bestofwordsholidays

God is the final authority here, and I thank Him for you,
and allowing me to share with you in this way.
Lord, please continue to use me to do Thy Will.
Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others.
Keep me strong that I may help the weak and unsaved.
Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others.
May the Holy Spirit always continue to guide me.
I ask for your continued prayers, and please pray for each other

Bunny's Words © 1999-2004 All rights reserved

Gard61@aol.com

Song Playing is: "O Holy Night" by Aaron Neville

Music is for evaluation purposes only.
If you like the music, please support the artists by purchasing the CD.

I absolutely do not receive any monetary gain for anything.
Everything I do is freely given, as it was freely received.

One small light over time turns to many....
by the power of the flame.
One tiny flicker from day to day moved by Heaven's order
Expands to form a holy blaze of beauty.
And all is because of a Great one who shines as the sun
But stands as the greatest servant to share it's fire
That all others may experience the wonder as well.
O God light a fire in my heart piece by piece
until at last I reflect Your glory.

Ray McAllister............ (6 December 2002)

Jingle bells, cookie smells,
Goodies on the tree,
The sights and sounds of Christmas
Are everywhere to see.

So be not sad, or wish for one
Who is no longer here,
If you but pause and think awhile
You’ll find them very near.

For none is ever so far away
Our thoughts can’t set them free
To speed their way ‘cross miles or time
To join us here in memory.

I don’t believe that anyone
Is ever truly gone,
For all it takes is just one thought,
To bring their memory home.

So friend, if you’ve ever wondered
What if she or he were here,
All needs to be done is think of them,
And suddenly, they’re near.

So Christmas then, or Christmas now,
Even Christmas not yet here,
Your thoughts and memories have the power
To bring your loved ones near.

Just close your eyes and think of them
And in your mind you’ll see,
All the ones you’ve ever loved
Around your Christmas tree.

Gather Your Christmas Dreams

Take time to gather your Christmas dreams
At this beautiful time of the year.
You'll find so much to treasure- to keep-
Along with your Christmas cheer,
A faith and a hope that lives in your heart,
As Jesus would enter your mind,
Goodness and mercy forever your own
With all of life's worries behind.
Gather the star shine to gladden your soul,
The blessings from Heaven above,
All of the magic the season can bring,
God's precious caring and love,
Mistletoe, holly, a tree standing tall
And children you hold ever dear,
Your own Christmas angel to lend you a peace
To this holy time of the year.
I send you my greetings dear family and friends
That all of your dreams will come true,
May the Christ Child still bless you and offer you peace
Through every day all the year through.
Merry Christmas God's blessings to you and yours
And after the holiday's done,
Continue to gather your Christmas dreams
Through this new year and each one to come.

Garnett Ann Schultz

A Snowy Christmas Night

Midnight prayers so softly whispered in
A Cathedral's candle light
Bring the message of the holidays
On a snowy Christmas night
Holly reeds and hidden mistletoe
Symbols of the season's might
Joyful faces everywhere you go
On a snowy Christmas night
Give thanks for all you've been blessed with
And hold your loved ones tight
For you know the Lord's been good to you
On a snowy Christmas night
Mother Nature wears a bridal gown
For the world is dressed in white
There's a silent glow that fills the earth
On a snowy Christmas night
Give thanks for all you've been blessed with
And hold your loved ones tight
For you know the Lord's been good to you
On a snowy Christmas night
For you know the Lord's been good to you
On a snowy Christmas night

