When I was a kid I wanted to be Superman and if I couldn’t manage that I would have settled for Mighty Mouse. Admittedly, the rodent look isn’t nearly as appealing as curly hair and bulging muscles but at least the mouse could fly, lift buildings, and catch bullets in his teeth.

Superman was so strong because he had been born on the doomed planet Krypton and there wasn’t much chance for me to arrange that since the deed had already been done (my birth that is). Not many people born in Howard County hospital can leap tall buildings in a single bound.

And Mighty Mouse was cool in his perpetual battles with the cat named Oil Can Harry and his girlfriend Pearl Pureheart. I ask you, what could be sharper than flying in at the last moment warbling in an opera voice, “Here I come to save the day!” (That means that Mighty Mouse is on the way,” explained other opera-voiced singers).

There were different stories about the source of Mighty Mouse’s strength. In one a cat chases him and he runs into a grocery store and eats Super Soap, Super Celery, Super Soup and Super cheese after which he becomes Super Mouse.

That’ll do it.

Another version had him becoming super by swallowing vitamins A through Z, and still another saw him drinking from an Atomic Energy jug, which infused him with strength. One more story asserted that he was left as an orphan on the doorstep of a mouse couple and no one really knew where his powers came from.

Whatever. I just wanted to be fantastically strong, fly, have x-ray vision, be good-looking and fight for truth and justice. What more could a seven-year old desire?

I did experiment with eating pills made of bologna, cheese and bread to see if it would make me super strong, but it didn’t work.

You know what, though? I have learned how to get strong, really strong. I’m not talking about physical strength because my powerful waistline is flopping outwards and my blazing speed has slowed over the years. It seems, as someone said, “The older I get the better I was.”

No, the exciting thing is that I’m learning to get strong in the Lord. Now, I won’t tell you all my secrets in one article (because you’d quit reading if it was too long), but an indispensable element in growing strong spiritually is reading the Word of God.

Daily is best.

Look at some of the benefits of using God’s Word to develop strength. (from Psalms 119, NIV)

11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you …

50 My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

52 I remember your ancient laws, O LORD, and I find comfort in them.

72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

89 Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.

98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

114 You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

165 Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.

So if you read God’s word regularly you can sing, “Here I come to save the day!” And like the narrator from the cartoons would say of Mighty Mouse, people will say of you, “What a mouse! What A mouse!” (www.cataroo.com)

Well, maybe not. But you will be strong in the Lord and His ways. That’s the best approach to life. What don’t you decide to start today and read God’s word regularly?

Hmmm …

“Don’t doubt in the dark what you’ve heard in the light.” unknown

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Usually, we approached the castle from the north, left the car in the parking place and then walked through a road in the woods to see this dream from the past.

This particular day I turned off the main highway too soon and we actually came up on the other side. I saw a sign for the castle, though, that seemed very promising, “Romantischen Weg,” or something of the sort.

I know just enough German to be dangerous, so I announced to the others, “That says that this is the Romantic Path.” So we all decided to follow the Romantic Path to see the castle. We made a steep descent through the forest, trying to watch all the time not to trip on the underbrush, rocks, etc and break our ankle. Or stumble and break our heads.

All around us bears, lions and tigers roared (actually it was probably birds but I just added lions and tigers for dramatic effect). It was a tough way to go but we finally got there in more or less one piece. We decided that the Romantic Path wasn’t too romantic. You worried more about protecting life and limb than about romance.

I learned that if a Frenchman told me something was romantic I would believe him. If an Italian sings that something is romantic, I’ll believe him, too, but if a German tells me something is romantic, I’m going to be careful.

I could imagine a couple of German lovers on the Romantic Trail.

“Heidi kommt. Hier ist den romantischen Weg. » (Come on Heidi. This is the romantic path.)”

Huff, puff, huff, huff. « Ich komme, Klaus. Ich hoffe daß ich keine cardiac Krise auf diesem romantischen Weg habe. » (“I’m coming, Klaus. I hope I don’t have a heart attack on this romantic trail.”)

(My apologies to my German friends for my lousy German and the teasing).

Often the same words mean different things to different people. Someone has well noted that when your wife says, “Honey, how do you like my new hair-do?” she’s not really asking a question. If you actually give her your opinion as it seems she wants you to do, you risk having to cook for yourself for several days afterward.

Hint, sir. If you don’t like it and you’re a Christian and you don’t want to lie, just say, “Darling, there’s not three people in this state with hair like that.” Or, you can say, “Wow, that’s what I call hair!” Or something of that sort. Never say, “You make me think of your mother with your hair done like that.”

