News you won't see in controlled mainstream media.

--WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL CREATION STORY?

--Creation story
---Question: "What is the biblical Creation story?"

--
**Answer: The basic creation story is found in Genesis 1 and 2, with the account of the Garden of Eden in chapter 3. Genesis 1 begins before the existence of anything except God Himself. Since this is the case, there is no such thing as a “pre-historic” time. God’s revelation of Himself and His will for mankind is the beginning. In this beginning, God created everything in the universe in six literal 24-hour days. This includes all the heavenly bodies (including every star and planet), as well as everything on the earth. While the triune nature of God is not explicit in the Genesis account, God does reveal an “us” within the Godhead (Genesis 1:26). The Spirit is active in creation (Genesis 1:2) as is Christ (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-17).

In the six days of Creation, God formed the universe and the earth (day 1), the sky and the atmosphere (day 2), dry land and all plant life (day 3), the stars and heavenly bodies including the sun and moon (day 4), birds and water creatures (day 5), and all the animals and man (day 6). Mankind is special above all other creatures because he bears the image of God and has the responsibility to steward and subdue the earth. All of creation was completed in six days in all its vast array and wondrous beauty. The six literal 24-hour days have no time spans separating the days. God announced that His creation was very good. Genesis 2 sees the completion of God’s work and gives a detailed account of the creation of man.

The seventh day is marked by God resting. This is not because God was tired, but He rested or ceased from His act of creating. This establishes a pattern of taking one day in seven for rest and sets the number of days in the week still in use today. The keeping of the Sabbath will be a distinguishing mark of God’s chosen people (Exodus 20:8-11.)

Genesis next takes a closer look at the creation of man. This passage is not a second creation account, nor is it contradictory to Genesis 1. The account simply takes a step away from a linear report to refocus the reader on God’s work concerning man. God formed man from the dust of the earth He had previously created. After forming man, God breathed life into him. The fact that God chose to form man this way shows His great care in this process. God next placed the first man, Adam, in a special place, the Garden of Eden. Eden was beautiful and bountiful. Adam had almost everything he needed including food and productive work. However, God was not done with man.

God helped Adam to see his need for a mate by having him review all the other creatures and naming them. Adam understood that he needed a mate. God caused Adam to sleep and then formed Eve with as much care as he formed Adam. Eve was made from Adam’s rib. When Adam saw her, he understood that she was special. She was his counterpart, his complement, and flesh of his flesh. God made both Adam and Eve in his image (Genesis 1:27). This passage establishes the family as the basic building block of society (Genesis 1:24; Matthew 19:5-6.) As a God-ordained institution, marriage is to be only between one man and one woman. Adam and Eve were created in a state of innocence (Genesis 1:25) and had not committed any sin. They enjoyed communion with God in Eden. Part of the relationship was the inclusion of one simple rule. Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat from one tree and only one tree in the entire Garden (Genesis 1:17).

At some point Eve was tempted by the serpent to eat from this one tree, which she did. Adam also ate from the forbidden tree. Adam and Eve sinned against God and lost their innocence (Genesis 2:8-12). Sin brought consequences.

God cursed the serpent to crawl forever on the ground and be hated by men. God cursed Eve to pain in childbirth and conflict with her husband, and He cursed Adam with toil and hardship in his labors (Genesis 3:14-19). Part of the consequences for their sin included Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden (Genesis 3:22-24.)

But also included in the consequences is a message of hope. The first mention of the coming Messiah is found in Genesis 3:15. He would come to crush the Serpent (Satan), but not before Satan bruised Him at the Cross. Even in the midst of sin and its dire consequences, God shows Himself to be a God of grace and mercy and love.
--References:
<http://www.gotquestions.org/search....on+Story&search.x=33&search.y=10>
-----------

--What Does the Bible Say About Creation vs. Evolution?

--Creation vs. Evolution
--Question: "What does the Bible say about Creation vs. Evolution?"