It's Christmas Night

It's Christmas night. The house is quiet.
Even the crackle is gone from the fireplace.
Warm coals issue a lighthouse glow in the darkened den.
Stockings hang empty on the mantle.
The tree stands naked in the corner.
Christmas cards, tinsel, and memories remind
Christmas night of Christmas day.
It's Christmas night.
What a day it has been! Spiced tea. Santa Claus.
Cranberry sauce.
"Thank you, so much." "You shouldn't have!"
"Grandma is on the phone." Knee-deep wrapping paper.
"It just fits." Flashing cameras.
It's Christmas night.
The girls are in bed. Jenna dreams of her talking
Big Bird and clutches her new purse.
Andrea sleeps in her new Santa pajamas.
It's Christmas night.
The tree that only yesterday grew from soil made of gifts,
again grows from the Christmas tree stand.
Presents are now possessions.
Wrapping paper is bagged and in the dumpsite.
The dishes are washed and leftover turkey
awaits next week's sandwiches.
It's Christmas night.
The last of the carolers appeared on the ten o'clock news.
The last of the apple pie was eaten by my brother-in-law.
And the last of the Christmas albums have been stored away
having dutifully performed their annual rendition of chestnuts,
white Christmases, and red-nosed reindeer.
It's Christmas night.
The midnight hour has chimed and I should be asleep,
but I'm awake. I'm kept awake by one stunning thought.
The world was different this week. It was temporarily transformed.
The magical dust of Christmas glittered on the cheeks
of humanity ever so briefly, reminding us of what is
worth having and what we were intended to be.
We forgot our compulsion with winning, wooing, and warring.
We put away our ladders and ledgers,
we hung up our stop watches and weapons.
We stepped off our racetracks and roller coasters
and looked outward toward the star of Bethlehem.
It's the season to be jolly because,
more than at any other time, we think of him.
More than in any other season, his name is on our lips.
And the result?
For a few precious hours our Heavenly yearnings
intermesh and we become a chorus.
A ragtag chorus of longshoremen, Boston lawyers,
illegal immigrants, housewives, and a thousand
other peculiar persons who are banking that
Bethlehem's mystery is in reality, a reality.
"Come and behold him" we sing, stirring
even the sleepiest of shepherds and
pointing them toward the Christ-child.
For a few precious hour, He is beheld.
Christ the Lord.
Those who pass the year without seeing Him,
suddenly see Him.
People who have been accustomed to using
His name in vain, pause to use it in praise.
Eyes, now free of the blinders of self, marvel at His majesty.
All of a sudden He's everywhere.
In the grin of the policeman as he drives his paddy wagon
full of presents to the orphanage.
In the twinkle in the eyes of the Taiwanese waiter
as he tells of his upcoming Christmas trip to see his children.
In the emotion of the father who is too thankful
to finish the dinner table prayer.
He's in the tears of the mother as she welcomes home
her son from overseas.
He's in the heart of the man who spent
Christmas morning on skid row giving away
cold baloney sandwiches and warm wishes.
And He's in the solemn silence of the crowd of shopping mall
shoppers as the elementary school chorus sings
"Away in a Manger." Emmanuel.
He is with us.
God came near.
It's Christmas night.
In a few hours the cleanup will begin --
lights will come down, trees will be thrown out.
Size 36 will be exchanged for size 40,
eggnog will be on sale for half-price.
Soon life will be normal again.
December's generosity will become January's payments
and the magic will begin to fade.
But for the moment, the magic is still in the air.
Maybe that's why I'm still awake.
I want to savor the spirit just a bit more.
I want to pray that those who beheld Him today
will look for Him next August.
And I can't help but linger on one fanciful thought:
if He can do so much with such timid prayers
lamely offered in December, how much more
could He do if we thought of Him every day?

Max Lucado

Never look down on anybody unless you are helping them up!

************************

One week from today -- that's right --
one week from today you'll wake up to a scene
that will be different for every one of you.
It will be a time of satisfying joy for most of you.
For others it will be a time of sadness because
a special friend or spouse will not be
around the tree for the first time.
Whatever the circumstance,
it will be a time for some strong emotions,
and a good time to share those emotions with your Lord.
For the Christian, every morning should be Christmas --
a time of joyful anticipation for what
God may have in store for you today.
You can unwrap the day knowing that
He will never leave you or forsake you, as He promised.
A gift is usually a surprise -- so is each new morning.
We need to approach the day with all the
enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning.

Find joy in these selected verses from the wonderful Psalms:

"Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly...
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives...
It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,
your faithfulness in the evening."

Ah, that "unfailing love" -- embrace it today

************************

The sleigh was all packed, the reindeer were fed,
But Santa still knelt by the side of the bed.

"Dear Father," he prayed "Be with me tonight.
There's much work to do and my schedule is tight.
I must jump in my sleigh and streak through the sky,
Knowing full well that a reindeer can't fly.
I will visit each household before the first light,
I'll cover the world and all in one night.
With sleigh bells a-ringing, I'll land on each roof,
Amid the soft clatter of each little hoof.
To get in the house is the difficult part,
So I'll slide down the chimney of each child's heart.
My sack will hold toys to grant all their wishes.
The supply will be endless like the loaves and the fishes.
I will fill all the stockings and not leave a track.
I'll eat every cookie that is left for my snack.

I can do all these things Lord, only through You,
I just need your blessing, then it's easy to do.
All this is to honor the birth of the One,
That was sent to redeem us, Your most Holy Son.

************************

Ten Commandments For Christmas

1. Thou shalt not leave "Christ" out of Christmas.

2. Thou shalt not value thy gifts by the cost,
for many shall signify love that is more
blessed and beautiful then sliver and gold.

3. Thou shalt give thyself with thy gifts, thy love,
thy personality, and thy service shall increase
the value of thy gifts a hundred fold and they
who receive them shall treasure them forever.

4. Thou shall not let Santa Claus take the place of Christ,
lest Christmas become a fairy tale rather than a sublime
reality in the spiritual realm.

