down and was born as a helpless baby.

He became vulnerable to hunger and cold. He became vulnerable to sickness and bruises. He became vulnerable to cruel teasing and vile gossip.

He was vulnerable to being tired, and sorrowful, and disappointed, and tempted.He became in all ways just like us - except without sin.

Who has believed our report?
      And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
     For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
      And as a root out of dry ground.
      He has no form or comeliness;
      And when we see Him,
      There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
      He is despised and rejected by men,
      A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
      And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
      He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
      Surely He has borne our griefs
      And carried our sorrows;
      Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
      Smitten by God, and afflicted.
     But He was wounded for our transgressions,
      He was bruised for our iniquities;
      The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
      And by His stripes we are healed.
      All we like sheep have gone astray;
      We have turned, every one, to his own way;
      And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.(Isaiah 53:1-6, NKJV)

Jesus chose - He volunteered - to become vulnerable from before the foundations of the earth. He looked down the path of history and knew the end from the beginning, and knew He would come to us!

Jesus' birth into the world opened up the very depths of God's heart to us. He became vulnerable.

Why? WHY?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God loves us that much!

Father, I pray that You will somehow use this poor meditation as a way to open up the heart of one of your lost children. If You could love us so much that You would lay aside Your power for a time and become just like us - naked, fragile, vulnerable - then how could we turn away from Your Son? Send Your Spirit, Lord! Send Your holy fire and return our battered, weary and rebellious hearts to You. Search us out, lay Your hand upon us, and lead us into Your family and Kingdom. Let us carry Christmas - Christ in us - within us all through the year for Your glory and praise!

The Alphabet of Christmas: previous post... next post

The Alphabet of Christmas: U is for "united"

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. (John 17:20-23, NKJV)

Just as Jesus is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, He came so that we may join in that unity. Because of our sin, we are at war with God, and in rebellion against His sovereign rule. But Jesus came so that He could be our savior and our mediator, so that He could bring us into the eternal family of God.

Jesus came to us as a baby so that He could be one with us as a human. He felt our joys and sorrows, our pain and our triumphs, our laughter and tears. He slept, He ate, He hurt, He helped, He taught, He LIVED! He did all this so that He could, through His existence as man and His existence as God, bring two factions together in the unity God originally intended.

Jesus came to bring peace between God and man.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is our great High Priest, who offers the perfect sacrifice that pays for all of our sins. He is the great High Priest who lived among us and isn't so remote and elevated that He cannot empathize with us. He is the great High Priest who heals our hurts and gives us strength. He is our great High Priest who is God Incarnate and who reaches out to us in love and grace, offering His blessing of forgiveness, fellowship and family.

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16, NKJV)

And so, Jesus' birth, life, sacrifice, and resurrection call us all to come to Him and join in the unity God planned from before the foundations of the earth. Come to the King in the Manger Throne. Come to the High Priest who sacrificed Himself. Come to the God who loved you enough to leave Heaven and live among His people.

Come!

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Look what my WONDERFUL husband did for me while I was at church this morning! (UPDATED)

I have been wrestling for several years about where to put the Hummel creche that my Mom gave me when I was still pregnant with the Darling Munchkin. It is the anchor for many very fond Christmas memories, and it's always been a source of sorrow that I never had a good place to display it.

Well. My most wonderful, intelligent and AWESOME husband found the perfect place to set it up, and he even made the display table for me while I was at worship:

I'm going to cut that blue "velvet" so I have a skirt, which I'll then stitch on to velcro with a slight gather. Then the other half of the velcro can be glued/stapled to the edge of the table. From the leftover fabric (believe me, there's a LOT), I'll cut a topper that will drape over the edge of the table, and perhaps sew a rich gold cord along the edge. It ought to provide a very kingly contrast! Of course, I'll do that after this Christmas; no need to put too much on my plate when the wonderful day is so close.

However, I will go up to WalMart today, because I need to get some fake evergreen to  cover the roof of the stable. I'll probabl also get a new set of lights (all white, I think), and hot glue them on underneath the "pine." Mom always used live clippings, and tape to hold the lights on the stable. In this area though, we always seem to find the long-needled pine trees, and I prefer the short needled/Noble fir style. Plus, using good quality fake will let me set things up now, and it will last for several years.

I will do my best to set my beautiful creche up just right by the end of the day, and then post pictures for y'all's approval ;-)

UPDATE: Well, I decided not to brave WallyMart today, so I made do with what I had. My Beloved had some excellent suggestions about the lights (oooo, maybe a time-lapse picture later tonight!)... Anyway, here's what I have for this year:

 

 

Wow! When I get this tweaked the way I want it, the lovely creche Mom and Dad got when they were on their honeymoon in Europe (1955), will have a properly beautiful setting!

The Alphabet of Christmas: T is for "tender"

To give knowledge of salvation to His people
      By the remission of their sins,
     Through the tender mercy of our God,
      With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
     To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
      To guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:77-79, NKJV)

Have you ever thought of God as "tender"?

Do you realize that God, although He certainly has the ability and authority, does not browbeat His creation, but rather holds out His hand in a tender invitation to come to Him?

Can you really fathom the kindness of God that He should reach out in such a quiet and humble way, and that He would willingly take upon Himself the consequences for our sin?

God is too pure to look upon wickedness, yet He came to live among us, to teach us and heal us, to feed us and love us through His Son.

God bestowed a wonderful privilege when He gave His Son into the house of Joseph and Mary, allowing them to raise Jesus in their tender care. God came as a baby...! A helpless child, completely dependent on the love and care of His parents, subject to their guidance and discipline - yet this Child was their God, their King and Savior!

Yet He came as one of us.

I think we forget that the tenderness of God is shown equally in His Commandments to us. Just as Jesus submitted Himsefl to the loving guidance of His earthly parents, so God has given us parental commands which are for our good. He does not give those commands to be the ultimate killjoy, but rather because, as our Father, He loves us and wants to protect us from terrible pain and agony when we stray from His design.

Father, I pray that, this Christmas season, many would hear of Your tender and enduring love and come to You in faith and trust. Lord, for those of us who are Your children already, please help us live our lives as clear exampls of Your tender and powerful love. Let Your light and Your grace shine through us so that everyone around us takes notice and glorifies Your name. Help us to raise up the Name of Jesus each and every day, so that You may use us to tenderly draw Your lost children back to unity with You.

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The Alphabet of Christmas: S is for "Savior"

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Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:11-12, NKJV)

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him. (Acts 5:30-32, NKJV)

For He said, “Surely they are My people,
      Children who will not lie.”
      So He became their Savior.
      In all their affliction He was afflicted,
      And the Angel of His Presence saved them;
      In His love and in His pity He redeemed them;
      And He bore them and carried them
      All the days of old.(Isaiah 63:8-9, NKJV)

Jesus is... the Savior of the world. There is no life He cannot redeem, there is no sin He cannot forgive. His love reaches from the depths of the ocean to the outer reaches of the universe. His saving grace knows no bounds. His hands are open to all who will come to Him and give Him their lives and their trust and their hope.

Jesus is the God who saves to the uttermost, and He's proven Himself over and over and over again. His sovereign hand rules over us all, He is King and Lord - yet He came to us in simplicity and humility. He was born in a stable to live among us and to show us His face - the face of love and mercy and grace.

Christ the Lord is born! Rejoice and sing Alleluia!

Christ the Lord is born! Receive Him into your life, accept His loving rule, bow before His unending forgiveness.

Christ the Lord is born! Let your weary spirit rest in Him, and partake of His eternal and infinite strength. Let Him renew your soul and lift up your countenance.

Christ the Lord is born! Come to the stable, worship the King - and then tell all the world of these glad tidings of great joy!

PEACE ON EARTH, GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN!

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

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The Alphabet of Christmas: R is for "revelation"

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He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:15-18, NKJV)

Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!
     For He has done marvelous things;
     His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
The LORD has made known His salvation;
     His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
     All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. (Psalm 98:1-3, NKJV)

Jesus is the perfect revelation of the image and character of His Father. Although no one can see the father face-to-face and live, Jesus has revealed Him to us.

Jesus has revealed His Father's compassion by  healing the sick. He has revealed His Father's authority by forgiving sins. He has revealed His Father's sovereignty by banishing demons. He has revealed His Father's power by His resurrection. And He revealed His Father's justice by willingly going to the Cross and enduring our rightful punishment.

Jesus is God made flesh, God who lives with us, God who felt our hurts, God who went through our pain, God who touched us, God who fed us, God who laughed with us, God who cried with us... God, who LOVES us!

Rejoice in the revelation of God to sinful man! Rejoice that He came to seek and to save the lost! Rejoice that His love pursues us, even to the Stable and then the Cross!

Emmanuel - God with us, God revealed to us!

REJOICE!

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The Alphabet of Christmas: Q is for "question"

Who is this King of Glory that pursues me with His love
And haunts me with each hearing of His softly spoken words?
My conscience a reminder of forgiveness that I need
Who is this King of Glory who offers it to me?

Who is this King of angels, O blessed Prince of Peace,
Revealing things of Heaven and all its mysteries?
My spirit's ever longing for His grace in which to stand
Who's this King of glory, Son of God and son of man?

His name is Jesus, precious Jesus
The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart
The King of glory

Who is this King of Glory with strength and majesty,
And wisdom beyond measure, the gracious King of kings,
The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things?
Who is this King of Glory, He's everything to me!

The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things,
He is the King of glory, He's everything to me!

Who is Jesus to you?

Is He simply some mythical figure who has no foundation in history? Is He a good teacher and guide? Is He a deluded madman? Is He a healer? Is He a nice little figurine on your car's dashboard? Is He your co-pilot?