**Answer: It is not the purpose of this answer to present a scientific argument in the creation vs. evolution debate. For scientific arguments for creation and/or against evolution, we highly recommend 'Answers in Genesis' and the 'Institute for Creation Research.' The purpose of this article is to explain why, according to the Bible, the creation vs. evolution debate even exists. Romans 1:25 declares, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.”

A key factor in the creation vs. evolution debate is that the majority of scientists who believe in evolution are also atheists or agnostics. There are some who hold to some form of theistic evolution and others who take a deistic view of God (God exists but is not involved in the world, and everything proceeds along a natural course). There are some who genuinely and honestly look at the data and arrive at the conclusion that evolution better fits with the data. However, these represent an insignificant percentage of the scientists who advocate evolution. The vast majority of evolutionary scientists hold that life evolved entirely without any intervention of a higher being. Evolution is by definition a naturalistic science.

For atheism to be true, there must be an alternate explanation—other than a Creator—for how the universe and life came into existence. Although belief in some form of evolution predated Charles Darwin, he was the first to develop a plausible model for the process of evolution—natural selection. Darwin once identified himself as a Christian but as a result of some tragedies that took place in his life, he later renounced the Christian faith and the existence of God. Evolution was invented by an atheist. Darwin's goal was not to disprove God's existence, but that is one of the end results of the theory of evolution. Evolution is an enabler of atheism. Evolutionary scientists likely would not admit that their goal is to give an alternate explanation of the origins of life, and thereby to give a foundation for atheism, but according to the Bible, that is exactly why the theory of evolution exists.

The Bible tells us, “The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God'” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). The Bible also proclaims that people are without excuse for not believing in a Creator God. “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). According to the Bible, anyone who denies the existence of God is a fool. Why, then, are so many people, including some Christians, willing to accept that evolutionary scientists are unbiased interpreters of scientific data? According to the Bible, they are all fools! Foolishness does not imply a lack of intelligence. Most evolutionary scientists are brilliant intellectually. Foolishness indicates an inability to properly apply knowledge. Proverbs 1:7 tells us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

Evolutionary scientists mock creation and/or intelligent design as unscientific and not worthy of scientific examination. In order for something to be considered a “science,” they argue, it must be able to be observed and tested; it must be “naturalistic.” Creation is by definition “supernatural.” God and the supernatural cannot be observed or tested (so the argument goes); therefore, creation and/or intelligent design cannot be considered science. Of course, neither can evolution be observed or tested, but that does not seem to be an issue with evolutionists. As a result, all data is filtered through the preconceived, presupposed, and pre-accepted theory of evolution, without alternate explanations being considered.

However, the origin of the universe and the origin of life cannot be tested or observed. Both creation and evolution are faith-based systems in regards to origins. Neither can be tested because we cannot go back billions (or thousands) of years to observe the origin of the universe or of life in the universe. Evolutionary scientists reject creation on grounds that would logically force them to also reject evolution as a scientific explanation of origins. Evolution, at least in regard to origins, does not fit the definition of “science” any more than creation does. Evolution is supposedly the only explanation of origins that can be tested; therefore, it is the only theory of origins that can be considered “scientific.” This is foolishness! Scientists who advocate evolution are rejecting a plausible theory of origins without even honestly examining its merits, because it does not fit their illogically narrow definition of “science.”

If creation is true, then there is a Creator to whom we are accountable. Evolution is an enabler for atheism. Evolution gives atheists a basis for explaining how life exists apart from a Creator God. Evolution denies the need for a God to be involved in the universe. Evolution is the “creation theory” for the religion of atheism. According to the Bible, the choice is clear. We can believe the Word of our omnipotent and omniscient God, or we can believe the illogically biased, “scientific” explanations of fools.

