"CHRISTMAS, THE JOYOUS SEASON!"

"FOR INTO US A CHILD IS BORN...UNTO US
A SON IS GIVEN. AND THE GOVERNMENT 
SHALL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER, AND HIS
NAME SHALL BE CALLED...WONDERFUL,
COUNSELLOR, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVER-
LASTING FATHER, THE PRINCE OF PEACE.
.......... ISAIAH 9: 6-7
**************************************
An historic, joyous, beautiful season of Hope,
Peace, Eternal Life....

The most meaningful, memorable, and happy
events for mortals on the Earth...stem from
the Bible stories of the birth of the Saviour.

God's great love for Man, and his unspeakable
Gift...means that Man is not left to wallow in
the Slough of Despond.

THE MUSIC OF OUR HEARTS...
********************************
"Joy to the world, the Lord is come,
Let earth receive her King..."

"Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King!"

"It came upon the midnight clear
That glorious song of old..."

"O Holy night, the stars are brightly
     shining...
It is the night of the dear Saviour's
     birth..."

"Thou didst leave Thy throne and 
     Thy kingly crown
When Thou camest to earth for ,me..."

"O, little town of Bethlehem
      how still we see thee lie...
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
      the silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
     the Everlasting Light...
The hopes and fears of all the years
      are met in thee, tonight."

THE FUN OF THE SEASON....
******************************

"Sleigh bells ring, are ya' list'nin?
In the lane, snow is glistnin'...
A beautiful sight, we're happy
      tonight,
Walkin' in a winter wonderland!"

"Chestnuts roasting on an open
      fire,
Jack Frost nipping at you nose...
Tiny tots, with their eyes all aglow..."

"Up on the housetop reindeer pause,
Out jumps good old Santa Claus!"

"Silver bells, silver bells, it's Christmas-
      Time in the city...
Ting-a-ling, hear them ring---soon it
      will be Christmas Day!"

And there will be toys galore, and there
will be no adults, for a day--all will be 
children once more!

Way back in the forties, Santa would bring;
    Tinkertoys, Lincoln Logs, Monopoly,
Chinese Checkers, Gene Autry cap pistols,
     Dolls, Jacks, Jump Ropes, Tarzan books,
Parchesi, marbles, footballs, baseball gloves,
     Old Maid, Authors, WWII model airplane
kits, Xacto knives, and "Dave Dawson In the
R.A.F." books...

If it snowed, there'd be snowmen, sleds would
come out of garages...there'd be snowball
fights...

FAMILY GOOD TIMES
***********************
To "Grandmother's House" many would go!
Whereever one was on Christmas Day, 
there'd be turkey and dressing, hams,
roasts, plum puddings, egg nog....

A Yule Log on the fire, the family circle,
and gifts for everyone...socks hanging 
there on the mantel...and way back in
the Forties... there were fireworks!

Also, in the Forties, in simpler times...
TV hadn't singing one of the most 
popular songs of all time:

"I'm dreaming of a White Christmas...
Just like the ones I used to know,
Where the tree tops glisten, and
children listen...to hear
Sleigh bells in the snow...."

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES...
********************************

Folks nowadays, attend church services,
usually early on Christmas Eve, to hear
the joyous songs and the Bible verses
read, once again...for after all...

The real meaning of CHRISTMAS, IS
NOT COMMERCIAL...NOT BLACK
FRIDAY, NOT GIVING AND GETTING...
IT IS THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF...
          JESUS!

Sit a moment in the service with me...
The choir is wining a quiet piece:

"Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming,
    from tender stem hath sprung..."

Listen: "For unto you is born this
day, in the city of David...a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord!". Luke 2:11

Let's sing: "O come, all ye faithful,
     joyful and triumphant...
O come ye, o come ye, to 
      Bethlehem..."

*****BY MIL******
12/08/14