Podcasts about when christmas

Angie and I regularly look at what we consider are the ingredients of joy. Ritual is one we go back to again and again. Today, I ask: what happens when ritual becomes empty? When Easter weekend, past just last month, is no longer connected to its Christian origins? When Christmas is all about the presents, not the love we all have capacity to share or the birth of a child, born to die for our sins (again, a Christian idea). And what does religion have to offer anymore anyway? Angie would say religion offers a container of teachings and practices that ground us in our belief; rituals help us remember what that's all about.This is a good wrestle between Angie and me. And we don't wrap it up in a bow, but come at it from different places, landing in a more explored place of seeing ritual and its importance.Please, share our work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.You can read more from Angie on her Substack, called “the bigger picture”Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Planning to travel to Switzerland in winter? Join me in this episode as I share my highlights and observations from my recent winter trip to Switzerland.Whether visiting the Christmas markets in Switzerland, sledding or skiing, or enjoying scenic winter train rides is top of your itinerary wish-list, you'll get plenty of helpful advice.I share my thoughts on the Montreux Christmas market (widely regarded as one of the best Christmas markets in Switzerland), visiting the beautiful cities of Zurich, Lucerne and Basel during winter, and why sledding is a great activity to try during winter in Switzerland.When Christmas is over, there are plenty of things to do in Switzerland in January, too. From mountain excursions to museum visits and visiting festivals like the LILU Light Festival in Lucerne, I cover them all in this episode.If you've been wondering what there is to do in Switzerland in winter for non-skiers, this episode is for you!Safe travels,Carolyn

California is growing again: Golden State's population rebounds to near pre-pandemic level/Bill Clinton gets Hospitalized. Santa Cruz Pier Collapses into the ocean/ Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to state murder, terrorism charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO assassination. U-haul filled with donated toys stolen in South LA; Spark of Love steps in to help/ The Container store files bankruptcy. When Christmas and Hanukkah Collide.

This Sunday, Pastor Bucky Dennis continues our Christmas series called "Peace Be Still", which focuses on Mark 4:39. His is called "When Christmas doesn't feel so merry"Want to learn more about Watermark?Visit: https://watermarkoc.com/We would love to start a conversation with you!

‘Tis the season for all things merry and bright. Except when you're feeling sad, lonely and perhaps grieving. Retired United Methodist pastor and current spiritual director Cindy Serio discusses why Christmas can be a challenging season for some folks and shares a guided meditation that acknowledges that you might feel blue at this time of … Continue reading "When Christmas is blue: A meditation of hope"

‘And it is one of King David's descendants, Jesus, who is God's promised Savior of Israel!' (Acts 13:23 NLT) The shadow of the cross lay over the beauty of the first Christmas night. It was there from the very beginning. That is why red is the color of Christmas. It isn't because Santa wears red or that we sometimes wrap our gifts in red. Red is the color of Christmas, because red is the color of the blood that Jesus shed for us on the cross. That is what Jesus came to do. He went voluntarily to the cross. Of course, He could have gotten out of it if He had chosen to, but Jesus laid down His life for us. Jesus did not come so that we could go to endless Christmas events. He did not come to teach everyone how to be good or to love their neighbors, although these are good things to do. To the point, Jesus came to die an agonizing death and to ransom us from an eternal death sentence. The story of Christmas doesn't begin with the words “once upon a time,” though it has all the majesty and the magic of the greatest fairy tale you've ever heard. It has shepherds, angels, wise men from the East, and a bright, shining star. But it's a real story pinpointed specifically in time. Luke begins the Christmas story by telling us who is in power and what was going on at that particular moment in history. Luke was a physician by trade, and he was a stickler for detail. Everything in the world was in place for the arrival of the Messiah. The Bible says, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children” (Galatians 4:4–5 NLT). When Christmas arrives and the gifts are opened, some of us will be very excited, and some of us will be a little disappointed. That's because Christmas can't deliver on its promises. Only Christ can. What is Christmas at its best? At its best it is gathering with family and friends and perhaps enjoying a meal together. (And of course, worshipping together is one of the greatest things we could do on Christmas.) But these are glimpses of things to come. In many ways, Christmas is a promise. It's a glimpse of something greater. It's a promise that has not been fully kept because it's really not about Christmas; it's about Christ. That is what we're really longing for—not Christmas but Christ; not merriment, but the Messiah; not goodwill, but God himself. Put God first, not last. Don't work Him into your busy schedule. Rather, put Him first in all things. Jesus won't force His way into your life, but He would love to come and be a part of it. If you will seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness in everything you do, it will change everything about your life. — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Christmas becomes something it was never intended in our lives, it's likely due to the fact that we have forgotten why we celebrate this day. Yes, it's about a Baby Jesus in a manger. Baby WHO? JESUS! If we miss the purpose for His name and the reason He came in the first place, our celebration of Christmas becomes empty and futile. Let's rethink Christmas and consider HIS NAME and the reason why that name is so critical.

Trusting God in the unknown is hard, even when you love Him. Even when you have seen His faithfulness time after time. Today, I'm unpacking one of my favorite scriptures nestled into the Christmas story. Luke 1:38 is Mary's response to God when He called her into a future she didn't understand or ask for.  Do you find yourself in a place where God is calling you to do something you don't understand? Or, maybe you have said yes to Him and are in the middle of what that yes looks like, wondering if He will be faithful again.  You aren't alone! Listen in as Caroline talks about her experience with God's faithfulness and struggle with truly surrendering all.  Looking for more Real House Wives of the Kingdom Christmas Episodes?  #74-A Fresh Perspective on Christmas #73-When Christmas isn't what you expected #57- Christmas in Other Cultures around the World -With Kevin & Caroline Rogers #16 -Celebrating Jesus and Cultural Christmas Traditions #15 -Christmas Traditions through Generations with Caroline and her Mom Shawn Visit me on my website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠marriedrogersneighborhood.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow and interact with Caroline on social platforms at: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@RealHouseWivesoftheKingdom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Real House Wives of the Kingdom Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can subscribe ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive updates on coming content  (We promise not to spam you) You can sign up ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to enroll in our online Pre Marital Guidance course for more marriage Biblical Marriage Encouragement you can FOLLOW: Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@marriedrogersneighborhood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Married Rogers Neighborhood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@marriedrogers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Clubhouse: @marriedrogers YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Married Rogers Neighborhood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Podcast Music Composed and performed by Jamie Miller If you would like more information on Jamie's Song Writing and performing services you can ask Caroline on any of the above platforms listed for her official contact info. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/housewivesofthekingdom/support

Many centuries ago, a mysterious woman arrived in the small community of Nes in Borgarfjörður. No one knew where she had come from, but her beauty and grace quickly won the respect of the locals. She settled in Nes and gradually took control of the entire estate, becoming its mistress. Her name was Snotra, and though she was admired, she carried an air of secrecy. Want more folklore? This episode is part of my Folklore Friday series where I am sharing a Folklore story every Friday in 2024. Click Here for More Icelandic Folklore The Mysterious Woman Challenges Her Steward One day, Snotra appointed a steward to manage the estate and presented him with a challenge. She told him she would be leaving for the Christmas holiday, but when she returned, he must correctly guess where she had been. If he failed, he would forfeit his life. However, if he succeeded, she promised to reward him richly.As Christmas approached, Snotra made preparations to leave. On Christmas Eve, she departed without revealing her destination. When she returned after the holiday, she asked the steward if he could say where she had been. He admitted he could not. Shortly after, the steward vanished, never to be seen again.This same fate befell two more stewards, each unable to solve the mystery of Snotra's Christmas journeys. Finally, a fourth steward was appointed. Like the others, Snotra told him he must uncover her secret or face dire consequences. The steward, however, resolved to succeed where the others had failed. Christmas with a Twist As Christmas Eve arrived, the workers retired for the night, but the steward stayed awake. Hidden in the shadows, he watched as Snotra slipped out of the house carrying a bundle. He followed her silently across the fields to the rocky shore, where she sat and unwrapped her parcel.Inside were delicate veils. Snotra draped one veil over her head and threw another into the sea. As she leapt into the water, the steward boldly grabbed a veil and followed her. Suddenly, they were traveling through a swirling mist until they emerged in a land unlike any he had ever seen. The air was filled with the scent of herbs and fruit, and the landscape was lush with orchards.In the distance, the steward saw a magnificent city surrounded by high walls. Snotra, now wearing her veil, entered the city gates to the sound of music and a warm welcome. She gestured for the steward to stay in a small building near two tall structures, from which he could observe what happened inside the grand hall.Curious, the steward peered through a window and saw an incredible celebration. The hall was filled with people in splendid clothing, dancing and feasting. At the center of the festivities sat a noble man on a throne, and beside him was Snotra, adorned in regal attire. One Event Changes Everything Night after night, the steward watched the same scene: music, dancing, and Snotra by the man's side. On the last evening, he noticed a disturbance. Two men approached the nobleman, reporting that a cow had given birth to twin calves, but one was dead. The two women tasked with caring for the cow blamed each other for the calf's death. The nobleman grew angry at the dispute, and the steward could see the tension in the hall.When Christmas ended, Snotra prepared to leave. A grand procession escorted her from the city, with the nobleman leading her by the hand. The steward followed her as she retraced her path through the mist, arriving back at the same rocky shore. She removed her veil and folded it carefully, and the steward did the same before throwing his veil to her.Snotra said nothing and returned to the house. The steward followed her and rested until morning. When the workers rose for their daily tasks, Snotra approached him and asked if he could say where she had been. The steward replied, “I cannot say exactly, but I saw two women arguing over the death of a calf,

When Christmas gets rudely hijacked, Kev and Matt take to the road tracking the evil Rick Alanman to The Tachycardic Plaza in London,where Danny Peaks is having the time of his life. Can Kev and Matt save Christmas? No good asking Mr Tunguska... he will never tell. Written, performed, produced, directed and edited by Kevin Chilvers and Matt Sanders. Social media management by Laurie Stone. Original artwork by Maisie Chilvers and AI generated episode cover by KC. Some sound effects sourced from www.zapsplat.com Come find us on Instagram @catnoirpodcast . Geoff the Baker has a tattoo. Can you find it? Answers on a postcard to Guess GOB's Tats @ Cat Noir Comedy Podcast quiz. Norfolk, UK. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Christmas is all about the “what's” we're set up for the blah's.

When Christmas is done and dusted – what do you do with it?  Put it back in the cupboard with the decorations for next year – or let the message of Christian burn on in your heart? Join Berni Dymet, on Christianityworks as he takes a fresh new look at Christmas.

When Christmas is done and dusted ? what do you do with it? Put it back in the cupboard with the decorations for next year ? or let the message of Christian burn on in your heart? Join Berni Dymet, on Christianityworks as he takes a fresh new look at Christmas.Support the show: https://christianityworks.com/channels/cw/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Per augurarvi buone feste facciamo un giro nella storia e nei luoghi dove il Natale è stato abolito, ripristinato, bandito e “trasformato”, facendo urlare: “ci stanno rubando il Natale”. O dove non si festeggia perché c'è una guerra in corso e i morti aumentano ogni giorno. Insomma: che siate nella bolla di chi vuole farsi conquistare dal clima natalizio, o in quella di chi preferirebbe fosse un giorno come un altro, buone feste.  -- Ospite della puntata Francesca Milano --  I contributi audio di questa puntata sono tratti da un video pubblicato sul canale YouTube Bolshevism, il 14 dicembre 2008 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzf3FRSbEUk&ab_channel=Bolshevism; da un video pubblicato sul canale YouTube All soviet Movies on RVISION, il 19 dicembre 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbDMaimE5Es&ab_channel=AllsovietmoviesonRVISION; da un video pubblicato sul canale YouTube РГАКФД https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsSCAcquLWg; dal podcast pubblicato dalla Npr, National Public radio, il 2 dicembre 2023 https://www.npr.org/2023/12/02/1216716034/bethlehem-in-the-occupied-west-bank-will-skip-christmas-festivities-this-year. Le fonti degli articoli citati nella puntata sono le seguenti: How Stalin banned Christmas and New Year's, Russia Beyond, 23 dicembre 2022, https://www.rbth.com/history/335706-how-stalin-banned-christmas; How Soviet Russia Banished Their Version of Santa Claus, Then Brought Him Back to Spread Communist Cheer, Time, 24 dicembre 2020, https://time.com/5922931/santa-claus-soviet-history/; When Christmas was cancelled: a lesson from history, The Conversation, 13 novembre 2020, https://theconversation.com/when-christmas-was-cancelled-a-lesson-from-history-149310; Why Christmas was once illegal, The Guardian, 17 dicembre 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/video/2019/dec/17/why-christmas-was-once-illegal; Scotland Banned Christmas For 400 Years: Became A Public Holiday In 1958, History Daily, 15 dicembre 2020, https://historydaily.org/scotland-christmas-ban-400-years/3; Meet the man who created the ‘Christmas is cancelled' myth, The Guardian, 23 dicembre 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/dec/23/winterval-man-who-created-christmas-is-cancelled-myth; Christmas cancelled: US Palestinians feel no holiday joy amid war on Gaza, Al Jazeera, 13 dicembre 2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/13/christmas-cancelled-us-palestinians-feel-no-holiday-joy-amid-war-on-gaza. Fuori anche da qui: www.luciafestival.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our Christmas episode! Today I talk to author Amey Zeigler. She's just written a new Christmas book called "The Christmas Mug" - It's book two in the Helping of Hope Series! In the interview we talk about our favorite reads and authors (Brandon Sanderson is a must; Calvin & Hobbes is essential reading... ). Then we explore her writing journey and the power of "just keep going!" Then, we end our discussion talking about her tips for new writers. It's some excellent, must-listen to advice!http://www.ameyzeigler.com/ Find The Christmas Mug here: "One Christmas scrooge. One judgmental neighborhood. One Christmas miracle needed. Can a Christmas mug help them all get into the spirit of Christmas?Due to years of childhood trauma, Lisa Bennigan loathes all the busywork surrounding the holidays. Her financé, Jackson Tydell, wants to show Lisa and her family the true meaning of Christmas. But Lisa's kids struggle to accept him as their future step-dad. Will they open their hearts to the spirit of Christmas and this new family dynamic?When Christmas packages disappear from front porches, neighbors accuse Lisa's oldest son of stealing. Lisa's family must discover the real porch pirates and bring peace again to the neighborhood.When a house fire causes a family to be displaced for Christmas, can Lisa unite the neighborhood for a Christmas miracle?"#podcast #booktube #authortube #authorinterview____________ There are 4 ways you can help support the channel! -Like and subscribe!-I'm now a bookshop.org affiliate - check out my shop and find your next great read! https://bookshop.org/shop/bookshelfodyssey -Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bookshelfpod - My Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2PTGNQWISVZE/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_3 _____________ Find Me Online: Podcast: https://bookshelfodyssey.buzzsprout.com/ Voxer: @artbookshelfodyssey Discord: https://discord.gg/8MFceV2NFe Facebook Group Page: @thebookshelfodyssey Twitter: @odyssey_podcastInstagram: @bookshelfodysseypodcast

“It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” Or at least that's what we're being told on commercials, social media, and pretty much anywhere else we look. But what happens when it's Christmas time, and you're feeling anything but merry? In today's episode, we are here to normalize and validate your feelings if this time of year doesn't always feel as magical as you think it should. Christmas can often bring out the really hard stuff, especially for vulnerable families. As Foster and Adoptive parents, we put pressure on ourselves to give these children the Christmas that they may have never experienced, sometimes at the expense of our own mental health. We are here today to say that it is okay to say ‘no' to things that are unrealistic for your family this holiday season. It's time to focus on the real reason we celebrate Christmas. And as always, we will offer you our experiences and practical tips on surviving the holidays, even when you are in the midst of a struggle. Just remember..You are enough. You are doing enough. Your kids will remember your presence - not their presents. Episode Highlights: When Christmas Doesn't Feel So Merry Learning to say no and adjusting expectations When Christmas feels heavy Remembering why we celebrate Christmas, to begin withFinding community through the Holiday season Find More on Hope Bridge:Visit Our Website (Find Support Groups Here) Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Facebook Foster Our Community Instagram This show has been produced by Adkins Media Co.