--For More information go to: <www.GotQuestions.org>
-----------
--INDESCRIBABLE/ Chris Tomlin ~~<https://youtu.be/7-zJHgaoVa4>
---

---JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD~~
--Light Rejected (KJV)~~

--"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, let his deeds should be reproved.
---(John 3:18-20)~~
----
"But he that doeth truth cometh to the Light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
--(vs.21) JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD~~HERE I AM TO WORSHIP/ HILLSONG~
<https://www.youtube.com/watach?v=cATjB1ktEMw>
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cATjB1ktEMw>

---BIBLICAL CREATIONISM
Question: "Why is biblical Creationism so important?"

**Answer: Asking why biblical creationism is important is like asking why a foundation is important to a building. Biblical creationism is foundational to the Christian faith. Christianity is established in the book of Genesis chapter one, with “In the beginning God created . . . .” This one statement affirms creationism and opposes any view that embraces evolutionism (the belief that the universe started with a “big bang” and has been constantly evolving ever since). Our views regarding creation reflect whether we believe the Word of God or call its truthfulness into question. As Christians, we must differentiate between creationism and evolutionism; that is, how are they different? which one is true? is it possible to believe in both? These questions can be answered by defining what biblical creationism is and how it affects our fundamental belief system.

The importance of biblical creationism is that it answers the fundamental questions of human existence. 1. How did we get here? Where did we come from? 2. Why are we here? Do we have a purpose, and what is the cause of all or our problems? Are the issues of sin and salvation important? 3. What happens to us when we die? Is there life after death? Genesis is the foundation for the rest of Scripture, in which these questions are answered. Genesis has been likened to the root of a tree in that it is the anchor of Scripture and provides its spiritual life-blood. If you cut the root from a tree, the tree dies. If you discredit Genesis, you remove the authoritative value of all Scripture.

--Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” gives us three great truths which are the foundations of biblical creationism and the Christian faith. First, God is one. This stands in contrast to the polytheism of the pagans and the dualism of modern humanist philosophy. Second, God is personal and exists outside of creation. This is in contrast to pantheism, where God is seen as imminent but is not transcendent. Last, God is omnipotent and eternal. This is in contrast to the idols that people worship. God was before, is now, and always will be—He created all that is out of nothing by His spoken word. This answers our creation question of beginnings, but what about our second question, why are we here?

Biblical creationism answers the question of the condition of the human race. It deals with the fall of man but also leaves us with the hope of redemption. It is important that we understand we are unified in one man, Adam—a literal, real-life person. If Adam is not a literal person, then we have no plausible explanation for how sin entered into the world. If mankind, in Adam, did not fall from grace, then mankind cannot be saved by grace through Jesus Christ. First Corinthians 15:22 says, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (NJKV).
**This parallel—Adam is the head of the fallen race, and Christ is the head of a redeemed race—is important to our understanding of salvation. “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” Romans 5:18–19 (NKJV).

We must look to biblical creationism as the basis for our value system. The creation narrative must be factual and not just a story, for if it is fictional, then the values it imports are man-reasoned, subject to change as man “evolves,” and therefore invalid. The basis of the conflict between science and religion (especially Christianity) is the assumption that science is fact and religion is philosophy. If this were true, then our Christian values are just that—values for Christians, with no relevance in the secular world.

The last basic question for mankind is what happens to us when we die? If man is merely part of the evolved universe and returns to the dirt of the ground when he dies, we must contend that we have no soul or spirit and this life is all there is. This belief leaves us with only one purpose in life: to follow the plan of evolution—survival of the fittest. Christianity, on the other hand, presents us with a moral good that has been established by a transcendent, supernatural Being. The morality of God sets an unchanging standard that not only promotes a better life for us personally, but also teaches us how to love others and ultimately bring glory to our Creator. This standard is exemplified by Christ. It is through His life, death, and resurrection that we find purpose for this life and hope of a future life with God in heaven.

Biblical creationism is important because it is the only system that answers the basic questions of life and gives us significance greater than ourselves. It should be clear to all Christians that creationism and evolution are mutually exclusive and stand in opposition to one another.
--<www.gotquestions.org>

--BIBLICAL CREATION~~

-THE CREATION ~~ GENESIS- (The Book of Beginning)
--(Genesis 1:1-31 / 2:1-6 / NKJV)

-IN THE BEGINNING...
[-1] God created the heavens and the earth.

