He's Been There - As Well

Joshua's Christmas Gift

Here is a Christmas Story from Joshua, with a Christmas miracle for you to ponder for yourselves. This story is also posted at Life in the Spirit.

I know exactly how you feel. I awoke this morning at 2:55 a.m. and the first thing that crossed my mind was the thought: "The Christ Child is HERE!"

A kind of elation followed me as I crept down the stairs to avoid waking my sleeping son. I sat before the computer and visited this site for a while, listened to the gorgeous music you've been posting in the run-up to this Very Special Day, and wondering when sleep would overcome me again.

Suddenly, a brilliant (and very motivating) thought crossed my mind. I retrieved the rosary I had recently received, and took myself to bed. As I lay there praying, the most overwhelming sense of calm and warmth enveloped me. The beads began to slip through my finders more quickly as I recited the rosary. A pervasive feeling of velocity - a going forward at incredible speed - overtook me. For a moment, I actually felt afraid. Then I remembered the rosary in my hands, and continued to recite my prayers.

I "suppose" I fell asleep and dreamed, but that is only in hindsight. My experience was quite different. The velocity finally abated, and I found myself actually "chatting" with Jesus Christ right there in my bedroom which had become filled with blinding light. And no, I don't drink or take any mood-altering drugs. This was NOT a hallucination.

I shared with Jesus Christ my deep fears about my son's immediate future. He'll be leaving me in a little more than a week, and will posted to Afghanistan within the month. I told Jesus in no uncertain terms about how important my son was to me and others, how much I love him, and how I would gladly exchange my life for his - if it comes to that.

I thanked Jesus Christ for giving me life, for blessing my life the way He has, and for continuing to remind and show me that He is always at my side.

My wife, my sons, my family, my friends, my talents, my EVERYTHING flows not from me, but from Him! It became so OBVIOUS to me how little I would actually have without Jesus Christ in my life that I wept tears of joy. And Jesus Christ said to me in as clear a voice as I've ever heard: "Joshua, your gift of faith in Me is the only acknowledgement I want from you, and you give it to Me every day. You have prayed so much for your son. I know he is your hero, and I promise you he will return to you full of life and courage and faith, and he will be a hero to many, many others, too. My the blessings of the Father fill your every day, Joshua. Remember Me, and remember this moment."

That was it! The room was dark again, and I found myself sitting upright, feet firmly planted on the bedside mat, a couple of tears trickling down my face.

I got up immediately. I picked up the phone and dialled my wife, who is away visiting family in Scotland. She was laughing as she answered, saying "Hello there, Joshua. I was wondering how long it would take you to call me."

Momentarily flummoxed, I asked how she knew it was me (they don't have "call display" where she is staying). "Because I went to church again this morning and prayed throughout the Mass that i would hear from you the moment I got back. I had just taken off my boots when the phone rang. Who else could it have been? How many people spend a whole Mass praying to hear from you, Joshua? Only me, m'love. Oh, and maybe the kids, but they have their own fish to fry right now. And Jesus always answers my prayers. Always." And we chatted for an hour thereafter.

Funny that Jesus should tell me that my faith in Him is my gift to Him. I always thought my faith in God was the greatest gift I had ever received from Him, followed by the gift of my beloved wife. Now, with His words pinging around inside my skull with astounding clarity, I am falling in love all over again with my wife. This is maybe the millionth time, but who's counting?

Merry Christmas, everybody. Jesus Christ is born and will never leave those who accept Him into their hearts. And those who do/have will confirm to you what I am about to say.

Accepting Christ the Saviour into your heart brings to you an infinite capacity to/for love.

I am a happier man today than I was yesterday, but not because it is Christmas. I am happier today because I've lived another day on earth in the embrace of Jesus Christ.

Could a man possibly ask for more? Could a man possibly receive more? I don't think so.

God indeed IS alive, and His Son Jesus Christ lives in my heart. I ask for nothing more.

Again, Merry Christmas.

I have previously joined my prayers to Joshua for the safety of his son, when he leaves on his mission with the US armed forces. That was good. But, when the Saviour of the World comes to you personally and tells you all will be well, then none of our unrealistic fears can overcome that.

Hallelujah. Praise the Lord.

He's Been Here

Falling in Love

My mother often told the story of the Christmas when I was about 3 years old. That morning, I awoke in my pajamas with the flap in the back, trundled off to the bathroom, and realised as I sat on the toilet that it was Christmas Day. Being 3, I did not rest on ceremony, but jumped off the toilet, and ran to the front room of our small house. There I saw presents under the tree that had been left by Santa Claus. With my pajama drawers flapping in the breeze along with my self, I rushed in to my parents bedroom, yelling out: "He's been here."