Our joy is most complete when we remain obediently in the Father's love. ~~~ What's the best gift you've ever unwrapped on Christmas? For me, I immediately go back to Christmas Day of 1983. There was one toy that year causing madness and riots in stores across America. While this one particular toy was the desire of my heart that Christmas, I remember being told they were in high demand and limited supply. It wasn't a guarantee to be under the tree. When Christmas morning arrived, there it was. A big wrapped box that hadn't been there before. I unwrapped the most beautiful, brown hair, blue eyed cabbage patch doll I had ever seen! My mom can tell you, it was in fact, a Christmas miracle! When you think back on a moment like that, it's full of joy. I unwrapped joy. That doll has since been in a box for years and the joy it once brought me has faded. Those moments are fleeting. The things, the stuff and all the trending desires of our heart can only bring so much joy. We grow up. We grow out of playing with dolls. What was once shiny and new becomes old and faded. But, with God, there is a deeper JOY that never fades or grows old. God wants to give us that kind of joy every single day. Like that cabbage patch doll, the gift of JOY, is one of my favorite gifts He gives me. I like to say laughter is my love language and if you make me laugh, we'll be friends forever. But the thing about joy is it's an even deeper condition of the heart that can ONLY be experienced when the heart is FREE from worry, comparison, fear and doubt. JOY is a free gift, ready to be unwrapped, but you must exchange all the cares of this life for it. Sounds easy enough doesn't it, I mean who wouldn't WANT to do that? But, when we look closer at our own life and heart, we find we hang on to SO MANY things that rob us of the joy God longs to give. If you find yourself tired and worn out today, this truth is for you. Your strength for this day and everyday is FOUND in the JOY of the Lord! Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” To give a little context, the children of Israel had returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity. Their city was in ruins, still they gathered to worship and hear the reading of God's word. Their lives were far from where they needed to be and their hearts were troubled as they were reminded of what was true. Instead of rebuke and shame, they were met with commands to feast and rejoice. Oh how amazing is the grace of God which calls us out of our bondage and out of the ashes of life to trade our sorrows in for JOY and our mourning for dancing! Joy comes every morning as we trade in our sorrow, guilt and shame for the righteousness and grace of God we receive through faith in Jesus. I am NOT who I was. I am made right with God and that is worth celebrating! But we must daily CHOOSE to walk IN the joy of the Lord. How do we do that? JOY is a by product of obedience. John 15:10-11 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Fullness of joy in this life can only be found through obedience to the Father. That's when my joy is complete and so much more than a feeling or a passing trend. It's joy rooted deep in the love of Jesus and my desire to follow His way and live the best life I could possibly live. I know I'm not alone. I know I have a purpose. I know I am loved. When I remain in that love, no matter what trials or suffering may come, I can count it all JOY. That's the truth. Unwrap the gift of joy that never fades and gives you strength for today and HOPE for tomorrow, no matter what you may be facing. It's a joy that's found only IN Jesus. I'm Lori Cline.

What do, one kid's hunt for a Nintendo Gaming System, and one Mom's attempt at having a laid-back holiday, have in common? This week on THE MOVIE CONNECTION: KC Watched: "8-BIT CHRISTMAS" (5:16) (Directed by, Michael Dowse. Starring, Winslow Fegley, Neil Patrick Harris, Steve Zahn...) Jacob Watched: "A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS" (45:29) (Directed by, Jon Lucas & Scott Moore. Starring, Mila Kunis, Christine Baranski, Kathryn Hahn...) Talking points include: Media highlights of the year 1988 When Christmas movies go raunchy When do you decorate the Footlocker tree? and more!! Send us an email to let us know how we're doing: movieconnectionpodcast@gmail.com Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Rate and Review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out more reviews from Jacob on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cover art by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Austin Hillebrecht⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Letters by KC Schwartz

When Christmas time rolls around sometimes gift giving in a wealthy culture can be difficult. What do you give someone who already has everything they need-- It's an even bigger question when you apply it to God. What could you possibly give God-- He literally has everything. You would think it would be impossible but God has actually created a way for us to do it. Everything he has called a sacrifice in the New Testament is guaranteed to be pleasing to him if you offer it with a heart of worship.

The Sign Advent Series–Fr John Corrigan–Waiting (Fr John Corrigan says that Advent gets us into the habit of looking forward, looking into the future, where the view is different. Amid our Christmas preparations, the Church invites us to heed two more “advents” of God which are just around the corner—first when we die, and then again when Jesus returns. So, for the next four weeks, we imagine ourselves travelling, preparing to meet Jesus and greet him with joy and affection, not begging for more time. When Christmas arrives, the Lord should find us ready to receive him, and equally prepared for the other two Advents in our future.)

Winslow Fegley and Alberto Belli stop by to talk about to their new movie, The Naughty Nine on Disney+. The guys share their experience making the film and how they shot certain scenes. After that, I ask Winslow about a certain scene in the film. In addition, I ask Alberto about his fatherhood journey and what his son has taught him about life. Lastly, we finish the interview with the Fatherhood Quick Five.  About Winslow Fegley  Winslow Fegley stars as Andy Steele in the Disney Original Movie The Naughty Nine. Andy is a clever and adventurous fifth grader with far too much charisma for his own good. Fegley was most recently seen in Sony's Lyle Lyle Crocodile, opposite Javier Bardem. He was also seen as the lead in 8-Bit Christmas for New Line. In addition, he was the lead of the feature Nightbrooks for Netflix, based on the popular supernatural novel by J.A. White. He is best known for his break-out role as Timmy Failure in Disney's Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. Follow Winslow on Instagram at @winslowfegley.  About Alberto Belli Alberto Belli is the director of the Disney Original Movie The Naughty Nine. Alberto Belli is a computer science engineer whose love for storytelling turned him into a director. He moved from Mexico to Los Angeles to get his MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. That is where he received the prestigious John Huston directing merit scholarship. Follow Alberto on Instagram at @abelli. About The Naughty Nine  The Naughty Nine is a holiday heist movie. Think Ocean's 11 at the North Pole. The movie follows fifth grader Andy, who has been a bit of a troublemaker this year. When Christmas morning rolls around and Andy gets stiffed by Santa, he realizes he's on the “naughty list.” Feeling unfairly maligned, Andy pulls together a crack team of fellow “naughty listers.” Therefore they look to execute an elaborate heist to get the presents he and the others feel they deserve. However, in the process of finding their gifts, the gang discovers that the best way off the naughty list is to redirect their unique talents for good instead of mischief. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGLVH6SPw0M About The Art of Fatherhood Podcast  The Art of Fatherhood Podcast follows the journey of fatherhood. Your host, Art Eddy talks with fantastic dads from all around the world where they share their thoughts on fatherhood. You get a unique perspective on fatherhood from guests like Joe Montana, Kevin Smith, Danny Trejo, Jerry Rice, Jeff Foxworthy, Patrick Warburton, Jeff Kinney, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Kyle Busch, Dennis Quaid, Dwight Freeney and many more.

When Christmas traditions change, there is one that doesn't! Hebrews 13:8 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Walking a little funny... Channeling Stiffler's mom... The AI thinks Katie is a male in her 50's... She probably had a fresh one coming... Living among white trash... When people go out with the intention to leave a mark... Katie and SC are not brother and sister... 9 years of Kinky Katie's World... Toaster shaped bath bomb... Christian version of Saw the movie... Little Shop of Horrors... Are all dentists sadistic??? A little bit of salt on the tongue before a blow job helps with your gag relfex... Does the smell of celery make people horny??? Why are there so many Xmas orgy videos??? When Christmas makes people want to have sex... Winter Penis is a thing... Sometimes a cuck has to cuck... Episode of "Rule 34"... Pushing it to the very last second... Katie injured her pussy again while trying out a new sex toy - Masturbation Injury... A three wiener hole... Some nasty candy cane flavors... It's not worth 5$... The heretics fork... Having a nick name of a nick name - Girth Brooks... Willem Dafoe and his giant cock... The Anitchrist the movie... Would wife swap the show work today??? Natural man tonic, and we still don't know what it does... Butt Pussy boxer briefs... Why do they make foreskin dildos??? When Karen's attack inside a Hobby Lobby.

When Christmas rolls around each year, it's like we're drawn to that picture of the baby in the manger. But what if there are some other things that God is trying to say to us? What if there were these subtle things that God is trying to communicate. Join us as we conclude our series with a detailed look at some of the subtle things happening before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. This will change Christmas for you forever.

Christmas In a Box As the snow began to quietly début winter's arrival, I made my yearly descent to the basement.  Rummaging through the backwaters of the musty root cellar, I spied the dusty stack of aged boxes with the word “Christmas” hastily scrawled across their cardboard sides.  Inside of them lay the wonder of Christmas embodied in carefully crafted decorations and precious mementos of all sizes and sorts and types.  Staring at the boxes, I suddenly found myself entirely engulfed by the horrifying fact that we spend much of our lives boxing up wonder.   The Abuse of Boxes Indeed, we put things in boxes.  The function of a box is to provide a set of distinct parameters designed to effectively contain whatever needs containing.  A box imposes restrictions.  It sets a limit as to how far something can go.  Things are assigned a defined space where they are on hold, typically because we have no use for them in the active part of our daily existence.  Therefore, they're stored away until our existence grants them whatever tiny bit of space they are granted for however long our existence grants it.  We put things in boxes.   Boxes of Heart, Mind and Soul But the majority of our boxes are not made of cardboard, or plastic, or metal, or any other such rudimentary substances.  Our boxes are not those things stored in the shadowy corners of our damp basements, or shoved into the tight confines of our suffocating attics, or crammed into the five-by ten of some self-storage on the other side of town.  These do not represent the vast majority of our boxes…at all. The majority of our boxes won't be found in basements, or attics, or some self-storage facility.  They are, in fact, within us.  Deep within us.  And we have made them.  We've tediously constructed them to protect ourselves from painful histories, or shut down truths that don't set well with us, or eliminate the people in our lives who we find distasteful.  We build them to shield ourselves from ourselves (in whatever way that we feel we need to do that).  We build them to keep ourselves from the guilt of doing or being what we shouldn't be doing or being.  We build boxes so that we contain those things that we would otherwise be running from, or we build them to give us a ready excuse not to run ‘to' the things that maybe we should be running to.  We put things in boxes.   Why Boxes? Some boxes might make sense.  “But why,” I asked, “do we put great things in boxes?”  Powerful things?  Things that can handily rescue us from the tangled messes that we make with such tedious perfection?  Why do we box up that which can heal our deepest wounds, wrestle our worst addictions into submission, grant us a sustainable hope that will stand against the most sustained darkness of a world gone dark?  What in the world would behoove us to box up the very things that can handily reign in all of the destructive things that we've cut loose that are constantly cutting us up?  What sort of insanity compels us to box up the very things that we spend the entirety of our lives searching for? We are a stubborn bunch of people.  But that's the message of Christmas that's tough to swallow, and that's the very thing that prompted the delivery of that message.  That we are stubborn to our own demise.  That we would be ‘the death of us' unless God was willing to come and give ‘life to us.'  That the enemy is not necessarily something that's prowling around in the shifting shadows that constantly circle us in some stealthy manner.  Rather, that we are the enemy and that it is from ourselves that we need to be saved.  That is the message embodied in the boxes tucked away in the musty confines of the root cellar with the word “Christmas” errantly scrawled across them.  That is the intent of Christmas.  That God decided to initiate the greatest rescue mission in all of human history at the greatest cost that any mission would ever demand…the death of His own Son.   Boxing Up Christmas Despite the sour rhetoric of our times and the efforts of so many to massage us into complacent ignorance, this is the message that we as a culture have placed, pressed and imprisoned in boxes built by self-serving philosophies, special interest groups gone rogue, and platforms born of greed and power.  This is the message that we find so aversive and chafing.  It is our single salvation, but we box it up anyway.  It is the only light in the darkness that we have foolishly come to call light.  It is the only thing big enough to be able to course the turbulent seas of our times and throw us the lifeline that we refuse as we wait for other promised lifelines that never come.  This is what we box up.  And such an action is ignorance of the greatest sort that will insure a death of the most painful sort. We must take Christmas out of the cultural boxes into which we have thoughtlessly crammed it.  We must free it of the confines of our stupidity, we must release if from the filthy hands of our greed that shaped each box, and it must be freed of the bane of special interests that attempt to seal these boxes tight.  And once we've done all of that, we must burn every box to ash and cinders.   Christmas Can't Be Boxed Yet, the oddity of it all is that we really can't keep Christmas in a box anyway.  We might ignorantly presume such power, but it is only an assumption and nothing more.  Despite our most robust efforts to ignore it, deny it, render it a fairy-tale, play it off as the invention of misty-eyed dreamers, and press it far off of the edges of a blind culture, Christmas remains what it is.  It will forever remain the only rescue mission that set out with enough power to actually rescue us.  No matter the propaganda and hype that we grant them, all other missions will fail…miserably.  And I would hate to meet my own death realizing that I was ignorant enough to box up the only thing that could have saved me.  When Christmas has concluded and the celebrations have stilled, when the songs have fallen silent and the parties have ceased, leave Christmas out of the box that you can't put it in anyway.  Let it be what nothing else can be.  Let it rescue you, your family, your children, your marriage, your community, and your world.  And I don't believe that any of us want to put in any box anything that has the power to do that.     Resources for Your Holiday Celebrations Discover an array of holiday resources designed to enhance your celebrations on our website at www.craiglpc.com.  Craig's thoughtful, timely, and inspirational books make lasting gifts.  Discover all of his books at Amazon. com, Barnes and Noble, or wherever books are sold.  Also, take a moment to explore Craig's Public Speaking Resources for information regarding the resources available to your business, ministry, or organization.

Christmas can be a stressful time of year for many, but it's important to take the time to pay attention to your nutrition and exercise regime! Christmas is the perfect opportunity to focus on your health journey. This Christmas season, tune into our Christmas nutrition tips podcast which will help motivate and guide you as you work towards achieving your health goals. When Christmas comes around, it's easy to feel tempted - whether it's getting carried away with the Christmas party food or forgetting about daily exercise. That's why our Christmas nutrition tips podcast is here - to help keep you on track throughout the Christmas period. With informative advice on healthy eating and regular exercise, listen in and learn how to have a healthy Christmas without compromising on tasty treats - let us help you stay in shape this Christmas!

Christmas is a beloved time of year. But it can be easy to get caught up in the season and forget about why we celebrate Christmas. On this episode of God Hears Her, hosts Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy share the story of two real people in the Christmas story who were changed by Jesus being born. Join this conversation to learn more about how Christmas changes everything for us!   Notes and Quotes:  When Christmas becomes more than what's handed down by traditions, it does change everything. —Elisa Morgan When I started understanding the crucifixion, then I started understanding the birth of Jesus. Before that, Christmas was these holiday fun things you would do and sadness processing a grief every year.  —Eryn Eddy The whole story of the Bible is about God's love for humankind, our struggles to believe it, our choosing to do things on our own rather than believe it and God creating a deliverance for us in spite of ourselves. —Elisa Morgan Jesus reveals us. His presence in our lives reveals who we are, what we depend on, what we believe, our need for Him. He causes us to be revealed. —Elisa Morgan Whether you're waiting for a relationship, or to become a parent, or a turn in your career—these things we are waiting for. To be like Simeon, changed by Christmas, in the way that we move from a trusting waiter to a fulfilled follower. —Elisa Morgan When I think of (Anna's) loneliness, I've fought through feeling lonely and neglected with prayer and fasting and worship. It's what got me through the other side of depression and anxiety. Worship and prayer. —Eryn Eddy   Verses:  Luke 2:22-35  Luke 2:36-38    Links:  God Hears Her Episode 100  God Hears Her tote: https://godhearsher.org/shop Elisa's book Christmas Changes Everything God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/ God Hears Her newsletter sign-up: https://www.godhearsher.org/signup Subscribe on iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast Elisa's Instagram: elisa morgan author Eryn's Instagram: eryneddy      MB01TWA7JW5JPVZ

When Christmas time rolls around, we tend to turn to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. The stories of the angel and Mary, the angels and the shepherds, the visit of the wise men. But how does John tell the Christmas story?

Read Isaiah 2:1-4. The lead up to Christmas can be a stressful time. If we're not careful, we can become tired and irritable, snapping at those around us, or cursing those who jump in the supermarket queue ahead of us or cut us up on busy roads. Advent can become a time when we get our own swords and spears out! It might be the sword of cutting words or the spear of well-aimed elbows. But that's not what the real Christmas is all about! The grand vision laid out by Isaiah is not one of conflict, but one of peace; overwhelming, healing peace. Isaiah says that when Messiah comes nation will no longer fight nation, or even train for war anymore. All their weapons will be hammered into ploughshares and pruning hooks. Fighters will become farmers, soldiers will tend the soil, and troopers will tend the flocks. Christmas is an opportunity to find peace with God. In Jesus Christ, God took on flesh and became one of us - a human being - because he no longer wanted us to be disconnected from him. Christmas is also an opportunity to find peace with others. The closer we are to God, the better our relationships will be. A relationship with God pulls us all closer together. Christmas is finally an opportunity to find the peace inside ourselves. To discover emotional peace. Wholeness. Shalom. The peace of God. Will you lay down the arms of Christmas this year and find the real peace God longs to give you? THINK IT OVER Think about the following: •          When Christmas gets stressful, what are your weapons of choice? How could you hammer them into ploughshares and pruning hooks instead?