The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.

God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

-(VS 6)--Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."

God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.

God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

-(VS 9)-Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.

God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.

Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit, after their kind with seed in them": and it was so.

The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.

There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

-(VS 14)-
-Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;
And let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so.

God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.

God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on earth,
And to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

-(VS 20)--Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens."

God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."

There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

-(VS 24)-- Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.

God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that is was good.

-VS 26)--Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.

-(VS 29)- -Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;

And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so.

-(VS 31)- God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.
And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day."~~

-Chapter 2-
-(VS 1-6) Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.

By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventy day from all His work which He had done.

Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

-(VS 4)-This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven.

Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.

-(VS 6) -But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground.~~

-[The Creation of Man and Woman/ Chapter 2:7-25]~~
--------
--CREATION CALLS - BRIAN DOERKSEN~~
<https://youtu.be/uG5RDcHqcyo>
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG5RDcHqcyo>

--The Logic of Biblical Creation~
---Institute for CREATION RESEARCH~~

--Genesis: God's Record of Creation

--Whether most people believe it or not, therefore, the creation account in Genesis is God's record of His creation. Jesus Christ also taught this truth, so surely any true Christian should believe it. This account does not allow even the possibility of evolution, since everything was created "after its kind" (Genesis 1:24), and since, after six days of creating and making things, God "rested from all His work" (Genesis 2:3), and so is no longer using processes which "create" things, as theistic evolutionists believe. Instead, He now is "upholding all things" (Hebrews 1:3) through His law of conservation--the "First Law."

Space does not allow documentation and further discussion here, but even this brief summary demonstrates the logic of biblical creationism. Although one may escape from this chain of logic if he wishes, the fact remains that the chain is logical and reasonable. When mixed with faith, there is peace and joy in believing God's straightforward, rational, simple, satisfying, and truly scientific account of creation in Genesis.
-[Please follow the ICR link below for further explantation]
<http://www.icr.org/article/logic-biblical-creation/>

--IS GENESIS 1-11 Actual History?
--BY/ BRIAN THOMAS, M.S. |

---The early chapters of Genesis contradict ancient history as portrayed in public schools, television, and movies. For example, our culture insists humans evolved from ape-like creatures, while Genesis says we were made in God’s image. Culture says the earth formed over eons, but Genesis 1 says it took God just six days. Is it possible to believe both the Bible and evolution’s history? Many try. Some say early Genesis doesn’t convey real events and that God never intended for us to take Genesis 1–11 as history but as poetry. How well does this idea work?

We may think this approach leads to a lovely land of resolution where we can simply label controversial Scriptures “poetic” to avoid their plain meanings. Instead, opening the “Genesis is poetry” gate unleashes three terrible tigers of doubt that threaten our faith.

--- Jesus treated Genesis 1–11 as actual history. Is Genesis 1–11 Actual History?

The first is that if we treat Genesis 1–11 as non-history, then what other passages should be labeled poetic or non-historical? The text of early Genesis doesn’t read or sound like poetry, so this idea comes from outside the Bible. The book of Psalms shows what the Bible’s poetry looks like. Historical psalms like Psalm 78 also show that even poetic passages can convey real history!

Genesis 1–11 reads like a straightforward account of real events. It uses the same tenses and tones as the rest of Genesis history, so there is no line where “poetry” leaves off and history begins.

--**For example, Genesis 1:28 says, “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’” If this is not history, then God did not actually say that. Later, Genesis 35:11 says, “Also God said to him [Jacob]: ‘I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply.’” Both passages sound similar because both tell what God actually said. If we can treat one of these verses as non-history, then what stops us from treating the other verse—or the whole Bible, for that matter—as non-history?

The second doubt concerns Jesus’ truthfulness. He quoted from early Genesis when He said, “But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’” Jesus treated Genesis 1–11 as actual history. Why would He do that if He knew it was just poetry, not meant to be taken plainly? Peter and Paul also treated Genesis as history in their letters, so why shouldn’t we?

