What's In Your Gospel?

Happy Holidays!

To My Christian Friends - Happy Holidays

To My Jewish Friends - Happy Hanukkah

To My Atheist Friends - Good Luck!

Twas the Night Before Christmas (Take Two)

Twas the Night before Christmas (Take Two)

Written by Gregg Metcalf

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through heaven

Not an angel was singing, not even the one named Evan

The cherubim were all packed and were waiting to send

A multitude of heavenly hosts to a town called Bethlehem

Mary and Joseph were all snug in the manager

On this dark night nothing could ever be stranger

For the Holy Spirit of God came there to hover

As a young Jewish maiden was to become a mother

The time had now come for Mary to deliver

The child formed by the great heavenly giver

It seemed the quiet of this once silent night

Would only be broken by sounds of delight

When out in the fields there arose a heavenly host

Praising God with great words which did boast

Of his glory to the highest in all of the creation

Peace on earth and good will to every nation

The glory of the Lord shone bright around them

As the angels brought glad tidings to Bethlehem

Do not be afraid was the message they heard

All these things had been written in God’s word

The moon on the stalks of wheat in the field

Dancing along as the moonlight gave yield

When, what by the listening ear was heard

But words of comfort which were not slurred

A figure in shadows appeared so lively and quick

 The young mother sensing this might be a trick

With a message to the land this shadow came

Bringing words of joy to all the tribes by name 

Benjamin, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Dan

Naphtali, Asher, Issachar, Judah, to the man

To Zebulon, Simeon, Reuben, Gad he spoke

The time has come to now throw off the yoke

This babe laying here in swaddling clothes

Is the sign which God himself has chose

He has come to save his people from sin

And to bring good news to all of them

When the angels returned to heaven on high

The shepherds made haste and did fly

To the town where this thing came to be

Which the Lord had allowed them to see

The shepherds found the babe in a crib

With no room at the inn they had to ad lib

A pleasure it was to visit this tiny family

The shepherds worshiped in great jubilee

The babe was wrapped in swaddling tight

To keep away the chill of this dark night

A pillow of hay gave rest to his head

Unbecoming for a King was this bed

The baby’s eyes did twinkle and shine

He neither gave whimper nor whine

His cheeks were like roses in bloom

Since safely delivered from the womb

As the shepherds saw him they made known

Of all they knew of this blessing on loan

All who were privy they too were amazed

And with one voice their God was praised

As the shepherds prepared to depart

Mary pondered what was in her heart

They were singing filled with great joy

Having been led to see this baby boy

All these things were brought forth by God

Since he had chosen to bless this vile sod

He says to each one of us with great delight

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night

The Real Meaning of Christmas!

If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words, these would be the words: "God with us." We tend to focus our attention at Christmas on the infancy of Christ. The greater truth of the holiday is His deity. More astonishing than a baby in the manger is the truth that this promised baby is the omnipotent Creator of the heavens and the earth!

John MacArthur

Trees or Forests?

Martin Lloyd-Jones once wrote of the Roman believers:

"...they have lost their balance and have developed a kind of lop-sided Christianity. This is indeed an all-important matter in connection with the Christian life. One of the greatest dangers is to be so absorbed in, and concerned about, particulars and details as to forget the whole."

--from Liberty and Conscience, 

Exposition of Romans 14:1-17, 

page 205

Scripture Widens and Deepens

              “Nobody ever outgrows 

               Scripture; the book widens

               and deepens with our years.”

                                             (Charles H. Spurgeon)

There and Back!

Well, we are so glad to be back home after what seemed to be a whirlwind trip to Parris Island, South Carolina. You are probably aware that we attended our granddaughter's graduation from Marine Corps boot camp.

She was assigned to the 4th Battalion, Platoon 4049, November Company. She also excelled and graduated in the top 10% of her platoon earning her a meritorious promotion to Private First Class, E2. Normal graduates graduate as Privates, E1 - so this is more rank and a little more money. They graduated in their dress blues and did she look sharp and squared away.