Welcome to November 25, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate feeling “blah” and being in the black  I know people are excited about shopping today, but I feel positively “meh.” The French have a word for this: blasé, meaning “to be indifferent or bored with life.” Blasé actually describes how many of us feel at this time of year. You may just need to hit pause and be unproductive for a while. So today we are giving you permission to blow off whatever is leaving you with that underwhelmed feeling. If you're absolutely over “pumpkin spice everything” or the 20 page Christmas letter you're supposed to read, go ahead and be blasé. On National Blasé Day, it's okay to celebrate “doing nothing.” Shopping today is hectic, but certainly not awful, so why does it have such a bleak name? Turns out that the phrase “Black Friday” was first used in 1869, when plummeting gold prices crashed the market. It was also used by traffic police in the 1950s to describe the surge in traffic jams caused by post holiday shoppers. The silver lining explanation goes something like this. Through most of the year, retailers are losing money, which is known as “being in the red.” When Christmas shopping starts, sales go way up, and they're “in the black.” No matter how you see it, Black Friday is a great day to find amazing deals on gifts for friends and family. I'm Anna Devere and I'm Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're kicking off our annual Advent series with Amanda Bible Williams, co-founder of She Reads Truth! Amanda shares about keeping Scripture central, holding the tension of joy and longing, and how her family celebrates the season together. She Reads Truth | He Reads Truth “We exist to help women and men and families to open their Bibles every day.” “The Advent season is the season of preparation to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to understand why we're celebrating.” “When Christmas day comes around, we're not taken by surprise or struggling to remember what this day is really about, but we're ready and we've been spending weeks pondering the manger.” Isaiah 9:2 John 1:14 “Though the story is the same, we can approach it from different angles in different seasons of life.” “Aren't we all longing for something, for someone? As Christians, we believe that our longings at their deepest are only met in Jesus.” She Reads Truth Podcast Check out the Advent collection at shopshereadstruth.com and use the code AMANDA15 for 15% off! What's changing our lives: Keane: Thanksgiving road trip and family time Heather: Navigating flight changes Amanda: Voice messages We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast  Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

In this episode we ask:How do you commit regicide? A futile attempt at Star Wars PunsDo you like my shoes? (Don't look at my shoes)When Christmas?============================This show will always be available for free, but super fans are encouraged to support The Conversation Hat via Patreon. You'll be able to access a special, patron-only mini-episode every month and a members-only Discord channel:www.patreon.com/conversationhatGet your very own Conversation Hat tees, mugs and more from TeePublic:www.teepublic.com/stores/conversation-hatOther ways to support without giving us money:Tell a friend about the show!Sign-up to our mailing list: eepurl.com/bNX8A1Find us on Twitter and Facebook then like, follow, re-Tweet and all of that.Find the podcast on YouTube and watch all our videos: www.youtube.com/channel/UCmizp2EVgjJhLn0W2gispXg============================The Conversation Hat is hosted by Ben Pierson and Liam TaylorEdited by Laura ElmerMusic by Liam TaylorLogo by Cheyenne Valentine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sunday 26 December 2021 Ps Geoff Woodward "When Christmas is over" "December 2021" metrochurch, Perth Western Australia

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about” (Luke 2:13-15). As Luke tells us the story of Christ's birth, many of the details may be lost to us. The story Pastor Anthony told us yesterday fits within the ancient near eastern context. But we have westernized the story so much that we miss such possibilities. Let's talk about mangers today. In our imaginations, they are made of wood and filled with straw. It's very unlikely that this is what Luke had in mind. They're feeding troughs, of course. But in ancient Israel, they were made of stone. Not super-comfortable, but a safe place. It's said that there were special herds of sheep being raised on the hills around Bethlehem. From these herds, the priests would select the lambs used for the sacrifices in Jerusalem. They would find the lambs that were perfect, without blemish, that were suitable for the blood sacrifice which was offered twice a day to cover Israel's sin. But once the lambs were selected, they needed to be kept from getting bruised or bumped. It is said that the priests would wrap them up tightly. They'd swaddle them, wrapping them in cloths, like precious and terribly fragile bottles of wine. And they'd lay them in a manger. Is this why the angel said that a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in manage would be a sign to the shepherds? Was Jesus' first resting place already an indication of his destiny? Was his manger a sign that he would be the final sacrifice as the Bible says, “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14). This fits with the angel's announcement that he is bringing news of great joy, “a Saviour has been born, the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:12). And there is more. The life of a shepherd was such that it was impossible for them to observe the Jewish ceremonial laws and temple rituals. They were considered religiously unclean and unacceptable. They raised the lambs for sacrifice but were unable to benefit from these offerings. They never heard the priest declare, “Your sins are forgiven.” It is to them that the angel says, “To you a Saviour has been born.” Like Matthew, Luke weaves the cross into the story of Jesus' birth. There is nothing sentimental about Christmas. Heaven is invading earth. It's a clash of kingdoms. Its war, as Revelation details. But its not war as we humans make it. Jesus is born to die. He will offer himself as the final sacrifice. He himself says to us, “Your sins are forgiven.” In response to this declaration, the heavenly messenger is joined by a great heavenly army praising God. How else can we respond to the declaration that our Saviour is here? Any true Christmas celebration causes the worship of God. With the invading heavenly army we sing, “Glory to God in the highest.” Someone once wrote, "Most middle class tend to worship their work, to work at their play and to play at their worship.  As a result, their meanings and values are distorted.  Their relationships disintegrate faster than they can keep them in repair, and their lifestyles resemble a cast of characters in search of a plot.” Christmas, as Luke tells the story, sets things in the right order. Christmas is about salvation, about making all things new. In response to what God is doing, worship becomes primary. When Christmas is about redemption, we can sing with the heavenly army, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When Christmas fall on Sunday again, will you go to Church or not? But is December 25th really Jesus' birthday. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/gregory-brassel/message

"Joy to the world, the Lord has come!" When Christmas time rolls around, this familiar refrain is heard with regularity. It's a classic line from Isaac Watts hymn, which was first published in 1719! As soon as we read the lyric "joy to the world...", it's difficult not to hum the rest of the song in our heads and hearts. You're probably doing it right now! While we know the lyrics, and they have become synonymous with our yearly celebration of the coming of Jesus into our world, a question must be asked: Do we sense, see, and share this joy? We would love the honor of sharing with you how we can be people of great joy this Advent season. We have come into a moment of human history where I believe that the joy of Jesus that you have is offensive to the dark and brooding hopelessness that is trying to drain peoples hearts and minds and lives of meaning, purpose and compassion. Not offensive in the sense that we are hurting people's feeling, but offensive in the sense that our joy is a weapon that pushes back the darkness around us, our families, and our communities!

Children's play "When Christmas was born" - Pastor Todd Barnes - Sunday, December 12, 2021

Children's play "When Christmas was born" - Pastor Todd Barnes - Sunday, December 12, 2021

We look at Matt Rawle's chapter "When Christmas isn't Christmas." Do we sometimes confuse what isn't the real thing for the real thing? What makes something Christmas-y?

Welcome to November 26, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate expensive cakes and being in the black  Yesterday on Thanksgiving, pie got its time in the spotlight. But most people prefer cake. Like the man from the United Arab Emirates who purchased a custom-made cake for his daughter's birthday. And it was expensive. Very expensive. The cake cost—you may want to sit down for this one—$75 million. Debbie Wingham, a British designer, created a replica of a fashion show, complete with a runway, models, and audience. The cake was about 2 meters long and took 1,100 hours to complete. Premium ingredients, gemstones, and handmade outfits for the tiny figures drove the price into the stratosphere. On National Cake Day, celebrate with a cheaper version that lets you have your cake and eat it too! Brace yourself for the start of the Christmas shopping season. Here comes Black Friday! Shopping today is hectic, but certainly not awful, so why does it have such a bleak name? Turns out that the phrase Black Friday was first used in 1869, when plummeting gold prices crashed the market. It was also used by traffic police in the 1950s to describe the surge in traffic jams caused by post holiday shoppers. The silver lining explanation goes something like this. Through most of the year, retailers are losing money, which is known as “being in the red.” When Christmas shopping starts, sales go way up, and they're “in the black.” No matter how you see it, Black Friday is a great day to find amazing deals on gifts for friends and family. I'm Anna Devere and I'm Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode, Magpie finally learns more about the history of Meadow Lane, Farfalla, Marius, and the terrible winter of 1925 - straight from Farfalla herself!Music: Nightbridge by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.comInstagram: @theskylarkbellTwitter: @melissaoliveriPatreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveriTRANSCRIPT:Things with Wings Productions, with the support of Whimsical Productions and Collected Sounds presents: Episode 20 of The Skylark Bell.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  In our last episode, Magpie had a very unsettling encounter with Lucas' Grandmother, and realized the silence appears to be spreading from Meadow Lane.In today's episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 20 – Where Magpie finally learns the truth about what sparked the silence at Meadow Lane.So get cozy… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let's get started!Farfalla sits silently in the same booth she sits in every morning, but it's now well past lunchtime.  Her usual order of blackberry waffles and sweet orange tea lays before her, but today something is different.  She sits, looking out the window, her untouched food cooling on the table.  No one has bothered to come around and take the plate away. Around her there is a tremendous amount of activity; the people of Pocket have convened at the diner.  Mr. Bunting is talking loudly and pacing across the dirty restaurant floor while Mr. Tuffetto and his wife sit silently looking out the window.  The rude waitress is leaning in the kitchen doorway looking pale, and the cook is sitting on one of the red counter stools, fidgeting with a pen.  The librarian, the postmaster, even people from the surrounding farms, fill every chair and booth in the restaurant.Magpie enters the diner, wondering what all the commotion is about.  She can hear bits of hushed conversation “The silence… all of us… started when she got here…” and notices several of the peole in the diner glaring at her.  She glances toward the back of the room, and her gaze lands on Farfalla.  Farfalla gestures for Magpie to come sit in her booth.  Magpie looks around, but no one else seems to have noticed the old woman.  She does her best to ignore the chill at the back of her neck and slowly makes her way to the back of the diner. Magpie slips into booth across from Farfalla, who stares silently at Magpie for what feels like an interminable amount of time before, to Magpie's tremendous surprise, she opens her mouth to speak.  “I am happy you have returned to Pocket,” she says calmly.  Her voice doesn't sound anything like Magpie would have imagined; not at all old and shaky, as one would expect from a woman who hasn't spoken in decades, but rather soft, whispery and almost childlike.  Magpie looks self-consciously around the restaurant to see if anyone else has heard or noticed that Farfalla is speaking, but no one seems to even see them there.  Magpie clears her throat nervously.  “I'm sorry, you must be mistaking me for someone else, I'm new here,” she replies. “Ah, so you are… this time” Farfalla says, pressing her lips together, “There is much I need to tell you.”  She takes a deep breath before launching into the incredible story of what happened to the town and its people nearly a century ago.  Farfalla's grandparents settled near Pocket before the town even existed.  With a small orchard, winding creek and rolling fields all around, Meadow Lane was the nicest parcel of land in the area.  Farfalla's family built a small but comfortable house at the top of the long, sloping hill.  It was warm and inviting, and with windows on each side it let in the bright orange, yellow, pink and purple light of each sunrise and sunset.  For years her family enjoyed the sights and sounds of birds, wildlife, sunshine, stars, wind, children, music... As a child, Farfalla spent all her time outdoors, learning the language of the skylarks and singing to them in the forest.  It was said that Farfalla had the most beautiful voice anyone had ever heard, and that she could even hypnotize animals with it. The Skylarks would reply and together they would share their most closely held secrets.  She ran like the wind through the tall grass, her lungs filling with the fragrant scent of wild roses and apple blossoms.  Most days, Farfalla would stop at Mirror Pond to take in the reflection of the sky, the clouds, the birds overhead, the wind in her wild red hair and her bright blue eyes.  When that first drop of rain would hit the pond those images would all swirl together, making her feel like she was intricately woven into the fabric of nature around her. The summer Farfalla turned 18 was the summer she met Marius Corbeau.  The stories said that Marius had come from Europe a few years prior and had simply appeard in Pocket one day on the back of his striking horse. Farfalla first laid eyes on him while perched on a tree branch in the blossoming orchard.  The sound of hooves on the dirt path made her look down from the tree and there she saw him:  Dark, wavy hair, cool gray eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief but somehow still soft enough to put her at ease, sitting tall in the saddle on a large, black horse with a white mane and tail. She'd never seen anything like either of them before.  She climbed down from the tree as he hopped to the ground.  Their eyes met and a cluster of butterflies took flight in her stomach.  They made brief introductions and walked through the orchard, talking and laughing like old friends within minutes.  Marius came to visit her every day.  They would sit together on Cormorant's back and gallop through the vast fields and forests, her fiery red hair flowing in the wind. They would picnic by the river, pick apples from the orchard, and watch the sunset from the bridge, their love blossoming as the weeks went by.That autumn, Farfalla's family hosted a celebration at the farm with nearly every resident of Pocket in attendance.  The people sang, danced, ate and celebrated well into the night. At the peak of the party, Marius asked Farfalla to come outside with him for a breath of fresh air.  Once there, he handed her a lantern and lead her to the apple orchard behind the house. It was there, by the light of the moon, in the place where they first laid eyes on one another, that he asked her to be his wife.  Farfalla was only too eager to accept, she thought her heart was going to burst with joy.  Because Marius hadn't yet asked Mr. Shearwater for Farfalla's hand in marriage, they kept their engagement a secret and agreed to wed the following spring.  Life on Meadow Lane could not have been more perfect… until winter came.When Christmas came, Marius gifted Farfalla a bell. He explained that the bell had come from Scotland and that it was very old, and said to harbour some mystical powers. The bell was etched with Scottish Gaelic words, which neither of them could read, and flying birds spiraling around.  Marius had spent weeks working on the beautifully carved wooden skylark that the bell was attached to.  Farfalla cherished that bell more than anything.  It hung in her window where the breeze would make it chime as she and the skylarks sang along.It was a long, harsh winter.  The wind was relentless and the cold only seemed to get deeper and deeper as the weeks went by.  There was a tragic fire at the farm by the creek which took a life, sending the entire population of Pocket reeling.  People were starting to panic, they were running out of food, running out of firewood, and there were reports of some families nearly freezing to death. The residents of Pocket held an emergency town hall meeting. They were getting desperate, everyone was running out of wood to heat their homes and the farm on Meadow Lane was the only one in the area with any mature trees left.  The villagers decided the orchard needed to be cut down for firewood or none of them would survive the winter. This broke Farfalla's heart.  She had such fond memories of dancing among the apple blossoms every spring, and picking crisp, sweet apples every fall, and of course it was among those very trees that she had first laid eyes on Marius…One stormy night, as the snow was acumulating higher than anyone had ever seen, Farfalla heard a loud knock at the door. So as not to let in the cold, Mr. Shearwater spoke with the person outside for a brief moment through a crack in the door.  Glancing back at Farfalla, he grabbed his coat and boots before letting himself out and closing the door behind him. Farfalla waited for what felt like an eternity before her father came in, stomping the snow off his boots. He slowly took off his coat and took a seat at the dining room table where she was nervously waiting.  It was there, in a soft, quiet voice, that he delivered the devastating news:  Marius had gone missing. Night after night she sat by the door, waiting for Marius to come to her, hoping she would at least get word from one of the townspeople that he had been found and brought home safely, but no one ever came.Tree by tree the orchard behind the house vanished, the wood from its trees burned in the fireplaces of the surrounding homes. Soon thereafter, the animals moved away, and the birds were silenced.  Eventually, the wind disappeared, the crops died and the house started falling apart; and then the people left too.  Farfalla was devastated.  By the time her family left Meadow Lane they weren't even speaking to one another, and all sound was gone from the land.  She hid the skylark bell in the house and shut the door behind her, never to return…Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week as we pursue our adventure and read Chapter 21 of Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell, where Magpie will learn what must be done to save the town of Pocket and its residents.Before I go, I'd like to thank Phaeton Starling Publishing for this fantastically eerie story, and Cannelle Elanion for composing equally fantastic and eerie music for this podcast. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theskylarkbell/donations

When Christmas comes around, we remind ourselves of the need to observe it all year. For some reason, we never talk this way about Easter. We celebrate the Christmas spirit, but we seem to know nothing about the Spirit of Easter. We approach Christmas with excitement that builds for months. Its approach is announced with colored lights, a mountain of gifts, and endless parties. We are sad to see it go. Contrast this with Easter, who arrives sheepishly, bearing only a ham and a few jellied candies. The Bible's view is radically different. The cross has a unique place in the proclamation of the gospel and the believer's life.

When Christmas is Over

When Christmas doesn't go the way we hope, it can be disappointing. But sometimes when things don't go according to plan, it turns out to make some of our most precious memories. In this special episode, we share the stories of three people who had a different kind of Christmas.

When Christmas is feeling less bright this year, we need to find the light. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/restoringhope/support

I reflect upon the the holidays from my childhood. The world was different. People were different. Nobody was wealthy but the holiday was rich. There wasn't technology to take away the organic spontaneity of song, enjoyment and visceral connection of one to another. When Christmas was colored, and I don't mean people! I have some pictures of vintage Christmas ornaments. You can go to Pinterest under my name. The board is I Still Have This! Wow, thank you for your support. Paypal @TLyons515. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/terri-lyons/support

When Christmas is around the corner, we all tend to wonder how we did in our year. At least, that is what we did for this episode. Have you thought about yourself yet? Have you been naughty or nice? Ready your coffee because you can join us in reflection about how we have been naughty and/or nice during the year 2020.