The word “Christian” is like that. People have murdered, raped, stolen, and ran roughshod over others in the Name of Christ. Profiteers have used that name to manipulate, dominate, and steal money from people.

What is the real meaning of the word “Christian,”? For me it’s a person who has asked forgiveness for his sin and placed his faith in Christ and what he did at the Cross for a new life that comes from God the Father.

You know a person is a Christian because He’s a follower of Christ. I’m not against denominations. I’m a member of one,  but it’s not because of his denomination, that you know he’s a Christ-follower. It’s because he lives a life of love that transcends earthly love. It’s because his life makes you think of Jesus.

This “Christian” is a worshipper. He looks for hurts that he can heal. He lives to build up others and he constantly desires to know the Lord better.

Here in Europe the majority of the people say they are “Christians” but very few of them actually love the Lord or try to be the kind of people He’s commanded us to be. No wonder Muslims, Buddists, Hindus and others are confused.

Gandhi said, “”I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” I think people who call themselves Christians need to make sure that they’ve had a heart-change from God through Christ and then begin to really follow Christ and imitate Him.

Words can be confusing whether it concerns romantic trails, hair styles or Christians. Let’s make sure there’s no question about the word, “Christian,” because of us.

“You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.” (Ephesians 5:8-10 The Message)

“But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. (Gal. 5: 22-23, The Message)

________________________________

Hmmm …
Cowboy philosophy 1001: “Don’t squat with your spurs on … Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment … Never slap a man who’s chewin’ tobacco.” Will Rogers

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The whole country burst with pride for their wise king and his majestic son. When they rode their white horses through the streets people stopped and cheered. Some even threw their baseball caps into the air (This is kind of a modern, ancient country).

Sometimes though, people who liked to criticize said, “The king’s son, what has he ever done to be so admired? He was born into royalty. Why is he so respected?”

One day a soldier thundered into the capital city on a well-lathered horse. A vast army was coming against the little country! The king committed their defense into the hands of his son. The critical ones raised their eyebrows, but not for long.

The invading army filled all the countryside as they crossed the borders of the happy kingdom. The king’s son deployed his troops wisely against a vastly superior force. Wherever the battle raged hottest, the king’s son rode at the head of the defenders, pushing back the invaders.

The people dared to hope until the day the rumor ran through their army, “The Death King, the king of the invaders, has come in person to command the final attack.” Fear seized the defenders but their prince rallied them to resistance.

The Death King unleashed all his forces and the army of the little kingdom gave ground as the blood of the two armies stained the field as never before. Soon it seemed the center of the defenders would fold and all would be lost when suddenly the prince was there on his white horse. He led a desperate charge into the center of the invading hordes and for a moment the monster shrunk back.

But the weight of the invaders pushed ahead and the little army suffered severe losses. The prince refused to retreat and struck valiantly right and left with his sword until the sheer numbers overwhelmed him and he was pulled under the mass.

The small army fled the field, back to their capital, to await the inevitable. The Death King strode onto the field where the fallen prince lay on his face, sword still in his hand. The arrogant leader raised his hands towards heaven in triumph, when suddenly to everyone’s surprise, the prince rose up and planted a sword stroke deep through his heart.

A gasp, followed by a shriek of unbelief sprinted through the army. Leering laughs of victory faded into crying murmurs of fear. They thought their king invincible and now he lay dead. The courageous among them trembled. All of the army turned, then one after another began to run away until the only one left standing on the battlefield was the prince.

Weeks later, after burying and mourning their dead, the little kingdom celebrated. People ate, drank, and laughed. Hope was reborn.

In the middle of the festivities, the king stood before his high throne, set up in the marketplace for the occasion. A silence spread over the people because everyone wanted to hear what the king had to say.

“My people …” and the silence deepened. “You’ve always honored my son because he is my son, and that’s right. You valued him for what he is because of my blood that flows in his veins. But today, I command you to honor my son not only because of what he is but also because of what has done. Surely no prince has ever served his country more valiantly and sacrificially.”

And the whole country burst into wild cheers and fell to their knees in loving submission, chanting the name of the prince who stood before them!

______________________________

_______________________________

Hmmm …
“Following Him when your heart is breaking is greater faith than praising Him when your heart is singing.” (Rick Warren)

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“What is your name?” he muttered breathlessly. “You call me God’s will,” she said and the melody of her voice drew him onward.

He reached out to take her in his arms but she was gone; only the mist of her perfume still wafted in the air, stirring his senses. “But where is she? I’ve got to find her.”