Who *IS* Jesus? It is a challenge with eternal consequences, and it must be answered by each one of us.

He had the same question for His disciples:

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13-19, NKJV)

Jesus is not just some chubby baby in a manger who we pull out once a year and coo over. He is not a mythical figure, and He is not just a good man and respected teacher. He should never be only a safe little icon in our lives that makes us feel good about ourselves.

Jesus is not that small, and He is not a toy for us to take out and play with when it's convenient.

Jesus is the King of Glory, the God of the Universe, the Word made flesh, come to be the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is our Creator, born to rescue us from the just wrath of God, willingly sacrificing Himself to be our Savior. He is Emmanuel, God with us, who came to live in us and walk with us every day so that we could be His witnesses to all the world.

Jesus is the Authority, who has a right to rule our lives. I know that we don't like to hear things like that - especially in America, where we hate to acknowledge that anyone has sovereignty over us - but it is the truth. He has proven Himself worthy of that right in all His works. He created all that exists, He sustains it, and He will conclude it. He came to us, lived among us, and died for us. He rose again, and He will return one day soon - and He will Judge us.

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. (John 5:24-30, NKJV)

Will you hear His word and believe in Him who came to live and die for us because of His great love for an utterly lost and sinful race?

Who is Jesus to you?

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The Alphabet of Christmas: P is for "pure"

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And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (I Peter 1:17-19, NKJV)

Pure - without spot or blemish, without taint or corruption, without any flaw or imperfection. The Bible asks:

Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
         Or who may stand in His holy place?
 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
         Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
         Nor sworn deceitfully.
 He shall receive blessing from the LORD,
         And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Who can attain this level of perfection and righteousness before God? Who can possibly stand before God and rightly claim that they have lived a life of such purity that they've earned Heaven?

No one. Not a single person who has lived on this sad old earth - with one Exception.

Only Jesus lived every second of every day from the moment of His birth in complete and loving obedience to His Father in Heaven. Only Jesus earned the right to go to Heaven - and He offers it freely to all who come to Him in faith and love.

I could have used other words for the letter "P" - passion, power, peace - but none of them really worked. When we think of passion, we think of sex or anger or a deep desire. All these have a similarity to the passion God has for us - but passion as we know it cannot come close to the pure passion God has to seek and save His lost children. When we think of power, we think of might or authority or energy - yet power as we understand it cannot match the pure power of the holy omnipotence of God, who directs and weaves history to conform to His plan. When we think of peace, we think of quiet and tranquility and security - but peace as we experience it has little to do with the pure peace that God gives through His Spirit when we lay down our arms and stop fighting Him.

Only the pure and spotless Lamb, the perfect God-Man, the Holy One incarnate had this blindingly perfect holy purity. His birth in Bethlehem so many centuries ago was a silent explosion of pure love whose effects are felt throughout the world and trough all the ages.

Holy Child - blessed and pure Child - You are unmatched in all Creation in Your holiness and perfection. Be born in us, I pray, and let us follow Your Spirit in joyful obedience. Let us live our lives in gratitude and worship to the Holy God, the Pure God, who loved us and gave Himself to us!

“Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested.”

(Revelation 15:3b-4, NKJV)

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The Alphabet of Christmas: O is for "obedient"

Image via WikipediaLet this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8, NKJV)

Long before God set time in motion, long before He created the universe, He had a plan. He knew He would create, and He knew that man would sin, and He knew that He would come to earth and offer Himself up for the payment of His peoples' sins.

Before man ever existed, the birth of Christ and the shadow of the Cross were already planned.

And so, when God drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden, Jesus knew that He would be born. When God destroyed the earth in the Flood, Jesus knew He would live among us. When God brought His people out of Egypt, Jesus knew He would die on the Cross.

Jesus did not have to do any of this: God would have been perfectly just to allow man to bear the eternal consequence of his sin. But because of His faithfulness, because He is the obedient Son, and because He loves us, Christ came down to earth to abide with His children. The One True God, the Triune God, made a covenant within the Godhead to seek and save His lost children - and to do that, the Son came to us humbly and obediently, to show us His Father's love.

Father, how wondrous is Your grace and mercy! How great is Your love for us! I thank You and praise You that You cannot break a promise and that You were willing to come and live with us so we might see You and know You. Lord, let us look to You, always and in all ways, to follow in humble obedience. Your great love for us, Your holiness and Your faithfulness, should give us confidence that You are truly the God who knows and sees all things, and that we can trust You to lead us. Give us Your presence, grant us Your peace, and bless us with faithful hearts so that we may proclaim Your greatness and goodness in our words, thoughts and deeds.

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The Alphabet of Christmas: N is for "necessary"

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For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4, NKJV)

Have you ever meditated on the fact that Jesus birth was necessary?

How often have we proved that we are a sinful race, filled with corruption? How often have even the best of us, those with the purest intentions, those whose lives are examples of kindness and grace - how often have even they proven themselves mere mortals? 

No matter how good we try to be, no matter the lofty goal of our intentions, we all fail. We are all human, and there is not one of us without fault. And, it only takes one fault - one sin - to separate us form God for all eternity. "ALL have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God..." (Rom. 3:23)

So what is one to do? We may try to be "extra nice" the next time we encounter the situation. We may apologize. We may try to bury our sin. We may ignore it - we even try to make our sins seem like virtue! But before a holy and perfect God, our true selves are revealed: stained, torn, battered, ragged, filthy - useless and unprofitable creations, who have earned our deserved punishment.

But God... Oh, how often I have read those two words - BUT GOD - in my Bible! How often have I read things which take me to the depths of despair over my own sin and helplessness, only to go on to read "BUT GOD"!

But God, who is rich in love and mercy and grace, did what we could not. He sent His own Son - His only begotten Son - to live and die for us. Only a man can truly take the punishment for another man's sins, and only God can take ALL of the punishment for ALL of our sins.

The blood of bulls and rams and doves could only point us to the price which must be paid for our sin - and then Jesus came in the fullness of time to be like us in all ways, except without sin, and to ransom us from the terrible debt of eternal punishment that we all owe.

Only God can accomplish such a perfect salvation - and only the Baby born in Bethlehem could have lived the perfect, sacrificial life.

Lord Jesus, I thank You and praise You for the offering You made for us. You laid aside the glory of Your Divine Nature, and descended to earth to fulfill the Law in every particular. You lived the perfect life that we could not. You accomplished the impossible on our behalf, as only You could. Thank You for coming to us, Lord. Thank You for doing what was necessary, so that Your Spirit could live within us and bring us Home to You!

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The Alphabet of Christmas: M is for "majesty"

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Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Out of Bethlehem, a little town of no account, will come a Ruler.

God had promised this to His people Israel, and now He has fulfilled that promise!

But what the people didn't realize was that God wasn't going to give them a King in the way they were used to; He wasn't going to choose a man in a palace who commanded an army and a lot of money. He wasn't going to give them a man who was influential and an elder at the Temple. He wasn't going to give them a prophet who spoke His words...

God Himself was going to come to be their King!

And yet, God was still going to do it His way: He came quietly as a little Baby born in a stable. He came in service to His people, and did not demand His rights as their lawful King. He came to live among us and give Himself for us.

He came as a Pauper King, and the majesty of His character and glory was made plain to a watching world.

In the little village of Bethlehem,
There lay a Child one day;
And the sky was bright with a holy light
O’er the place where Jesus lay.

Alleluia! O how the angels sang
Alleluia! How it rang!
And the sky was bright with a holy light
’Twas the birthday of a King.

’Twas a humble birthplace, but O how much
God gave to us that day,
From the manger bed what a path has led,
What a perfect, holy way.

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The Alphabet of Christmas: L is for "lovely"

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Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:8, NKJV)

The loveliness of Christ is something wondrous! The simplicity of His arrival on earth, the purity of His life, the selflessness of His sacrifice, and the triumph of His resurrection cannot be matched by anyone or anything we have ever seen.

Have you ever known someone who always did the right thing? Have you ever known someone who not only did the right thing, but also did it with kindness and gentleness? Have you ever known someone who had a sweet humility of spirit, who lived with joy even amid pain? Have you ever known someone whose patience with you never ran out and who never, ever stopped loving you?

I've known people who have come close - my grandmother in particular stands out - but no matter how wonderful these people were, they all had their failures. All the lovely people in our lives have some flaw or smear, and they fall from perfection.

The loveliness of Christ, however, is without spot or blemish. He is altogether lovely, and He never fails. He is the faithful Friend, He is the honest Advocate, He is the noble Warrior, He is the true Judge, and He is the everlasting God. There is no shadow of turning in Him, and He makes unbreakable promises which He brings to pass.

The immense glory and perfection of God is indescribable - and yet, He distilled Himself down and gave Himself to us with a love so powerful and pure that it is hard to grasp. He wanted us to know Him, He wanted us to see how we should live in obedience to Him, and He wanted us to see that love in action.

How noble, just, pure, lovely, virtuous and praiseworthy an example He gave. How humble and perfect!

This simple glory of the life of the Man from Nazareth is truly deserving of our lifelong meditation, praise, and worship...

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The Alphabet of Christmas: K is for "koinonia"

This one is hard to write, for how can I explain the wonder of being in God's family, in fellowship with Him? For that is what the Greek word, koinonia, means - "fellowship."

Perhaps the best way I can explain it is to quote from the book of Romans:

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Because Jesus has come into this world, and lived His life among us, we can now have fellowship with God. Because Jesus has lived His life perfectly, He offers all that perfection to us, to clothe us in His absolute righteousness. Because Jesus was born into this world to seek and to save His lost sheep, we can now have peace and fellowship with God our Father, and are no longer at war with Him.

