OUR CHRISTMAS LAMB

I heard a true story recently.

A young man shared how he worked on a farm in Paraguay. The farm had various crops and a few sheep. Now the ewes had just lambed and the farmer picked one and gave it into the young man's care. The farmer said as long as he fed and petted it, the lamb would follow him everywhere.

The farmer named it Navidad which is Spanish for the word Christmas. Sure enough that little lamb followed the young man everywhere and he grew very fond of it. He thought it must have been a special pet that the busy farmer had no time to look after. He formed a real bond with Navidad - similar to a man and his dog.

Time passed and as the end of the year approached, the young man had a disturbing thought. Had there been any particular reason why the lamb was named Christmas? Then the sad truth sank in. It all made sense now. Navidad was to be offered as their Christmas dinner. His little lamb to be killed just so they food to eat? He was truly saddened. Because the farm was poor, Navidad the little Christmas lamb must die ... so that they might live.

For the first time in his life he understood something of how God felt when His Son died on the cross taking on Himself the penalty of our sins. Jesus truly died that we might live. How deeply it cut the Father's heart to offer His own Son Jesus.

Mercifully the little lamb didn't know what would happen as it went quietly to be slaughtered ... but Jesus did and His suffering was great. Earlier in His ministry, John the Baptist saw Jesus coming and cried out, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.' His amazing sacrifice was foretold by the prophet Isaiah in the Holy Bible. ( Isa.53:5-7.)

This is the reason why Jesus was born in that manger so long ago.

I wish you, my reader, a very happy and blessed Christmas!

HE IS THERE

Susan was rendered sightless due to a medical mistake. Once a fiercely independent woman, Susan lapsed into a deep depression, hating the fact she was now powerless and a burden on those around her.

Her husband, Mark, was an Air Force officer who loved her with all his heart. He remembered his once optimistic wife and was determined to help her gain her confidence and independence again. His disciplined background was enough to realize that for him to accomplish this sensitive situation would be the most difficult battle he would ever face.

When she felt she was ready to return to work he drove her there every day on the opposite side of the city where he worked. And he also picked her up afterward. They both realized this was hectic and very costly. He knew he must prepare her to take the bus as she had previously. But Susan reacted bitterly. "I'm blind. How am I supposed to know where I am going? I feel you're abandoning me. This broke his heart.

Mark knew what he would do. He promised her he would ride the bus with her and help her adapt to the new environment. He promised he would do this morning and evening until she felt she could handle it herself. For two weeks Mark did this in full uniform. He taught her how to rely on her senses and befriend the bus drivers so they would save a seat for her. He believed in her and knew she would not give up her struggle.

The day came when her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his love, his loyalty and his patience. She was ready. She rode the bus successfully for a week. One day the bus driver said to her, "I sure envy you." She asked him what he meant. He answered, "It must feel so good to be taken care of and protected the way you are." She was puzzled until he added, "Every morning for the past week a fine looking man in a uniform has been standing across the street watching when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the road safely. He watches until you enter the building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives a salute, and walks away."
Tears of happiness rolled down her cheeks. For although she couldn't see him, she had always felt his presence. He had given her a gift far more precious than sight. She didn't need to see to believe - a gift of love that can bring light when there had been darkness.

I know someone who is always there helping those he loves.
His name is Jesus. He shines His light into our darkness.

"God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, Jesus, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Romance with a Kick of Wasabi

Author Camy Tang explains her very original brand of writing:

Wasabi is a very hot (sinus-clearing) Japanese radish condiment used to give a clean-tasting little spice or kick when eating sushi or any raw seafood. Most of my stories have a hint of romance in it, and wasabi, with its Asian origin, refers to my Asian characters.

Where do you come from Tamy?

I am a fourth generation Japanese American married to a third generation Chinese American (hence my Chinese last name). I grew up in Wahiawa, Hawai’i in the center of the island of O’ahu.

Would you share a little more of your history?

I decided not to go to Medical School (I realize now I would have sucked as a doctor), and instead worked as a biologist researcher for nine years (I know, I know, biologist to novelist? Yes, I’m weird). I did compound development studies for a major pharmaceutical company and product development and method-of-action studies for a smaller biotech company.

 

My husband and I are staff workers with our youth group at an Asian Christian church in the San Francisco Bay Area. Teens are fun and surprising and a blessing. We also lead a worship team for our church, mostly comprised of teen musicians

 

And your spiritual journey?