5. Thou shalt not burden thy servants,
the sales girl, the mail carrier and the merchant.

6. Thou shalt not neglect the church.
It's Christmas services are planned to help spiritualize
the Christmas season for thee, thy family and thy friends.

7. Thou not neglect the needy.
Let thy bountiful blessings be shared with the many who
will go hungry and cold unless you are generous at Christmas.

8. Thou shalt be as a little child.
Christmas is the day of the Christ Child;
not until thou has become in spirit as a little child
art though ready to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

9. Thou shalt prepare thy soul for Christmas.
Verily most of us spend much time and money getting gifts ready,
but few seconds in preparing our souls.

10. Thou shalt give thy heart to Christ.
Let thy Christmas list have Christ in thy heart at the top
as thy gift to Him this Christmas.

************************

The Gifts I Wish for You

Happiness. Deep down within.
Serenity. With each sunrise.
Success. In each facet of your life.
Family. Beside you.
Health. Inside you.
Love. That never ends.
Special memories. Of all the yesterdays.
A bright today. With much to be thankful for.
Dreams. That do their best to come true.
Appreciation. Of all the wonderful things about you.
Close and caring friends.

Collin McCarty

************************

Christmas Suggestions

The best thing to give an enemy is forgiveness;
To an opponent, tolerance;
To a friend, your ear;
To your child, a good Example;
To your Father, reverence;
To your Mother, conduct that will make her proud of you;
To yourself, respect;
And to all, charity.

Benjamin Franklin

************************

A Mother's Christmas

Come dear family, gather 'round our Christmas tree;
Let us spend a little time in love and harmony.
Tomorrow we will celebrate the birth of Christ our Lord,
But I've a wish this year to see it's meaning's not ignored.
The gifts are neatly set about with names and tags and bows.
And Christmas goodies are in sight, the stockings are in rows.
But as I look into your faces, what I wish to see,
is a love for Christ Our Savior, not what's Santa bringing me?
Each time one of you were born and laid here in my arm,
I thought about the Christ child in the manger safe and warm.
I thought of how His life began, and the things He taught.
I thought of how He died for us -- that death could conquer not.
I wonder how His face would look, if these gifts to Him we gave
A shirt, a train, a story book. Which of these would He save??
I think He'd rather see us give kindness to each other,
To say our thanks and give our love to Him, our oldest brother.
So, as the colored Christmas lights are blinking in your heads,
I hope to find you each with love, kneeling at your beds,
And giving Him a birthday wish that will be sure to please:
Just vow to love your fellow man, and promise from your knees.
Then in the morning when you pass your Christmas gifts around,
Give the gift of love and joy. Let peace here be found.
For Jesus will be here to join, He's told us to, you see.
If you do it unto the least of these. You do it unto me.

************************

Christmas letter to my sons, and their families

Proverbs 3:21-26
"My Children, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight. They will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then will you go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. You will lie down, and not be afraid. When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or ruin that overtakes the wicked.... for the Lord will be your confidence, and keep
your foot from being snared."( Proverbs 3: 21-26 )

We will all miss Dad even more as Christmas time approaches. The vacant spot will not go unnoticed. This is his first Christmas in Heaven with Jesus, but.. he left us a heritage, gift of the life he lived in continual faithfulness, and love toward His Lord, and us. This has been a tough year for all of us. but God in His grace, and by His word, is walking us through the deep waters unharmed .... with dry shoes.
Know that I will always love you, and never cease to appreciate the wonderful relationship, and respect you've had for your Dad (and me).
Best gift of all....is....your love for the Lord! It's a wonderful life! Who could ask for anything more?

Love, MOM
PS. Commitment is the key to a happy life! First to God, then to family.
Christmas 2001

A Soldier's Christmas

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree, I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eye when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear.
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts,
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said, "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night.
"Its my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
"My Gramps died at 'Pearl' on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas, Gram always remembers.
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile."
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red white and blue... an American flag.
"I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home,
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat,
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sisters and brothers,
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To insure for all time that this flag will not fall.
So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright.
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone.
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
"For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

