The Crystal Cross

I received many wonderful, beautiful and thoughtful Christmas Gifts this Christmas. But, I would like to share one very special gift I received from my son, Jon. It is crystal and a CROSS. My son purchased this in Prague and travelled with it in his hand Christmas Day for ten hours on a train ride. A day later he flew nine more hours with this crystal cross in hand across the Atlantic.

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WOW, my cross made it without a break or even a crack. This was the first time ever Jon had not been home for Christmas. Things change, time shows how our children grow up. Time shows the wrinkles in our face and many other things that bring both joy and sorrow. But, one thing remains so steady and that is LOVE and The CROSS.

Why, because Jesus is Love and Jesus is The Cross. He is the Son of God and He is The Savior of The World. I have found a very special place in my home for my new crystal cross and you can be assured I will never forget this special Christmas and the love given to me by my son. I have also found a special place in my heart for Jesus who made the cross possible for you and me and all that choose to embrace His Cross.
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A Look Ahead

I spent part of Christmas Day and Eve reading Josh McDowell’s The Last Christian Generation. “The Crisis is Real. The Responsibility is Ours.” This was a Christmas gift to Gary from Rena and family. I sure enjoyed the gift as Gary and I shared this important subject together.

Josh gives many studies that one only has to look around them or in their own homes to realize the studies are fact and as he says on the cover of his book, the responsibility is ours, the crisis is real. Let me give you a glimpse of some studies from the first few pages of this book. A survey from youth show:

  • 65% want a close relationship with God
  • 49% want to make a difference in the world
  • 79% consider having close personal friends as a high-priority goal for their future

Yet, they just believe they have a different view than their parents or other generations. Here are a few for starters:

  • 63% don’t believe Jesus is the Son of the one true God
  • 58% believe all faiths teach equally valid truths
  • 51% don’t believe Jesus rose from the dead
  • 68% don’t believe the Holy Spirit is a real entity.

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His Name is Jesus

Almighty God, you have given us Jesus, Your only-begotten Son through a pure virgin to take away our sins and give us a new nature. We are forever eternal grateful for Your gift to us.

May we, that have been born again, celebrate You and embrace this gift of love by being renewed by Your Holy Spirit, through our LORD JESUS CHRIST this Holy Day as we honor Your Birth.
By Him and in Him, Almighty God, now and forever we pray, Amen

Merry Christmas,
Gary and Sara

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JESUS, The Package Which Keeps Giving JOY

With the celebration of the birth of Jesus we are reminded that God
bridged the gap between us and Him with the birth of his Son, Jesus.

In the Old Testament it was prophesied according to Isaiah 9:7:
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will
reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of
the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

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“TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE JESUS CAME”

“TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE JESUS CAME”

Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed,
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with a baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter,

I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to my window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

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News from Grace

Hello Sara,
Mrs. O nominated me for the Student of the Year for Lake Harbor Middle School. I had to write a letter about my self and get interviewed. Today I found out I won! Now, I have to enter at parish level and if I win that part I go to state. I was so happy. I had to tell you!
With Faith and Joy,
Grace

Praying Hand, Good Shepherd and The Peacock

Full Peacock All three of these symbols have great and deep meaning

A clue: In a few days the movie “Good Shepherd” will be coming to your local theatre. As you probably already know it has all the lure of covert mystery. What covert communication, or code would these symbols speak and what time in history and why? Or, other thoughts you have or know about the “Praying Hand”, “Good Shepherd”, and “The “Peacock.”

Hear from God and Do It God’s Way

This morning Pastor Sean spoke about Joseph.The sermon was so
enlightening, I wanted to share it with the daily lilies. We don’t know a
lot about Joseph, but as the Pastor spoke, I learned that we are a lot like
him. Most of us have a plan for our lives. We have it all laid out –
college, career, marriage, family, advancement, and retirement. Joseph had
it all planned out too, then, Mary informs him that she is pregnant. His
plan is shot. What is he to do next? Like us he probably raked his mind
trying to find a solution that his mind could justify, not sleeping, pacing
the floor, near throwing up thinking and thinking and thinking.
Sometimes in our thinking the options may be embarrassing, like in Joseph’s
case. Joseph continues to try to come up with an option that is suitable,
placing God in a box asking him to choose one of his options to get out of
the mess or situation. In order to get Joseph to be silent so He could
speak to him, God has to have him in an unconscious state so he could
get a word in.

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Seek That Which is Above

Task of Advent

“Advent is concerned with that very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man. Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope. The purpose of the Church’s year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart’s memory so that it can discern the star of hope.…

It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope.”

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger