The Christmas Story

Merry Christmas!J...

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Pieces of Christmas #12: Welcome to Our World

This is another Christmas song that is making it's way to my "favorites" list.  It is not a Christmas carol or a Christmas hymn. It is more like a Christmas prayer...a conversation with our Savior.2000 years ago, there wasn't much fanfare at the birth of Jesus.  Oh, to be sure, there were angels that made a proclamation to shepherds and later there were wise men that travelled a great distance to bring gifts, but there was also the evil king that wanted this young child killed and was willing to kill all of the young boys in the area...

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Pieces of Christmas #11: The Power of Christmas (part 2)

If you didn't read yesterday's post and watch the associated video, you need to do that now. Click here.This is a song that tells the story.JohnYouTube l...

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Pieces of Christmas #10: The Power of Christmas

This is one of my favorite Christmas stories.  It is not a story about the Christ of Christmas.  It is a story about the Power of Christmas and of the Peace of Christmas.The King James Bible translates Luke 2:14 to read: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men."Later scholars have believed that this is better translated to mean: "...peace on earth towards men of good will." or "...and on earth, peace to those on whom his favor rests." NIVOften times men of good will find themselves at odds with each other...

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Pieces of Christmas #9: Mary, Did You Know?

It must have been very unusual for the young girl that was the mother of Jesus.  On the one hand, this was a baby like any other baby.  On the other, there has never been another baby anything like Him. Everything about her pregnancy, from the angelic announcement to the immaculate conception, was unusual.  The timing of the birth was inconvenient. The angelic proclamation to the lowly shepherds was unheard of. This birth was different.  This Child was different.This is the Savior! He is the Messiah.  He is the Christ--the...

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Keep Looking Up

I hope that God blesses you with clear skies tonight.It isn't too often that we get to see a total eclipse of the moon.  At just after midnight tonight (CST) in the first minutes of the 21st, the shadow of the Earth will begin to pass over the moon.  I have always found the night sky to be full of extraordinary events that point to the evidence of an Intelligent Designer...that point to a Creator...to God.When I consider your heavens,  the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what...

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Pieces of Christmas #8: Taking the Message to the Mall

What a grand surprise these lunch time shoppers received as a choir breaks into this rendition of The Hallelujah Chorus, bringing the message of the birth of Jesus into the mall's food court---JohnThanks, Bandit.YouTube l...

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Pieces of Christmas #7: Sunday Morning Sermon

I imagine that there are few people that think about Christmas as they read through the second chapter of Paul's letter to the Philippians--especially through these verses.For me, this is the very essence of Christmas.  So often we find ourselves contemplating His great love for us through His suffering on the cross.  We relate to the pain and suffering of the Man Jesus much easier than we relate to the love of God.  We point to the suffering and the sacrifice on the cross and think of how much He loved us. Rarely do we think of...

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A "Pieces of Christmas" Break

I'm breaking from the Pieces of Christmas posts that are focused on the birth of Jesus for a day to share this piece that was written and read at our December meeting of the Ozarks Christian Writers.With all that has been in the news about the new TSA security procedures, this is a funny and creative look at what one might see in airports next week.While my header gives permission to repost my material from this blog, this is not mine and permission to repost it is not mine to give.  Feel free to direct others here if you would...

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Pieces of Christmas #6

Sometimes it can be difficult sorting out the truths from the traditions of Christmas. This little cartoon helps:Johnfor the YouTube link go h...

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Pieces of Christmas #5: more of Jesus and Santa

I think that this video first appeared last Christmas.  The song was written by the singer's father.  I believe that he's the guy at the piano.This time it's a search for Jesus when everybody else seems to be satisfied with finding Santa.JohnIf you want to go to YouTube to watch the video, it's he...

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Pieces of Christmas #4: Jesus and Santa

Towards the end of Macy's Christmas Parade the television announcer said that the most important person of the Christmas season was about to arrive....SANTA CLAUS!Yeah, there is definitely a social controversy over who is the most important person of Christmas.Even if your holiday is more about gifts (both giving and receiving), family traditions and the guy in the red suit, you need to know that there is a God that loves you and provided a way for you and me (the sinful and undeserving wretches that we are) to have eternal life in heaven.It may...

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Pieces of Christmas #3

This year has been a year that has really caused me to examine just how poorly I have been sharing the Gospel of Salvation in Jesus.  I want to be better...not just locally, but in that "Go and make disciples of ALL NATIONS..." thing that Jesus was talking about.I found (was directed to) this website for Advent Conspiracy. Maybe in the coming months...Anyways, as a part of my Pieces of Christmas series, I thought I'd share this video of theirs:JohnLink to full screen vi...

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Pieces of Christmas #2

I found this song last year and posted it just prior to Christmas. I've always like Jackson Browne and can identify with this song. Sometimes I feel far removed from the religiousness of the Christian culture.  I've been called self-righteous. I been called anti-Christian.  I've been told that you can't have certain political views and be a Christian.Perhaps a heathen and a pagan describes me better than I care to admit...but I am still on the side of Jesus.J...

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Pieces of Christmas

It's hard to believe that Christmas is less than two weeks away.  Hannah will be finishing finals this week and should be home Thursday evening.  Aaron will also finish finals this week. Jenny finished hers last week.Since there is always so much that seems to distract us from remembering the birth of our Savior, I thought that I would use these days leading up to Christmas 2010 by posting some simple reminders of why I celebrate on December 25th...and what I celebrate on December 25th.Let me begin with a classic...simple, to...

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Christmas Curmudgeon

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm not some sort of Christmas Curmudgeon. I'm going to rely on input from some of my self proclaimed curmudgeon friends/readers...and you know who you are.I'm not particularly grouchy or feeling all bah-humbug or anything. And I don't feel like I'm completely without the "Christmas" spirit--I'm just easily bothered by others that are being pretenders.Let me explain...I started to sense this "curmudgeonly" spirit last Sunday morning. I found humor and irony in our pastor's sermon--that wasn't meant to be humorous or ironic....

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Christmas Writing/Reading

Each winter, the Ozarks Chapter of the American Christians Writers takes a break from our normal workshop/guest speaker format to host two very different kinds of meetings. Our December meeting is set aside to hear many of our members present a 5-7 minute Christmas or winter piece that they have written. January is our speed writing meeting. Several topics or starting sentences are given and then the members and guests are challenged to use the first half of the meeting to write from what they've been given. The second half of the meeting is...

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