The final tiger comes from a wrong view of science. Christians who doubt Genesis history seem to think that when a scientist says a fossil formed 70 million years ago or that a dog-like creature evolved into a whale, somehow that scientist pulled the information from the fossils or rocks.

But rocks tell no such tales. Instead, they actually fit better with Genesis history. Fossils do not form today, they formed in fast-flowing, muddy water, and every continent has plenty of them. Thus, muddy water must have flowed fast over the world’s continents. Noah’s worldwide Flood as detailed in Genesis 6–9 sets up exactly the right conditions to make most of the world’s fossil-bearing rock layers. In other words, the words of most scientists do not always equate with actual, data-driven science.

Stay on the straight path that lets the whole Bible make plain sense, agrees with Jesus, and embraces real science.
--Article from ICR/ The Institute For Creation Research~~

---IN THE IMAGE OF GOD~~

--We all ask the question, “Am I somebody important?” It’s easy to feel anything but important when your ex takes your energy, or old age takes your dignity. Somebody important? Hardly. But remember this promise of God: you were created by God, in God’s image, for God’s glory.

God spoke. “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature, so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea; the birds in the air; the cattle; and, yes, the Earth itself and every animal that moves on the face of the Earth” (Genesis 1:26).

-God never declared, “Let us make oceans in our image,” or “birds in our likeness.” The heavens above reflect the glory of God, but they are not made in the image of God. Yet, you are! And because God’s promises are unbreakable, our hope in unshakable.

--From/'Unshakable Hope'/ML~
[Sometimes we wonder what is going on in Heaven now. We all have loved ones who have passed on. Do they see us now? Heaven does not have any sadness, crying, tears, or worry. It is true we can only imagine what it will be like when we see Jesus face to face. BUT I can promise you, there will be no sadness. Only JOY, in the presence of our Lord Jesus. (See 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5, for an idea.) Enjoy the song, "I Can Only Imagine", by: MercyMe. It is well over 10 years old. There is a Cinema Picture made of it. Personally, I like to think of it more of "Joy in the Presence of our King of glory, Jesus the Christ."
Of course no cameras were in Bible times, but let's just imagine.....with all sadness, and worry out of our minds, what it will be like to see our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. "Even so, Come Lord Jesus." He who testifies of these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly."~]
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsnXGOjqgKc>
------------

---THE CRADLE OF CHRISTMAS~~

--[God] loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
(–1 John 4:10)---

----What is the significance of Jesus humbling Himself by being born in a cradle? First, the fact that Christ was willing to come and to be born under such humble circumstances reminds us that God loves us. He took the initiative in establishing a relationship with you and me.

Pastor Tim Zingale tells a story about a five-year-old boy named Tommy. Tommy loved to run and play. When he smiled, people said he looked like an angel. But Tommy did not smile much. His parents had died a few years earlier, and he was in an orphanage. One day, while Tommy was playing dodgeball by himself, he was unaware of what was happening at a local courthouse. There, Judge Johnson was listening to a couple explain why they wanted to adopt Tommy. They had driven by the orphanage one day and seen Tommy playing outside and decided they wanted him to become part of their family. Tommy was completely unaware of what was happening right down the street. A decision was being made that would alter the course of his life forever.

--The Bible says that the Judge of all of the universe, before the beginning of time, decided that He wanted a relationship with you, and He set into motion the plan by which you and I would be adopted into His family through Jesus Christ. That is what the cradle of Christmas represents. God took the initiative in establishing a relationship with you to put you into His forever family. “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). The cradle of Christmas means that God loves us.