Her Son

While pregnant with her Son beneath her heart within,
She'd often feel His hands moving inside her skin.
He'd stretch His arm and hand and push out on her side
She'd lovingly push it back with a smile so sweet and wide.
She could hardly wait for His upcoming birth
To touch His tiny hands and welcome Him to Earth.
Then it finally came, the night that He was born.
With joy she couldn't contain, she held Him until morn.
She explored His tiny fingers. She counted all His toes.
She wanted to get to know Him, His ears, His cheeks, His nose.
The wonder of it all, at this new baby boy!
She could not hold back. She wept with tears of joy.
She touched His tiny hand, a miniature of her own.
He squeezed it tight on her finger. Such joy she had never known!
The time passed and He grew. As a toddler, it was grand
To walk along and hold His fleshy little hand.
She taught Him many things. Together they spent hours.
She'd take His little hand and touch it to a flower.
When she would hold Him close, He soon developed the knack
Of hugging her 'round the neck, His tiny hand patting her back.
As her Son grew older, His young hands also grew.
He learned many ways to use them. Each day brought something new.
She helped Him learn to read. She helped Him learn to write.
Then, as the day was ending, she'd pray with Him at night.
He learned to use a hammer with which to drive a nail.
He'd sometimes strike His finger and let out quite a wail!
Her Son continued growing and soon became a Man.
She loved Him just as much as when His life began.
His hands were now full grown, so strong, yet tender, when
He, with deep compassion, comforted a friend.
She was extremely grateful when His hands would fold;
And bowing His head in prayer, to His Father in Heaven He'd hold.
As the years flew swiftly by, she watched her Son with pride,
His strong but gentle arms and hands there at His side.
She then thought her life was over. She suffered unspeakable loss
When her Son's beloved hand's were nailed to a wooden cross.
But that was just the beginning. For He died and rose again.
Her sorrow then was ended, and joy replaced her pain.
For, you see, her Son was Jesus, God coming to earth as Man,
To save us from our sins according to His plan.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life."
(John 3:16)

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the Heavenly Host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests."
Luke 2:14

I wish you Christmas and in that wish, I wish you everything.
I do not wish you 'Merry' Christmas for that is too small a wish, too limited in a single mood, too fragile an expression to carry the magnificence of Christmas, too narrow in vision to catch star-gleamed song and shepherds awe.

I wish you Christmas and with that, I wish for you life's great good news. I do not wish you 'Seasons' Greetings for that is too vague, too impersonal, too void of warmth and love. I wish for you far more than a few days of festivity and a few hours of fun which will vanish too quickly.... though I hope that festivity and fun are yours.

But when I wish you Christmas, I wish for you long reaching gladness and joy, which stretches far down the year before you into new days whether bleak or bright. Through all the year's seasons may you be surrounded by the goodness of Christmas news.

I wish you Christmas and in that wish, I wish you good
news.

I wish you Christmas and in that wish, I wish you Jesus Christ. An infant, at Bethlehem, but more.... a Teacher of truth, but more... a man of sorrow, laughter, compassion, and judgment, and more, a Savior !

I wish for you the sin forgiver, the life giver, the death conqueror. I wish you Christmas and in the wish, I wish you Jesus Christ!

I wish you Christmas. For when I wish you Christmas I wish you God. So I wish you God, nothing less. For nothing less will do and nothing less than that is given at Christmas. I wish you God, I wish you Christmas.

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Glitter Card

"Mommy, Mommy look at the beautiful glitter card," the little girl said.

"Yes Amanda, it is a beautiful card.
Would you like me to buy it for you?", asked
her mother. Amanda nodded her head yes.
Amanda didn't know who to send the glitter card to.
The stars were shining so bright
on the card, it was as if the card was trying to tell her something.
Amanda wondered what this special card was trying to say.
It was two days before Christmas when her Uncle Gerard came and visited her. Amanda showed him her special glitter card and asked him if he knew what the card was trying to tell her.
"Well Amanda, I think this card is very very special and you must decide what to do with it. You can send it to your parents, friends, aunts, uncles or can give it away to someone special." said Uncle Gerard.
Amanda didn't want mail it to anyone, or give it away.
She wanted to keep it forever.
Amanda told her Uncle that she would keep the card until it told her what to do. Her Uncle laughed, patted her head and gave her $5.00.
On Christmas Eve, Amanda went downtown to the toy store.
She loved looking in the windows and she knew that Santa Claus would be giving her everything she had on her Christmas list.
Standing next to Amanda was a mother and child.
They were dressed in torn clothes that didn't look very warm.
The little girl asked her mommy if Santa Claus would know they were living in their car and would he bring her a gift this year?
The little girl's mommy had the saddest eyes Amanda ever saw.
With a small tear falling down her face the mother told her little girl, she hoped Santa Claus wouldn't forget them.
Amanda pulled glitter card out of her pocket, looked at it and then realized what the special glitter card was telling her.
Amanda reached into her other pocket, took out the $5.00 Uncle Gerard had given her and handed the card and the money to the mother.
Amanda ran all the way home.
She was happy she was able to help someone, but she missed her special glitter card.
Through out Amanda's life, at Christmas time she always remembered the "special glitter card" she once had.
She had told her children and grandchildren the story of her special card and how one card and $5.00 helped made a Merry Christmas for one family.

