um, yes, I've now realized that I added incorrectly and you're getting the 12th day of Christmas on Christmas Eve, but it's too late to do anything about it now!
On the twelfth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me, twelve blades of grass, eleven sparkly lights, ten recycled bows, nine ranks of scholars, eight modes of worship, seven crazy feelings, six proclamations, five broken dreams, four upset parents, three gifts from wisemen, two speaking prophets, and a great big herd of bleating, dumb sheep.
There's nothing more disconcerting than to reach your teen years/early adulthood and discover things about your beliefs, that you were so steadfast on, are simply drop-dead wrong. My junior year of high school, after two years of desperately praying for a Christian friend in my grade, a girl transferred into my school. She was a devout Church of Christ. Her family didn't put up a Christmas tree, for trees were pagan. HUH? Her church (not sure if it was all Church of Christ or just her particular one) held to the view that Christianity started celebrating the birth of Christ to escape persecution for not celebrating the winter festival and its gods during the Roman Empire. They think Christ was born during the spring. So many of them refuse to celebrate all, or any, of Christmas.
So I asked my Dad, my Sunday school teacher, my older sister, and later a few professors at Bible College about it. Most of them agreed that Christ probably was born during the spring. Some of them came to that conclusion because the sheep were out in the field, others because of the Jewish calendar, and others thought it was the craziest thing they'd ever heard.
I finally came to the conclusion that it really didn't matter WHEN it happened or WHEN we choose to celebrate it, but what really matters is that I hold it to be TRUE, that I understand all the ramifications for Christ's birth. And I've thought about those ramifications quite a bit the last few days.
After seven years of fighting breast cancer, my cousin's wife is now in her last days. This last week Charlotte has reported seeing the same two angels at various times in her days. It's only that "peace that passes understanding" that is seeing them through this holiday season. And they wouldn't have that peace had Jesus not been born in a miraculous manner, enabling him to be fully man without sin.
Yesterday I received an e-mail update (posted on the 21st), about a young pastor, in bondage for his faith, who suddenly has an unexpected review of his case. One of the requests of his wife, who is now responsible for providing for two boys? That God would be glorified. Such emotional strength would not be possible if the miraculous birth had not occurred.
Christians in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire are sending out pleas for prayer as their country is once again being tossed into Civil War. How do they get through each day not knowing whether or not this will be the day they or a loved one will die? They know they'll meet again in eternity, because a Savior came, and now resides in their hearts. Emmanuel - God with us.
The Carson family, facing an uncertain and unexpected Christmas this year, never dreaming last year that this one would be such an emotional roller coaster, can "cry with hope" because of Immanuel.
The McLean's, facing uncertain tomorrows and parents in poor health, they still find things to laugh and rejoice over...because they have a Jehovah-jireh, The God who Provides, who came to earth in the flesh 2,000 years ago for the sole purpose of tearing that curtain in two so we can personally talk to him without a priest or mediator.
My Mom, Mary Booth, Candace Anderson, and so many others who physically struggle EVERY SINGLE DAY all smile with joy because of EMMANUEL...GOD WITH US!!!!
Those sheep had something to eat and whether those blades of grass were frozen or not, the Bible doesn't say. But I am just SO thankful that he came to this earth as my willing sacrifice, giving me a reason to rejoice and a hope for the days when things seem so dreary and hard.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me, twelve blades of grass, eleven sparkly lights, ten recycled bows, nine ranks of scholars, eight modes of worship, seven crazy feelings, six proclamations, five broken dreams, four upset parents, three gifts from wisemen, two speaking prophets, and a great big herd of bleating, dumb sheep.
There's nothing more disconcerting than to reach your teen years/early adulthood and discover things about your beliefs, that you were so steadfast on, are simply drop-dead wrong. My junior year of high school, after two years of desperately praying for a Christian friend in my grade, a girl transferred into my school. She was a devout Church of Christ. Her family didn't put up a Christmas tree, for trees were pagan. HUH? Her church (not sure if it was all Church of Christ or just her particular one) held to the view that Christianity started celebrating the birth of Christ to escape persecution for not celebrating the winter festival and its gods during the Roman Empire. They think Christ was born during the spring. So many of them refuse to celebrate all, or any, of Christmas.
So I asked my Dad, my Sunday school teacher, my older sister, and later a few professors at Bible College about it. Most of them agreed that Christ probably was born during the spring. Some of them came to that conclusion because the sheep were out in the field, others because of the Jewish calendar, and others thought it was the craziest thing they'd ever heard.
I finally came to the conclusion that it really didn't matter WHEN it happened or WHEN we choose to celebrate it, but what really matters is that I hold it to be TRUE, that I understand all the ramifications for Christ's birth. And I've thought about those ramifications quite a bit the last few days.
After seven years of fighting breast cancer, my cousin's wife is now in her last days. This last week Charlotte has reported seeing the same two angels at various times in her days. It's only that "peace that passes understanding" that is seeing them through this holiday season. And they wouldn't have that peace had Jesus not been born in a miraculous manner, enabling him to be fully man without sin.
Yesterday I received an e-mail update (posted on the 21st), about a young pastor, in bondage for his faith, who suddenly has an unexpected review of his case. One of the requests of his wife, who is now responsible for providing for two boys? That God would be glorified. Such emotional strength would not be possible if the miraculous birth had not occurred.
Christians in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire are sending out pleas for prayer as their country is once again being tossed into Civil War. How do they get through each day not knowing whether or not this will be the day they or a loved one will die? They know they'll meet again in eternity, because a Savior came, and now resides in their hearts. Emmanuel - God with us.
The Carson family, facing an uncertain and unexpected Christmas this year, never dreaming last year that this one would be such an emotional roller coaster, can "cry with hope" because of Immanuel.
The McLean's, facing uncertain tomorrows and parents in poor health, they still find things to laugh and rejoice over...because they have a Jehovah-jireh, The God who Provides, who came to earth in the flesh 2,000 years ago for the sole purpose of tearing that curtain in two so we can personally talk to him without a priest or mediator.
My Mom, Mary Booth, Candace Anderson, and so many others who physically struggle EVERY SINGLE DAY all smile with joy because of EMMANUEL...GOD WITH US!!!!
Those sheep had something to eat and whether those blades of grass were frozen or not, the Bible doesn't say. But I am just SO thankful that he came to this earth as my willing sacrifice, giving me a reason to rejoice and a hope for the days when things seem so dreary and hard.
Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”:) What more can I say?
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. ~ Matthew 1:20-25
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