I awoke at 4 am this morning, excited that today was Christmas. Unlike at age 3, I don't have back flap drawers any more, but for the first time in many, many years I am so excited about Christmas that I could almost burst. But, my excitement is not for Saint Nicholas, but for the Saviour of St. Nicholas, and of you and of me. He's Been Here, Jesus Christ, the baby in the manger, who grew up and gave himself as a ransom for ME, and YOU. HE'S BEEN HERE. I want to shout from the roof tops, or at least from the Blog Top.

This excitement started for me over a year ago. I remember the moment that it began. I had been in Arizona at our motor home by myself for about 7 weeks, and went to confession to one of the holiest men that I have ever met, Fr. Clement Agamba at Our Lady of Fatima parish, before coming home. He is from Ghana, and has been a parish priest in Tucson for a few years. He has the most delightful smile on his face, that comes from this deep love he has for God. The grace that came through him from God to me during the sacrament was almost able to be touched, it was so real.

I have loved my wife through our challenging marriage and before, but I was never in love with her. I had never been in love with anybody, though I loved my kids, their mother, my parents, my dear wife etc. But, I was never in love. I loved God too, but I wasn't in love with Him either.

But, suddenly I was in love. The first person that I noticed I was in love with was my wife. I mean, I was ecstatically in love with her. I started to really notice how beautiful she is, how charming she is, how wonderful she is. This has built up over the last year. Now, I am over the moon in love with her. When I awake in the middle of the night I just want to hear her breathing. When I leave the house for some purpose, I can hardly wait to see her again.

When I had been going to daily mass in Tucson, there was an 80 or so year old couple Jimmy and Joanna who sat near me in church. At the sign of peace, Jimmy always calls Joanna "Deary" and looks with love into her eyes. That love of theirs was contagious. At the sign of peace, when my dear wife and I are in Church, I always touch her cheek, look into her eyes with all the love that I have, and kiss her lightly and lovingly. I call her my "dear" wife in this blog out of respect and reverence for her.

I also have fallen in love with our children and their loved ones, and our grandchildren. I love to hear their voices, and see their faces.

But, I have fallen most in love with the source of Love, the Holy Trinity. So, celebrating the birth of Jesus is now even more special to me than ever. Reba McEntire sang a song "Love isn't love" with the following chorus:

Love isn't love till you give it away
Love isn't love till it's free
The love in your heart
Wasn't put there to stay
Oh love isn't love till you give it away

That's what happened to us this year. We have been giving away our love. to each other of course, but to others. We started really getting Christmas in September, when we gave school bags filled with school supplies to poor kids, then gave quilts we made to the battered women's shelter, and place mats to Meals on Wheels.

But, specifically for Christmas, we gave shoe boxes to a charity that sends them to third world countries so children will receive a reminder of God's love for them on Christmas Day. Also, we bought food hampers for 2 families through our Church, and for a third family, we bought a food hamper and lots of presents for all of the family members. The other night my dear wife told me that the nicest night of love making we have had in some time, was the night we listened to Christmas carols, while we poured ourselves a drink, and then wrapped up the presents for the family we were helping out. By the way, there was no sex involved, but I agree with my darling. It was wonderful. The best Christmas gift we got this year, was that a family in need allowed us the privilege of getting the food and gifts for them in their humility.

So, I awoke this morning feeling so blessed, so loved by God, and so in love with God and my dear wife that I could almost burst. In my mind, I can picture the family we supported, and hope that they feel 1/10th as blessed by our support as I feel having had the privilege of sharing the abundance that God has given to us.

Thank you God for the gift of love that you sent to us, in Your Son Jesus Christ. Thank you Mother Mary for saying yes to the Father, and Thank you Jesus for coming into our hearts and lives.

May that gift of love that You gave us of yourself, burst forth from us all in this Christmas season, and throughout the year. I pray that that spirit of self giving love that you brought to us on the first Christmas Day will wash over all of us and our loved ones this day and every day of every year for the rest of our lives, until we come to join you in heaven. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the World.

Silent Night/Night of Silence

Liberty High School Sings this Beautiful Tandem of Christmas Songs

I just love the tandem of these two beautiful songs sung together, and fondly remember playing them when I was the keyboard player in our Church choir. The computer keyboard is kind of soggy as I marvel at the beauty of these two songs together.



Merry Christmas to you all.

Twas The Night Before Christmas - 2009 in the USA

US Health Care Dealing in Poetic Form

Lisa Fabrizio, a freelance columnist from Stamford Connecticut, was not surprised by the doling out of pre Christmas gifts from Harry Reid and the Dems, to get passage of the Health Care Reform Act in time for the President to celebrate Christmas or whatever it is that he celebrates on the 25th of December.

So, she penned this variation of the Night Before Christmas to celebrate (?) the gifts of pork that have occurred on this auspicious occasion. How come the turkeys are eating pork, you ask?