One cold Christmas Eve, Amanda was sitting alone on a park bench.
A girl came over to Amanda and asked her why she was crying.
Amanda told the little girl, that her husband died two years ago and her children have all moved away and she was all alone.
The girl reached into her pocket and pulled out an old tattered card and handed it to Amanda saying:
"Please take this card.
Many many years ago someone gave this card and $5.00 to my great-grandmother on Christmas Eve.
Great Granny told me it was the best Christmas they ever had."
Amanda was shocked to see it was the card she given away so many years ago. She was just about to tell the girl, that she was the one who gave the card to her great-grandmother, when the girl reached into her other pocket and pulled out $5.00 . She handed Amanda the money and said: "Please hold onto this card until you find someone "special" to pass it onto"
With that the girl ran away.
As Amanda was looking at the glittered card, she was shocked to see all the stars started to move.
Instead of a group of shining stars they now grouped together to form one bright shining star.
Amanda now realize what this card was telling her so many years ago.
Christmas isn't about gifts, toys, parties or pretty clothes.
Christmas is about love and sharing!

It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.

Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city.

Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States.

The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously.

For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately--until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told Him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with Him. But I told Him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give Him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept Him warm, that would be a good gift.

So I asked Jesus, "If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?"

And Jesus told me, "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me." "So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and He told me I could stay with Him---for always."

As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed.

The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him FOR ALWAYS.
I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.

In a dream, a minister fell asleep and dreamed of a world to which the Savior had not come.

In his dream, no Christmas decorations graced his home. In his library, every book about Christ had disappeared from the shelves. A knock at the door brought a request to minister to a dying mother. At her bedside, however, as he opened the Bible to comfort her, he discovered that it ended at Malachi. There was no Gospel, no promise of life eternal. He could only bow his head and weep in hopeless desperation. Two days later he stood beside her grave to conduct the funeral. He was speechless having no hope to impart. He burst into sobbing.

Suddenly nearby, music awoke him with a start. The choir in his church next door was rehearsing for the Christmas program and singing "O come all ye faithful, come and behold Him, O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord."

Had Christ not come, we would have no gospel, no New Testament, no church, no Lord's day, no forgiveness of sins, no hope of eternal life or of glorified bodies. However, Christ did come, and we rejoice in heart as did the ancient Simeon. When he saw the Christ Child, he said, "For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people."

Have a wonderful holiday season, my dear friends. Thank the Lord that He loved us so much that He did send His Son that we might have everlasting life. Now that is cause for thankful celebration.

************************
When Heaven Touched Earth

God's Holy Angels visited earth on that first Christmas Day.
The brightest star in Heaven glows where first the Christ Child lay.
A magical, awesome feeling must have filled the air.
There was a hint of something special that touched everywhere.
This wondrous day of Christmas when we celebrate our Savior's birth
Is the special day when God allowed Heaven to touch the earth.
May we accept the gift of love that this Holy day imparts
And may the glorious Angels sing in Heaven and in our hearts.

Shirley Hile Powell

************************

Gold, Common Sense, and Fur

My husband and I had been happily (most of the time).
Married for five years but haven’t been blessed with a baby.
I decided to do some serious praying and promised God that if he would give us a child, I would be a perfect mother, love it with all my heart and raise it with His word as my guide.
God answered my prayers and blessed us with a son.
The next year God blessed us with another son.
The following year, he blessed us yet with another son and the year after that with a daughter.
My husband thought we had been blessed right into poverty.
We now had four children, and the oldest was only four years old.
I learned never to ask God for anything unless I meant it.
As a minister once told me, "If you pray for rain, make sure you carry an umbrella".
I began reading a few verses of the Bible to the children each day as they lay in their cribs. I was off to a good start.
God had entrusted me with four children and I didn’t want to disappoint him.
I tried to be patient the day the children smashed two dozen eggs on the kitchen floor searching for baby chicks. I tried to be understanding when they started a hotel for homeless frogs in the spare bedroom, although it took me nearly two hours to catch all twenty-three frogs.
When my daughter poured ketchup all over herself and rolled up in a blanket to see how it felt to be a hot dog, I tried to see the humor rather then the mess. In spite of changing over twenty-five thousand diapers.
Never eating a hot meal, and never sleeping for more that thirty minutes at a time. I still thank God for my children. While I couldn’t keep my promise to be a perfect mother---I didn’t even come close --- I did keep my promise to raise them in the word of God. I knew I was missing the mark just a little when I told my daughter we were going to church to worship God and she wanted to bring a bar of soap along to "wash up" Jesus, too.
Something was lost in the translation when I explained that God gave us everlasting life, and my son thought it was generous of God to give us his "last wife." My proudest moment came during the children’s Christmas Pageant. My daughter was playing Mary, two of my sons were shepherds, and my youngest son was a wise man. This was their moment to shine. My five year old shepherd had practiced his line "We found the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes." But he was nervous and said. "The baby was wrapped in wrinkled clothes. "My four-year old "Mary" said, "That’s not ‘wrinkled clothes,’ silly. That’s dirty, rotten clothes." A wrestling match broke out between Mary and the shepherd and was stopped by an angel, who bent her halo and lost her left wing. I slouched a little lower in my seat when Mary dropped the doll representing Baby Jesus, and it bounced down the aisle crying, "Mama-mama." Mary grabbed the doll, wrapped it back up and held it tightly as the wise men arrived. My other son stepped forward wearing a bathrobe and a paper crown, knelt at the manger and announced "We are the three wise men, and we are bringing gifts of Gold, Common Sense and Fur."
The congregation dissolved into laughter and the pageant got a standing ovation." I’ve never enjoyed a Christmas program as much as I have this one," Pastor Brian laughed, wiping tears from his eyes.
"For the rest of my life. I’ll never hear the Christmas story without thinking of gold, common sense, and fur.
"My children are my pride and my joy and my greatest blessing," I said as I dug through my purse for an aspirin.