A kid desired a lot for a puppy... but his mother explain to him the reason and promised him that they will do it in the future. When Christmas approach his mother saw in his eyes what "Santa" wants to bring him... Then the happy mother bought him a robotic almost puppy that he liked. As days pass, mother gone suspicious for the toy...Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/creepypasta)

DOOM COOKIE PART 1 WINTER WINTERTIME The bold and ragged beauty of a winter tree Struck Susan as quite odd as she looked to see A table full of papers but none up to date No chance to glimpse beauty when you're running late A far off police siren pierces through the air But Billy doesn't notice and he doesn't care Sirens don't man nothing in the county jail Doing time's the fine when you can't make the bail In wintertime the sun don't shine The ice it shines the world's unkind An accident just happened out on National Pike Some lady ran a red light sliding through the ice Valentine's Day candy scattered on the street Now my car is totaled and it's raining sleet The windows creak and moan as the wind bears down Whipping through a tree branch lying on the ground The screen door whistles loudly and the yard is froze And me I write a song and I can't feel my toes TIME FOR A CHANGE If you remember me you see Think of the blood pumping through If I remember you playing your kazoo Please remember me If I were you and you were me Then just what would you see When feeling kind of rough Looking pretty gruff Be remembering It's time for a change Look around that person Find out what is certain Choose the other curtain Yeah but it might bring the worst in Right now I feel like shit and that's it Right now nobody's here And then I think of you wondering what you'd do If you see me too clear It's time for a change WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES AGAIN Christmas means togetherness and love and joy Happiness and presents for the girls and boys Old folk come together and then reminisce Stand beneath the mistletoe and get a kiss Love your friends and kin When Christmas comes again Shout out to the homeless in America The starving out in Asia and in Africa Embrace all of the faiths that would love to kill me The majority of folk through time just weren't free Go remember them When Christmas comes again Make sure that you bring your love at Christmas time People come and go but love is all the time People they pass on but their love still exists So let that love inside your hearts and reminisce Love brings love, my friend When Christmas comes again IT'S HARD Wake up Monday morning and I look around I felt bad this morning and my hair fell to the ground She came by on Wednesday with a wedding ring I ducked out on Thursday, baby, and hocked my wedding ring It's hard So I went out to Seattle to try to find a band But nobody did want me they wouldn't let me lend a hand So I cruised on down to LA and got a new tattoo But nobody knew Chuck Berry songs or "Blue Suede Shoes" It's hard So I went on down to Athens but I played too hard Flew to the Twin Cities but they wouldn't let me in the yard So I hitch hiked back to Baltimore and I shot myself Now I'm paralyzed but I have found myself It's hard 1993 Looking at a corpse at dawn in 1993 Hit and run up the tab in 1993 Here I live in Baltimore in 1993 Born and raised wait to die in 1993 Segregate black and white in 1993 Baltimore Harbor night in 1993 It's like an alcoholic's dream Blue collar bars and disco scenes Poor rage and shoot up the interstate Ain't life oh so great Steaming crabs a baseball day in 1993 No football no subway in 1993 I'm feeling like I'm left behind in 1993 It never changes it never changes in 1993 HAPPY NEW YEARS BABY The nights go on forever dogs bark through the cold UPS trucks rumble through holidays grown old Grey skies hover blindly grey grass lies asleep Grey roads rise through heaven grey breath slowly seeps How many people died when live shrinks and melts in pride Accomplishments are nigh happy new years baby The fireplace burns forgiving so come in from the cold Laughter ells and singing false stories here retold A cat purrs in the corner the music gets a boost The stroke of midnight passes and everyone cuts loose Cocaine and whiskey buzz acid and shrooms a must Heroin and crack for us happy new years baby Sleep when the sun comes up afternoon and throwing up See the folks and suck it up happy new years baby It's just like what Lennon said Years come and go and then you're dead Winter sucks or so I've read Happy new years baby Can't wait 'til spring comes 'round Krokus flowers in the ground Now the stinking fields are brown Happy new years baby EMPTY GLASS I didn't see you when I went out tonight A word or two means nothing to me that don't sound right I live the life of an empty glass I'm glued onto my barstool before the moment's passed If you call the weather I'll call the time If you say you'll be mine Tonight I'm feeling lucky so what's the word from you If I run out of cash before the night is through If I told you my dream you'd slap me in the face So ditch that creep and I'll meet you later It's gotta be the case If you call my number then I'll set the time If you say you'll be you say you'll be mine If I can wake up to you my life would be complete But I compete on a footing unsure When I call your number You set the time If ever you are ever you are If ever you'll be mine mine all mine You'll be mine FIREPLACE MEMORIES The books are kept impeccably An air of sadness from what couldn't be And pictures grace the mantle place All rosy cheeked and freckle faced Separated tender rage She got the kids you got the cage Kids move out a big old house of fireplace memories Alright Now don't no kids mess up the floor A townhouse, baby, no back door The bank is stuffed forever more And the bills rise like the tides It wasn't nothing that you said You thought you loved her in your head In your mind together dead Your graves are side by said So hold on to your fireplace memories All that you got left can't laugh at you And that's the truth 'cause what was true Was what was wrong and now it's gone Satisfaction never comes but your standards are too high And when your gone I'll be right there until your soul floats by And then is lightening strikes you down and crushes all the past Fireplace memories won't die of all things they will last STONER WINTERTIME The cold and ragged beauty of a winter tree Struck Dawn as quite odd as she looked to see A table full of papers but none up to date No chance t glimpse beauty when you're running late A far off police siren pierces through the air But Billy doesn't notice and he doesn't care Sirens don't mean nothing in the county jail Doing time's the fine when you can't make the bail In wintertime The sun don't climb The ice it shines The world's unkind An accident just happened out on National Pike Some lady ran a red light sliding through the ice Valentines day candy scattered on the street Now my car is totaled and it's raining sleet The windows creek and moan as the wind bears down Whipping through a tree branch lying on the ground The screen door whistles loudly and the yard is froze And me I write a song and I can't feel my toes

Today we celebrate the wealthy Dutch banker who bought enough plants to fill a book for a young Carl Linnaeus and a royal gardener who is an ancestor of Princess Diana. We'll learn about the man who started the first seed company in America and the German botanist buried in the Botanical Garden he curated during his lifetime. Today’s Unearthed Words feature words for children about January. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book written by a beloved Washington DC garden columnist. I'll talk about a garden item that I use all the time in my potting shed and around my garden (so many uses!), and then we’ll wrap things up with the New Zealand gardener, who is featured in one of my all-time favorite garden photos. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   Curated Articles Gardening: Going blue for 2020 The Pantone color of the year for 2020 is Classic Blue. Here's a great post from Nancy Szerlag Detroit News who suggests blue options for the garden: "If I were to look for that color to use in the garden, my first thought would be a Delphinium. Nigella ‘Miss Jekyll' produces exquisite quarter-sized blue flowers on 15-inch plants in full to part sun in late spring or early summer. They are said to reseed annually, so I’m hoping a one-time planting of seed will do the job. A favorite blue flowering shrub of mine is Proven Winners Color Choice ‘Blue Chiffon’ Rose of Sharon. In full sun, it will climb to 10 feet and be covered in lovely anemone-like blossoms for several weeks in summer."   Paris in Bloom - Flower Magazine Here's an excerpt from Georgianna Lane's new book Paris in Bloom. Georgianna's charming images of parks, gardens, shops, and architectural motifs are a vision of Romance and Spring - the perfect gift for Valentine's Day.   Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There’s no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events 1685   Today is the birthday of the wealthy Dutch banker and a director of the Dutch East India Company George Clifford III. Clifford loved gardens and had a passion for plants and plant collecting. His work with the Dutch East India Company had made him quite wealthy, and he could afford to purchase the latest plants discovered from around the world in the early 1700s. Clifford invited a young Swedish naturalist to come and stay at his estate. Over two years from 1736 to 1738, Carl Linnaeus helped Clifford with his plant inventory, and he cataloged his vast herbarium. Clifford’s estate gave Linnaeus a treasure trove of botanical specimens, which became the subjects of a book - his early Botanical Masterpiece called Hortus Cliffortianus. The book is essentially an inventory of Clifford's plant collection. Today Clifford's herbarium is housed at the National History Museum in London.   1715   Today is the anniversary of the death of Mary Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort ("BOH-fert"). She was an avid gardener and botanist. She survived two husbands and had eight children. After she was widowed a second time, she focused all of her discretionary effort on gardening. The best horticultural minds of her time helped Mary with her efforts: George London, Lenard Plukenet, and William Sherard. Her next-door neighbor was Sir Hans Sloane, and when Mary died, she (like almost every plant-lover of her era) left her herbarium and other valuable botanical items to him. This is how Hans Sloane became a one-man Botanical Repository. Among Mary's many descendants are Princess Diana and the genus Beaufortia was named in her honor by Robert Brown.   1784  Today, David Landreth started the first American commercial seed business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. David and his family immigrated to Montreal from England in 1780. Four years later, David relocated his family to Philadelphia and named the company simply David Landreth. David was one of the first nurseries to propagate seeds from the Lewis and Clark expeditions. He introduced the Mexican Zinnia in 1798, the garden tomato in 1820, the 'Landreths’ Extra Early' pea in 1822, and the 'Bloomsdale' spinach in 1826. His son, David Jr, took over the business after his death. David Jr. was one of the founding members of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, which started in 1827. Today the Landreth Seed Company is the fifth oldest corporation in America.   1848  Today is the birthday of the German botanist and curator of Berlin Botanical Garden, Ignatz Urban.  He helped catalog the Flora of the Caribbean and Brazil. In 1986, Urban’s tombstone was moved to the Botanical Garden he helped relocate during his tenure. He lies alongside other well-known botanists in Berlin.   Unearthed Words Today’s Unearthed Words were written to delight little ears, which makes them timeless in my book. The theme, of course, is January.   Little January Tapped at my door today. And said, "Put on your winter wraps, And come outdoors to play." Little January Is always full of fun; Until the set of sun. Little January Will stay a month with me And we will have such jolly times - Just come along and see. — Winifred Marshall Gales, Abolitionist & Author, January   The sun came out, And the snowman cried. His tears ran down on every side. His tears ran down Till the spot was cleared. He cried so hard That he disappeared. — Margaret Hillert, American author, poet, and educator, January Thaw   January opens The box of the year And brings out days That are bright and clear And brings out days That are cold and grey And shouts, "Come see What I brought today! —  Leland B. Jacobs, Poet & Literature Professor at Ohio State, January    In January it's so nice while slipping on the sliding ice to sip hot chicken soup with rice. Sipping once Sipping twice. — Maurice Sendak, American illustrator, and writer of children's books (Where the Wild Things Are), In January   Grow That Garden Library The Essential Earthman by Henry Clay Mitchell Mitchell was a garden columnist for the Washington Post, and this book was the sharing of the many posts featured in his column. As a writer, Mitchell was down-to-earth and funny. As a gardener, Mitchell was down-to-earth and funny. This is why, for me, his book is a personal favorite. Here is an excerpt regarding his suggested New Year’s Resolutions for gardeners: “The days are now at their shortest, and the gardener should keep it in mind that his ill humor and (as it may be) gloominess is directly linked to this nadir of the year. All that is necessary is to hold on until spring or a few sunny days, which will surely come in January, February, March, April, or May at the latest. Meanwhile, several activities will help the gardener keep cheerful. Whenever it snows, go out with a broom and swat all conifers likely to be broken down by snow. Whenever there are ice storms, pull the window shades down. When Christmas gift plants… stop blooming, either give them conditions they require or else throw them out. There is no point making yourself miserable by watching a Poinsettia, Cyclamen, or Azalea died over a period of 3 months. Force yourself, for once, to order the varieties of annuals you want from a seedsman in January, so you will not find yourself in a snit in March. Decide those old gardeners are correct, who have been saying for the past few hundred years, that nothing is lovelier or more cheerful in Winter than common ivy, common holly, and common yew. And, you might add, junipers. Put a couple of logs in Lily pools to absorb or deflect some of the pressure of the ice. Do not chop holes in the ice. Fish do not need air holes. If it ever gets warmish again, admire the swelling buds of Elm, Ash, Azalea, flowering Quince. Make up your mind once and for all whether you will give space to a Pussy Willow Bush. Whichever you decide, decide, and stop being of two minds about it. Thank God you do not have to stay in the garden all winter like a blasted Snowdrop ( which should, incidentally, be showing some signs of activity within the year’s first month). Gardeners, on the other hand, will stir about April 8th. You can get a used copy of Mitchell's book and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $3. Great Gifts for Gardeners RETON 20 PCS Black Color Heavy-duty Steel S-hooks for Plants, Towels $7.99 Package includes: 20 x S Hooks Heavy-duty steel with PVC coating for durability Great for hanging plants, towels, pans, pots, bags or dozens of other uses around kitchen and bedroom Hook size: Length about 3.4"; Width of open end about 1.2"; Thickness about 0.1" or 3mm The storage hooks can hold up to 40 lbs.; they are made to handle heavier loads.   Today’s Botanic Spark 1983  Today is the anniversary of the death of New Zealand botanist Eliza Amy Hodgson. Hodgson specialized in liverworts. Liverworts are nonvascular plants like mosses. Without a vascular system, mosses and liverworts don’t get very big. These are tiny plants to be sure, and worts are considered one level simpler than mosses. They grow flat on the ground and have large leaf-like structures. Like mosses, worts thrive in moist areas. The word "wort" means "little plant, herb or root" (St. John’s Wort, Pennywort, lungwort, and Bladderwort.) Long ago, herbalists likely thought one of the liverworts resembled a liver - and so used it as a medicine for liver ailments. Thus, the word liverwort means a "liver-like small plant." Now, the reason I chose Eliza Amy Hodgson to close the show today is that she is often shown in a photo, standing in front of a flower border with green foliage and white blossoms. The only problem with the photo is that Eliza is wearing a green hat along with a green dress that is covered in white leaves, which turns the photo into a bit of a Where’s Waldo - and it makes sweet Eliza look like her head is floating above the Landscape. So, here’s a thank you to dear Eliza - who gives us the good reminder never to have your clothes blend in too much with the garden - lest you, in an odd way, become part of the garden itself.

Tony and Alex are back to talk all things comics for the week of December 25th, 2019. Comic Book News of Top Selling Graphics Novels of the Decade and Johns being awful. Including but not limited to Reviews of This Week's Books: Spider-Ham 1 of 5, Venom 21, Dr. Strange 1, and Incoming 1. Previewing […] The post Comic Conversations 253: When Christmas is on a Wednesday appeared first on HalfGuarded.

Tony and Alex are back to talk all things comics for the week of December 25th, 2019. Comic Book News of Top Selling Graphics Novels of the Decade and Johns being awful. Including but not limited to Reviews of This Week’s Books: Spider-Ham 1 of 5, Venom 21, Dr. Strange 1, and Incoming 1. Previewing […] The post Comic Conversations 253: When Christmas is on a Wednesday appeared first on HalfGuarded.

When Christmas and Hanukkah overlap, you know there's only one thing we're thinking about: presents!! This week, Paula and Josh discuss giving vs. receiving presents, how to give a good present, and where to score the freshest illegal panda meat. -- Logo by Ryan Cruise: https://www.instagram.com/rbcruiser Theme Song by Dylan Doetch: https://www.twitter.com/dylandoetch

When Christmas isn't the happiest time of the year --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/char15/support