“Yooo-hoo!” There she was, on a trail bending to the left. He ran towards her and just as he approached she disappeared again, only to reappear further on in the forest. He ran after her again, certain that if he could lay hold of her, the desires of his heart would be fulfilled.

They say someone saw him in those woods fifty years later. Still running, still wanting—still empty.

I was once a part of an organization that seemed to really want to know God’s will. Often you heard at our director’s meetings, “I’ve come this year to get a new “word” from God.” The joke got to be that maybe God wasn’t going to give any new “words” until we started obeying the old ones.

Admittedly, it’s a wonderful thing to seek God’s will. It draws us closer to Him and we get centered in on what He wants for our life. But, I wonder if what we sometimes call the will of God isn’t the sum total of all our desires and wishes. I want to be fulfilled, successful and admired. I’m not, so God’s will must still be ahead of me. I’ve got to seek it.

In that case, we’re not seeking God’s will but we’re like the fellow in the story above, chasing his forest sweetheart.

You want to know God’s will? Okay, listen up.

“Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.” (The Message, Col. 3:22).

An Old Testament preacher told us what kind of attitude should power us in doing God’s will, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might …” (Ecclesiastes 9:10, New International Version).

Make the most of today. Do God’s work (whatever your hand finds to do for Him), with all your heart.

Whoever gave us the idea that’s God’s will would always be easy and fulfilling? Probably someone who’s never tried to do God’s will. The call of God is exciting; carrying it through can be a pain (and tremendously exciting).

Some think God’s will is always a charming picnic—a sweet voyage from happiness to joy to fulfillment.  Hey, it’s not about you and me. It’s about Him.

God’s will costs you your life. You’re no longer the boss of you and doing the will of the Father becomes more important than anything else. More important than your life even.

Paul heard the Spirit telling him to go to Jerusalem. If he’d asked me I would have told him that wasn’t too smart. The lynch mob was on the lookout for him. By an expression of spiritual gifts, churches told him not to go (Acts 21:4). Good godly friends begged him not to go (21:12) but he was so convinced that God was in this that he was willing to give up everything for it.

And he spent a couple of years in prison plus being shipwrecked on the way to trial in Rome and having his blood pressure go sky high in confrontations with his Jewish enemies before the local authorities, etc. See there, Paul! You should have listened.

He also wrote a good bit of the New Testament, chained up in those prisons. Who knows if he would have had the time to get before God and reflect and pray like that if he’d been free and working with the churches.

The churches of that day surely missed his ministry but he’s been preaching to the Church for 2000 years now through his Spirit-inspired writing. He’s touched billions because he was willing to do God’s will, even when it was tough.

I’ll let you in on a secret: doing God’s will isn’t miserable—most of the time. You get to see Him work in lives, you see Him at work for You and you sense His presence and His approval. What He gives is stronger stuff than fulfillment, praise, and success by this world’s standards.

You get to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” That’s better than being the President of the World with Bill Gate’s money and a king’s castle.

So, are you chasing the lady or doing God’s will today—not someday?
___________________________
Hmmm …
Last Sunday there were more Christians who went to church in China than in all of Europe combined. Rick Warren

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I have some pastors that I love to listen to, so I load their messages from the Internet to my computer to my MP3 player. That way, I can listen and learn as I talk my walks through the village and surrounding vineyards.

Sometimes I forget that everyone can’t hear what I’m listening to in my little world and I laugh out loud at something the speaker says. The neighbors probably think I’m ready for the lunatic ward. They may be right.

There’s one bad thing about my MP3 though. Two actually. It’s those crazy earplugs; they kept falling out of my ears. I think they were made for midgets because no matter how hard I pushed them into my ears, one of them would eventually wiggle out and fall. I’d wedge it back in and the other would fall.

What a pain!

I tried several solutions. The easy one would have been to buy earphones that fit but have you seen the price on those things? So I fixed them in place with scotch tape, but that was a hassle and I felt stupid walking around with my earphones taped in (laughing out loud at stuff that others couldn’t hear).

I thought maybe I could lick them to get them to stick but I don’t like the taste of earwax.

So, I finally broke down and purchased some that were kept in place by ear hangers, or whatever you call those things. That was a well spent ten bucks (seven euros actually) and now I walk and listen in peace.

Well, almost.

Why is it that they make wires for the earphones thirty feet long? Those things resemble worms. You first job before walking is to untangle them. Then if you have to stick them in your pocket while you’re in the Post Office or the bakery they crawl around and tangle themselves again—on purpose, I’m nearly sure. Just to irritate me.

I don’t know why I mess with the crazy things. Actually I do know why. I love to listen to those speakers. It’s better than music, better than the radio. So, I just untangle wires and keep walking. At least the earphones aren’t falling out anymore.