We have koinonia with the Almighty God of all Creation - because of a Baby's birth in Bethlehem, all those long years ago.

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

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Please don't forget to send in your submission to the Carnival of Christmas - deadline and all other information can be found here!

The Alphabet of Christmas: J is for "Jesus"

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Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:18-21, NKJV)

Here we are in the middle of the alphabet, and how appropriate that Jesus is right here waiting for us.

"Jesus." Joshua. Yeshua. "God saves."

That's the meaning of Jesus' name, you know. "God saves." God saves us from our sin, God saves us from eternity in Hell, and God saves us from suffering under His wrath. Jesus came down from Heaven to remove us from the kingdom of darkness and transfer us to His Kingdom of Light.

Meditate upon this: The King of Heaven laid aside His crown, took off His robes of glory, gave up His riches, and came down to us. He lived in poverty and obscurity, living with us in simplicity and humility. He healed the sick, He taught the ignorant, and He fed the hungry. He got His hands dirty, His heart bruised and broken, and He wept in joy and in pain.

The King of Heaven, the Lord of Creation, loved us so much that He did all of this and more - because His beloved children were in need of rescue from sin and death and hell.

God saves. Jesus saves. And at Christmas, we celebrate the Birth of our great and wonderful Savior, who came to give Himself up for us as a ransom for many.

Jesus saves - and thank God He does!

It is He
Christ who is born today
Hear Him crying
In the manger
King of heaven
Son of god
Alleluia, alleluia

There He lies
There with the lambkin
Only swaddle for His garment
With His holy mother Mary
Alleluia, alleluia

Glory, glory to almighty God
And on earth peace to all men
Hear the joyful angels singing
Alleluia, alleluia

He is born
Let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
King of kings
Prince of peace
For all the universe
Alleluia, alleluia

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Please don't forget to send in your submission to the Carnival of Christmas - deadline and all other information can be found here!

The Alphabet of Christmas: I is for "Immanuel"

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So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:22-23, NKJV)

What would you do if you knew - KNEW - that the person standing right in front of you was God? What would you think about having this omnipotent Person standing there, offering irrefutable proof of exactly who He was? What if you were convinced He knew everything about you, the good, the bad, and the terribly ugly? How would you react? How would you handle the situation?

What if you were His best friend, grew up together from little babies, got dirty in the mud together, played Hide 'n' Seek while your mothers watched over you? What if you sat together in the synagogue being taught God's Law by the Rabbi? What if you saw Him as an adult and realized there was something... different about Him; something you couldn't quite place? What if you saw Him heal a person who was deathly sick with a simple touch? What if you heard Him speak about God in such a loving, intimate way that it made you long to know God like that, too?

What if you'd lived back when Jesus walked the earth, God Incarnate, and lived and walked with Him, touched Him and eaten with Him, seen Him laugh and cry, had Him teach you and rebuke you and love you like no one else ever had?

Immanuel - "God with us."

With us in our lives, in our work, in our ignorance, in our pain, in our joy, in our sickness, in our family, in our triumphs, in our confusion, in our turmoil, in our passions, in every triviality of our lives...

GOD WITH US!

How wonderful, how marvelous, is the great love of God for us! He came to us in fire and power, He came to us in thunder and lightning - but He came to us also as a little Baby. He touched us with a human hand, wept human tears, and lived a human life. He showed us this indescribable love and showed us He is with us, if only we will reach out and take His hand...

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The Alphabet of Christmas: H is for "humble"

Image by freestone via Flickr

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8, NKJV)

Have you ever thought about how humble God is? When you truly consider it, He certainly has no restrictions on what He is able to do. He is wholly perfect and just, absolutely beautiful, all-knowing, and rich beyond what we could even begin to grasp; He certainly has a lot to boast of and be proud about!

As our Creator, God has the right and the authority to demand our worship and obedience - and it is a command that we do so - but, oddly enough for an all-powerful and perfect God, He has allowed us this choice at present.Somehow, He has made a way that we may exercise free will without infringing upon His absolute sovereignty. Somehow, although He effectively calls His chosen people, we all still have to make the choice for ourselves.

And how does God present this choice? Does He appear in the clouds with thunder and wind and lightning, forcing us to bow down to Him in terror? Does He snap His fingers and turn us all into unthinking, slavish drones? Does He simply wash His hands of us when we succumb to our frailty and sinful natures and disobey Him?

No.

Instead, He comes to us as one of us. He is born and must go through the helplessness and dependence that all babies must experience. He grows up and lives His life among us, learning a trade, making friends, experiencing rejection, teaching, rebuking, providing healing and comfort to those who are able to come and admit their need of Him.

Jesus, the all-powerful God, came to us in humility and meekness, showing us that it is not weakness or degradation. Jesus proved in His own life that obedience and worship were not slavish mindlessness, but rather courage and freedom.

Jesus holds out a tender hand to us and invites us:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29, NKJV)

Jesus was born in a humble stable. He lived a humble life. He loved and served us with humility and kindness. And finally, He went to the Cross and gave Himself up for us, so that we might trust Him with all ourselves.

The Lord God Almighty humbled Himself out of love for us. Can we not do the same thing this Christmas season? Let us learn from and follow our beloved Savior's example, and show His love to everyone in our lives, both today and always.

Jesus, I am so thankful that You loved us enough to lay aside Your privileges awhile and come to us in a form we could understand. Thank You for living with us, feeling our hurts and joys and pains and delights, and showing us the Father's face. Help us turn to You for strength and compassion so that we may be molded into Your image and be true children of Your Father. Glorify Yourself through us as we live lives of humble worship and obedience!

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The Alphabet of Christmas: G is for "generous"

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For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9, NKJV)

The wonderful generosity of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, is incredible. God loved us so much that He offered up His Son - His ONLY begotten Son - to pay for our sins. And the second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ the Son, willingly gave himself on our behalf because of His love for us.

Can you believe this?!!

Again, you must consider whether you, as a loving parent, would sacrifice your ONLY and much beloved child so that people would scorn and hate and disrespect Him? Could you give your child up so that ungrateful and unworthy men and women could claim He was no one special and that He was just a "good man"? Would you give your child up to the same disbelief, dismissal, disregard and disrespect that people focus upon Jesus?

How insane is it that, faced with such a selfless and compassionate sacrifice, people insist that Jesus is no more than a good teacher, or a synthesis of guru-philosophy, or a myth to promote the ideal of human kindness...?

Ladies and gentlemen, God gave everything to show how much He loved us and how far He was willing to go to bring us to Himself! His Son, because of the love He had for us, came to us in human form JOYOUSLY, and despite the torment He knew would come... Because He loves us!

For the readers who may not believe, I want to ask you: what kind of humanistic "ideal" can match this? What example of human love can surpass this? To whom can you run for love and acceptance and forgiveness and transformational power?

There is no God like the Lord God Almighty, compassionate, merciful, generous, and loving.

There is NO God who has given Himself to the fullest depths of love for a people who cannot earn and could never deserve His grace and kindness - except the God who descended to earth and became a Baby...

Only ONE God has given Himself to live your life, to endure your hurts, to share your pain and to bear your sins.

This God came two thousand years ago as a tiny, helpless Baby. He lived His life among us, and He gave all of Himself up for us in the most wonderful and astonishing act of generosity known.

Jesus, thank You. We do not deserve Your love and generosity - but we cannot ever express our gratitude for what You did! Thank You, Lord - and let us show Your love and grace t everyone we meet, both in this Season and throughout the year!

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Please don't forget to send in your submission to the Carnival of Christmas - deadline and all other information can be found here!

The Alphabet of Christmas: F is for "faithful"

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This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,

“Therefore I hope in Him!”
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3:21-26, NKJV)

Have you ever thought of what was going on in Israel before the birth of Jesus? Did you know that they had had a long history of hearing from God through His prophets? Gd had revealed Himself to them in a unique way, which no other culture in the world - or in history - has experienced.

God had chosen their father Abraham and personally guided him to the Promised Land. God had preserved Abraham's descendants from a worldwide famine through Joseph being sold as a slave into Egypt. God had, at the right time, taken Israel out of Egypt's bondage with plagues that proved His sovereignty. He Himself led them, as a cloud and as a pillar of fire, through their wilderness wanderings.

Over and over throughout the history of Israel, God had spoken to them, chastised them, reassured them, judged them through kings and prophets and priests. Israel did not often like God's discipline for their sinful ways, but I cannot believe that they doubted He existed.

And then, before the birth of Christ, God was silent for about four hundred years.

That's almost twice as long as the United States has been in existence, and we have difficulty imagining what it must have been like for our Founding Fathers. So, can you imagine how long and worrisome this silence must have been to a nation so used to hearing from God regularly? What must they have thought? Did God abandon them? Had He chosen another nation? Was He still there? Would He keep His promises? What can we do to call Him back? Where is His promised salvation?

They must have had many, many questions.

I think that back then, like us today, they may have begun to lose hope. God had promised them a Messiah who would subdue the world and reign in peace - but where was He? God had promised a Child - but He hasn't come yet! God had promised to save His people - but HOW? It has been so long, He has been so silent, the world seems to be falling apart all around us - Lord God, please give us a sign before our weak and fading hope dies out altogether!

They forgot - we forgot - that God is faithful. He is faithful, He is all-powerful, and He cannot tell a lie - and when God makes a promise, it will surely come to pass!!

But at the appointed time, a young couple, the wife heavy with Child, began their journey to an inconspicuous little town and at last God's voice would be heard again.

The Faithful One had come to live with His people.