Starting off with a bit more busway news this week: In a study released by Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants [PDF link], the 14th Street busway has improved travel times on multiple modes of transit by evaluating a variety of data sources, including the Department of Transportation, independent traffic counting, and Citibike data. M14 A and D bus weekday ridership is up 24% compared to last year, and transit times between Third Avenue and Eighth Avenue are faster by 36%, making the crosstown bus ride 5.3 minutes faster. Although the criticisms of the busway before it was even implemented were that the surrounding streets would become parking lots, the data shows that travel time on the surrounding crosstown streets stayed the same or increased by an average of one and a half minutes during weekday rush hours, with the biggest total increase found on 17th Street, the first crosstown street to the north of 14th that isn't broken up by Union Square. By comparison, travel times on the next-closest two-way crosstown streets, 23rd to the north and Houston to the south, showed a variety of increases and decreases in total travel times compared to October last year. On the Avenues, only minuscule changes were seen in drive times, with speeds actually increasing significantly during morning rush hours. The preliminary report released by Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants is the first of seven scheduled reports, with the final report on the project set to be released in Spring 2021. In the span of just 16 hours, four people were struck and killed by drivers across the city. In Manhattan, a 26-year-old woman was struck at a crosswalk in SoHo by a box truck driving in reverse, a man in Hell's Kitchen was struck and killed by a sanitation truck driver, an 85-year-old man was killed in Sunset Park by a truck driver, and a 57-year-old man was struck by three drivers separate and killed in Park Slope. According to Streetsblog.org, that brings the total number killed by drivers this year to 214, an 8% increase over 2018. In response, Mayor de Blasio stated that the NYPD will be deploying extra officers citywide to increase truck enforcement. The news sadly coincides with bicyclist Daniel Cammerman being struck and killed by the driver of a school bus on the 96th Street Central Park transverse on December 18th and the Brooklyn Supreme Court handing down a $43 million ruling this week in the case of a young girl struck and seriously injured by the driver of a school bus in 2017. Now is the time to focus on avoiding the flu this winter. The measles outbreak was a rare occurrence that was confined to small communities and mostly young children who hadn't yet been vaccinated, and only a few hundred people were affected, but different types of flu viruses take hold each year and flu vaccines must be built to properly address the flu strains that will be most prominent during each flu season. Data from the New York Department of Health shows that flu activity in New York City is already at a high level and there has been a 48% increase in hospitalizations statewide due to influenza. Within the city, there have been a total of 2,028 cases since the flu season began in October, with the past week showing a sharp increase of nearly 1,000 new cases within a week. The number of total cases is much higher at this point in the season than it has been in previous years. Given the early arrival of flu season, it's important to get a flu shot as quickly as possible, and it is a vital step for young children and older adults, especially anyone with heart disease, diabetes, asthma, lung disease, liver disease, or those who are pregnant. Just like the measles vaccine, everyone should receive a flu shot to avoid potentially spreading the disease to someone else in the city who may have a more compromised immune system. To find flu vaccinations across the city, use the NYC.gov Health Map at nyc.gov/flu or visit your neighborhood pharmacy, hospital, or clinic and ask if they administer flu shots. And please, everyone, wash your hands and cover your mouth by coughing or sneezing into your elbow! It's one of the easiest most impactful actions you can take to stop the spread of disease, and everyone holding the subway pole after you will be thankful. 30 years ago on December 15, 1989 — Arturo Di Modica's 7,100 pound bronze 'Charging Bull' statue is secretly installed overnight near the New York Stock Exchange Christmas tree as a gift to the people of NYC Christmas and Hanukkah are on the way, and our list of tree and menorah lightings at agreatbigcity.com/christmas or agreatbigcity.com/hanukkah has the times and dates of 50 lighting ceremonies across the city! You can sort the list by holiday and past events are still listed, so that you can find a local Christmas tree to visit and keep track of public menorah lightings for each day of Hanukkah. If you don't see your local event on the list, drop us a note and we'll put the info up, whether it's the Rockefeller Center tree or just a neighborhood gathering to hang homemade ornaments on an evergreen in the local park! 48 years ago on December 26, 1971 — Members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War occupy the Statue of Liberty for 42 hours to draw attention to the ongoing war 35 years ago on December 22, 1984 — Bernhard Goetz shoots four men on a subway car, seriously wounding them during what was either a panhandling or robbery attempt 8 years ago — A Very Shepherd Christmas - Stories From Jean Shepherd's New York City Radio Show — Shepherd hosted a late-night show on WOR for 21 years, and each night was packed with the same storytelling and clever insights that became the inspiration for 'A Christmas Story'. While his voice has become ingrained in Christmas pop culture as the narrator of 'A Christmas Story', the recordings of his radio career from 1956-1977 paint a raw, impressionistic vision of New York City life. When Christmas came around each year, Shep would retell some of the various anecdotes that would be gathered together into 'A Christmas Story', some of which had recently been published in Playboy magazine and some of which made their debut on his radio show. A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more. AGBC is more than just a news website: Every evening, just before sundown, A Great Big City checks the Empire State Building's lighting schedule and sends out a notification if the tower's lighting will be lit in special colors for a holiday or celebration. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts. Park of the day Franz Sigel Park Parks Events Lighting of the Largest Menorah in Brooklyn Lighting of the World's Largest Menorah in Manhattan Christmas Eve Caroling Concert Calendar This is the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week: Yo La Tengo is playing Bowery Ballroom on Sunday, December 22nd at 7pm. A KANYE WEST OPERA - MARY is playing David Geffen Hall on Sunday, December 22nd at 8pm. Yo La Tengo is playing Bowery Ballroom on Monday, December 23rd at 7pm. Yo La Tengo is playing Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday, December 24th at 7pm. Yo La Tengo is playing Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday, December 25th at 7pm. Yo La Tengo is playing Bowery Ballroom on Thursday, December 26th at 7pm. Dave East is playing PlayStation Theater on Thursday, December 26th at 9pm. Yo La Tengo is playing Bowery Ballroom on Friday, December 27th at 7pm. PNB Rock (16+, Rescheduled from October 20, 2019) are playing Brooklyn Steel on Friday, December 27th at 8pm. Oliver Heldens is playing Schimanski on Friday, December 27th at 9pm. The Disco Biscuits is playing PlayStation Theater on Friday, December 27th at 9pm. Gogol Bordello with Dub Trio is playing Webster Hall on Saturday, December 28th at 6pm. Phish is playing Madison Square Garden on Saturday, December 28th at 7pm. Yo La Tengo is playing Bowery Ballroom on Saturday, December 28th at 7pm. The Allman Betts Band is playing Beacon Theatre on Saturday, December 28th at 8pm. NERO is playing Schimanski on Saturday, December 28th at 9pm. Find more fun things to do at agreatbigcity.com/events. Today's fact about New York Here's something you may not have known about New York: There have been 7 versions of the Times Square New Years Eve Ball: One made in 1907, 1920, 1955, 1995, 1999, 2007, and 2008 Weather The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history: Record High: 72°F on December 24, 2015 Record Low: -4°F on December 20, 1942 Weather for the week ahead: No major precipitation throughout the week. Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode. Intro and outro music: 'Start the Day' by Lee Rosevere — Concert Calendar music from Jukedeck.com — "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Good Morning! Thank you for being with us on the House of Hope! Merry Christmas! When Christmas guests walk into your home, may they say, “This is a home that loves.” Love is not only the greatest virtue; it is also the greatest commandment. Jesus Himself said that love for God is the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37–40). If love is the greatest commandment, then what would be the greatest sin? It must be the failure to love, because that would be breaking the greatest commandment. Love is the greatest virtue and the greatest commandment. It is the greatest testimony!

When Christmas gets cray-cray, it can often result in a domino effect. The Salon is so busy, that your usual standards can start slipping away.  This includes lacking great customer service, not delivering what the client really wants and needs (instead just giving what they booked in for... or even less than that), your team being over-booked and stressed, clients who are over-committed (time-wise and financially)... the list goes on! But this does not make a smart business. Instead, you need to SLOW down, to speed up and nail Christmas sales without compromising the sanity of you, your team, or your clients. Today I’ll talk you through how to maximize sales and minimise stress over this busy period. Plus, don’t forget to complete my Maximising Sales Action list… I’ll leave the link below.   Download the Freebie CLICK HERE (https://m.me/salonownerscollective?ref=w8304978) to get your Action List for this week   Recommended Links CLICK HERE (https://m.me/salonownerscollective?ref=w7566229) to sign up for our Christmas Countdown CLICK HERE (https://open.spotify.com/show/6vZZEmuXlAiguEYh9UdRJ9) to check out our Podcast on Spotify   Launching in 2020: Salon Mastery CLICK HERE (http://bit.ly/SalonMasteryWaitlist) to get the latest  

The final countdown to Christmas is on, and if you're a brand, blogger or influencer, you need to be making plans for Christmas! For shops and brands, Christmas is a big deal, and that's why working out your content when you have a little breathing space before it all starts properly is a really good idea. The same applies for influencers. When Christmas gets closer and things like Black Friday, Cyber Monday and other events come up, time seems to evaporate and when this is the case often what comes out in our content is not our best work. As we approach Christmas, we'll no doubt see a surge in competitions, gift guides and so much more... and there's nothing wrong with these. But if you can spend a little time planning what you're going to do now, you can create different, interesting and engaging content that's going to stand out for all the right reasons, help you achieve what you want... and will reduce the pressure on you as every other area of your life and work ramps up to celebrate Santa! I'd love to know what your festive plans are - or just tag me on Insta @rheafreemanpr when they're out into the world.  And don't forget if you enjoyed the episode to screenshot, share and tag me in your Instagram Stories- let's spread the Small & Supercharged vibes!

Christmas means togetherness and love and joy Happiness and presents for the girls and boys Old folk come together and then reminisce Stand beneath the mistletoe and get a kiss Love your friends and kin When Christmas comes again Shout out to the homeless in America The starving out in Asia and in Africa Embrace all of the faiths that would love to kill me The majority of folk through time just weren't free Go remember them When Christmas comes again Make sure that you bring your love at Christmas time People come and go but love is all the time People they pass on but their love still exists So let that love inside your hearts and reminisce Love brings love, my friend When Christmas comes again   Dave - guitars, vocals, mandolin, glasses Paul - bass, engineering, mixing Wil - drums Ian -mastering

When Christmas 2018 falls on the same day The Greatest Discovery releases a new episode, it's time to tear open gifts and use your new headphones to listen to Adam & Ben. But when it's revealed that this ep is Season 2 trailer-talk, and the second-half review of the Star Trek Discovery Annual comic book—it's time to gather your friends and family and share the pod around the fireplace. Will Spock's smile stay? Is Stamets jawline still defined? Where are the black toothbrushes?It's the episode you open in front of your family and have to explain to your grandparents!

Stories in this episode: A missionary in Guatemala learns that Christmas sometimes means emptying buckets; When Christmas service gets real, a surly teen has a change of heart; Making amends brings a recovering addict and his family closer to the real spirit of the season; Newlyweds with nothing to give discover the secret to a full and rich Christmas.  

When Christmas is over, its not the end of special. Christmas is the beginning of all that God wants to do in humanity. He sent us His Son that first Christmas, the message and love of Jesus is continually at work.

It seems fitting to initiate (compliments of www.QuoteGarden.com - edited for audio format) the conclusion of our Christmas wisdom with the thoughts of an anonymous philosopher who said, The message of Christmas is that the visible material world is bound to the invisible spiritual world. Robert Lynd, who is admittedly not a philosopher said, Were I a philosopher, I should write a philosophy of toys, showing that nothing else in life need be taken seriously, and that Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive. Pope John 23rd added, Mankind is a great, an immense family. This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas. Carolyn Wells is a little more down to Earth with her perspective on gifts, I love the Christmas-tide, and yet, I notice this, each year I live; I always like the gifts I get, But how I love the gifts I give! She followed up on her wisdom with, 'Tis blessed to bestow, and yet, Could we bestow the gifts we get, And keep the ones we give away, How happy were our Christmas day! P J O'Rourke lightens the discourse when he points out, There is a remarkable breakdown of taste and intelligence at Christmastime.  Mature, responsible grown men wear neck ties made of holly leaves and drink alcoholic beverages with raw egg yolks and cottage cheese in them. Our 30th President, Calvin Coolidge was again a bit more philosophical, Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. Robert Kirby is a little more practical, No matter how carefully you stored the lights last year, they will be snarled again this Christmas. Deborah Whipp's nostalgia definitely has that ring of truth, Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance — each beautiful, unique and too soon gone. Ella Wheeler Wilcox knows about nostalgia as well, When Christmas bells are swinging above the fields of snow, we hear sweet voices ringing from lands of long ago, and etched on vacant places are half-forgotten faces of friends we used to cherish, and loves we used to know. Vanessa Grimaldi said, Santa Claus is believing in something greater, believing in something magical; but Dennis the Menace pointed out that the real question is whether Santa Claus believes in you. Charles Dickens said, I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time. Margaret Elizabeth Sangster agrees, At Christmas-tide the open hand Scatters its bounty o'er sea and land, And none are left to grieve alone, For Love is heaven and claims its own. Erma Bombeck gets at the heart of it, There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child. Louisa May Alcott hints at the magic, Are they Christmas fairies stealing Rows of little socks to fill? Are they angels floating hither With their message of good-will? What sweet spell are these elves weaving, As like larks they chirp and sing? Neil deGrasse Tyson is here to make us smile, Santa knows Physics: Of all colors, Red Light penetrates fog best. That's why Benny the Blue-nosed reindeer never got the gig. Once again, my dear people, Merry Christmas is here, With holly and mistletoe And its good will and cheer! With its joys and its heartaches, With its laughter and song, It comes as a reminder That time marches along. This reminder from Gertrude Tooley Buckingham likely gets a "Too True" from most of us. This from Jay Leno should have perhaps been omitted but alas, The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington D C. This wasn't for any religious reasons. They couldn't find three wise men and a virgin. Let's just hope that Julia Peterkin's rumor has not reached ...

Christmas means togetherness and love and joy Happiness and presents for the girls and boys Old folks come together and then reminisce Stand beneath that mistletoe and get a kiss Love your friends and kin When Christmas comes again Shout out to the homeless in America The starving out in Asia and in Africa Embrace all of the faiths that would love to kill me The majority of folk through time just weren't free So go remember them When Christmas comes again Make sure that you bring your love at Christmastime People come and go but love is all the time People they pass on but their love still exists So let that love inside your heart and reminisce Love brings love, my friend When Christmas comes again.

When Christmas is cancelled at her new workplace, Andrea holds on furtively to festive tradition. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Christmas has you stressed, watch a childhood cartoon!! Listen in as Lisa and Sam discuss their favorites and the ones only Lisa remembers!!

When Christmas term comes around, Clara can’t wait to learn everything there is to know about being a Christmas fairy. Except she’s SO excited that she can’t be still and quiet like a fairy should. But when it comes round to the big Christmas Show, it looks like that’s exactly the kind of fairy Santa needs. The Stories Aloud audio edition of The Christmas Fairy is written by Anne Booth, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw and published by Nosy Crow. Read more about the book: http://nosycrow.com/product/the-christmas-fairy. Find out about Stories Aloud: http://nosycrow.com/stories-aloud/

What happens when all the bows are put away?  When Christmas is over?  We cannot possibly keep up the pace and the emotions of Christmas, but what part of the holiday can and should we keep going?

欧美流行音乐有着名人发行圣诞专辑的传统，我们最早接触到的就是童年时期的迈克尔杰克逊和兄弟乐团带来的这一张Christmas album。今年大家应该也听过不少LADYGAGA ,Justin Biber的明星的圣诞专辑，那么让我们重回到70年代的圣诞节，看看MJ送出过什么样的圣诞祝福吧。1.Santa Claus is coming to town——The Jackson 52.Have yourself a merry little Christmas——Sarah Coonor3.Have yourself a merry little Christmas伴奏 4.Give Love On Christmas Day——J 55.Up on the house top——J56.I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus——J5 7.All I want for Christmas is you——Mariah Carey8.The little drummer boy——J59.Frosty the snowman——J5 10.Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ——J511.someone in the dark——MJ12.I’ll be there——Michael Jackson, Immortal13.5 O'Clock—— T-Pain Featuring Wiz Khalifa & Lily Allen14.When Christmas comes to town——极地特快插曲

When Christmas rolls around there’s nothing better than settling down to a lovely family film. How many terrorists and bomb plots would you like in your film? Also would you like a drunk Anakin Skywalker in it? Tough, as Arnie shows us in this film, Christmas romps can’t always overcome all obstacles as it gets eaten alive by the sharks it’s jumping! We have Bob back on to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas because this film certainly doesn’t! P.s. the jingling is coming from Arnies’ Trousers. Follow us on twitter @DontJumpShark and feel free to send us your spam at dontjumptheshark@hotmail.com. Follow us on Facebook at Don't Jump The Shark Film Podcast. Please give us a review if you like this podcast and help us try to get into the charts. Next Episodes film is Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny. Post where your Jump the Shark moment on our twitter feed or facebook page and you could win a prize.