Well, there's a lot of lore about Christmas that goes around that is not necessarily true. First, when the wise men came, Jesus was not in the manger, but in a house (Matt 2:10, 11). Second, Jesus was probably not born during winter or when it was snowing since shepherds don't tend their flocks outdoors in the snow. Probably it wasn't December since one comes up with early autumn when doing things like counting up dates of priestly cycles and such in Luke. (long story) But, we still tell the story in so many words. So, what am I to do about it? How about we take it this way, we tell the story figuratively and the Bible literally. Here's a poem I wrote where I explored this.

The Way It Was at Christmas

It most likely wasn't December
When Jesus was born
But the hearts of earth were so gloomy with sin
That it seemed as the deepest, darkest winter.
It probably wasn't snowing
When the shepherds heard the angel
But the love of the world
Had grown stormy and cold
Away from the warmth of Heaven's Spirit.
When the wise men came
They found the babe
Not still in the manger
But in a simple house in Bethlehem
But the souls of humanity
Are often so inhospitable
That we maybe would have wished
To make the Christ child
Remain forever in the stable.
And yet our Lord longed to save us
With such undying passion
That He came anyway
And gave us His grace
That we might learn
And grow to be kind
And gentle
Like Him.
And so this day
I offer Him
A sunny reception
A warm embrace
And a castle within the center of my being
As I work to do what I am able
In gratitude
For all He's done for me.

The calendar on the bunkhouse wall said tomorrow would be Christmas Day.
Ole Slim didn't make a lot of fuss, why it was just him and ole Gray.
See Slim he had no family, he was orphaned at his birth,
He just moved round from ranch to ranch, never owned a piece of earth.
He finished his morning coffee & saddled up ole Gray.
He set out to check some fences like it was just another day.
He remembered the birth of Jesus when he said his morning prayer.
Then told ole Gray the Christmas story, as ice formed on his facial hair.
He checked the feeders on the North line & fixed the hinges on the gate.
He helped a heifer with her calving, & what happened next was fate.
He noticed an ole tumbleweed had hung up on a cedar.
It had a note with a red ribbon- now he weren't much of a reader.
But he made out most of the words. It started out - "Dear Claus" -
(He read aloud so Gray could hear, sound out a word & pause.)
My name is Tommy Fisher, I live with my grandad.
He ain't got much money - see things are getting bad.
We had a fire last summer, and that's what got my PA.
Then just a week ago last Tuesday - fever got my MAW.
Now I know they're in Heaven & they are just fine.
But I still really miss them - Grandad won't stop cryin';
When the springtime comes around we've got cattle out to gather.
Grandad thinks we might have 40 calves, Lord willing & the weather.
So I need a cow pony, if you make it out this way.
Cause if we don't get some money soon, they're gonna take me & sister away.
If you don't have any ponies I will understand.
But sister wants a baby doll, please bring it if you can.
Slim finished up the letter & didn't say a word.
He just pulled up in the saddle & rode off through the herd.
He knows of the Fisher place & remembers last year's fire,
To say the letter didn't touch his heart - he would be a liar.
The afternoon was going fast, he didn't have much time.
He gathered canvas from his duster, some horse hair & some twine.
Some wool trim from Gray's saddle pad, some rhinestones from his belt.
He made the prettiest little doll that any child had ever held.
He thought of those two young geldings he had added to his string,
They weren't ready for a kid to ride, they just got started in the spring.
Now it's ten Christmases later, and Tommy's twenty-three.
Says the ranch has got too big to handle for little sis & me.
Yep, I need to hire someone to help me run this spread.
You say your name is Slim - "Yes sir" - is all he said
It's a good thing you came on Christmas, that's a very special day.
See that's the day Christ was born and the day that angel brought ole Gray.
We never would have made it that winter back ten years ago.
See Sis got real bad sick and we had no way to go
Eighteen miles to the doctor. He never fell off stride.
If we had been an hour later then Sis would have surely died.
Then we gathered up the cattle, we had 50 calves that first Spring.
That ole horse done all the thinking - see I was pretty green.
Slim, I don't know where you came from - but I bet you to this day.
You never have & never will ride a horse as good as Gray.
He said "You put your things there in the bunkhouse.
And there's a stall for your steed."
Slim just mumbled "Much obliged, Come on Tumbleweed."