Oh, Father, when I consider the birth of Your Son on this earth, I cannot get over my amazement! Though we had prophecy upon prophecy to study and see Your plan revealed to us, yet we stand in shock and wonder at how unexpectedly You fulfilled Your word. How astounding that You would choose to be born and come to us as a Baby, to live as we do, to feel our pains, to eat our food, to laugh and cry with us, to hug and heal and scold and teach us - face to face! How... incredible! Thank You for breaking into this world as You did; thank You for humbling Yourself like that; thank You for loving us so much, Jesus, that You forsook everything, and became poor, so that You could rescue us from wrath. Worthy is the Lamb!

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The Alphabet of Christmas: E is for "enduring"

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Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the God of Gods!
For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever. (Psalm 136:1-3, NKJV)

Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles!
Laud Him, all you peoples!
For His merciful kindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD! (Psalm 117, NKJV)

I don't know if you realize this, but the Triune God did not come up with the plan for Jesus to be born into this world on the spur of the moment. Even before He created the universe, God had ordained that the Christ would take on human flesh, to reveal Himself to us and to bear our sins.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, God promised the Seed who would crush the head of the serpent. Noah built the Ark, a picture of the saving grace found in Christ. Israel was given the covenant of the Law, so that they would be a righteous nation and show the holiness of God. David the King was promised a Descendant who would reign in truth and justice forever. Isaiah proclaimed the promise of the Son, the King of Glory and the Prince of Peace - this Child, born of a virgin, who would be Immanuel, God with us.

This persistent love, proclaimed over and over and over throughout the Bible, fulfilled at last with the birth of a Baby in a little stable, in an obscure town called Bethlehem.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
      Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
      Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
      The One to be Ruler in Israel,
      Whose goings forth are from of old,
      From everlasting.

Welcome! Welcome yet again to the Everlasting God, who enfleshed Himself to live and abide with us. He is our Immanuel, God with us, the King of Glory who has come to show us the enduring love of God and to offer His salvation. Our Savior, our great God, who came as a tiny Baby...

Father, thank You for Your enduring love, which bears any burden and pays such a terribly wonderful price to save Your children. The tenderness You shower upon us is humbling, and I pray that we keep it ever before us, so that we may praise and glorify You all the days of our lives. Immanuel - God with us. Welcome!

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The Alphabet of Christmas: D is for "daring"

Image via WikipediaFor God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17, NKJV)

Reckless. Bold. Lavish. Rash. Extravagant. Audacious.

Daring!

Imagine sending your only child, whom you love with all your being, into a dangerous and seemingly hopeless fight. Imagine sending this child with no armor and no weapons - save those of holiness and love. What devoted parent would consider such a thing?!

But this is exactly what God did!

Jesus came into the world, and He was completely human - subject to the same limitations we are, the same sorrows and trials, the same weary trudge that live can be sometimes. Although He didn't cease to be God the Son, He nevertheless put aside His power and glory and donned humanity. He came to us like a newborn lamb, without spot or blemish, destined to give Himself up to ransom us from sin and death and hell.

Incredible!

It never ceases to amaze and awe me that the infinite God, who created and sustains everything which exists, would love us - would love ME! - so very much that He would come to us so meekly and humbly. Only the mind of the true God would be able to concoct such a daring plot to show His love and to rescue His lost children!

Father, thank You for Your reckless abandon in Your love for us. Thank You for the gift of Your Son, who You send in such an unexpected and surprising way. The extravagance of the blessings You have in store for us through Him can never be fully understood - only joyfully accepted. Father, please help us show Your love in new ways that surprise, delight and astonish people with our humble boldness. Help us to be like You and love without reservation; help us carry that love to the world and pour it out abundantly throughout the year.

Infant holy, infant lowly,
for his bed a cattle stall;
oxen lowing, little knowing,
Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Swift are winging angels singing,
noels ringing, tidings bringing:
Christ the babe is Lord of all.

Flocks were sleeping, shepherds keeping
vigil till the morning new
saw the glory, heard the story,
tidings of a gospel true.
Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow,
praises voicing, greet the morrow:
Christ the babe was born for you.

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Please don't forget to send in your submission to the Carnival of Christmas - deadline and all other information can be found here!

The Alphabet of Christmas: C is for "charity"

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Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. [...]

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (1 Corinthians 13: 4-8, 13, KJV)

Charity. Normally these days, one uses "charity" in the sense of helping out those who are in need, but I deliberately used the original King James translation, which uses "charity" in the sense of "love."

Yet, we still have a problem because the word love has become so diluted in meaning, and has been cheapened terribly. How else could it be used in a sentence like, "Oh, I just love American Idol!"? How frivolous to use a powerful and subtle word like "love" in such an inconsequential way!

Take a look at how the Bible defines love in this well-known passage: love is patient and kind, it isn't boastful or proud. Love is gracious and unselfish, love isn't irritable and does not assume the worst. Love does not promote sinful behavior, but loves the truth. Love can bear up under any stress, it believes even amid doubt, it keeps hope alive, and it keeps enduring through all trials.

We can have a likeness of this love in our own lives, yes, but none of us are capable of displaying it all the time. We slip and lose our temper, we forget and act selfishly, we get impatient and run right over people.

Jesus came to show us, personally, this great and wonderful love that comes from God Himself. Each and every day of His life, He showed us how very much His Father - the Almighty God, eternal, holy and righteous - loves the frail and sinful creatures who bear His image.

A Baby's outstretched hand, a hand which had voluntarily laid aside its rightful glory and omnipotence, revealed to us this tender, fierce and utterly devoted love. The powerful love of the omnipotent God, the knowing love of the omniscient God, the everlasting love of the omnipresent God - all wrapped up in the soft, fragile, helpless hand of the Baby born in Bethlehem.

Father, how wondrous are Your ways! To distill all Your power and faithfulness into human flesh, and to make such a glorious gift - ah, how amazing You are! Only You could have done something so unexpected, so crazily tender and sensibly improbable. Your thoughts are truly far above ours, and Your ways past searching out! Thank You for pursuing us through this marvelous Birth. Help us to trust You more and to gladly submit to Your loving hand so that we may be conformed to the image of Your Son. Let us celebrate His birth by living and proclaiming Your love and charity in all we say and do.

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The Alphabet of Christmas: B is for "beautiful"

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In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me
           - The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Have you ever considered what constitutes "beauty"? What does it mean to you? Is it the incredible sweep of tall mountains, lifting their jagged peaks to the heavens? Is it the delicacy of an artist's brush, capturing a color and a texture with inspiring skill? Perhaps you find the precision of a finely crafted engine or building, the careful fit of one piece against another to make a functional whole to be your definition of beauty?

There are many ways beauty is revealed to us, and each speaks to different people in different ways and with various levels of impact.

One of the most universal images of beauty for humanity is a mother holding her newborn child in her arms. Look how tender she is, examining the tiny fingers and toes, delighting over perfectly formed features, awed by the innocence and helplessness and dependency of her child. This tiny treasure, a beautiful gift of life, a new person born into the world.

Two thousand years ago, Mary and Joseph were stunned with the wonder of the Child God had entrusted to them. As they gazed upon their Savior, a tiny newborn Baby, how humbled they must have been that God had chosen them to raise His Son here on earth!

Like a plainly wrapped present, tucked away at the back of the Christmas tree and almost overlooked, which contains the gift you've been longing for all these years, God wrapped His Son in simplicity and humility, and then revealed His glory modestly, subtly, gently to a wounded and weary world.

THAT is beauty. The quiet, simply given Gift, who was born in an obscure little town in a rude little stable, to parents who were nobodies. And yet the gift God gave that night was the most glorious gift He could possibly have given: His very Self.

Ah, Father! How quietly, how quietly that wondrous gift was giv'n! I am in awe of Your grace and mercy, and the very great love You bear for Your image-bearers. Only You could have planned and performed such an incredible miracle: God become man, born in poverty and humility, to live among us and bring us face to face with who You truly are. Thank You, Father! Let us remember Your Gift throughout this blessed Season, and then carry Him with us every day of our lives.

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The Alphabet of Christmas: A is for "abide"

(source: How Stuff Works)

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

Abide. The dictionary definition is:

v.intr.

1. To remain in a place.

2. To continue to be sure or firm; endure. See Synonyms at stay¹.

3. To dwell or sojourn.

My thesaurus (you're going to be seeing a LOT from the thesaurus during this series!) says that synonyms for "abide" are:

stay, remain, tarry, linger, stop; live, reside, dwell; visit, sojourn, sit

The Bible uses the term "abide" in a very intimate sense - "to live with in daily life, participating fully." When shepherds "abided" with their flocks, they lived with them, guiding and watching over them, caring for, protecting and feeding them. They knew each one of their sheep by sight and sound, and the sheep knew their shepherd's voice and knew it meant safety and security.

Think about how wonderful it is that the very God of Heaven - the God who created everything in existence, who is pre-eminent over His creation - came down to earth to abide with us.

Really think about it.

He didn't come as a mysterious figure, shrouded in inscrutable conundrums. He didn't come as an ascetic, removed from and indifferent to the tribulations of life. He didn't come as a religious icon, spouting callous platitudes from a hardened heart. He didn't even come as a powerful King, robed in splendor and riches.

Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, Very God of Very God, God in the flesh... Jesus came to us - as a baby! A little, helpless child, completely dependent upon His earthly parents for love, care, nourishment, and teaching.

Jesus came as a vulnerable child... And lived among us.

Father, how blessed and kind You are to come to us so gently, so humbly - as a little child, helpless, dependent and weak. As You were then, so are we all now. In this joyous Season, when we remember the gift You gave in the birth of Your beloved Son, let Him be born anew in our hearts. Let us lift our voices in praise and worship to the God who abides with us!