 

When I first started writing, I didn’t know if God was going to allow my novels to be published, but the entire experience has taught me more about entirely, completely, totally depending upon Him, and submitting to Him aspects of my life that I never realized I was trying to keep control over. A lot of that struggle is mirrored in my characters’ struggles in my books. Give me a minute to tell you my experience with Jesus Christ. In school, I was an outcast and I would have done almost anything to fit in, to be acknowledged as someone worth knowing. He sent real Christians into my life to make me realize that their faith gave them a confidence and stability I didn’t have. He showed me that if I surrendered control of my life to Christ, I could cast aside my old life—the old me—and gain a new life, a new me, someone I’d like much better.

 

Thanks for sharing with us Tamy.

THE VOW

A massive head injury as the result of a tragic car accident left Krickett Carpenter in a coma just two months after her marriage to Kim. When she finally emerged from the coma, she recognized everyone in her life except her husband Kim! 
Starting all over, they built a new love and dedicated their lives to each other all over again. Their story was captured in book and film and entitled The Vow.

Imagine. It would be like fitting all the odd pieces to make sense of the pattern.  Knowing you once loved this stranger, yet possessing none of the emotions you would expect to experience. You would need to accept your husband or wife filling in all the special memories you had forgotten.

I'm certain it would be a horribly frustrating and scary situation in which to find yourself. Everything that was told to you would have to be accepted by faith. And could you really trust this stranger? Would everything he or she told you be the truth? It would be something you'd have to figure out by listening to the relatives also, and watching how everyone related the whole story. Look at wedding albums and see the proof with your own eyes.

Even so, it would be a matter of faith in the long run. Do you believe what others tell you about this person? It's your choice to believe and accept, or to reject. You don't have pictures to look at but you do have the testimonies of many hundreds of people from long ago and also the present time.

Maybe this is similar to the Christian faith. Can you accept what others say about Jesus?  Are you prepared to read what is written about Him in the Bible? Or you can simply reject what others have experienced of Him and go your own way. After all our gracious God has given us a free will. This is a precious gift we should not hold lightly.

Let us face this New Year learning all we can about this God Man Jesus who cared enough about us to willingly come into our world to teach us the way to live and the Way to follow. And may you enjoy a Happy & Blessed New Year!

CHRISTMAS PRAYER

Is Christmas a holiday you've been looking forward to? It's a special time for family members to get together and celebrate, isn't it? 

Yet Christmas can be a very stressful time with all the planning of meals and gifts associated with it. Even buying the right gift for the person who has everything is a real hassle. And too often the credit card is stretched to the point of incurring a sizeable debt.

My friend asked her small son to end his prayer with the Lord's Prayer and when he got it muddled up she corrected him. What he'd said touched her and she wrote this poem.

Forgive us our Christmases

“Our father who are in Heaven”,  Prayed the lisping three-year-year-old.   He paused while Mummy prompted, then continued as he’d been told.

Again he raised his sweet clear voice, “Give-us-this-day-our-daily-bread,                             

... and-forgive-us-our-Christmases ...”   Then Mummy lifted her head.

That isn’t in the Lord’s Prayer, dear,  She gently reminded him.                    

It’s “forgive-us-our-trespasses”,     And they bowed their heads again.

The prayers were done;  he was tucked in bed;    And Mummy tiptoed out,                            

But the words he had prayed,  still lingered on,     Perhaps he was right at that.

“Forgive-us-our-Christmases?”   Oh Lord, It is so true,                           

We pamper ourselves and everyone else,      But forget to remember You.

We buy the presents for our friends,    When it’s really your birthday,                            

 We decorate and motivate,              It's our favourite holiday.

How this must grieve the heart of God,     When He looks down upon ...                         

The sons of men to whom He gave,           The greatest GIFT, His Son!

“Joy-to-the-World” we glibly sing,           And promptly then forget,                    

That to Him Who made the Heaven’s ring,     We owe a tremendous debt!

“Forgive-us-Lord,-our-Christmases”,     With all their wasted endeavour,                   

And may this Christmas honor Him,        Who lives and reigns forever.

But there's another side of this special holiday. Police say that squabbles break out even among family members. Too often long held bitterness comes to the fore, because of alcohol freely consumed. And it's not long before violence erupts and things get nasty.

And what of those who haven't families to gather around them? So often they're left out in the cold. If it wasn't for charities offering the comfort of Christmas dinners, so often these folk would go hungry.

Let's remember it's Jesus' birthday we remember and honour. He is the Prince of Peace. Let us share His love and His peace to those around us.  Happy Christmas!