Looking back and looking ahead
This year is ending but that's okay,
A brand new year is on the way.
So many memories some good, some bad,
Some make me happy, some make me sad.

But every day my God was there,
I felt His presence everywhere.
He never left me on my own,
It was great knowing I was not alone.

As the new year starts I humbly pray,
That I'll be obedient every day.
I want to listen for His voice,
And always make His will my choice.

I don't know what the year will hold,
But I know His arms will me enfold.
I know I'm safe in His loving care,
No power on earth can harm me there.

The year may bring sorrow or pain,
But my God will use it for my gain.
He won't forget me, He'll see me through,
I'm thankful for all that He will do.

If you haven't met my Savior and friend,
Meeting Him is an event that I recommend.
It will be the best decision you've ever made,
Then you, too, can face the new year unafraid.

Bob Hefner

Another New Year

Lord God, our times are in Your hand,
The years roll by at Your command,
Our lives are gifts which you bestow,
Please, teach us so to count the flow,
Of years, and months, and weeks, and days,
That grace taught wisdom marks our way,

Now, as we enter this new year,
We ask You, Lord, stay always near,
Direct and guard each step we take,
Correct us when wrong turns we make,
Teach us by what we say and do,
To show that we belong to You,

We don't know what the future holds,
We'll see that as Your plan unfolds,
Lord, give us strength and faith to trust,
That what You do is ever just,
That when we do not understand,
Your ways, we're still held by Your hand,

We've made Your world a frightful place,
Of ethnic hate and pride of race,
There's warfare and religious strife,
O Lord, show us that in this life,
You want us to reflect Christ's love,
We need Your guidance from above,

Lord, let Your church a lighthouse be,
A haven of security,
A port where love and justice reign,
For Christ who for our sins was slain,
Is preached, and where each clan and race,
May join in God's unending praise.
Author.....Johannes DeViet

At Years End

The year you gave us, Lord, is ending,
A year of your Amazing Grace.
Your loving care, our ways attended,
Marked all it's months, and weeks and days,

Tonight, while on Your Word reflecting,
We thank You for Your steadfast love,
which in confirming, and corrected,
Gave us Your guidance from above,

We must confess that sometimes, erring,
Your guiding hand we did not heed,
That boastful pride, and stubborn daring,
Caused us to sin in word and deed,

We thank you Father, for forgiving,
Our sin for things undone or wrong,
We praise You that we may be living,
In trust that we to Christ belong,

The years that pass away remind us,
That earth is no abiding place,
That soon this life will be behind us,
And that we'll meet You face to face,

But You our God, are ever living,
How blessed we are, if we depend,
On Christ, the life, in which He is giving,
Will never fade and never end.

A Prayer For The New Year

God grant us this year a wider view,
So we see others' faults through the eyes of You;
Teach us to judge not with hasty tongue,
Neither the adult ... nor the young.

Give us patience and grace to endure
And a stronger faith so we feel secure;
And instead of remembering, help us forget
The irritations that caused us to fret.

Freely forgiving for some offense
And finding each day a rich recompense,
In offering a friendly, helping hand
And trying in all ways to understand,
That all of us whoever we are ...
Are trying to reach "an unreachable star."

For the great and small ... the good and bad,
The young and old ... the sad and glad,
Are asking today, "Is life worth living?"
And the answer is only in "loving" and "giving."

For only "Love" can make man kind
And kindness of heart brings peace of mind,
And by giving love we can start this year
To lift the clouds of hate and fear.
Helen Steiner Rice

Gather Your Christmas Dreams

Take time to gather your Christmas dreams
At this beautiful time of the year.
You'll find so much to treasure- to keep-
Along with your Christmas cheer,
A faith and a hope that lives in your heart,
As Jesus would enter your mind,
Goodness and mercy forever your own
With all of life's worries behind.
Gather the star shine to gladden your soul,
The blessings from Heaven above,
All of the magic the season can bring,
God's precious caring and love,
Mistletoe, holly, a tree standing tall
And children you hold ever dear,
Your own Christmas angel to lend you a peace
To this holy time of the year.
I send you my greetings dear family and friends-
That all of your dreams will come true,
May the Christ Child still bless you and offer you peace
Through every day all the year through.
Merry Christmas God's blessings to you and yours
And after the holiday's done,
Continue to gather your Christmas dreams
Through this new year and each one to come.