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Announcing the Fourth Annual Carnival of Christmas

UPDATE: The Carnival of Christmas, 2008, is NOW POSTED!

FEATURED POST THROUGH DECEMBER FIRST: PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR NEWER POSTS

This will be the fourth Carnival of Christmas, which was started in 2005 by Adam Graham. He very graciously permitted me to host it last year, and I am honored to continue the tradition.

Here is the general premise: I am calling for submissions from bloggers for their posts which celebrate the joy of this season. Family memories, favorite recipes, Christmas stories, meditations on the birth of Christ, thoughts on how to focus on the true meaning of the season vs. commercialism, and so on. I will happily include Hanukkah posts as well, or even Kwanzaa, so long as everyone remembers to focus on the joy and love and wonder of the season.

I would ask that anyone who sends in a post for inclusion in the Carnival please be respectful of these guidelines; I will not accept political posts, diatribes, or any commercial-type articles. Take a look at last year's Carnival, the one from 2006, or the first one, and you'll have an excellent idea of what the Carnival is all about.

Some things I would love to have - and for which I will give proper credit, of course - are Christmas-themed photos that I can pepper through the post (as I did last year), as well as some more Christmas music entries.

Hard deadline for submissions to the Carnival is December 23rd, and I plan to post the Carnival here on CatHouse Chat sometime on Christmas Eve. At the moment, I do NOT have access to the Blog Carnival account, so please send submissions to my blog e-mail: cathousechat -at- gmail -dot- com (with the proper modifications, of course!). Please note: that e-mail is NOT the e-mail on the right column; I need to keep the Carnival e-mails separate so I can keep track of them properly.

Finally, I would ask that my blog friends help me out and promote the Carnival whenever they can; I had a glorious response last year, and would love to make it an even bigger Carnival this year!

All right? Great! Now, let's get those Christmas-themed posts coming!

Welcome, Jesus!

King of Kings. Lord of Lords. God Almighty. Creator. Savior. Immanuel - God with us. The Bright and Morning Star. The Root of David. The Rod of Jesse. The Rose of Sharon. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Our Advocate. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace. Messiah. The Bred of Life. The True Vine. The Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Captain of our salvation. Mighty Warrior. Lord of Hosts. The Good Shepherd. The Holy One of Israel. Redeemer. The Image of God. Lamb of God. Light of the World. The Resurrection and the Life.

Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End.

I AM.

Born in Bethlehem, two thousand years ago. Born into a frail, mortal body, so He could walk with us and talk with us and teach us of His Father. Born to touch us with a gentle hand, to raise us up and transform us with infinite love and forgiveness. Born to live in us, to guide us, to heal us. Born to live and die for us, to show His great love for us while we were yet still sinners.

The Lord of Glory, born on earth.

Welcome, Jesus. Welcome, Lord! May Your light shine upon us and may Your love overshadow us. Send Your Spirit to us today, to bring us Your great salvation and kindle new life in our cold, dead spirit.

Welcome, Savior!

"Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!”

Welcome to the Carnival of Christmas, 2007 Edition

Welcome to the December 24, 2007 edition of Carnival of Christmas! I want to thank everyone who participated this year - there are a lot of excellent posts covering a wonderfully large range of topics.

Even more importantly, I hope and pray that you have been blessed by all the wonderful entries at the Christmas Alliance, and that you take the entries in this edition of the Carnival to make your Christmas season more enjoyable for you and your family and friends.

May God richly bless you all... And now, on to the Carnival!

First, I'd like to give pride of place to two people who have always been an inspiration to me. They remind me of hope and joy in the midst of trials, and they are wonderful examples of courage and cheerful perseverance. First, my beloved blog-brother GM Roper offers a beautifully moving story about his grandfather, who really understood the true meaning of Christmas: Nat Melbert's Last Christmas. And then my blog-sis, Susan Kerry, writes about the Ripples that radiate out from events in your life. Hope and joy out of pain - truly, a wonderful lesson to learn in this blessed season. If there are only two posts you read from this round-up of excellent submissions, these are the ones to savor!

Oh, and don't forget to watch NORAD track Santa!!!

[UPDATE] Ah, another post of note - Kender had to take time off from his vacation to get this to post for me, since Blogger was being snicky and didn't want to publish it when he told it to... But you should go read Christmas Without Mom, over at Kender's Musings.

 

Christmas Recipes

Karen Dowell presents Christmas just wouldn't be the same without Brussels Sprouts! posted at Wiggly Wigglers. Now, I'm not fond of Brussels sprouts, but pesto and garlic can make anything taste yummy!

Kathy Maister offrers three entries to the Carnival. First up is Holiday Cookies posted at Kathy Maister's startcooking.com. Kathy reminds us "You don't need fancy baking skills to make these beautiful, tasty, easy-bake Christmas cookies, and they're great for entertaining over the holidays." Kathy's second offering is How to Carve a Turkey or a Chicken "If you need help carving your bird for Christmas dinner, here's everything you need to know." Finally, she gives a wonderful recipe for Cranberry Relish, saying, "If you are lucky enough to get an invitation to a dinner that includes a turkey or a goose, offer to bring the cranberry relish. This recipe involves no cooking, but I guarantee your efforts will be appreciated!"

Christine has two recipes posted at her blog Me, My Kid and Life: An American Single Mom Living in France: first Hot Apples with Cinnamon and Honey  which she says are "Delicious, all natural, healthy holiday dessert!" Then she adds Vin Chaud - Hot Wine  saying, "Bring a little bit of France home for the holidays with this traditional French favorite, vin chaud (hot wine). Enjoy the holidays!" Very similar to mulled wine, but with a slightly different twist

Rebecca presents Gingerbread House Patterns and Inspiration posted at The Experimental Kitchen.

GP presents The 10 Commandments of Holiday Eating posted at Innside Montana-Your Home at the Range, saying, "The 10 commandments of holiday eating... thou shalt not skimp on holiday goodies.. Read on!" Oh, how true...

 

Music

GrrlScientist presents White Christmas posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, "One of my readers sent me this very cute rendition of the classic Christmas song, 'White Christmas', so of course, I had to share it with all of you! It includes the soundtrack along with a goofy cartoon." It's cute!

David at third world county is our music maestro and has many beautiful old hymns you need to experience: Who Is He in Yonder Stall? which is "...a brief excerpt of the song as performed by the Moody Bible Institute choir/band", then A Christmas Lullaby. Of course, even though Christmas is on a Tuesday not a Thursday this year, he also gives us a Thursday Thirteen post: T-13; 1.50: Fav Xmas Carols (Re-run :-)) And finally, a gorgeous hymn one rarely hears anymore: Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus. Thanks, David - it's good to be reminded of these real Christmas songs!

[UPDATE] *shakes head at self* I forgot that Alton - yep, another blog-brother - had sent in Wee Fish Ewe A Mare... Great job, Alton, and I apologize for the oversight!

[UPDATE] And another blog-brother sneaks in under the wire, LOL Jay over at Stop the ACLU has a beautiful video up!

 

Gifts

Roger Carr reminds us of some simple Christmas Acts of Kindness at Everyday Giving Blog. I really like seeing posts like this, because they remind us that Christmas is not really about getting stuff, it's about giving!

Tip Diva presents Top Ten Tips - Last Minute Gifts, and there are many good ideas here (I particularly like the gift certificate to a favorite restaurant idea! )

Kim Ethridge presents 10+ Top Alternatives for Gifts in the Spirit of the Season posted at Cranberries on the Counter, saying, "Some alternative gifts in the true spirit of Christmas." Again, many good, alternative ideas for gifts which emphasize a generous and selfless outlook.

Gilly Marcelli presents Christmas Spirit posted at DiscoveryDiva, which is an excellent list of ways to give the gift of your time and effort one someone's behalf. This is gift-giving in the true Spirit of Christmas by helping others in a loving and generous way.

Joshua C. Karlin writes a very thoughtful post,How Should We Give? at Marketing & Fundraising Ideas. No, despite the title, it is NOT a splog! Joshua really has a grasp of the attitude behind our giving, and this is a wonderful essay we all ought to read. Here's a quote: "I give because it is the right thing to do. And Maimonides is trying to teach me that the act of giving is not about me, but about the recipient. I need to be concerned about the dignity of the recipient more than how I feel about giving."

GrrlScientist presents The Gift of Giving posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, "Surprisingly, gift-giving often provides more benefits for the giver than the recipient." Ah, yes, there's that old saying "It is better to give than to receive!" How true... 

Steve Faber presents - Holiday Gift Ideas to Save Money posted at DebtBlog. Yeah, I know, it looks like a splog, but the suggestions in the post are excellent - and who wants to splurge on Christmas and then get all those extravagant credit card bills?

 

Traditions

Leslie Carbone is one of my blog-siblings from Virginia, and is a brilliant and gracious lady. She's offering three submissions, all about Colonial times and how they celebrated Christmas, and accompanied them with beautiful pictures: Colonial Christmas Decorations,  Colonial Christmastide at Night and More Colonial Christmas Decorations. Simply gorgeous!

pickel has been really digging around the 'net, and submitted several posts: Russian Holy Supper which is posted at A Child Chosen. Then pickel found Our Eve Tradition (which really sounds delightful!)posted at My Two Boys. Now I'm fortunate that my daughter never had issues with Santa, but pickel's final find, The Do's and Dont's of Visiting With Santa (found at Discussing Autism - which looks like a very worthy blog just for the topic!), gives many helpful guidelines so you don't have a terrified child on your hands.

The Random Yak tells us what the Random Family does on Christmas "E"ve.  Family traditions like this are what really make memories!