For those who dont know who I am, Im Michael Powers. I am the youth minister here. Im the one they trust to hang with your teenagers and teach them Gods Word. I want you to know that I love my job, and I love this church. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to teach Gods Word to your kids, so thank you for that. To lead into what were going to talk about today, called The Same Old Story, this is an article that I wrote for a publication a couple of years ago. I just wanted to share that with you as we get into the message today. In the 25 years that my wife and I have been doing youth ministry, weve dealt with a lot of teens that have gotten themselves into some dire straits. In fact, I thought there was nothing that could possibly surprise us anymore. I was wrong. There was one teenage girl we know that I have to tell you about. However, before I do, I want you to understand that in our youth ministry, we always strive for confidentiality-to protect both the teen and the teens family; so it is with great trepidation that I share this with you for I know that some of you will figure out who this girl is. I am hoping that by the end of these few pages, you will understand why I had to share what Im about to tell you. Before you rush to judgment, I want you to hang with me here. In fact, more than anything else, I want you to put yourself in this teens shoes. Try to feel what she must be feeling. This young girl is 13 years old, and she came to the stark realization that she is pregnant. Not only does she realize that her life is going to drastically change, but to make matters worse, she is afraid to tell her 19 year old boyfriend. Normally, she would go to her boyfriend with any problem. Hes a pretty stable, understanding, and dependable guy; but this time its different. You see, the baby is not his. She lays awake that first night thinking about all the people she has to face the next day: her parents. Shes always been worthy of the trust her parents have put in her. In fact, other families have remarked to her parents how they wished their daughters were more like her. Now she has to stand before them and explain how she got pregnant. If thats not bad enough, shes going to have to explain to them that the father of the baby is not the young man that her parents think she should marry. Her boyfriend, how does she face her boyfriend? She loves her boyfriend more than anyone-well, almost more than anyone. How is she going to face him? Where is she going to get the courage? It would almost be easier if she could tell him that it was just a big mistake, and that she is so sorry for it; but she cant lie to him. She will have to look into his trusting eyes and tell him that she willfully chose the path that lead to this little life growing inside of her. She knows deep down inside that if she had to do it all over again, she would make the same decision and end up in the same precarious situation. Please, God, please let him understand and not abandon me. I need him so much right now. Her friends, how does she share the news with them? Right or wrong, they have always put her on a pedestal, always looked to her for answers, always modeled their lives after hers; but she knows instinctively that they will not understand. In fact, she knows that she may never be able to explain to them what made her do what she did. She lays there in bed afraid, overwhelmed, and reaching out to God for strength to face what is ahead of her. The next day she finally gets up the courage to tell her boyfriend. He reacts just as she feared he would. He is going to leave her. She becomes distraught and questions God, Why, God? Why? I know that Im in this situation because of a decision that I made, but please dont take my boyfriend away from me. I desperately need him now. This unnamed teen goes to bed that night more afraid than ever, feeling every bit the child that she is. Her name? Normally, I wouldnt give that to you, but in this case she asks that her name be known so that others will understand what she has gone through and will be encouraged. Her name is Mary, and she lived 2,000 years ago. Have you ever thought of the Christmas story in that way? Today as we meditate on this, I hope that youre not like me [in my way of thinking of] The Same Old Story. I mean, were supposed to like Baby Jesus, right? When Christmas comes, we read the Christmas story-something weve heard sometimes almost 100 times, and we get bored with it. Were like, Ive heard this story before. I know how it ends. Well, lets ponder this and see if we really do know the story. Most 13 or 14 year old girls that I know, if an angel appeared to them and said, Hey, were going to put a baby inside your womb, would say, Um, excuse me. Yeah, this aint working for me. How am I gonna fit in my prom dress now? Most teenage girls I would know would be like, Forget this. We have to have a Plan B because this aint happening, but Mary follows and obeys God. I want you to think about this. I dont think we have any clue what she went through, what Joseph went through, to get in this situation and to face what she had to face. I mean how do you tell Joseph? Think about that. How do you tell Joseph? The conversation may have gone something like this, Now, Joe, before you get angry with me, I want you to know that I did not cheat on you. Come on, Mary! You know full well that we have not known each other in the Biblical sense, so the baby cant possibly be mine! Joseph, you have to believe me! I did not do this with anybody! Please, Mary, dont do this to me. You know that I love and care for you, but I cannot listen to this! Okay, Joseph, I wont lie to you. Then she looks into those trusting eyes knowing that what shes going to say is going to sound so crazy. The baby is from God. Come on! Could you imagine what that would have sounded like? Oh…God got you pregnant. Oh…okay. Can you imagine? No matter how much he loved her, he has to be thinking, Youre crazy! This is not happening! The wheels are already turning in Josephs head because he was a righteous man. The Bible says he would dismiss her privately and not make a spectacle of it. She would go though because he would send her away. Then you know the angel appears to Joseph and verifies that what is going on is true. I want you to ponder now with me: have you ever thought of God as a baby, as a fetus, inside the womb of an unwed 13 or 14 year old girl? As a writer, I would never write the Christmas story like this. If Im a writer, and Im writing this story, when God would come to earth, Hed be on a white stallion. As He would come across those streets of gold, every hoof print would send up a spray of golden sparks. He would burst through those gates, and the angels would be singing, almost defining an angelic choir. Hed burst through the universe. The stars would line up, and theyd blink, The King is coming! When He gets to the ozone layer, He would burst through that ozone layer. There would be a sonic boom! The clouds would line up behind Him as He burst through that. It would be like a long flowing white robe. He would circle the earth two or three times, and everybody would know The King of the universe is now coming into His creation! God says, No, thats not how were going to do it. God said, The God of the universe who breathed stars into existence, as it says in Psalms, went ahh, and galaxies and stars came out-He is now dependent on His own oxygen through the umbilical cord of an unwed, pregnant teenager. Thats just crazy to me-how God chose to do that. Have you ever equated God with the birth process? I mean the King of the universe in the process of human birth, and instead of a golden crown on His head, His head is in a kind of cone shape from coming through the birth canal. Instead of priceless paintings hanging on the walls of a palace, there are cobwebs on the walls of a stable and the smell of animal manure and urine. Instead of being placed in the finely-crafted bed by the greatest Craftsman in the land, Hes put in a manger. Doesnt that word sound so pretty-a manger? Do you know what a manger is? A manger is a feeding trough where cows would stick their tongues and lick food. The God of the universe, when He came to earth, He humbled Himself and was placed in a feeding trough. The Bible says (in Colossians 1:17, page 1165 of pew Bible), He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together, that by Christs very word, the universe is holding together. Now, He is dependent on the milk of an unwed teenage girl for His sustenance. Instead of kings, presidents, and world leaders, God chose shepherds. Now, if you know anything about that culture of that day, the shepherds were the lowest of the lowest class of society. They were Bedouins. The word was said like, Oh…its a Bed-o-uin, a shepherd! I want you to think about that. Youre a shepherd, and you have an angel appear to you and give you this announcement. Of all the people on the earth, He chose shepherds, the lowest of the low, to give this good news to. Then, He gives them the concert of their lives. The Heavens open up and angels appear, a Heavenly host, and they sing the first Christmas carols to a bunch of Bedouins. Have you ever seen the Northern Lights? One time in my life, besides on TV and in pictures, Ive seen the Northern Lights. I remember it was about ten below zero. We were up north, and I remember standing in this field and just being mesmerized. There were like curtains of light that just shimmered and changed. It was just amazing to me! I felt like my eyeballs were going to freeze in my head. I was afraid to blink in fear that they would just disappear. It was one of the most amazing experiences Ive ever had. I cant imagine what it would have been like for those shepherds to hear and see those angels on that first Christmas night. Ive worked with youth for too long, and some of you might be offended by the next thing Im going to share with you, and Im okay with that. Pastor Jeffs not here, so I can do what I want (congregation laughing), and Ill pay for it later. Have you ever thought that the God of the universe had a diaper? Human waste, human feces, was next to His skin, and a human being had to wipe Him? You talk about humbling Yourself and coming down into Your creation. If it happened today, Mary would write a best-selling book, I Changed Gods Diaper. Thats what the book would have been about. Can you imagine that? You and I think we know the Christmas story, but theres so much in there! Were going to watch a video now called, A Social Network Christmas, and if that were to happen today-if Jesus were to appear today-with Facebook and all of that, this is probably how it would have went down. Lets watch. (Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sghwe4TYY18 It starts about ¼ of the way through the video) Wasnt that well done? I love it when people who have gifts and abilities given by God use them so that we can be blessed by that. Thats just an awesome video! There is so much more we could share about the Christmas story. Im just going to touch base on a couple of things, but literally it would take us many weeks to even get through all the nuances of whats really going on. If youre going to talk about Christmas, you have to talk about the cross; so were going to make a beeline to the cross. Before we do, I want to share some things with you. Number one, nowhere in the Bible does it say that there are three wise men. Its just the story that we passed down from generation to generation. It says there were wise men, and it says that they had three different types of gifts; but if three wise men were traveling by themselves at that time, they probably would have been beat up, robbed, and wouldnt have made it. They would have had to travel in a caravan. As much as you like the manger scene and the stable, the three wise men were not there at the birth or soon after. The Bible says that He was no longer an infant. He was a young child under the age of two years old, and they visited Him at a house. It doesnt ruin the Christmas story, but when we say its The Same Old Story, we really have not looked at it very closely. I want to share this with you too: I think Mary and Joseph were outcasts. I think Marys family treated them as outcasts, and I think Josephs family did as well. This is conjecture. If you read between the lines, you can see a lot of the stuff that may be going on, so dont take this as this is exactly what the Bible says; but it is said that Mary takes off in a hurry-literally in a hurry-to go visit Elizabeth as soon as she finds out shes pregnant. Just before John the Baptist is born, she leaves. Now, if youre going to spend three months there, why wouldnt you stay for the birth? I think its because she started showing, and the thought of being away from her hometown where maybe theyd have a little more sympathy for her [worried her]. Did you know that if you were an unwed teenage girl back then, they could stone you? You could literally lose your life. Thats how seriously they took an engagement-you were literally married, but you just didnt consummate the marriage at that point. Then she has to tell Joseph, and I think when Joseph gets the message from the angel, I think Josephs family also treated them as outcasts. We always think of the story of Mary on the donkey and basically on her way to give birth right at that moment. They get there and cant find a hotel. All of the sudden, there are no rooms at the inns. Did you know that in Luke it says that while they were there, the days to complete her pregnancy occurred? I think since they were going to Bethlehem where Josephs other relatives would have been, I think that even their own relatives probably did not let them stay at their house. If they did, most houses back then would have had an upper level where the people were and a lower level where they would take the animals in at night if it was a cold night. The body heat from the animals would help heat the house. Either they were totally outcast from even their own families, or they would have said, You know what? You can do that. Maybe not; maybe Im conjecturing too much there. Maybe there was no privacy. How would you like to give birth with all your relatives there for the census? Maybe the lower room was the only place that gave them some privacy. There was so much else going on there, but were going to find out what it would have been like for Jesus growing up. Have you ever thought about being Jesus mother or father? [We always hear] the question asked why is the sky blue except it would have been Mary and Joseph asking Jesus that question because He is God. Have you ever thought of that? Max Lucado had some fun with questions he would have liked to ask Mary: What was it like watching Him pray? How did He respond when He saw other kids giggling during the service at the synagogue? Have you ever thought of that? The God of the universe [is there] and people are disrespecting His message through Gods Word. How would that have affected Him? Did you ever feel awkward teaching Him how He created the world? Did you ever think, Man, the God Im praying to is in the next room? Did you ever try to count the stars with Him and succeed? Did He ever get angry when someone was dishonest with Him? Think of that. Did you ever think, Thats God eating my soup? I wonder if Jesus had a special affinity for lambs. The lamb of God who comes to take away the sins of the world… I wonder if He ever pondered that. Regarding Jesus growing up, the Bible is silent in what happened between the age of 2 and the age of 12. At the age of 12, we know of the story of Jesus at the Temple. Do you know whats interesting about that story? The Bible says that the rabbis were amazed at His answers. Do you know what that tells me? That tells me that the conversation may have started out with Jesus asking them questions, but it turned into them asking a 12 year old boy questions about Gods Word. They were amazed at His answers. How about Jesus as a teenager? Have you ever thought of that? Did Jesus ever wake up and think, This is the day. This is the day that I have made, that I have made. Did he wear a WWID bracelet? What would I do? Could you imagine having to be the sibling of Jesus? The Bible is very clear that there were at least seven kids in the family. Jesus was not an only child. The brothers are all named in Scripture. The sisters arent, so there are at least seven. Can you imagine the pressure of being a brother or sister of Jesus Christ? Why cant you be more like Jesus? Seriously, the pressure to live up to that… We gloss over-we think of Jesus as God, but we fail to ponder what it would have been like to be human because Jesus was fully God and fully human. I cant explain that; I just know thats what Gods Word says-fully God and fully human. Do you think that Jesus was possibly tempted to use spiritual power when He was growing up? When Mom told Him to clean His room-vroom, and it was clean. Do you ever think of that? Do you know why we believe that never happened? Its because of this: In Mark 6:1-3 (page 995 of pew Bibles), it says, Jesus left there and went to His hometown, accompanied by His Disciples. