Some Personal Thoughts about Christmas

Some are for celebrating it. Some are against it. For what it's worth, it's not a salvation issue, so I don't really care one way or another. Halloween: I used to go to my bedroom, turn the AC on and watch TV and ignore anybody who came. Then I thought: This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it! So, do you know what I do? I buy candy, I buy Christian coloring books, I buy Christian bookmarks, pencils, pens, stickers. Kids might not go to other houses, but they ALWAYS come to mine. And sometimes I sing a chorus to the kids, after they sing to me. Yes, I ask them for a song. And I give the parents something, too: the Gospel of John. Why not? Why let the world hijack the day that the Lord has made? Ha! Double ha! Christmas: So, Christ was not born in December. Many Christians know that. Probably born at the end of September or early October. God does not command us to celebrate it. However, the custom of people was that on Christmas Day, members of the church would go to their pastor's house and brings gifts of food for him and his family. Then St. Nicholas got in there at some point in history, I really DON'T care when that happened, but it certainly did. I have two choices: Ignore the day and treat it like any other day. Or, I can celebrate the birth of my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. I choose: BOTH. It's a day like any other, because of the above, and I celebrate the culmination of the promise of God to send a Savior, God the Son. If the world wants to tell me Happy Jesus's Birthday in September, I'll say, "Yes!" And if they want to say it in December, I'll say, "Yes!" and give them a Gospel of John, too. I refuse to let somebody hijack any day of the year, whatever the celebration, and boycott "the day that the Lord has made." In fact, I remember my son’s school, Calvary Baptist. This is their version of Jingle Bells. They used to have bells their little hands would ring, and the 4 and 5 year-olds singing it sounded very sweet: Christmas bells, Christmas bells Ring them out today! Tell the world that Jesus came To take our sins away! So, there it is. Yeah, I'll put up some decorations, have the boys over for dinner, or whenever they show up. But here, in my house, Santa Claus has never been over, we've always had a cake and sung Happy Birthday to Jesus Christ and thanked Him for salvation through belief in Him as the Messiah, the risen Savior, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. What's not to like? Debaters: I don't debate. I won't argue the issue. I'm sharing my thoughts and our family history. I think a lot of us are going to be really surprised in Heaven. Some of us will be ashamed, probably most of us. I'm sure I will. But I'll be there, because I believed on the Lord Jesus Christ in 1982 and nothing can separate me from the love of God. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing at all. Good night. ~Ambar

Merry Christmas from Hillsdale College

https://secure.hillsdale.edu/merry-christmas-2016

Hillsdale College has the most lovely "Greeting Card" this year!

A Holy Night

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

by Henry W. Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound the carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn, the households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

It's Three Kings Day Eve

So the kids will be gathering the grass for their boxes, because tonight the Three Wise Men will come, take away the grass for the camels (or horses) and leave small gifts in the boxes.

I hope all have a blessed day tomorrow.  Did you know that tomorrow is the Twelfth Day of Christmas? It IS!  You might wish to look up the history of the Twelve Days of Christmas carol, it's interesting.

If you just want to hear the music, here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFZuJEaxHTw

The grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

River

A Social Network Christmas