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 Dailies for December by Christina Farris 12/1/2019 Dailies for Month of December are being created. Yes I have written something almost every Christmas for Christmas and this year is no different. Why take a new look at the same old story. We miss so much of the meaning of Christmas that a fresh approach is often necessary to see the manger not only in brightness of the light of God, but the hope of peace He had to offer us when the world was still struggling with leadership who would frown on the coming of Christ. Our world is no different in the since of those that would rather see us give up and forget the truth and hope. Yet truth and hope never dies, it only kills the lies. Let us remember this Christmas why we celebrate and why the hope is so important to retain. May you have a bless Christmas 2019. |
Joy To The World by Christina Farris 12/1/2019 May the joy of Christmas fill our hearts as we consider the needs of others and memories of years gone by. One particular Christmas I remember the children of poverty having so much under the tree, I had no words to describe, only to go to another house that had nothing but a bare tree. The children did not even have a toy in the house, and no doubt the cupboard was bare as well. This image of so much and so little and yet both poor familes left impact on me. The first house told of a place of many friends and family that loved those children and the other house told of a woman struggling to make ends meet with very few friends and love ones close by. It not the ones that everyone looks after that needs help at Christmas it those forgotten or without people to care for them. Christmas is more then package tied up with string, it about the hope and love that is the heart. Sometimes gift giving is a way to show love and compassion for another, and yet friendship is more treasured then a package sometimes. What is the point to define joy is not the receiving or the giving but expression of friendship through a kind greeting. No children want toys and more toys then those wishbooks have. Yet toys and clothes only provides hope and not always the friendship that is needed. Can you give friendship to one person in need of it, or is only the handme downs of years gone by you care to pass along. People need hand ups not only hand outs. The hand up of first friendship and encouragment of hope can go further then just last years clothes. Sometimes to help one in need there is no more help but to make sure there basics are meet. Not everyone benefits from the hand up, they can only use a hand out. There physical bodies no longer able to do the work of the strong. Yet sometimes to encourage they find they can still belong in society as viable being. How not just in the church, but in the community. Volunteer work is only a few hours at a time, to help someone else in need. How long did a person work before they got into poor shape, could they still be encourage to another. Truth is to find those ways to give back even with shorter hours is much needed in a life of hope and dreams. Their story must be told so the world knows their value in society, even if it is only yesteryear. Bring joy to someone else by just listening as they share. God sees these people and knows their heart and their struggle. If you can bring a little joy by just hand up. Build society with godly encouragement. Christ is for all, not just the rich. |
Good Will Toward Men 12/01/2019 What is good will it is not a charity organization, but the hope of Christ of peace on earth. What is peace, not something this earth will ever know. The sounds of peace will always be in the air, but never a reality on our earth. One day when Christ returns and the wrath of God is pour out, there will be a new heaven and new earth and will be the only place of true peace. We have hope for peace, we have hope for kindness for this world, but the only good will that can found is through the teaching of Christ to the world. With hope of Christ we find that peace between God and man. We find the only peace that will stand the test of time. We find the only lasting peace that is here on this earth. May the peace of Christ reach the heart of the world today. May we see Christ as God's peace offering to man. |
| Hanukkah by Christina Farris 12/5/2015  Hanukkah or Chanukkah for those who are trying to learn to pronounce it correctly it is from the Hebrew Language which is gutteral language. In other words it comes out of the throat when pronouncing. As I was looking for more information on this holiday one of the things I found was Jews do not celebrate Hanukkah as victory over the war. It would be the same problem then as today of atheist not wanting religious people to worship God freely to the point they killed those that do and over take the Jewish temple, teaching as legal law instead of religious law. They called themselves priest but were not. The danger of this is you do not have called leaders of the priesthood in power and more liberal teaching comes into practice. These liberals were not Hellinistic Jews, though these Jews actually were Jews that adapted to the laws of the land to even there own beliefs. Many Christians do this today from Biblical Christianity to laws of land they live in. Some groups call this liberalism today. The problem is radicals that rise up and kill whether it be Islamic like ISIS, Christion fundamentalist, fundamental Jews and so forth. It is application of things read and study by law of the rule of the people at that time claiming it to be God. Here the point no religious order necessarily agrees with all legal law, but what they do have to come to terms to live peacefully is to obey the law of the land. Sounds like juggling act, only if you think killing someone because of religious law is legal. If you think violating religion of someone else is legal. In America terrorism is defined on a religious bases is obstructing someone elses freedom. What you do to your ownself as far as belief is your own unless it to cause harm. Then it is illegal to harm yourself in most states. Back to Hanukkah the real meaning and the reason the Jews celebrate it. When the Jews gain access to worship God once more from Alexander Antiochus IV military force after beating them in battle Maccabees rededicated the temple to God by lighting of lamps with only the amount of oil to light for 1 day. God honored the rededication by allowing the eight lamps to burn for a total of eight full days to cleanse the temple. God's miracle of provision during the end of war between Alexander Antiochus IV and the Maccabees to worship God. The celebration is for the temple rededication and not the victory. The temple was very sacred to the Jewish people and was important place to be clean and holy for God. The ninth candle in the picture above is the candle to light the other eight candles and is the tallest. The name of the candle is shammus. After the lighting of the first candle one a day, blessings are song or read.This is only the ritual part of the celebration. It too has become more liberal with gifts for eight days and games played. As Christians this is one that could be celebrated because it is before Christ. |