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were amazed. Where did this man get these things? they asked. Whats this wisdom that has been given Him, that He even does miracles! Isnt this the carpenter? Isnt this Marys son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Arent His sisters here with us? And they took offense at Him. Now, the Judas mentioned there is not Judas the Iscariot, just a common name. If Jesus were running around doing miracles as a kid, they would have known who He was. They would have recognized and said, Whoa! This guy is special. Sterling North, famous author-if you go into Edgerton, its very prominent that they are proud of their native son, Sterling North. Nazareth would have had a sign, Jesus, the God man, lives here. Do you know what this tells me? This tells me that He acted like any other child. He was a weird child, and I dont mean that in an offensive way. He was definitely strange. He never sinned. He did not run around using His spiritual power. In fact, His brother James who wrote the Book of James did not give his life to Christ until after Jesus died and rose again. How could you be Jesus own brother and not believe He was the Son of God? What did Jesus look like? He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him-nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. Have you ever looked in the mirror and felt plain, felt average? God in His wisdom made Jesus to look like an average human being. Then there came a day at the age of 30 when the Father told Him, Its time. I want you to think about this. [As God would say to Jesus], All of Your life, Youve been a carpenters son, and Youve grown up in a carpenters shop. Your dad has taught You how to be a carpenter. You love the smell of sawdust. You love having those tools in Your hands. The voice comes from God and says, It is time. What You came here to earth to do, it is now time to accomplish. Jesus, knowing what was ahead of Him, had to walk out of that carpenters shop one day and never look back. It is my guess that when that voice came and God said it was time, He sat down on a bench He had made. How interesting is it that the God of the universe who created that wood is now shaping that wood into something? I always thought how awesome it would be to have something made by Jesus Christ. Could you imagine how much you could get on eBay for something that Jesus made? He sat there, and He probably breathed in the sawdust. He knew what was ahead of Him, and He knew how comfortable it would be to just stay and be comfortable in the surroundings He was used to. He chose, He willingly chose, to walk out of that carpenter shop and head down a path that would lead to a bloody cross because He knew that you and I needed a Savior. If were going to talk about Christmas, we have to talk about the cross. There are so many things were skipping. I want to challenge you-have you fallen out of love with your Bible? Do you love Gods Word? Do you look forward to all those little things that we take for granted that are in there? He comes into Jerusalem on a donkey-please! Hee-haw! A donkey! Not only a donkey, but a colt, a young donkey-do you know how awkward it would be for a full-grown man to ride a young donkey? I think, God, why do you always pick the humble stuff? Because thats who God is. The Last Supper-have you ever thought of this? Jesus Christ, knowing what was coming, not only washed the other Disciples feet, but He washed Judas feet. I cant even imagine what it was like for Judas-knowing what he was about to do-and Jesus humbled Himself and washing his feet. I bet Judas could not even look Him in the eye. The Garden of Gethsemane, fully God, fully human-knowing whats going to happen to Him, He chooses His three best friends, His three closest people. He says, Will you stay up and pray with Me? He goes on a little farther ahead, and He comes back to them asleep. Can you imagine what that would have felt like for Him at the darkest moment of what Hes facing. The Bible says that He was under so much stress and anguish that He literally sweat drops of blood. If you want to Google this, look up hematidrosis. Its a medical term for when you are under so much stress and anxiety that your capillaries actually expand into your sweat glands, and blood mixes with your sweat. Drops of blood come out of your sweat glands. Thats what He was facing because He knew what was coming. Then we pick up the story where Judas comes and betrays Jesus. [Mark 18:3, page 1071 of pew Bibles], So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, went out and asked them, Who is it you want? Jesus of Nazareth, they replied. I am He, Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, I am He, they drew back and fell to the ground. There are two things that I think that are going on here. They heard about this God-man. Hed been doing miracles, raising people from the dead, and stopping storms. They were deathly-afraid to arrest this Man. They thought He was just incinerated with some kind of God magic. When He said that, they were afraid. Do you know what else I think is going on here? I think this is the Old Testament I am. This is the God of the universe proclaiming who He is. When He said I am literally the power of God knocked them on their backs. That's what is going on there. Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priests servant, cutting off his right eat. (The servants name was Malchus.) This always bugged me as a teenager. I was like, Come on! So if Im Peter, and I am loyal to Jesus Christ, and I want to save Him from this, I pull out a sword and am like, Take that! Look at that, Jesus, I just protected You. I cut off his ear! Have you ever thought of whats going on there? I think Peter, in his rage, goes to just literally chop off his head, and the guy saw it coming and did one of these (head dodged the swing of the sword). I want you to think of this: imagine being Malchus. You have come to capture this criminal, and you almost lose your life for it. This criminal reaches down and either picks up the ear and puts it back on your head or just leaves your ear there and puts His hand on your head and heals you. Talk about shocked! I bet you anything he took no part in the rest of what happened. I bet he went off to the side and was like, Whoa! What kind of person can do that? (Matthew 26:52, page 986), Put your sword back in its place, Jesus said to him, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way? He touched the mans ear and healed him. (Mark 14:48, page 1008), Am I leading a rebellion? said Jesus, that youve come out with swords and clubs to capture Me? Every day I was with you teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled. Then everyone deserted Him and fled. Everyone. [For] this next verse, you have to be scratching your head here-this random verse. A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind. The Bible is not boring, people. Lets think of this, whats going on. They come to get Him; I am; they all fall down on their backs; they get back up; Peter takes out a sword, tries to kill somebody, cuts off his ear, and this God-man picks up the ear or just puts His hand up there and heals him. Then a guy with a bad case of nudity runs through the Garden. Isnt that crazy? I love the little nuances of the Bible. Then the worst part of the story [takes place]. (Mark 14:44, page of 1008), Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: The One I kiss is the Man. Arrest Him and lead Him away under guard. Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, Rabbi! and kissed Him. One of the Gospels says that Jesus looked at him and said, You betray the Son of Man with a kiss? Have you ever been betrayed like that? Not by an enemy, not by someone you know or who cant stand you, but by someone who you have considered part of your inner circle. [Imagine] how that would have felt. I personally have felt betrayal like this. This is my oldest son, Caleb. As you can see, I tried to raise him as a Bears fan. I dressed him in all the right clothes. [He had a] happy, happy childhood. He came up to me one day at the age of five or six and said, Dad, I want to be a Packer fan. I was like, Son, the Powers family has been Bears fans for generations, dating back to 300 AD. He was five. He didnt know. I was like, Son, are you sure? Then he said these words to me, Dad…when you were a kid, you grew up in the Chicago area, and that's why youre a Bears fan. I live in Wisconsin! I need to be a Packer fan! I was like, Oh, man! The hardest part now is trying to transition back to the Christmas story when weve just talked about Bears and Packers football, but I have no acute way of doing this; so were just going to transition back to that. Just like we did with Christmas, lets take a quick look at whats really going on here. I want you to think about this. They blindfold Jesus; they spit on Him; they rip His beard out of His face. Soldiers stripped Him and put on a scarlet robe and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand, knelt in front of Him, and mocked Him. Hail, King of the Jews. They spit on him and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again. The crown of thorns is no coincidence. (Genesis 3:17, page 3 of pew Bibles), Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. From the very first sin, thorns were part of the curse. Thats the crown that they give Jesus. To mock the God of the universe, the God of the universe who is going to give us an incredible gift at Christmastime, the gift of His own Son-He is going to sacrifice His own Son. He is going to pour all of His wrath and fury toward sin on His own Son; and Jesus is there, and puny little humans are going to mock Him, pull out His beard, and spit on Him. Have you ever been spit on? One time in my life when I was a young man about the age of 10 or 11, a teenage boy spit on me for no other reason than he wanted to have some fun. I remember the smell of that spit. I remember how it felt on my face. Most of all, I remember the shame that I felt that this kid was bigger than I was, and I couldnt do anything to him. I just had to take it. Heres the difference: Jesus Christ was God. He could have incinerated them with one word, and He sat there and took it because He knew there was no Plan B. There was just Plan A. I have to go to the cross. I have to have this perfect sacrifice. I have to have God place the sin of the world on Me so that those people can spend eternity with Me if they so choose. (Isaiah 50:6, page 728 of pew Bibles), I offered My back to those who beat Me and My cheeks to those who pulled out My beard. I didnt hide My face from mocking and spitting. (Isaiah 52:14, page 731) Just as there were many who were appalled at Him-His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and His form marred beyond human likeness… What they did to Him, not only could you recognize it wasnt Jesus, the carpenters son, you couldnt even recognize that He was a human being anymore. I will spare you the details of what they did with the whipping. Isnt it ironic that wood, a hammer, and nails were the instruments that were used to kill the carpenter? They put Jesus on that cross, and they stripped Him naked. You dont see that in the pictures because nobody wants a rated X picture in their living room, but He was stripped naked in front of everybody to see-in front of His own mother to see. The Bible says that for three hours it grew dark. Then God placed your sin and my sin on the back of Jesus. I want you to think about this. I cant imagine what it would feel like to be a perfectly sinless being and have even one molecule of sin put inside of me; but to have every sin, every murder, every rape, every incest-every horrible thing thats been done from the start of eternity to whenever Jesus comes back-placed on His body, inside His body. The Bible literally says that God had to turn His back on His Son. Jesus cries out and says, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? which literally translated means, Daddy, Daddy, why have You abandoned Me? God couldnt even look at His Son. The only way I can explain what that feels like-and this will not do justice of it-is when my sons were little, when Caleb was about six and Connor, my middle child, was about three, they were in the backyard. Connor picked up a stick, and Caleb picked up our pruning shears. Connor looked at his older brother and said, Here, cut the stick. Caleb, trying to cut the stick, accidently cut into his delicate little three year old fingers. I remember hearing the blood-curdling scream from my backyard. I looked out the window, and I seen my son jumping up and down. As I ran to the door-and this sounds a little funny, but at the time it was not funny at all-he was screaming at the top of his lungs, Daddy! Daddy! I need a Band-Aid! At the time, my heart was just breaking because in his mind were two things: get my dad here and if I can get a Band-Aid, all this pain will go away. Everything turned out okay. I thought he would lose part of his fingers, but the doctor just did a wonderful job. You cant even see the scars anymore, but it occurred to me that at that moment, my precious three-year old who was screaming out for his daddy-if I would have walked out that door, looked at it, walked back in, closed the door and locked it, thats what it would have felt like for Jesus Christ to have His own Father have to look away from Him. Gods punishment that we deserve for eternity-that I know myself, I know I deserve an eternity separated from God-God said, Nope, Im going to put My wrath on My very own Son so that you can make a choice. You can choose to spend eternity with Me. Do you know what else I think happens here? I think that literally Jesus heart just ruptures in His chest. In Psalms (40:12, page 556), it says, For evils beyond number have surrounded me; iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more numerous than the hairs of my head; my heart has failed me. You can look up a medical fact that peoples hearts can just burst in their bodies because of that stress, because of not only the sin but [because of] God turning His back. If you were already dead, they sent a Centurion. Normally, they would have broken condemned ones legs if they were still alive. When you were crucified, every breath you take, you have to push up on that bottom nail to release the pressure on your diaphragm to take in one breath. Then youd hold it as long as you could, and then youd drop back down. [You have to do this for] every single breath. He was already dead. They didnt have to break his legs. Thats what they would have done because the Sabbath was coming. When they pierced His side with a spear, a sudden flow of blood and water [came down]. This is a medical fact. If your heart bursts-if your heart ruptures-inside of your chest, thats what happens to your blood. It separates into the serum and the water. You know what? I am so glad that's not where the story ends. All of the talk about if the Jewish people killed Jesus, did the Romans kill Jesus-do you know who killed Jesus? My sin. Im the one who pounded the nails. Im the one who made Him go through that because of my sin. When He rose from the dead and He conquered sin, He conquered death and proved He was God. Now I have a choice. The Bible says that you and I are enemies of God. Thats not good news. If there is one person you dont want to have as an enemy, its the God of the universe. God said, I have come through this sacrifice. You no longer have to be an enemy of Mine. You can be My friend. I will adopt you, and you can be a Kings kid. You know why Jesus cried out, Daddy, Daddy, why have You abandoned Me? He screamed those words so that you and I will never ever have to say those words. You have a choice. You never have to feel like God has abandoned you. If youre here today, and I dont know where each of you are at, and you know you have never allowed Jesus to wash your sins away, He can take those rags that are dirty and dark in your life, and He can wash them in His blood. He can make them as clean as snow. He can erase every single sin you have ever committed. When you stand before a holy judge named the God of the universe, He will pronounce you not guilty. Those chains that you have around you of sin, the cross will bust through those. The question I have for you is do you have Jesus this morning? I dont know where youre at. Youre one of three things today. You are sold out. You are trying to live your life as a 24/7 Christian. You are a stumbler. You have accepted Christ into your life, but you are not living your life for God. In fact, not only is He not driving the car of your life, youve put Him in the trunk so that He cant even tell you where He wants you to go. Or the third thing is that youre a seeker. Youre just checking this God stuff out. Youre like, Whoa! Christmas and Easter, Ive never heard it in such a way. I have a problem. I have a sin problem. I have a sin infection that needs to be taken care of. If you are a seeker today, let Christmas 2010 be the day that you wrapped your life up and you gave it as a gift to God. If you are stumbling, make Christmas of 2010 the day that you said, Jesus, get out of the trunk. Hop up in the drivers seat, and Im getting in the trunk because I have made a mess of my life. I am so tired of trying to do things my own way. Im going to let You take the drivers seat. If youre a 24/7 Christian right now and you have been so busy this Christmas season, I challenge you to fall back in love with your Bible. I challenge you to take the time and sit in front of your Christmas tree-even though Christmas is over-and take five minutes to just say, Thank you so much, God, for what You have done for me. As we close this up, were going to watch a quick video. (Link can be found here: http://sermonspice.com/search?q=christmas ) I want to see if you see yourself in this video. When this video is done, my son is going to come up, and hes going to close us out. Weve already given our offering; weve already had our announcements; so when my son is done, Ill close us in prayer and well leave. Watch this video, and listen to the words of the song that my son sings. As Caleb is getting ready with his guitar, [Ill take a moment to tell you] my son started playing guitar this past year. My wife and I were listening to a song that he wrote. Hes been playing it the last couple weeks. We listened to it, and we were like, You know what? We think that would be a perfect way, a perfect song, for you to play to end our services this Christmas. Caleb, I want you to know Im really proud of you. If you listen to the words of this song, I want you to ask yourself, Are you going to let pride keep you from coming to Jesus Christ? I think thats our main issue as humans. We do not want a God to tell us what to do. I dont know about you, but I know I desperately need a Savior. Please do not let pride keep you from spending eternity with God. (Caleb sings a self-written song here called, I Need You. Lyrics follow the sermon transcript.) Lets close in prayer: Heavenly Father, we just thank You so much, I thank You so much, for the gift that You gave us 2,000 years ago, the plan that You put into action the very moment we brought sin into this universe, that You didnt abandon us-that the red thread of the Biblical message from Genesis all the way through, that one day You would shed Your blood because You loved us so much. Lord, I just pray that this Christmas season we will take time to think, we will take time to meditate, we will take time to take a good look at what we are doing with our lives. If You could die for us, the least that we can do is live for You. We pray this in Jesus name, Amen.