Life seems to be like that. To get where you’re going you’ve got to lick a lot of earphones and untangle a lot of cords.

In the Bible, Paul had a lot of problems with his “earphones.”

“We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!” (2 Cor.  4:9-11, The Message)

You may be in the same boat today. Things tangled themselves so much that you goals for the Lord no longer seem worth the effort. Hang in there and keep on. The end of the thing is worth whatever it takes to get there.

“We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!” (2 Cor.  4:9-11, The Message)

In the meantime, does anyone have a good solution for tangled wires?

________________________

Hummm …
Comedian Bob Hope ON HIS FAMILY’S EARLY  POVERTY
‘Four   of us slept in the one bed.  When it got  cold,  mother threw on another brother.’  Hope ON HIS SIX BROTHERS   ‘That’s   how I learned to dance.  Waiting for the   bathroom.’  (Thanks to Robert Arber for passing it on)

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My advice is to try to bleed in the crossing zone if you’re hit. That way you can prove you were within your rights—if you are still alive. It not, it will help your heirs get a settlement.

Once, when I was in Luxembourg I saw a man crossing the street. A speeding car turned onto this street and the driver saw the pedestrian at the last second. He slammed on his brakes and slammed on his horn, almost in the same action.

The man afoot stopped, pointed deliberately down at the crosswalk as if to say, “Hey, buddy. You’re the dummy, not me!”, then continued his merry way.

The man behind the wheel fumed and I snickered. It’s fun to see inconsiderate louts put in their place.

Another time, my wife and I stopped to let a lady pass and she smiled her thanks at us. “You don’t mind stopping for someone who says thanks,” I remarked to my wife. She owed us no thanks because she was within her rights but her smile made a connection with us.

Thankfulness makes a big difference in life. Those who live with an attitude of gratitude notice their blessings. They live humbly because they realize their dependence on God and others.

The rest just gripe about what they don’t have, forgetting the load of blessings that come their way each day.

Several weeks ago I was reading Romans chapter one and as usual I was repulsed by reading the horrible inventory of sins that Paul lists (Rom. 1:21-32). But suddenly, the first verse on that list jumped up and struck me between the eyes.

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him…” (Rom. 1:21, NIV)

The sin that opens the door to all the other sins is not glorifying God as God. We know we’re guilty of that when we don’t thank Him. We like to emphasize all those other transgressions on the list but when saying thanks is missing in action, the gate stands wide open for all these other sins.

Mr. Positive

Since then, I’ve made a sincere effort to stop several times a day to thank the Lord. Sometimes it’s a big thing but more often it’s small. The result is the same. Saying “thanks” brings me closer to God, just like that lady’s smile of thanks touched our hearts.

Right after Christmas, we got together with all the kids and grandkids for the first time in some years. We followed that up with a visit to my daughter’s family in Oklahoma.

One morning her three-year old, Caleb, came into the kitchen where I was savoring my morning coffee. This little guy is Mr. Positive. That morning a look of delight lit his face as he said, “I had an awesome dream last night.” And I lit up inside as I took him in my arms to listen to that “awesome” dream.

Several times since, I’ve stopped to say “thank You” to the Lord for that incredible moment. And I’ve felt the heart of God, because He lights up when I come to Him just like I lit up when my grandson came to me.

We think of lots of things as banal and forget them as soon as they happen, but it seems to me that when I thank the Lord for little things, I become more sensitive to Him and it’s easier to praise Him for big things.

Are there big things and small things with God? Honestly, my little peanut-sized brain often understands little things better than big things. But the seed of the big thing is in the small thing and if we understand the Lord in small things we can follow that trail to understand even larger truths.

Dare I say that there is a spark of the glory of the Cross, the essence of God, in my new grandson, in the snow that covered the city of Epernay in the valley below my house, in the love of my wife, etc.?

Psalm 138
A David Psalm
Thank you! Everything in me says “Thank you!” Angels listen as I sing my thanks.

I kneel in worship facing your holy temple
and say it again: “Thank you!”
Thank you for your love,
thank you for your faithfulness;

Most holy is your name,
most holy is your Word.
The moment I called out, you stepped in;
you made my life large with strength.

When they hear what you have to say, God,
all earth’s kings will say “Thank you.”
They’ll sing of what you’ve done:
“How great the glory of God!”
And here’s why: God, high above, sees far below;
no matter the distance, he knows everything about us.

When I walk into the thick of trouble,
keep me alive in the angry turmoil.
With one hand
strike my foes,
With your other hand
save me.
Finish what you started in me, God.
Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now.