Wednesday

We woke up at 2:15 AM and got ready to leave. We picked up my daughter at her new Vancouver residence, loaded her up, and drove to the Park and Fly at the Portland International Airport. We live just across the Glenn Jackson Bride (I-205) - about 12 minutes away. The Lord was kind - there was a handi-cap parking space right next to the shuttle bench. So we parked an waited on the shuttle.

We took off at approximately 6:35 AM on Southwest Airlines. We flew to Los Angeles where we stayed on board and then flew to Houston, Texas for a transfer. Again, God was so kind, I had wheel chair service from plane to plane!

We landed finally in Charlotte, SC at about 8:30 PM east coast time. We drove to the motel in Beaufort, about an hour away and checked in.

Thursday

We awoke at approximately 5:00 AM in order to get ready to on base in order to stand in the dark and the freezing cold and wind to watch our granddaugther run in platoon formation in a run called the Motivational Run. We stood on a corner where they turn and we waited for 40 minutes or so an the company ran by but we couldn't see her. But oh well, we were there for her.

We then got breakfast and coffee and waited in a hangar for 90 minutes waiting for orientation and liberty call to begin. They had a short 30 minute orientation about what the recruits could do while on Liberty and then at 10:00 the recruits were released to family. We had her until 3:00 PM. 

We found a picnic table outside the Marine Corp Exchange and grabbed it for others did and we had a picnic in the wind and freezing cold but it was so fun. She was so sharp, we were so proud. 

Our youngest daughter Stacy, her husband Paul, and the twins (Carter and Cheyenne) drove down from Ottawa, Illinois. Sonja (Brytanny's mom), Irene and I along with Bryttany had a great picnic and hugged her almost to death

We then returned her to the barracks at the end of liberty. We drove to Hilton Head, Island where Paul and Stacy and the kids were staying and we had pizza for dinner and enjoyed seeing them all.

We drove back to Beaufort and fell into bed around 8:00 PM exhausted.

Friday

We arose around 6:00 AM and got ready for the big graduation ceremony. It started right on time at 9:00 AM and ended at 10:05 AM. The pomp and ceremony was fabulous. The National Anthem, the Marine Corps Hymn, the formations, the guide-ons, the flags all brought back memories of my time in the corps and couldn't keep back the tears.

When the final order of, "Drill Instructors, dismiss your troops" was given we grabbed her and then had to drive to the staging area where her gear, bags, and etc were staged. We loaded up and she wanted to eat at Olive Garden, after 13 weeks of Marine Corps chow she wanted Olive Garden. We drove back to Hilton Head and had the best lunch and time eve.

We said good by to our Illinois family and drove back to Beaufort. Believe it or not, with the time change, the flights, the early rising times, Irene and I fell into bed at 7:30 PM and fell asleep.

Saturday

We arose at 1:15 AM and got ready. We packed the rental car (It was a Jeep Renegade & I didn't like it and don't recommend it).

Here is a tid-bit - we wanted coffee and there was a McDonald's next to the Motel. So, we whipped in the line and was the sixth car in line. It took over 5 minutes before the car at the window ever moved. Then it took another 15 minutes for the next four cars to move. Now, the car in front of us never moved, even when all the other cars did. My daughter, sweet as she is, waited until the last car left the window and then she began to honk. Finally the manager came out and had to wake up the driver. We finally 25 minutes later get to the window. The clerk slowly rang up two coffees and gave us our change. Then she said, we will put a pot on and it will be ready soon. My daughter said keep the coffee and we drove off, we had a plane to catch.  25 minutes waiting and 2.16 cents and no coffee.

We turned in the rental and boarded the plane at 6:35 AM and took off for Chicago. We changed plans and had a four hour flight to Portland. We collected our bags, loaded my Blazer and drove home.

We had a wonderful trip. We had so much fun. We are so proud of Bryttany. She had 10 days leave with family and friends, she then serves 10 days duty as a Recruiter's assistant in Portland. She then flys to Camp Geiger, North Carolina for 5 weeks of Marine Corps Combat Training.