Twas the night before Christmas and at the White House;
Our Commander was sleeping, and so was his spouse.
They'd gone to bed early to ward off the blues;
In hopes that the new year would bring them good news.

Progressives were snuggled, asleep safe and warm;
While dreaming of government health care reform.
But I in my doldrums, and sleepless with fears;
Had just nodded off with a couple of beers.

When out of my TV there came such a clatter;
I put down my brewski to check out the natter.
Away to the boob tube I flew in a flash;
To watch a discussion of ill-gotten cash.

The smoke in the backroom was blowing quite thick;
And I thought that my poor mind was playing a trick;
When what to my sleep-deprived eyes should appear
But a panel of Democrats looking severe!

With a little old leader so ready to plead;
I knew in a moment it was Harry Reid.
More rapid than eagles his supplicants came
When he wined them and dined them and called them by name:
Now Sanders, Now Landrieu, Now Bill from Nebraska;
We'll give you the bridge that we scotched in Alaska!
To the chamber to vote;
Where we plan to play ball;
It's cash today, cash today, cash for you all!

As wobblers who'll alter their views so they'll jibe,
when they meet with a party that's eager to bribe;
So on went the plan to bewitch and bewilder
By paying the requisite pieces of silver.

And then in a twinkling, I heard in my room;
A voice that would fill any patriot with gloom.
As I peered through the darkness I saw with great dread
St. Hillary appear at the foot of my bed.

She was dressed in a trench coat, the collar up high;
And she wore a mischievous gleam in her eye.
A pair of dark glasses were perched on her head;
And she grinned as she pictured the glory ahead.

Her eyes — how they sparkled! Her manner — how airy!
As she thought of the treachery cooked up for Harry.
Her droll little mouth was stretched out in a smile;
And her angelic look gave no hint of her guile.
A tiny black book she held tight in her hand;
And she grinned like a bandit while hatching her plan.
She had a bright look and her cheeks grew so rosy
As she started to write down the deals of Pelosi.

She noted with glee the attempted extortion;
The cash to vote cloture and fold on abortion.
With a wink of her eye in the midst of my dream;
I realized that she'd let me in on her scheme.

She hoped that the papers would swallow the bait;
That they'd never suspect came from mistress of State.
She merrily felt that Obama was toast;
As she faxed all the dirt to the Washington Post.

She sprang to her feet, from my room she went winging;
And my joy was so full that I felt just like singing!
And I heard her exclaim, as my eyes welled with tears,
"Happy Christmas Barack, I'll be back in three years"

Let There Be Peace on Earth

An A Capella Version

Wow!! Can these kids sing?

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Also, Bailey The Unknown Reindeer

H/t Blazing Cat Fur

Politically Correct Poetry for the CHRISTMAS Season

A politically correct Christmas poem ... sent by a friend

Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.

See the PC Police had taken away
The reason for Christmas -- no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About shepherds and wise men and angels and things.

It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say --
December 25th is just a "holiday."
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit,
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!

CDs from Madonna, an X Box, and I-Pod,
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanza
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.

As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word "Christmas" was nowhere to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penney's and Sears,
You won't hear the word "Christmas" -- it won't touch your ears.

Inclusive, sensitive, di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.
Now Daschle, now Darden, now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen,
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!

At the top of the Senate there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith,
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace.

The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded,
The Reason for the Season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate "winter break" under your "dream tree,"
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.

Choose your words carefully, choose what you say,
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ... not Happy Holiday!

-- Anonymous Author

Merry Christmas one and all.

H/T Joshua

The Lamp

David Warren

In his column of November 29, 2009, which was the first Sunday of Advent, David Warren had these words of wisdom. They can be found on his web site here, in a more original form.

Another year has passed, in the liturgical calendar, and it is again "Christian New Year." Let's begin by simply mentioning the fact that today, Sunday, is the first in Advent. And I mean: mentioning it, because it is politically incorrect.

Even so traditional an arbiter of public fashion as the White House now sends out greetings on Muslim occasions that are extremely pointed. To mark Eid, for instance, a devout spiritual message and special video were provided this year, containing a specifically Muslim declaration from President Obama, together with a reminder from his Cairo speech of how hard he is working to make sure Muslims everywhere are able to fulfil all their religious obligations.

By comparison, the Jewish Passover and Christian Easter were tossed off together with a generic statement emphasizing multiculturalism. "They are both occasions to think more deeply about the obligations we have to ourselves and the obligations we have to one another, no matter who we are, where we come from, or what faith we practice." Like I say: a toss-off.

