Isaiah 54:10 ~ My Faithful Love

 

Welcome to Advent - Prepare to Receive Jesus, The Gift of God!

Leftovers!!!!

Ok, sure, few people are going to vote Leftovers as a Christmas Memory Favorite. Yet the most delicious leftovers are two ingredients added together later. Like Good Turkey Tortilla Soup or Pecan Pie and Rice Pudding, crust and all.

When asking a Thanksgiving Table what they are most grateful for, and they have been through puberty in the last ten to 20 years, you might see a bunch of attitude or ennui. There is Poll One when this has been asked several years.  And Poll Two asks the same table, what is your Favorite Christmas Memory? You will receive entirely different hearts.  When the goal is, was and will be... favored as displaying loving and open hearts.  

Oh, the varieties of Polls, even when discussing North Pole times. You are probably expecting Scripture. We will!

Saint Francis of Assisi said, if our preaching isn't walking, then we are not preaching! Which was re translated as, "Declare the Scriptures, and if you must, use words !"

My Favorite Christmas Memory!

In the late 1970s, my family lived in Emporium, Cameron County, Pennsylvania. My father asked me to walk with him to Emmanuel Episcopal Church for the Christmas Midnight Service. Emporium had huge Maple trees which were farmed for the Maple Syrup. And the weather was exactly as the images shows. We walked and held hands and talked about people and places Daddy had known most of his life. Daddy was always entertaining and sincere. This was one of my most special memories. 

The town was lighted so beautifully. This time with my father is one of my finest memories.

I was told we had been seen walking to Christmas Eve. People were very pleased. Mentioning people just usually drove in cars on Christmas Eve. I was surprised, and I asked, why were we noticed? 

We had discovered a Christmas tradition rarely spoken of. A sort of secret tradition. Emporium town dwellers keep the lights on to almost 2 a.m. early Christmas morning. People were so excited to speak of this! Smiles lighted up faces. I asked if this was for Christmas? Indeed, this was for "Christmas," putting Jesus as the first activity and encouraging people to go to the Midnight Eve Church Celebration. Jesus at the very first stroke of the clock on Christmas, His Birthday. A very, very fine way for the town  Celebrating Christmas. And the joy on the faces. They told me we looked that joyful, too.

We can all picture something like this in Heaven. Jesus' Birthday. Lights and hearts open to Celebrate The Lord.

What would you pick !!!

Everyone remembers their own Christmas Tree. The art to Celebrate the Birth of Christ. A spire pointing to Heaven. Gifts and Loved Ones.   Let's jog some Christmas Memories.

If you go back past, just past Norman Rockwell and John Falter paintings, Christmas was simple and the trees more sparse. Electric lights, maybe. Pastels were new at Christmas! Pink was really Hollywood glam!

This tree was a style for generations. Uniform of Steadfast Christmas!!! Go Forth Orderly to Express the Merriment of Christmas Forever and Ever, Alleluia!!!

The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Tinsel Defeat! Tinsel had paper burns, Really.

America Loved FDR and Tinsel too

Style? People complain about 1990s music, but we all dressed in black, black, black and the Christmas Trees were white, white, white!!!

George Silver Spoon was Very Iconic!!!

And

Made White Loooook GOOD.

1970s we had our own Green Party. Granola was in. 

John Denver, Baby. 

Did you realize if you tell children today

about stringing Popcorn and cranberries, 

they think this is hilarious, we put food on the tree???

I had to remember why we did this!

To feed the birds, they loved this. And they DID! 

White Continues to be a Christmas Favorite with Our Father!

And Open Doors for ALL Like the Gates of Heaven

for Education, Choices,

Medical Services,

Middle East Peace,

Jobs for ALL

What we learn through the years,

we take all those ornaments

and we start putting them on the tree

until you have Beauty

Joy

Memories

Hope

Love

making

Christmas

The All IN Style!

 

The Everyone All in Style goes back to the early 1940s, when everyone used the outdoor Christmas Lights on the indoor tree. Why? Because they didn't have Microwave ovens yet. You won't find good photos of this. Because no one could take great at night photos of the Lassie Style ALL in Christmas Tree.  Mostly with the Tinsel!  And later with Popcorn strings. Oh, the smell of Pine and Popcorn!

We did say we would look at Scripture. And we usually do!

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen

Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen

But do you recall

The most wonderful Christmas Scripture of all!

For every time and season, the Lord has not forgotten us. 

He has been with us all.

Knowing our Hearts, 

adoring those who know their favorite Christmas Memory 

He

has given us. 

 Isaiah 54:10

The mountains may shift, and the hills may be shaken, 

but My faithful love won’t shift from you, 

and My covenant of peace won’t be shaken, 

says the Lord, the One who pities you.

Psalm 139

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

    you discern my thoughts from afar.

 You search out my path and my lying down

    and are acquainted with all my ways.

 Even before a word is on my tongue,

    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

 You hem me in, behind and before,

    and lay Your hand upon me.

 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

    it is high; I cannot attain it.

 Where shall I go from your Spirit?

    Or where shall I flee from your presence?

 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!

Romans 10:9-10

Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord 

and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, 

you will be saved. 

For with the heart one believes and is justified, 

and with the mouth one confesses 

and is saved.

Psalm 136

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,

    for His steadfast love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods,

    for His steadfast love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

    for His steadfast love endures forever;

4 to Him who alone does great wonders,

    for His steadfast love endures forever;

5 to Him who by understanding made the heavens,

    for His steadfast love endures forever;

6 to Him who spread out the earth above the waters,

    for His steadfast love endures forever;

7 to Him who made the great lights,

    for His steadfast love endures forever;

8 the sun to rule over the day,

    for His steadfast love endures forever;

9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,

    for His steadfast love endures forever

Luke 1

To give 

knowledge of salvation 

to His people

    in the forgiveness of their sins,

Because of the tender mercy 

of our God,

    whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

to give Light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

    to guide our feet 

into 

the way of peace. 

Amen and Amen and Amen and Amen

Jesus Christ the Lord!

And memories yet to make...

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yay Jesus