Dana reminds me of Family Traditions posted at Principled Discovery. I remember having a program on TV on Christmas Day when I was growing up - it only had a warm fire crackling in the fireplace, with beautiful Christmas music playing. It was very simple, but so beautiful! Thanks for reminding me, Dana - and I like the horses in your banner!

Host Bee gives many tips on how to keep Believing in Santa at Busy Bee Lifestyle. I remember on Christmas in particular when Santa was very real to my Darling Munchkin, and that child-like delight and wonder she had is a cherished memory for me.

Christine pops up again with Marche de Noel | Christmas Market posted at Me, My Kid and Life: An American Single Mom Living in France, and says, "Happy holidays from Strasbourg!" I really like seeing traditions from other countries

Karen Dowell at Wiggly Wigglers makes another appearance, too, and discusses the The Twelve Days of Christmas with all sorts of factoids about this traditional song.

 

 Parodies and Humor

Catnabbit presents Knotty Cat Got Vacuum for Christmas posted at Catnabbit!, saying, "Instead of a visit from Santa Claws, the knotty cats get a visit from the Unholy Vacuum Beast!" Oh, noes! The poor kitti-purrs must have been very naughty indeed!

Wenchypoo presents Post-Holiday Commentary posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket. Well, I suppose you could say this is satire, but Wenchypoo does put her finger on some of the more insane things we do at Christmas. Don't forget, tomorrow is supposed to be joyful and fun!

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Ms. Legal Person Answers Your Holiday Questions posted at Mad Kane's Humor Blog. Cute!

Ron is another of my Virginia blog-sibs, and he found Chinese Food on Christmas posted at Isophorone.He sent it in with this comment, "Sorry, couldn't resist!" That's OK, Ron - my husband loved it so much, we had to pull it up and show it to the family!

WhatWorksForUs presents No. Ornaments Are NOT Chew Toys. posted at What Works For Us. They're not?! Well, y'all are gonna have to get that poor puppy some good rawhide to gnaw on, then!

 

 Pictures and Video

GrrlScientist chimes in again (gosh, I really like how several people found many things to send in!) Lincoln Center Christmas Tree 2007.It's gorgeous! I love nighttime shots of Christmas lights.

Ogre, who is a dear friend even though he DOES need a bath (Sorry - inside joke ), lets us know the progress of his Snowman Army over at Ogre's Politics and Views. You know, Ogre, I'm still not sure you AREN'T the re-incarnation of Calvin...

chaosgone presents Christmas Time All Over the World posted at Chaosgone, saying, "Videos of Christmas all over the world." How fun! As I said before, I really like seeing how other countries celebrate.

Hilltown Families presents DIY: Christmas Spider Holiday Cards posted at Hilltown Families. This is a cute little video (but... "Christmas spider"?! LOL)

cookingfor5 presents Christmas Cookies posted at Cookie Creations, saying, "For my family, Christmas is simply not Christmas without Cut-out Cookies." It's a lovely picture... But where's the recipe?

Always On Watch, yet another blogger who has honored me with friendship, posts Christmas 2007 at Always On Watch. AOW loves the hymn "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and found a beautiful video to match it.

 

 Stories

Suldog presents Pointy The Poinsettia posted at Suldog-O-Rama, saying, "The story of Pointy The Poinsettia!" Well, this could have gone in "humor," too, but I wanted to put it here... And I'm glad that Pointy has a good home!

Santa's Elf asks you to post your Christmas memories & stories at Love Santa, saying, "Our whole blog is a collection of Christmas stories & memories."

"If the troops in Iraq can't be home for Christmas, then we're going to make sure that a little bit of home goes to Iraq," said one volunteer at the Carroll County Agriculture Center on Saturday, December 1." And thus begins Kevin E. Dayhoff's report,20071201 Operation Christmas Tree. What a wonderful thing to do, to show love and support for our troops! 

Leticia Velasquez presents THE JESSE TREE posted at cause of our joy.

The Random Yak sends in Surprise! It's a Christmas Tree! posted at The Random Yak. It's a perfect retelling of the glorious and you-must-do-it-at-least-ONCE experience of finding the Perfect Christmas Tree^(TM)!

 The Spirit of Christmas

Adam Graham sent in Christmas and the People We Ought to Be posted at Adam's Blog. Adam is, of course, the originator of the Carnival of Christmas, and it's a delight to read his post. Here's a sample: "It's a remarkable thing. Amidst all the commercialism, the birth of Christ lays out the standard for goodness and love to our fellow man.  Sometimes, we think goodness is only for Christmas, but it's not. Real needs live on long after Christmas is gone." Indeed!

Julie Heath posts about Teaching Kids The Meaning of Christmas at More4kids. This one is from last year, but I think it was submitted after last year's deadline, so it rolled over to this year. It's very worthwhile reading!

The Career Counselor presents Holiday Season: Simple Ways to Increase Morale and Happiness at Your Office posted at ask the CareerCounselor, saying, "Between business deadlines, social events, and family affairs it's often hard to find the time to celebrate with your colleagues. To life spirits at your office, here are a few quick and easy ideas that offer a lot of smiles for very little time or expense." Again, this is from last year, but there are a lot of good suggestions for the workplace.

Erika Wilson asks What's So Special About Christmas? at Royally Redeemed, saying, "For Christians, Christmas is a time for great rejoicing. For this is the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Read about why Christmas is so very special and browse my favorite Christmas things."

Yet another of my Virginia blog-family sent an entry in! Scott White asks Where has CHRISTmas gone? at Scott's Thoughts. "First of all, Christmas should be personal. It is best celebrated they way you and your family want to celebrate it. It's a time of joy, thanksgiving, friendship. family, love, blessings, gifts. A time of celebration. It's the time we, as Christians, celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus." Amen, Scott... Thanks!

GP presents The Best Things in Life Cant be Found at the Mall posted at Innside Montana-Your Home at the Range, saying, "There is so much to do in this now-extended holiday season that it all seems to fly by before we even have time to just sit quietly and enjoy a cozy winter's evening waiting patiently for Christmas to arrive. Seven ideas we have come to value as we embrace the notion that, The Best Things in Life Aren't Things." You said it!

Rena Williams talks aboutChristmas Meaning posted at Balanced Success, and discusses how the meaning can change throughout life.

Big Dog, another blog-buddy of mine, reminds us of The Reason for the Season posted at Big Dogs Weblog. "Christmas is a time of renewed hope. A time where people can reflect and realize that while we are born as sinners, our sins were forgiven because of the selfless act of Jesus Christ. While we mark this as his birth, we also realize that his birth was the beginning of a journey that ended in suffering and pain, all out of the love God has for mankind." Make sure you read the whole thing!

Cathy presents CHRISTMAS! WHERE THE HEART IS! posted at Joy Thru Generosity, saying, "Many years ago I found myself far from home as Christmas approached. I was in a country that spoke a different language and I hardly knew anyone I was with. There was no escaping the fact it  was December 24th and the next day was sure to come."

 

 Podcasts

Adam Graham presents The Big Little Jesus posted at The Old Time Dragnet Show, saying, "In these 1952 classic Dragnet radio episode, A statue of the Baby Jesus has been stolen and Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith must track it down before Christmas morning."

 

 Poems

Xyba gives us A Different Christmas Poem at Once More Into the Breach. I've read this one before, and it always brings a grateful tear to my eyes.

Elizabeth Wrobel presents Poem: Christmas Time posted at Little Cottage in the Northwoods (A Writer's Paradise). I like it!

 

 Other/Misc.

Debora Silkotch presents O Christmas Tree posted at Ramblings, saying, "Plant a living tree!" It's a great idea! When we moved to Virginia many years ago, we had a live tree, and it was still growing happily in the front yard when we sold that house a while ago. I think that next year we'll do it again.

kelly at {the ringpop bride} gives 11 tips for a holly jolly christmas party..., and they are excellent ideas for really making the holidays sparkle for your guests!

Susan presents Holiday Romance in a Sea of Consumerism posted at The Innovative Traveler.

Tip Diva returns with Top Ten Tips - O Christmas Tree, offering several helpful hints for a successful and beautiful tree.

And I'm going to finish up with our music maestro, David of Third World County, whose final entry is a Fifteenth Century Christmas Sermon: "For this is the most holy night on which the Redeemer of the world, Jesus Christ, chose to be born of the glorious Virgin Mary. Arise, therefore, all, and watch. Prepare your hearts and pray. The Lord has come. Come and adore. Seek Jesus, and you will find him. Knock at the door and it will be opened to you. Enter the house and you will see. Our King has arrived. Christ has been born to us."

Thank you so much for participating in the Carnival of Christmas. I pray that tomorrow is full of joy and laughter for you and yours, and that this roundup has made you smile, made you think, and made you remember why we celebrate! Don't forget to go over to the Christmas Alliance for a whole bunch of goodies which weren't submitted to the Carnival.

May you have a blessed New Year, and I hope you enjoyed it! Oh... My Christmas posts can all be found here, if you'd care to look at them

Submit your blog article to the next edition of Carnival of Christmas using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: carnival of christmas, blog carnival.

It's called CHRISTMAS!!!

Big, snuggly, loving purrs to Concrete Bob, who found this:

 

UPDATE: The guys who sing this are Go Fish, and the song is from their album Snow.

Fred Thompson is CLASSY

As Jay over at Stop the ACLU says,

He completely keeps overt politics out of it, and doesn't even appear in it! Very classy, and doesn't even plug his website. The subject matter is right on. This gave me chills. He could have went the overtly political route like Huckabee and Hillary, but he didn't. I think that speaks volumes.

Classy. Very, very classy!

The Prodigal Son - a Christmas story?!

Yes, actually, it is!