Now, Jews still outnumber Muslims in the U.S., and Christians outnumber both by an extremely wide margin. Indeed, among Arab immigrants in the U.S. alone, there are probably still more Christians than Muslims. (Precise figures are not collected by the U.S. census; only estimates can be obtained.) Moreover, explicitly Christian greetings from the White House were a commonplace through previous centuries of the American experience, when it was understood that the U.S., like Canada, was a "basically Christian" country. Our people still are, our governments aren't.

Up here in Canada, even more explicit Christian greetings were a commonplace until little more than a generation ago. Our prime minister plays his "ethnic cards" much closer to his chest and, for the most part, leaves individual members of his government to deliver the well-wishing to their respective denominational constituencies. The same politically correct syndrome is at work, however, known to everyone in the public replacement of greetings like the traditional "Merry Christmas" with the sterile and therefore slightly offensive "Season's Greetings." In both countries, self-appointed legal vigilantes from "civil liberties" lobbies are constantly at work, identifying and challenging any public display of Christian religious identity. On the other hand, organizations like CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), which has an Ottawa office, busy themselves with similar interventions to ensure that Muslim identities are strongly asserted.

Without question, I will receive complaints from one or another of these vigilantes for simply spelling out what everyone knows to be true. I will be told, at least in e-mail, that, in effect, any pro-Christian assertion, or even a defence of existing Christian interests, is by definition a manifestation of bigotry. There will be supplementary anti-Christian and, invariably, anti-Catholic diatribes, too. I am used to this.

In the name of a redefined "tolerance" -- a virtue itself originally inferred from the explicitly Christian injunction to "judge not that ye be not judged" -- a campaign of progressive intolerance towards the Christian majority has become a feature of contemporary public life, throughout the "Western" -- i.e., originally Christian -- world. The bureaucracies of the European Union, too, have gone to tireless lengths to strip visible Christian symbolism out of public life across Europe, on the same grounds: that toleration today demands "zero tolerance." Not merely the anti-Christian tone, but the malicious inversion of the meaning of the word "tolerance" would have shocked our native-born ancestors only two generations ago. Many alive today are simply befuddled by the scale of this revolution in public life, and of the general inversion of societal values they have witnessed within their own lifetimes.

Elsewhere in the world, in many countries where they are minorities instead of majorities, Christians are actively persecuted. From what I can learn, this is the case in most countries where Christians are a minority. It is not as if our Western "secularization" were a response to some planetary trend, to soften public expressions of religious sentiment, for the sake of peace and quiet. To the contrary, especially in the Islamic world, but even in predominantly Hindu India, state sponsorship of religious identity has been dramatically increasing.

Against this background, it is incumbent upon Christians, everywhere, and as ever, to ignore intimidation. As the old parable goes, do not hide your lamp under a basket, but use it to cast light all around. Do not hesitate to make an example of yourself, or if need be, to be made an example of.

So let me return to where I began, with the beginning of Advent, the new liturgical year. It is a time of renewal, even if it is called that in pulpit clichés; a time to consider whether one is going to live next year, the way one lived last year. An appropriate moment to make resolutions and intentions; a hinging moment, to be sealed with prayers.

To my fellow Christians, and indeed to my fellow religious of all faiths and all sincere and humble callings: Let us not be intimidated by the tyrants of this world!

David Warren

© Ottawa Citizen

Good on you David Warren.

H/t Joshua

So What About The Atheists?

FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY

This story is posted over at Life In The Spirit as well:

In Florida , an atheist created a case against Easter and Passover Holy days.

He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians and Jews and observances of their holy days. The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days.

The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring,"Case dismissed!"

The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying: "Your honor, How can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays.."

The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant."

The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists."

The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that, if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned.."

You gotta love a Judge who knows his scripture!

h/t Joshua

Last Minute Thoughts for Christmas

Sounds and Smells and More, Much More

In a few minutes I will head out to pick up the turkey, and a prime rib roast for Boxing Day, and then after we tidy up a bit, we will prepare some of the foods we will eat over the next two days with family, the squash, rosemary mashed potatoes, . . . and the Christmas Pudding. Can't forget that, . . . with caramel sauce.

This evening, we will travel over to Strathroy, Ontario about 25 minutes away, and take my wife's mother to mass at her Church. The new quilted stockings we made will be hung tonight for our adult children, when they arrive.

We will play Christmas music on the stereo, as we have done many days lately, and maybe even watch a Christmas movie on the TV, if there is time.

But above all, we will be thinking of the Reason for the Season, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, whose birth we are celebrating.

As we join with our children, and their loved ones, and my mother in law, and then my sister and her family, we will be with those we hold most dear on this earth, sharing the love that comes to us from the source of all love, Our God.

So, at this time, I want to wish all of you who drop in to my blog a very Merry Christmas. I hope that you will be with friends and family for Christmas, and this will be the most wonderful Christmas of all.

Merry Christmas to All. May God Bless You and Your Family.