**Second, the cradle means that God forgives us. God became flesh so that He could be one of us and accomplish the mission of salvation. You may have heard the story about Molokai. The island of Molokai was used as a refuge for people who had leprosy. In 1873, a priest named Father Damien volunteered to go to Molokai to serve the lepers. When he arrived, he was startled to see people suffering not just physically but spiritually as outcasts. They had no hope, and because of that, they committed acts of immorality, drunkenness, and violence. They had the same questions we have: is there a God, and does He really care about us? So Father Damien helped them build a hospital and a church. Every Sunday he would lead a worship service, and he always began the service by saying the same thing: “My dear brethren.” Then one morning, in a calm, clear voice, Father Damien began, “My fellow lepers, I am now one of you.”

Jesus Christ, for no other reason than the love which He had for us, left Heaven and came to this island of hopelessness called planet Earth. He willingly took the curse for our sin so that He might point us to God. God became one of us so that we might be a part of His family.

--Pathway to Victory/Pastor Robert Jeffress--"I CAN ONLY IMAGINE/ MERCY ME~~ (video, but need speakers, TURN UP!.) <https://youtu.be/K_OB7d-B1Vw>
------

---That First Christmas ~~

--"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.' --

--I WAS heading to church the day of the Christmas pageant. I had that sweet sense of anticipation, thinking of that fun it would be. It always is. Mary and Joseph, the baby in a manger, the kids dressed as shepherds and wise men and angels--some of them decked out in floppy ears with fluffy tails to take their roles as sheep, baaing their way down the center aisle.

I stepped onto the subway, glad to get a seat--there seemed to be several empty seats right around me. As soon as I sat down I realized why. The scruffy-looking homeless guy opposite me, hunched down beneath a black parka, a bag at his feet, and and certain stench coming my way. Oh Great. The perfect thing to disrupt my Christmas joy.. I could have used a little frankincense and myrrh right then then to sweeten the air.

Then I thought again of the first Christmas. What would the shepherds have looked like or smelled like? After all, they spent their days and nights watching sheep. How often did they get to bathe? They wouldn't have dressed in fancy clothes. And yet they were they were the first, among the chosen few, to hear the good news, called to the baby's side. Like me. Like all of us.

The guy looked up from his hoodie and we exchanged a few glances. "Merry Christmas," I said. "God bless," he said. I gave him some cash from my pocket before I got off the train.

This years' pageant was surely the best one ever...until next year. ~~

"Lord, there is a part for all of us to play in Your story. Shepherds, wise men, Mary, Joseph, we're all called to honor You. Show us how to be a light shining for your glory. "

--Guideposts/RH~

--Come Thou Long Expected Jesus ~~

--The True Light That Gives Light:

--Christmas Eve. We made it once again. Now, suddenly, I want time to stop. I want to fly back and feel the expectation of lighting the first Advent Candle, and sit snuggled in the living room as David reads about the Magi. I want to lean my face into the scratchy cedar tree and then realize that the blessing of my mother's long life.

Christmas Eve. It's come too soon.
Oh well, there's nothing to do now but pull my Santa hat from the top closet shelf and get ready to laugh. Our tradition is to open our gifts to each other on Christmas Eve. Santa comes later.

Brock and Keri and their giggling tribes will arrive shortly, unloading presents until there's a sea of bright boxes piles all around the tree. There will be much hurrying as we eat bowls of hot vegetable soup and devour homemade pimento cheese sandwiches.

And then the Santa hat It was a splurge some years back, this red velvet hat with a foot-high bouncy, twirly, thing complete with a bell on top.

When I don the hat, everyone knows it's time. I drag in my big red Santa bag, and peek inside. The room grows quiet.

"Now, what have we here," I say"

I pull out a gift for each person. I've been working toward this moment for months Saving up, searching the Internet, poring through catalogues, and walking the malls until I find the most perfect gift possible for each of the people I treasure.

Some, I know, call this conspicuous consumption I call it love.

"Father, thank You for creating me to laugh, for the delight I can take in giving gifts, for the joy and anticipation of Your ultimate gift. The gift of eternal life, in Jesus. ~
--Guideposts/

--<https://youtu.be/_JqnsAkuDdM>
~~~~~