For those who dont know who I am, Im Michael Powers. I am the youth minister here. Im the one they trust to hang with your teenagers and teach them Gods Word. I want you to know that I love my job, and I love this church. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to teach Gods Word to your kids, so thank you for that. To lead into what were going to talk about today, called The Same Old Story, this is an article that I wrote for a publication a couple of years ago. I just wanted to share that with you as we get into the message today. In the 25 years that my wife and I have been doing youth ministry, weve dealt with a lot of teens that have gotten themselves into some dire straits. In fact, I thought there was nothing that could possibly surprise us anymore. I was wrong. There was one teenage girl we know that I have to tell you about. However, before I do, I want you to understand that in our youth ministry, we always strive for confidentiality-to protect both the teen and the teens family; so it is with great trepidation that I share this with you for I know that some of you will figure out who this girl is. I am hoping that by the end of these few pages, you will understand why I had to share what Im about to tell you. Before you rush to judgment, I want you to hang with me here. In fact, more than anything else, I want you to put yourself in this teens shoes. Try to feel what she must be feeling. This young girl is 13 years old, and she came to the stark realization that she is pregnant. Not only does she realize that her life is going to drastically change, but to make matters worse, she is afraid to tell her 19 year old boyfriend. Normally, she would go to her boyfriend with any problem. Hes a pretty stable, understanding, and dependable guy; but this time its different. You see, the baby is not his. She lays awake that first night thinking about all the people she has to face the next day: her parents. Shes always been worthy of the trust her parents have put in her. In fact, other families have remarked to her parents how they wished their daughters were more like her. Now she has to stand before them and explain how she got pregnant. If thats not bad enough, shes going to have to explain to them that the father of the baby is not the young man that her parents think she should marry. Her boyfriend, how does she face her boyfriend? She loves her boyfriend more than anyone-well, almost more than anyone. How is she going to face him? Where is she going to get the courage? It would almost be easier if she could tell him that it was just a big mistake, and that she is so sorry for it; but she cant lie to him. She will have to look into his trusting eyes and tell him that she willfully chose the path that lead to this little life growing inside of her. She knows deep down inside that if she had to do it all over again, she would make the same decision and end up in the same precarious situation. Please, God, please let him understand and not abandon me. I need him so much right now. Her friends, how does she share the news with them? Right or wrong, they have always put her on a pedestal, always looked to her for answers, always modeled their lives after hers; but she knows instinctively that they will not understand. In fact, she knows that she may never be able to explain to them what made her do what she did. She lays there in bed afraid, overwhelmed, and reaching out to God for strength to face what is ahead of her. The next day she finally gets up the courage to tell her boyfriend. He reacts just as she feared he would. He is going to leave her. She becomes distraught and questions God, Why, God? Why? I know that Im in this situation because of a decision that I made, but please dont take my boyfriend away from me. I desperately need him now. This unnamed teen goes to bed that night more afraid than ever, feeling every bit the child that she is. Her name? Normally, I wouldnt give that to you, but in this case she asks that her name be known so that others will understand what she has gone through and will be encouraged. Her name is Mary, and she lived 2,000 years ago. Have you ever thought of the Christmas story in that way? Today as we meditate on this, I hope that youre not like me [in my way of thinking of] The Same Old Story. I mean, were supposed to like Baby Jesus, right? When Christmas comes, we read the Christmas story-something weve heard sometimes almost 100 times, and we get bored with it. Were like, Ive heard this story before. I know how it ends. Well, lets ponder this and see if we really do know the story. Most 13 or 14 year old girls that I know, if an angel appeared to them and said, Hey, were going to put a baby inside your womb, would say, Um, excuse me. Yeah, this aint working for me. How am I gonna fit in my prom dress now? Most teenage girls I would know would be like, Forget this. We have to have a Plan B because this aint happening, but Mary follows and obeys God. I want you to think about this. I dont think we have any clue what she went through, what Joseph went through, to get in this situation and to face what she had to face. I mean how do you tell Joseph? Think about that. How do you tell Joseph? The conversation may have gone something like this, Now, Joe, before you get angry with me, I want you to know that I did not cheat on you. Come on, Mary! You know full well that we have not known each other in the Biblical sense, so the baby cant possibly be mine! Joseph, you have to believe me! I did not do this with anybody! Please, Mary, dont do this to me. You know that I love and care for you, but I cannot listen to this! Okay, Joseph, I wont lie to you. Then she looks into those trusting eyes knowing that what shes going to say is going to sound so crazy. The baby is from God. Come on! Could you imagine what that would have sounded like? Oh…God got you pregnant. Oh…okay. Can you imagine? No matter how much he loved her, he has to be thinking, Youre crazy! This is not happening! The wheels are already turning in Josephs head because he was a righteous man. The Bible says he would dismiss her privately and not make a spectacle of it. She would go though because he would send her away. Then you know the angel appears to Joseph and verifies that what is going on is true. I want you to ponder now with me: have you ever thought of God as a baby, as a fetus, inside the womb of an unwed 13 or 14 year old girl? As a writer, I would never write the Christmas story like this. If Im a writer, and Im writing this story, when God would come to earth, Hed be on a white stallion. As He would come across those streets of gold, every hoof print would send up a spray of golden sparks. He would burst through those gates, and the angels would be singing, almost defining an angelic choir. Hed burst through the universe. The stars would line up, and theyd blink, The King is coming! When He gets to the ozone layer, He would burst through that ozone layer. There would be a sonic boom! The clouds would line up behind Him as He burst through that. It would be like a long flowing white robe. He would circle the earth two or three times, and everybody would know The King of the universe is now coming into His creation! God says, No, thats not how were going to do it. God said, The God of the universe who breathed stars into existence, as it says in Psalms, went ahh, and galaxies and stars came out-He is now dependent on His own oxygen through the umbilical cord of an unwed, pregnant teenager. Thats just crazy to me-how God chose to do that. Have you ever equated God with the birth process? I mean the King of the universe in the process of human birth, and instead of a golden crown on His head, His head is in a kind of cone shape from coming through the birth canal. Instead of priceless paintings hanging on the walls of a palace, there are cobwebs on the walls of a stable and the smell of animal manure and urine. Instead of being placed in the finely-crafted bed by the greatest Craftsman in the land, Hes put in a manger. Doesnt that word sound so pretty-a manger? Do you know what a manger is? A manger is a feeding trough where cows would stick their tongues and lick food. The God of the universe, when He came to earth, He humbled Himself and was placed in a feeding trough. The Bible says (in Colossians 1:17, page 1165 of pew Bible), He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together, that by Christs very word, the universe is holding together. Now, He is dependent on the milk of an unwed teenage girl for His sustenance. Instead of kings, presidents, and world leaders, God chose shepherds. Now, if you know anything about that culture of that day, the shepherds were the lowest of the lowest class of society. They were Bedouins. The word was said like, Oh…its a Bed-o-uin, a shepherd! I want you to think about that. Youre a shepherd, and you have an angel appear to you and give you this announcement. Of all the people on the earth, He chose shepherds, the lowest of the low, to give this good news to. Then, He gives them the concert of their lives. The Heavens open up and angels appear, a Heavenly host, and they sing the first Christmas carols to a bunch of Bedouins. Have you ever seen the Northern Lights? One time in my life, besides on TV and in pictures, Ive seen the Northern Lights. I remember it was about ten below zero. We were up north, and I remember standing in this field and just being mesmerized. There were like curtains of light that just shimmered and changed. It was just amazing to me! I felt like my eyeballs were going to freeze in my head. I was afraid to blink in fear that they would just disappear. It was one of the most amazing experiences Ive ever had. I cant imagine what it would have been like for those shepherds to hear and see those angels on that first Christmas night. Ive worked with youth for too long, and some of you might be offended by the next thing Im going to share with you, and Im okay with that. Pastor Jeffs not here, so I can do what I want (congregation laughing), and Ill pay for it later. Have you ever thought that the God of the universe had a diaper? Human waste, human feces, was next to His skin, and a human being had to wipe Him? You talk about humbling Yourself and coming down into Your creation. If it happened today, Mary would write a best-selling book, I Changed Gods Diaper. Thats what the book would have been about. Can you imagine that? You and I think we know the Christmas story, but theres so much in there! Were going to watch a video now called, A Social Network Christmas, and if that were to happen today-if Jesus were to appear today-with Facebook and all of that, this is probably how it would have went down. Lets watch. (Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sghwe4TYY18 It starts about ¼ of the way through the video) Wasnt that well done? I love it when people who have gifts and abilities given by God use them so that we can be blessed by that. Thats just an awesome video! There is so much more we could share about the Christmas story. Im just going to touch base on a couple of things, but literally it would take us many weeks to even get through all the nuances of whats really going on. If youre going to talk about Christmas, you have to talk about the cross; so were going to make a beeline to the cross. Before we do, I want to share some things with you. Number one, nowhere in the Bible does it say that there are three wise men. Its just the story that we passed down from generation to generation. It says there were wise men, and it says that they had three different types of gifts; but if three wise men were traveling by themselves at that time, they probably would have been beat up, robbed, and wouldnt have made it. They would have had to travel in a caravan. As much as you like the manger scene and the stable, the three wise men were not there at the birth or soon after. The Bible says that He was no longer an infant. He was a young child under the age of two years old, and they visited Him at a house. It doesnt ruin the Christmas story, but when we say its The Same Old Story, we really have not looked at it very closely. I want to share this with you too: I think Mary and Joseph were outcasts. I think Marys family treated them as outcasts, and I think Josephs family did as well. This is conjecture. If you read between the lines, you can see a lot of the stuff that may be going on, so dont take this as this is exactly what the Bible says; but it is said that Mary takes off in a hurry-literally in a hurry-to go visit Elizabeth as soon as she finds out shes pregnant. Just before John the Baptist is born, she leaves. Now, if youre going to spend three months there, why wouldnt you stay for the birth? I think its because she started showing, and the thought of being away from her hometown where maybe theyd have a little more sympathy for her [worried her]. Did you know that if you were an unwed teenage girl back then, they could stone you? You could literally lose your life. Thats how seriously they took an engagement-you were literally married, but you just didnt consummate the marriage at that point. Then she has to tell Joseph, and I think when Joseph gets the message from the angel, I think Josephs family also treated them as outcasts. We always think of the story of Mary on the donkey and basically on her way to give birth right at that moment. They get there and cant find a hotel. All of the sudden, there are no rooms at the inns. Did you know that in Luke it says that while they were there, the days to complete her pregnancy occurred? I think since they were going to Bethlehem where Josephs other relatives would have been, I think that even their own relatives probably did not let them stay at their house. If they did, most houses back then would have had an upper level where the people were and a lower level where they would take the animals in at night if it was a cold night. The body heat from the animals would help heat the house. Either they were totally outcast from even their own families, or they would have said, You know what? You can do that. Maybe not; maybe Im conjecturing too much there. Maybe there was no privacy. How would you like to give birth with all your relatives there for the census? Maybe the lower room was the only place that gave them some privacy. There was so much else going on there, but were going to find out what it would have been like for Jesus growing up. Have you ever thought about being Jesus mother or father? [We always hear] the question asked why is the sky blue except it would have been Mary and Joseph asking Jesus that question because He is God. Have you ever thought of that? Max Lucado had some fun with questions he would have liked to ask Mary: What was it like watching Him pray? How did He respond when He saw other kids giggling during the service at the synagogue? Have you ever thought of that? The God of the universe [is there] and people are disrespecting His message through Gods Word. How would that have affected Him? Did you ever feel awkward teaching Him how He created the world? Did you ever think, Man, the God Im praying to is in the next room? Did you ever try to count the stars with Him and succeed? Did He ever get angry when someone was dishonest with Him? Think of that. Did you ever think, Thats God eating my soup? I wonder if Jesus had a special affinity for lambs. The lamb of God who comes to take away the sins of the world… I wonder if He ever pondered that. Regarding Jesus growing up, the Bible is silent in what happened between the age of 2 and the age of 12. At the age of 12, we know of the story of Jesus at the Temple. Do you know whats interesting about that story? The Bible says that the rabbis were amazed at His answers. Do you know what that tells me? That tells me that the conversation may have started out with Jesus asking them questions, but it turned into them asking a 12 year old boy questions about Gods Word. They were amazed at His answers. How about Jesus as a teenager? Have you ever thought of that? Did Jesus ever wake up and think, This is the day. This is the day that I have made, that I have made. Did he wear a WWID bracelet? What would I do? Could you imagine having to be the sibling of Jesus? The Bible is very clear that there were at least seven kids in the family. Jesus was not an only child. The brothers are all named in Scripture. The sisters arent, so there are at least seven. Can you imagine the pressure of being a brother or sister of Jesus Christ? Why cant you be more like Jesus? Seriously, the pressure to live up to that… We gloss over-we think of Jesus as God, but we fail to ponder what it would have been like to be human because Jesus was fully God and fully human. I cant explain that; I just know thats what Gods Word says-fully God and fully human. Do you think that Jesus was possibly tempted to use spiritual power when He was growing up? When Mom told Him to clean His room-vroom, and it was clean. Do you ever think of that? Do you know why we believe that never happened? Its because of this: In Mark 6:1-3 (page 995 of pew Bibles), it says, Jesus left there and went to His hometown, accompanied by His Disciples. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were amazed. Where did this man get these things? they asked. Whats this wisdom that has been given Him, that He even does miracles! Isnt this the carpenter? Isnt this Marys son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Arent His sisters here with us? And they took offense at Him. Now, the Judas mentioned there is not Judas the Iscariot, just a common name. If Jesus were running around doing miracles as a kid, they would have known who He was. They would have recognized and said, Whoa! This guy is special. Sterling North, famous author-if you go into Edgerton, its very prominent that they are proud of their native son, Sterling North. Nazareth would have had a sign, Jesus, the God man, lives here. Do you know what this tells me? This tells me that He acted like any other child. He was a weird child, and I dont mean that in an offensive way. He was definitely strange. He never sinned. He did not run around using His spiritual power. In fact, His brother James who wrote the Book of James did not give his life to Christ until after Jesus died and rose again. How could you be Jesus own brother and not believe He was the Son of God? What did Jesus look like? He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him-nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. Have you ever looked in the mirror and felt plain, felt average? God in His wisdom made Jesus to look like an average human being. Then there came a day at the age of 30 when the Father told Him, Its time. I want you to think about this. [As God would say to Jesus], All of Your life, Youve been a carpenters son, and Youve grown up in a carpenters shop. Your dad has taught You how to be a carpenter. You love the smell of sawdust. You love having those tools in Your hands. The voice comes from God and says, It is time. What You came here to earth to do, it is now time to accomplish. Jesus, knowing what was ahead of Him, had to walk out of that carpenters shop one day and never look back. It is my guess that when that voice came and God said it was time, He sat down on a bench He had made. How interesting is it that the God of the universe who created that wood is now shaping that wood into something? I always thought how awesome it would be to have something made by Jesus Christ. Could you imagine how much you could get on eBay for something that Jesus made? He sat there, and He probably breathed in the sawdust. He knew what was ahead of Him, and He knew how comfortable it would be to just stay and be comfortable in the surroundings He was used to. He chose, He willingly chose, to walk out of that carpenter shop and head down a path that would lead to a bloody cross because He knew that you and I needed a Savior. If were going to talk about Christmas, we have to talk about the cross. There are so many things were skipping. I want to challenge you-have you fallen out of love with your Bible? Do you love Gods Word? Do you look forward to all those little things that we take for granted that are in there? He comes into Jerusalem on a donkey-please! Hee-haw! A donkey! Not only a donkey, but a colt, a young donkey-do you know how awkward it would be for a full-grown man to ride a young donkey? I think, God, why do you always pick the humble stuff? Because thats who God is. The Last Supper-have you ever thought of this? Jesus Christ, knowing what was coming, not only washed the other Disciples feet, but He washed Judas feet. I cant even imagine what it was like for Judas-knowing what he was about to do-and Jesus humbled Himself and washing his feet. I bet Judas could not even look Him in the eye. The Garden of Gethsemane, fully God, fully human-knowing whats going to happen to Him, He chooses His three best friends, His three closest people. He says, Will you stay up and pray with Me? He goes on a little farther ahead, and He comes back to them asleep. Can you imagine what that would have felt like for Him at the darkest moment of what Hes facing. The Bible says that He was under so much stress and anguish that He literally sweat drops of blood. If you want to Google this, look up hematidrosis. Its a medical term for when you are under so much stress and anxiety that your capillaries actually expand into your sweat glands, and blood mixes with your sweat. Drops of blood come out of your sweat glands. Thats what He was facing because He knew what was coming. Then we pick up the story where Judas comes and betrays Jesus. [Mark 18:3, page 1071 of pew Bibles], So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, went out and asked them, Who is it you want? Jesus of Nazareth, they replied. I am He, Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, I am He, they drew back and fell to the ground. There are two things that I think that are going on here. They heard about this God-man. Hed been doing miracles, raising people from the dead, and stopping storms. They were deathly-afraid to arrest this Man. They thought He was just incinerated with some kind of God magic. When He said that, they were afraid. Do you know what else I think is going on here? I think this is the Old Testament I am. This is the God of the universe proclaiming who He is. When He said I am literally the power of God knocked them on their backs. That's what is going on there. Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priests servant, cutting off his right eat. (The servants name was Malchus.) This always bugged me as a teenager. I was like, Come on! So if Im Peter, and I am loyal to Jesus Christ, and I want to save Him from this, I pull out a sword and am like, Take that! Look at that, Jesus, I just protected You. I cut off his ear! Have you ever thought of whats going on there? I think Peter, in his rage, goes to just literally chop off his head, and the guy saw it coming and did one of these (head dodged the swing of the sword). I want you to think of this: imagine being Malchus. You have come to capture this criminal, and you almost lose your life for it. This criminal reaches down and either picks up the ear and puts it back on your head or just leaves your ear there and puts His hand on your head and heals you. Talk about shocked! I bet you anything he took no part in the rest of what happened. I bet he went off to the side and was like, Whoa! What kind of person can do that? (Matthew 26:52, page 986), Put your sword back in its place, Jesus said to him, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way? He touched the mans ear and healed him. (Mark 14:48, page 1008), Am I leading a rebellion? said Jesus, that youve come out with swords and clubs to capture Me? Every day I was with you teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled. Then everyone deserted Him and fled. Everyone. [For] this next verse, you have to be scratching your head here-this random verse. A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind. The Bible is not boring, people. Lets think of this, whats going on. They come to get Him; I am; they all fall down on their backs; they get back up; Peter takes out a sword, tries to kill somebody, cuts off his ear, and this God-man picks up the ear or just puts His hand up there and heals him. Then a guy with a bad case of nudity runs through the Garden. Isnt that crazy? I love the little nuances of the Bible. Then the worst part of the story [takes place]. (Mark 14:44, page of 1008), Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: The One I kiss is the Man. Arrest Him and lead Him away under guard. Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, Rabbi! and kissed Him. One of the Gospels says that Jesus looked at him and said, You betray the Son of Man with a kiss? Have you ever been betrayed like that? Not by an enemy, not by someone you know or who cant stand you, but by someone who you have considered part of your inner circle. [Imagine] how that would have felt. I personally have felt betrayal like this. This is my oldest son, Caleb. As you can see, I tried to raise him as a Bears fan. I dressed him in all the right clothes. [He had a] happy, happy childhood. He came up to me one day at the age of five or six and said, Dad, I want to be a Packer fan. I was like, Son, the Powers family has been Bears fans for generations, dating back to 300 AD. He was five. He didnt know. I was like, Son, are you sure? Then he said these words to me, Dad…when you were a kid, you grew up in the Chicago area, and that's why youre a Bears fan. I live in Wisconsin! I need to be a Packer fan! I was like, Oh, man! The hardest part now is trying to transition back to the Christmas story when weve just talked about Bears and Packers football, but I have no acute way of doing this; so were just going to transition back to that. Just like we did with Christmas, lets take a quick look at whats really going on here. I want you to think about this. They blindfold Jesus; they spit on Him; they rip His beard out of His face. Soldiers stripped Him and put on a scarlet robe and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand, knelt in front of Him, and mocked Him. Hail, King of the Jews. They spit on him and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again. The crown of thorns is no coincidence. (Genesis 3:17, page 3 of pew Bibles), Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. From the very first sin, thorns were part of the curse. Thats the crown that they give Jesus. To mock the God of the universe, the God of the universe who is going to give us an incredible gift at Christmastime, the gift of His own Son-He is going to sacrifice His own Son. He is going to pour all of His wrath and fury toward sin on His own Son; and Jesus is there, and puny little humans are going to mock Him, pull out His beard, and spit on Him. Have you ever been spit on? One time in my life when I was a young man about the age of 10 or 11, a teenage boy spit on me for no other reason than he wanted to have some fun. I remember the smell of that spit. I remember how it felt on my face. Most of all, I remember the shame that I felt that this kid was bigger than I was, and I couldnt do anything to him. I just had to take it. Heres the difference: Jesus Christ was God. He could have incinerated them with one word, and He sat there and took it because He knew there was no Plan B. There was just Plan A. I have to go to the cross. I have to have this perfect sacrifice. I have to have God place the sin of the world on Me so that those people can spend eternity with Me if they so choose. (Isaiah 50:6, page 728 of pew Bibles), I offered My back to those who beat Me and My cheeks to those who pulled out My beard. I didnt hide My face from mocking and spitting. (Isaiah 52:14, page 731) Just as there were many who were appalled at Him-His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and His form marred beyond human likeness… What they did to Him, not only could you recognize it wasnt Jesus, the carpenters son, you couldnt even recognize that He was a human being anymore. I will spare you the details of what they did with the whipping. Isnt it ironic that wood, a hammer, and nails were the instruments that were used to kill the carpenter? They put Jesus on that cross, and they stripped Him naked. You dont see that in the pictures because nobody wants a rated X picture in their living room, but He was stripped naked in front of everybody to see-in front of His own mother to see. The Bible says that for three hours it grew dark. Then God placed your sin and my sin on the back of Jesus. I want you to think about this. I cant imagine what it would feel like to be a perfectly sinless being and have even one molecule of sin put inside of me; but to have every sin, every murder, every rape, every incest-every horrible thing thats been done from the start of eternity to whenever Jesus comes back-placed on His body, inside His body. The Bible literally says that God had to turn His back on His Son. Jesus cries out and says, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? which literally translated means, Daddy, Daddy, why have You abandoned Me? God couldnt even look at His Son. The only way I can explain what that feels like-and this will not do justice of it-is when my sons were little, when Caleb was about six and Connor, my middle child, was about three, they were in the backyard. Connor picked up a stick, and Caleb picked up our pruning shears. Connor looked at his older brother and said, Here, cut the stick. Caleb, trying to cut the stick, accidently cut into his delicate little three year old fingers. I remember hearing the blood-curdling scream from my backyard. I looked out the window, and I seen my son jumping up and down. As I ran to the door-and this sounds a little funny, but at the time it was not funny at all-he was screaming at the top of his lungs, Daddy! Daddy! I need a Band-Aid! At the time, my heart was just breaking because in his mind were two things: get my dad here and if I can get a Band-Aid, all this pain will go away. Everything turned out okay. I thought he would lose part of his fingers, but the doctor just did a wonderful job. You cant even see the scars anymore, but it occurred to me that at that moment, my precious three-year old who was screaming out for his daddy-if I would have walked out that door, looked at it, walked back in, closed the door and locked it, thats what it would have felt like for Jesus Christ to have His own Father have to look away from Him. Gods punishment that we deserve for eternity-that I know myself, I know I deserve an eternity separated from God-God said, Nope, Im going to put My wrath on My very own Son so that you can make a choice. You can choose to spend eternity with Me. Do you know what else I think happens here? I think that literally Jesus heart just ruptures in His chest. In Psalms (40:12, page 556), it says, For evils beyond number have surrounded me; iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more numerous than the hairs of my head; my heart has failed me. You can look up a medical fact that peoples hearts can just burst in their bodies because of that stress, because of not only the sin but [because of] God turning His back. If you were already dead, they sent a Centurion. Normally, they would have broken condemned ones legs if they were still alive. When you were crucified, every breath you take, you have to push up on that bottom nail to release the pressure on your diaphragm to take in one breath. Then youd hold it as long as you could, and then youd drop back down. [You have to do this for] every single breath. He was already dead. They didnt have to break his legs. Thats what they would have done because the Sabbath was coming. When they pierced His side with a spear, a sudden flow of blood and water [came down]. This is a medical fact. If your heart bursts-if your heart ruptures-inside of your chest, thats what happens to your blood. It separates into the serum and the water. You know what? I am so glad that's not where the story ends. All of the talk about if the Jewish people killed Jesus, did the Romans kill Jesus-do you know who killed Jesus? My sin. Im the one who pounded the nails. Im the one who made Him go through that because of my sin. When He rose from the dead and He conquered sin, He conquered death and proved He was God. Now I have a choice. The Bible says that you and I are enemies of God. Thats not good news. If there is one person you dont want to have as an enemy, its the God of the universe. God said, I have come through this sacrifice. You no longer have to be an enemy of Mine. You can be My friend. I will adopt you, and you can be a Kings kid. You know why Jesus cried out, Daddy, Daddy, why have You abandoned Me? He screamed those words so that you and I will never ever have to say those words. You have a choice. You never have to feel like God has abandoned you. If youre here today, and I dont know where each of you are at, and you know you have never allowed Jesus to wash your sins away, He can take those rags that are dirty and dark in your life, and He can wash them in His blood. He can make them as clean as snow. He can erase every single sin you have ever committed. When you stand before a holy judge named the God of the universe, He will pronounce you not guilty. Those chains that you have around you of sin, the cross will bust through those. The question I have for you is do you have Jesus this morning? I dont know where youre at. Youre one of three things today. You are sold out. You are trying to live your life as a 24/7 Christian. You are a stumbler. You have accepted Christ into your life, but you are not living your life for God. In fact, not only is He not driving the car of your life, youve put Him in the trunk so that He cant even tell you where He wants you to go. Or the third thing is that youre a seeker. Youre just checking this God stuff out. Youre like, Whoa! Christmas and Easter, Ive never heard it in such a way. I have a problem. I have a sin problem. I have a sin infection that needs to be taken care of. If you are a seeker today, let Christmas 2010 be the day that you wrapped your life up and you gave it as a gift to God. If you are stumbling, make Christmas of 2010 the day that you said, Jesus, get out of the trunk. Hop up in the drivers seat, and Im getting in the trunk because I have made a mess of my life. I am so tired of trying to do things my own way. Im going to let You take the drivers seat. If youre a 24/7 Christian right now and you have been so busy this Christmas season, I challenge you to fall back in love with your Bible. I challenge you to take the time and sit in front of your Christmas tree-even though Christmas is over-and take five minutes to just say, Thank you so much, God, for what You have done for me. As we close this up, were going to watch a quick video. (Link can be found here: http://sermonspice.com/search?q=christmas ) I want to see if you see yourself in this video. When this video is done, my son is going to come up, and hes going to close us out. Weve already given our offering; weve already had our announcements; so when my son is done, Ill close us in prayer and well leave. Watch this video, and listen to the words of the song that my son sings. As Caleb is getting ready with his guitar, [Ill take a moment to tell you] my son started playing guitar this past year. My wife and I were listening to a song that he wrote. Hes been playing it the last couple weeks. We listened to it, and we were like, You know what? We think that would be a perfect way, a perfect song, for you to play to end our services this Christmas. Caleb, I want you to know Im really proud of you. If you listen to the words of this song, I want you to ask yourself, Are you going to let pride keep you from coming to Jesus Christ? I think thats our main issue as humans. We do not want a God to tell us what to do. I dont know about you, but I know I desperately need a Savior. Please do not let pride keep you from spending eternity with God. (Caleb sings a self-written song here called, I Need You. Lyrics follow the sermon transcript.) Lets close in prayer: Heavenly Father, we just thank You so much, I thank You so much, for the gift that You gave us 2,000 years ago, the plan that You put into action the very moment we brought sin into this universe, that You didnt abandon us-that the red thread of the Biblical message from Genesis all the way through, that one day You would shed Your blood because You loved us so much. Lord, I just pray that this Christmas season we will take time to think, we will take time to meditate, we will take time to take a good look at what we are doing with our lives. If You could die for us, the least that we can do is live for You. We pray this in Jesus name, Amen.