Christmas

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This Day’s Thought-Wednesday

This Day's Thought

There are moments in life when we are given eyes to see as God sees. Surely one such moment is at the birth of a child. ‘And this will be a sign for you, you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ Few stories have captured the human imagination as powerfully as Jesus’ birth. With a cast of characters that resonate across time and culture, it tells of God choosing to come among us as a child born on the margins of society, to parents reliant on the kindness of strangers. An angel appeared to the shepherds in the field and said, “Do not be afraid—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all people—The promise of Christmas is not for some people, the most deserving, or those who hold certain beliefs; not for one racial or ethnic group, or the citizens of one nation. The birth of Jesus is meant to be good news of great joy for all people, a sign that God will never give up on us, no matter what; that God’s desire is to be with us, as we are. Moreover, the Christmas story suggests that God is perfectly at home in less than ideal circumstances. But Jesus’ birth is more than a sign. He came to show us a way, God’s way toward the peace and goodwill we long for. It is the way of kindness and love, forgiveness and generosity. The truth is that God cannot create a world of peace and goodwill without us. Ours are the eyes through which God sees. Ours are the heart and the hands through which God responds to this world in love. This Christmas I pray that we all may see ourselves as God sees us, with eyes of love. And as we look with God’s eyes at suffering and grief that take no holiday, may we respond with that same love, doing our part to help realize the hope of Christmas for all people.

Mariann Edgar Budde

This Day's Verse

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

John 1:14
The English Standard Version

This Day's Smile

It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.

W. T. Ellis

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This Day’s Thought-Tuesday

This Day's Thought

If we open our hearts and embrace Him, not only to reap abundance and joy and heath and happy fulfillment, but also for the cancellation of our sins—then this is the greatest welcome we can give to the Christ Child.

Norman Vincent Peale

This Day's Verse

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6
The New King James Version

This Day's Reprise

Jesus…
He came not to a throne,
but to a manger.
He lived not as a king,
but as a servant.
He chose not an earthly kingdom,
but a cross.
He gave not just a little,
but everything.

Holley Gerth

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This Day’s Thought-Monday

This Day's Thought

I am Christmas.
I commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.
I bring good news and good cheer to millions of people.
I demonstrate how God can incarnate Himself in a human being.
I am the birthday of the Christian faith.
I bring the message of peace on earth made possible by the Prince of Peace.
I honor lowliness of mind and purity of heart.
I put God definitely within the series of historic events.
I show how godliness may be subject to the law of growth and development.
I am celebrated most appropriately as a religious festival.
I call attention to the spiritual capacities of newly-born children.
I bring encouragement to those of lowly birth.
I place the wisdom and the holiness of God within man’s reach.
I identify religion with human experience enriched by God’s self-revelation.
I celebrate the beginning of a life in which God was made real and immediately approachable.

Norman E. Richardson

This Day's Verse

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.

Micah 5:2
The New Living Translation

This Day's Smile

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.

Dale Evans Rogers

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This Day’s Thought-Thursday

This Day's Thought

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.

Howard Thurman

This Day's Verse

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14
The New International Version

This Day's Reprise

There was a gift for each of us left under the tree of life 2000 years ago by Him whose birthday we celebrate. The gift was withheld from no man.  Some have left the packages unclaimed. Some have accepted the gift and carried it around, but have failed to remove the wrappings and look inside to discover the hidden splendor. The packages are all alike: In each is a scroll on which is written, “All that the Father hath is thine.” Take and live!

Unknown

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This Day’s Thought-Wednesday

Wishing you a most joyous and meaningful Christmas celebration!

This Day's Thought

Christmas is not a day or a season, but a condition of heart and mind.
If we love our neighbors as ourselves;
if in our riches we are poor in spirit and in our poverty we are rich in grace;
if our charity vaunteth not itself, but suffereth long and is kind;
if when our brother asks for a loaf, we give ourselves instead;
if each day dawns in opportunity and sets in achievement, however small–
then every day is Christ’s day and Christmas is always near.

James Wallingford

This Day's Verse

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Luke 2:8-14
The New King James Version

This Day's Smile

The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable.

Ralph W. Stockman

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This Day’s Thought-Tuesday

This Day's Thought

Thanks be to God for his unspeakable Gift—
indescribable
inestimable
incomparable
inexpressibly precious beyond words.

Lois LeBar

This Day's Verse

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirini-us was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Luke 2:1-7
The Revised Standard Version

This Day's Reprise

Then let every heart keep Christmas within:
Christ’s pity for sorrow,
Christ’s hatred for sin,
Christ’s care for the weakest,
Christ’s courage for right.
Everywhere, everywhere,
Christmas tonight!

Phillips Brooks

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This Day’s Thought-Monday

This Day's Thought

Though time crumbles stone and the story grows old,
Yet The Shepherd we love, still watches His fold;
And His star still shines, over city and mart,
And His voice still speaks to the listening heart.
Our hearts are His birthplace.
Our lives are His home.
Let His work truly be our own.

James Barnes

This Day's Verse

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25
The New Revised Standard Version

This Day's Smile

God must have said, “I know what I’ll do, I’ll send my LOVE right down there where they are. And I’ll send it as a tiny baby, so they’ll have to touch it, and they’ll have to hold it close.”

Gloria Gaither

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This Day’s Thought-Friday

This Day's Thought

The first message of Christmas is “fear not.”  The birth of Jesus…banishes our fears.

Ann Voskamp

This Day's Verse

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14
The English Standard Version

This Day's Smile

Love is the thing.  The rest is tinsel.

Pam Brown

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This Day’s Thought-Thursday

This Day's Thought

Sunrise at the far horizon was sunrise near me in this infant.

Walter Wangerin, Jr.

This Day's Verse

When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.  He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

2 Samuel 7:12-13
The New International Version

This Day's Reprise

Christmas is when God came down the stairs of heaven with a baby in His arms.

R. Eugene Sterner

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