Jason Boyett, writing at TrueU, posts "My Favorite Christmas Story":

But if there’s any downfall to our evangelical emphasis on Easter, it’s that we’ve unconsciously shipped the Christmas story off to second place. We talk about the resurrection all the time. But the incarnation? The story of the Christ child, Emmanuel, “God with us”? Other than during these few weeks at the end of the year, the first coming of Jesus gets scant attention. Maybe it’s because the entire concept is pretty hard to wrap our minds around. The theological idea that Jesus was 100 percent man and 100 percent divine doesn’t exactly lend itself to one of those handy charts in the back of our Bibles, right before the maps of Paul’s missionary journeys. It doesn’t play well on Flannelgraph, either.

In fact, I’d be willing to bet that, while almost any churchgoer can tell you the significance of the resurrection, a surprising percentage wouldn’t even be able to define the word incarnation. And that’s a problem. Because without the incarnation — without God becoming flesh and dwelling among us — you don’t get to Jesus. His life and death don’t mean much if He’s not fully man and fully divine. The resurrection doesn’t happen if He’s not God with skin on. Which means you wouldn’t be too far off in identifying the incarnation as the central point of the entire Bible.

[...]

If the incarnation is the story of God entering His creation — of God refusing to wait for us to come to Him and instead, demeaning Himself to come to us — then the story that best illustrates it is the Parable of the Prodigal Son. And that’s why it’s my all-time favorite Christmas story, better than anything Charles Schultz or Dr. Seuss have ever told.

As far as parables go, the title is misleading. Somewhere along the way, it got named after the son who leaves his family, squanders his money, and returns home a failed wreck of a man. But I wonder if maybe the story isn’t so much about the son as it is about the father. When the son left home, requesting his inheritance in advance, what he was symbolically doing was telling his dad to drop dead. He humiliated his father. The son’s actions would have stunned Jesus’ listeners, and they wouldn’t have been surprised had the family immediately disowned the boy and moved on as if he never existed.

But that’s not what happened. Consider the father’s response when the son returned.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).

I love the detail that the father saw the son “while he was still a long way off.” He hadn’t written the kid off as dead, as would have been expected. Nope, he was actually waiting for him to return. He was looking for him. And when he finally saw the prodigal, the dad leapt out of his rocking chair, stumbled down the porch steps and tore off down the road like a crazy person. The father took action. He went running toward the son who had so humiliated him. He didn’t care what it looked like, or what anyone else thought. He only cared about his child.

The father, of course — the crazy guy laughing and weeping and kicking up dust as he sprints down the road — is God.

Exactly.

God does the unthinkable in the Incarnation: He comes to us! We - who have spurned and rejected Him, who blaspheme and rebel against Him, who want nothing to do with Him - and yet He comes to us in love and humility. He doesn't wait for us to make our own way back - He knows that's impossible. He doesn't write us off as hopeless - He knows He can give us hope. He doesn't welcome us grudgingly - He chases after us and enfolds us in His loving arms.

He comes to us!

That's the whole crazy, vibrant, unthinkable passion behind the Incarnation: God loved us SO MUCH that He chased us, He went out to us, He searched us out, He lived with us... God with us, "Immanuel."

Don't you see your Father chasing you? Stop... and let Him catch you!

Carnival of Christmas - get your entries in!

Because tomorrow, at 3pm Eastern, is the last day to submit posts!

I will have the Carnival up on Monday sometime (hopefully first thing), both here on the regular blog, as well as on my page for the Carnival of Christmas, 2007...

Unto us...

For unto us a Child is born,
      Unto us a Son is given;
      And the government will be upon His shoulder.
      And His name will be called
      Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
      There will be no end,
      Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
      To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
      From that time forward, even forever.
      The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7, NKJV)

A Promise kept, and a Promise to come...

What do I mean by that? Well, of course you know that the first Promise is the coming of the Christ, "Immanuel" - God with us.  But the second Promise has yet to be fulfilled - Christ will return, and He will take the throne of Israel, which shall be the throne of the whole world.

Now, you know - or you ought to by now - that I am not a fan of big government. But when God Himself comes to rule us directly, His government will be perfectly righteous and just. Every single law will be fair, and will be implemented without any hint of partiality or favoritism.

How often do we say, "But that's not fair!"? In the Kingdom, we will never have cause to say that... Oh, yes, there are those who will say that, because we will not all be perfected in the Millennial Kingdom and will still be influenced by sin (take a look at Revelation 20:1-10), and so there will still be selfishness and greed. But the Rule of God will be prefect, and in the end, all mouths will be silenced, and every knee will bow in acknowledgement that the Child born two thousand years ago is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Each of us has a choice: do we bow now in love and joy, or do we bow later under condemnation and judgement?

Open your heart and let the Christ Child be born there this Christmas. Open your heart to the glorious Promise of His return. Accept the wondrous Gift He offers, and join your very soul to the chorus of praise to the God who loved us so much that He came down to live with us!

Please don't forget that this Sunday is the deadline to submit a post to the Carnival of Christmas! Also, the Christmas Alliance is going strong with all sorts of holiday goodness, so make sure you stop by...

"Bethlehem Dawn"

Todd Agnew has a Christmas album, Do You See What I See?, which is full of beautiful songs. This morning the iPod served up "Bethlehem Dawn" -- which got me to thinking...

What did the shepherds think of all this? There they were, out in the dark fields watching over their sheep, and then suddenly!, a burst of heavenly radiance knocked them off their feet... Angels appeared, a mighty chorus, shining with glory, triumphantly announcing the Advent of the King:

“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

In a manger?! What?

Can you imagine what the shepherds thought? They had this glorious announcement of the birth of the King, shouted from the heavens by the Heavenly Host... and then, they went to the stable.

They went to a little stable which did not have the radiance of heaven infusing it, but which did have a tired young girl, exhausted and sweaty after delivering her first child. The stable had a father, worn out after anxiously helping his wife deliver a child who ought to have been born when they were at home, surrounded by family and older women who knew what to do! The stable had animals quietly sleeping, or curiously looking over at all the fuss in confusion and bemusement while they munched on some hay.

The stable had a little child, wrapped up tightly in swaddling cloths, fragile as all newborns are... The King of Kings, God Himself, in this tiny, frail, human body!

How confused the shepherds must have been with this very contrary set of events! The glory of Heaven pointing to the rude humility of the stable - what would you have thought?

The sunrise was beautiful this morning, but somehow it seemed that everything was darker then the sky we had seen just a few hours ago, as the angels sang a song of joy.

Not even the Bethlehem dawn could compare to the light it revealed,
Not even the Bethlehem sun that unveiled the son of God sleeping in a cattle stall, the almighty God humbled to save us all,
Not even the Bethlehem dawn.

The cry of a baby shatters the silence,
Can you believe that same voice makes my heart beat?
And the tears in his eyes, and in his mother’s and father’s, are tears for all mankind.

Not even the Bethlehem dawn could compare to the light it revealed,
Not even the Bethlehem sun that unveiled the son of God sleeping in a cattle stall, the almighty God humbled to save us all,
Not even the Bethlehem dawn.

This little baby is crying my tears for me,
This little baby is bathing in my shame,
This little baby is giving up his glory to take my place, to light the way.

Not even the Bethlehem dawn could compare to the light it revealed,
Not even the Bethlehem sun that unveiled the son of God sleeping in a cattle stall, the almighty God humbled to save us all,
Can you believe what he sacrificed for me?

Not even the Bethlehem dawn.

The Child born two thousand years ago grew up and obeyed His Father perfectly all His life. And then, at the appointed time, He took our punishment, He suffered our death - and gave Himself for us. God Incarnate gave the first, and best, Christmas gift - and then gave the ultimate Gift of Sacrifice and Forgiveness.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men!"

Will you take His offer?

We have nothing of worth to give Him, yet He asks us to give it. What does He ask of us? He wants us - our hearts, our minds, our pride, our pain, our sin, our failures... All of our being.

And in return, He gives yet more: His Spirit, His forgiveness, His blessings, His Home... His love.

I pray that the Babe of Bethlehem will be born anew in the hearts and souls of many this Christmas... Perhaps your heart is empty and longing for the Child; if so, let Him come in.

Let Christmas be proclaimed in your heart today!

Don't forget that the Carnival of Christmas' deadline is this Sunday, so get your posts ready, and submit them here. Also, go on by the Christmas Alliance home page and contribute your entries!

Shaun's right: this is a good ad!

No, I don't plan on voting for Huckabee, but he does get it right - totally right! - in this ad:

God bless, Mr. Huckabee. Reminders like this, stripped of politics and self-promotion, are what we all need!

(Purrs to my blog-brother, Shaun Kenney)

Wonderful One

This should almost be a "Thoughts from the iPod" post, but I'm going to make it a Christmas theme.

I was listening to Newsong's beautiful tune, "Wonderful One," and it made me think of how wonderful God really is:

some say you're a lunatic, some
say you're not the one
can't help but disagree with it,
i believe you're god's own son
i'm sure as a man can be, knowing
all you've saved me from
i know first hand the miracles
that you've done inside my heart
i'll gladly stand and testify just who you are 

chorus:
(you're the wonderful one)
every breath i take i want my
life to bring you praise
(you're the wonderful one)
i am so amazed by your never-ending grace
(you're the wonderful one)
and nothing in this world could
separate me from your love
(you're the wonderful one) 

well i've seen all the evidence,
nothing else i need to know
i'm convinced that a world like this
needs to know that there is hope 

i know first hand the miracles that
you've done inside my heart
i'll gladly stand and testify just who you are 

chorus 

bridge:
you help me in my helplessness,
you heal me in my brokenness
tell me how could i forget
the wonders of your love 

chorus

Liar, lunatic, or Lord - the classic choice described by C.S. Lewis.