Garnett Ann Schultz

A NEW YEAR......

God has kept me alive for the New Year for a reason. I survived because He has a plan for me. All my bad relationships, the death of my loved ones, the back stabbing from my friends, the negative thoughts, or the lack of support, all the bad things in my life, I can put behind me.
I made it because He loves me and I am blessed!
I release and let go of all past hurts, misunderstandings and grudges because I am blessed!
I recognize them as the illusions they are, for Jesus Christ is all there is and He is all I need. All else is a lie!
Now give yourself a hug, wipe your tears and walk in the victory!
I made it and walk in victory because I am blessed!
I love you, but more appropriately God loves you!
You, too, are blessed!!!!

May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other.
Genesis 31:49

Grant me the strength from day to day to bear what burdens come my way.
Grant me throughout this bright New Year more to endure and less to fear.
Help me live that I may be from spite and petty malice free.
Let me not bitterly complain when cherished hopes of mine prove vain,
Or spoil with deeds of hate and rage some fair tomorrow's spotless page.
Lord, as the days shall come and go in courage let me stronger grow.
Let me with patience stand and wait, a friend to all who find my gate,
Keep me from envy and from scorn; as shines the sun with every morn
On great and low, so let me give my love to all who round me live.
Lord, as the New Year dawns today help me to put my faults away.
Let me be big in little things; grant me the joy which friendship brings.
Keep me from selfishness and spite; let me be wise in what is right.
A happy New Year! Grant that I may bring no tear to any eye.
When this New Year in time shall end let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here, and made of it a happy year.

Author, Edgar A. Guest

As we look toward a brand new year, then gaze back to the past;
We pause with mixed emotions, and memories that will last.
For this year taught us lessons, we never thought we’d learn;
To stand in the face of adversity, seeking peace for which we yearn.
Our nation came together, on a bright September day;
When in an instant all was changed, and so many taken away.
Each life a precious memory, each face burned in our souls;
The hero, the innocent, those who were lost, were halves who made someone whole.
So we pray for a year that is peaceful, for strength to see this trial through.
For each one who lost someone precious, and for all that is holy and true.
As we pray God’s eternal blessings, for our leaders and our land;
We walk toward the future together, heart to heart and hand in hand.

Allison Chambers Coxsey...........©2001 ~ All Rights Reserved

'Twas the night before Christmas & Ground Zero Lay Still

'Twas the night before Christmas and ground zero lay still.
No digging, no searching, not the sound of a drill.
The people all gathered, with hearts joined in prayer
In hopes lasting peace would soon be everywhere.
No churches, no temples, no mosques did they need;
For in this hallowed place had been planted a seed.
The seed was of hope for the victory of love;
To grow in all hearts from the one God above.
It would spread through all nations to all colors and creed;
It would teach us to reach out to all those in need.
It would grow in our hearts, spread to all that we touched.
It would generate love - and we need that so much!
Love for our neighbor, love for a friend,
Love for our family and it shouldn't depend
On what one can offer, whether rich, whether poor;
Love unconditional, love that is pure.
Love that would spread to the whole human race
Love that would radiate and glow in each face.
Whether black, whether white, whether yellow or brown;
Over mountains, through deserts, and each city and town.
The hush from ground zero would grow, it would swell;
It would send out its message from every church bell.
The message is loud, the message is clear;
The message should travel to those far and near;
Let nothing that happened in this holy place
Lead to the destruction of our human race.
Instead, let it echo through hearts far and wide
As we gather together on this blessed Yuletide.
May Peace be our anthem, may love be our creed
May each man be our brother so our prayer may succeed
In closing the gap that has torn worlds apart.
Bless us all this Christmas with love in our hearts.
Peace be with you at Christmas, and all through the year.

Index	Ten	Twenty	Thirty
One	Eleven	Twenty-One	Remembering One
Two	Twelve	Twenty-Two	Remembering Two
Three	Thirteen	Twenty-Three	Remembering Three
Four	Fourteen	Twenty-Four	Animals One
Five	Fifteen	Twenty-Five	Animals Two
Six	Sixteen	Twenty-Six	Animals Three
Seven	Seventeen	Twenty-Seven	Heroes
Eight	Eighteen	Twenty-Eight	Holidays
Nine	Nineteen	Twenty-Nine

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	This site is owned and maintained by Bunny