(The Message)

This week’s Coffee Stain comes with a homework assignment. For the next three weeks I want you to deliberately stop and think three times each day. Then thank the Lord for something from the bottom of your heart.

See if that doesn’t draw you closer to the Lord. It works for me.

______________________

Hmmm …

Socrates said : “The unexamined life is not worth living.” I don’t doubt that, but sometimes we examine all of Christ’s joy out of our life! If you constantly look inward, you’ll find something. If you look upward you’ll find Someone. And that Someone has the cure for all those “somethings.”

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I woke up and sat on the side of the bed, completely confused. I suppose I had been dreaming and I thought I was a little kid again but part of me was evidently somewhat aware of my surroundings. My wife woke up and I asked her, “Is that you Phyllis?”

She told me later that if I had been a truck driver I would have been in trouble.
Who did I think it was?

Sometimes we are bewildered by things that happen in life. High-schoolers leave home and for a while they’re not sure who they are in their new context without their family. Children fly from the nest and the parents face confusion. Up until this point in their marriage, a big part of their definition of themselves related to their children and now that they are no longer at home, they’re not sure who they are.

A husband dies or leaves and his wife struggles. A man loses his job and wonders if he has value. Long-held positions are taken by another and the status we felt shrivels away.

We orient ourselves in life according to things, people and situations around us and when those things are gone, we can spin out of control.

I woke up the other morning and I was 60-years old. That can be quite a shock. I remember sitting in a restaurant in Charleville-Mezieres, France once, and glancing up to see a fellow seated facing me off to my right. As I looked closer I realized that I knew the guy. It was a mirror and the reflection was me.

It’s crazy when the man looking out from within you tells you that you’re forty and your mirror tells you something else.

Actually, I’m kind of glad to be 60. At 59 you’ve got all the negatives of that age without the status, but 60 has a certain dignity to it. I feel sorry for my friends in their fifties. One day they’ll be like me, if they keep living.

I’ve done a lot of thinking, though, and I want to make the years the Lord gives me count. When you’re 30 and you stand in front of the goal, it’s not vital if you kick the ball through the goal posts. You’ll probably have lots of other chances. But at 60 you feel like you need to score.

Fortunately, we’ve got a God who is faithful in all ages and all situations.

“Stalwart walks in step with God;
his path blazed by God, he’s happy.
If he stumbles, he’s not down for long;
God has a grip on his hand.

“I once was young, now I’m a graybeard—
not once have I seen an abandoned believer,
or his kids out roaming the streets.
Every day he’s out giving and lending,
his children making him proud.

“Turn your back on evil,
work for the good and don’t quit.
God loves this kind of thing,
never turns away from his friends.”

(The Message, Psalms 27:23-28)

So, if life has left you feeling disoriented, look up. Center your gaze on the Lord and you’ll find dizziness disappearing and confidence returning to the center of who you are.

_________________________

Hmmm…

It’s funny how the nation’s mood was at its most humble when its actual achievements were at their most extraordinary. David Brooks contrasting our braggart generation with the self-effacing generation at the end of World War II.

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Snow is sneaky.

His cousin rain comes a-thumping, bumping, flashing and a-crashing, a sort of wet Beethoven’s Fifth symphony on steroids.

But snow comes quietly. Millions of the little fellows parachute in during the night, keeping absolute radio silence. They all settle into their places without a word, waiting for the signal. The cloud bombers move on, just as the other conspirator peeks over the horizon.

They hear you moving around in the house and if you could understand snowflake language you might hear, “Okay, guys! Get ready, here he comes.”

When you finally pull back the curtain, millions of flakes all yell in unison, “Surprise!”

And for an instant you’re stirred inside, even if you don’t like snow.

Snow is a pain but it’s almost worth it for that morning greeting, as well as the finishing touch it adds to the top of pine trees, and the Christmas-card look it gives to a winter landscape. Even ugly places seem beautiful when snow buries them.

Lots of things that God does seem quiet and out of the way, until the seed grows into His great will. See the Bethlehem manger for confirmation.

At this writing (last Sunday morning) we’ve got a landscape full of snow in north central France and more on the way according to those who are never wrong–the weather predictors on television (this last phrase is read with a slight note of sarcasm). Before I gripe anymore about cold, wet feet, artic temperatures, hazardous driving conditions, and blah, blah, blah … I want to stop.

Thanks Lord for the snow. It sure is beautiful.

And thanks Lord for my Coffee Stains friends. Their feedback and interaction put a lot of joy in my life. Merry Christmas friends.

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-12

Hmmm …
“Christmas–that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance–a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.” ~ Augusta E. Rundell

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