But only the true and living God, only the God who loves us and created us, only the holy and righteous God, only the merciful and gracious God, would ever think to humble Himself and come live among us. Only this God would sacrifice Himself for us, ransoming us from the grip of sin. Only this God would raise Himself from the dead to prove who He is and that His promises are sure.

Only Jesus.

Born in a rude stable two thousand years ago, and still willing to be born into our sad and sinful hearts today - will this be the year that your heart becomes His throne?

Remember, the Carnival of Christmas deadline is less than two weeks away - so get those submissions in! As always, swing by the Random Yak's Christmas Alliance webpage for loads of Christmas cheer.

Hah!!! "Twelve Days of Christmas... er, Liberals!"

Heh. And, as they conclude, "If you thought our singing was bad... Just wait until the Democrats get their hands on your paycheck next year!"

Which is all well and good, but - as I told the very nice RNC telemarketer last week:

You left your base. Until the Republicans prove that they've returned to their foundations of fiscal responsibility, transparent and open accountability, small government, secure borders, law enforcement, national security, and honor in personal and public actions...

Sorry, guys... Not. One. Thin. Dime!

But the video is cute...

(Kittipurrs to the divine Mrs. M!)

Carnival of Christmas deadline getting near...

Don't forget that there's less than two weeks left to get your posts in for the Carnival of Christmas!!!

If you get them in early, I'll have more time to write up a proper plug for your post... *hint, hint* So, write something seasonal and then submit it via the link to Blog Carnival!

"I love you" could not be said a better way...

No, it really couldn't... Downhere's lyrics are just beautiful:

I'm not alone, I really believe
You never go, You never leave
Here and now, You always stay
“I love you” could not be said a better way

It's everything You've promised
There's no greater love than this
From prophets until today
A man laying down His life for His friends
Your sacrifice has spoken, You gave everything
And “I love you” could not be said
A better way

I am forgiven, I clearly see
It's why You came to do all you did for me
Trading earth with heaven, You took my place
“I love you” could not be said
A better way

Because You redeem, I know what's to come
Everything I could lose here, You've already won
So You have my surrender, with passion obey
“I love you” could not be said
A better way

Did you know that, before the Advent of Christ, the Spirit of God only "rested" upon His servants? He did not "indwell" them as He does today. In the Old Testament, God's Spirit could leave and remove Himself if the man or woman did not follow His will - take Sampson and King Saul as examples.

But today, because Christ came down and enfleshed Himself, because He lived with us and died for us, His Spirit now comes into our souls and takes up residence. God now says that He will never leave us nor forsake us: once we are saved, the Holy Spirit comes in and seals us with His eternal guarantee of salvation.

Jesus didn't just come to show us a better way... He came to be our Better Way!

Don't forget to get your submissions in to the Carnival of Christmas, and swing by the Christmas Alliance webpage for many blessings of this glorious season!

Who is this King of Glory?

Ah, the wonders of God's provision!

As I was driving back from dropping the Darling Munchkin at school, I was listening to my iPod (lo, what a surprise!) and trying to think about what I wanted to write for today's Christmas meditation. [ponder, ponder, ponder]

God, in His wonderful timing, brought these two songs up (yes, the iPod was on "shuffle songs" - that's the way I like it), and they seemed to fit in beautifully with the Christmas theme.

Which songs were they? Well, read on...!

The River has come...

The River of Life, the Source of all existence, has come into this world...

The words of this bluegrass Gospel song are simple:

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good ol' way
And who shall wear the starry crown?
Good Lord show me the way

O sinners, let's go down
Let's go down, come on down
O sinners, let's go down
Down in the river to pray

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good ol' way
And who shall wear the robe and crown?
Good Lord show me the way

The River has come to us, born as a Baby in a stable with only His parents and the animals to witness how softly, how quietly, this Gift was given...

Will you not come down to Him? Will you not humble yourself and cast yourself on His kind mercy and powerful salvation?

Will you send in an entry to the Carnival of Christmas? Entry guidelines and updates/news are here... Make sure you also stop by the Christmas Alliance webpage, too! If you put up posts about Christmas, make sure you link and trackback so that others monitoring the Alliance can enjoy your contributions!

Emmanuel is coming...

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Father, two thousand years ago, You gave us Your Son in the flesh. He lived among us, He taught and healed us, and then He gave His life for us. He rose on the third day, and then ascended into Heaven... and we await His return.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Lord Jesus, Your life and death freed Your people from the chains of sin. Your sacrifice crushed the power of Satan on this earth for those who trust in You. Through Your strength, we can resist the devil, and he will flee.

Yet still we await Your return...

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O Holy Spirit, You live within us and give us guidance and strength. You are our seal and our guarantee that we are God's children. Your presence lights a bright candle in the darkness of our souls, and blesses us with the brilliance of the Light of the World, giving us hope and the promise of our Savior's return.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Ah, Lord God Almighty, Your people Israel still close their eyes to Your glorious Son, their Messiah. You promised them and eternal King to sit on the throne of David Your servant, yet they refused to accept Him. Your remnant, O Lord, is still among them, and Your Word is still alive and vibrant, giving grace to those who heed their message.

Come, Lord - deliver your people Israel! Raise Your banner and open their eyes; rescue them by Your mighty hand! Come, Lord. Come and take Your throne!

As You came to us in silence and humility, Lord Jesus, return to us now with the trumpets' call and triumphant shout to claim all Your own so that we may proclaim:

He's come! He's come! Emmanuel
Has rescued thee, O Israel!

Don't forget to submit your entries to the Carnival of Christmas, and keep checking the Christmas Alliance webpage for updates of Christmas blessings and cheer!

Merry Tossmas!

HAH!

(Kittipurrs to Ted Slater at the Boundless Line)

That He may have the preeminence

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:15-18, NKJV)

Two thousand years ago, a Baby was born in a humble stable. On the surface, it really wasn't anything special - after all, babies are born every day, and even in these modern times many are born into poverty.

This Baby, however, was special.

This Child was the very image, the εικων (Greek, "eikon," where we get our word "icon") of God. This Child was, in fact, God Himself coming down to His people.

Note that God did not do this by coming as a King. Although He could certainly claim that stature by right, He did not do so: He came down as a little child from and obscure family that lived in a poor town. His earthy father was only a simple carpenter, not a Pharisee or a rabbi. His mother was only a young Jewish girl whose name would never have been known but for the Child she bore.

Thus God the Son, the Heir of all Creation, by whom and for whom all things were created, the very God whose word and power holds everything together... laid aside His glory, shrugged off His power, and forsook His throne so that He might live among us. He placed His tabernacle among us, and God Himself became Man.

He lived as one of us, from having His diaper changed and depending upon His parents to feed Him through all the way to taking the punishment we had earned and winning our redemption.

Why did He do this? What could possibly be worth all the pain and agony and sorrow He experienced?

He loved us. He loved us with a perfect love, a love He had for us before He even created us. He knew us from before the foundation of the earth, knew the choices and the sins that would make up our lives, and He loved us.

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8, NKJV)

He humbled Himself and came down, so that He might raise us up and exalt us together with Himself.

Love, patience, humility, kindness, faithfulness, servanthood - displayed by the God of all that is... on our behalf.

Thus, in all things, He has the preeminence: it is His by right of creation, but it is also His because of the life He lived here and the victory over death He won.

So, as we celebrate Christmas and enjoy our families and friends, as we shop for gifts and food, as we go to parties and listen to the holiday music, let us never forget the Baby - that unique Child, who was God in the flesh - and what He has done for us.

Don't forget that the Carnival of Christmas will be held here at CatHouse Chat on December 24th; for full details please go here. And, make sure you bookmark the Christmas Alliance 2007 page for excellent holiday goodness. Links and trackbacks to both pages are welcome and encouraged!

Made like His brethren

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:14-18, NKJV)

Rather an odd selection of Scripture to use for a Christmas meditation, don't you think? As I was writing yesterday's post, however, the book of Hebrews kept coming to mind. I kept thinking about how Christ came to be our Perfect Prophet, King, and Priest, and how He had to become like us to fulfill these duties. Specifically, I though about how Christ came to be our Ultimate Priest and offered the supreme sacrifice of Himself on our behalf.

Just as we are frail and live our lives on this speck of dust orbiting an average sun, Christ came to live among us as one of us. He felt our hurts, He experienced our weariness, He lived our sorrows... and He showed us His joy. He is our true High Priest, who has entered into our lives and has compassion on our weaknesses.

The joy Christ has, the abundant life He offers, is freely available because He humbled Himself and came down to us two thousand years ago. He lived His life among us, lived it perfectly, and gave Himself so that we might know God and be able to live with Him forever. The Prophet, the King, and the Priest, united in one Person, came to His people and lived among them so that He would be able to give us help and comfort for every aspect of our lives. The High Priest did not sacrifice bulls, lambs, goats or doves to pay for our transgressions; He sacrificed Himself!

Jesus did not do this for the angels - He did it for *US!*

Hebrews reminds us

But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Jesus was born to shed His blood for His children, to be our perfect High Priest. He stands in Heaven before His Father, continually applying the redemption of His blood upon our sins, presenting His children as perfect and holy.

All this and far more, born as a baby - a helpless, dependant child - two thousand years ago...

Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!

Please don't forget that the Carnival of Christmas will be hosted here on December 24th. Submissions are due no later than the 23rd, and you can find the guidelines and submission process here. Also, the Random Yak has the Christmas Alliance going strong, so if you do post Christmas-related entries, please link and trackback to the homepage for the Christmas Alliance, 2007.