Echoing Angels

I love Christmas!  I love the time with my friends and my family.  I love the decorating and the lights.  I love finding the best gift and the giving of it.  I love the singing and listening to the music.

I love it when I find a new Christmas song, one I haven’t heard before or one that has a message that I haven’t taken in before.  I have a hard time giving up my Christmas songs once Christmas day is over, I don’t really want to listen to my ‘other’ time music, I love my Christmas time music. Kenny and Dolly, the Carpenters, Elvis and Mr Buble…there is more of course, I love Christmas music!

I found a new song this Christmas by a singer whom I have appreciated for ‘other’ time music.  Rob Thomas wrote this song for a time when his world had been facing a battle, war really.  It was written for New York and it is called “A New York City Christmas”  Well, we all know the story of what happened in New York, not that long ago.  I found the message of this song entirely fitting for any city, any town, any streets where people walk.  Sometimes our streets are heavy with a sadness, we feel beaten and broken.  We all have stories filling our hearts and minds, stories of the things that have happened to us. Stories that affect ourselves but that also affect the people around us, who in turn take it to the streets of their towns, into their shops and businesses.  Some of the stories are sad, some of them are traumatic and are filled with pain and death.  I have learned that everyone has a story, that even though my heart  is heavy with my story , the person walking just behind me or just in front of me has a heaviness too.  The person who gets into the elevator with me, the one who walks the halls of the hospital going in the other direction from me, the one who is stopped at the red light alongside me, the one who is having coffee at the table across from me.

Sometimes we are beaten and broken just like some of the streets and sidewalks in our city.

In our beaten and broken state, we have this amazing line we can call on, His line is always open, and His angels are always close by.  An angel came to Mary and to Joseph.  An angel came to Elizabeth, to Peter and to Jacob, to Hagar…there are too many to mention, but be assured they come, sent by Him to us.  They come to offer courage, comfort, peace, strength and they come to confirm our faith in Him.

“So call on your angels,  
you’re beaten and broken, 
it’s time that we mended…
Let our mercy be the gifts we lay…
Celebrate each and every day
Yeah, I’m sending you  a merry New York Christmas 
and a prayer for peace on earth within our time.  
Hear the sidewalk angels echo Hallelujah.  
We understand them, now more than ever.  
Call on your angels, come down to the city, let’s crowd around the big tree, 
all you strangers who know me, 
bring your compassion, 
bring your forgiveness, 
Lord, how we need it 
on this New York City Christmas”

These are some of the words, put in the name of your town, your street and listen...

Do you hear the angels echo Hallelujah?

Mary did you know?

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know

that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?

This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?

Did you know

that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?

When you kiss your little Baby you've kissed the face of God?

The blind will see.

The deaf will hear.

The dead will live again.

The lame will leap.

The dumb will speak

the praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?

Did you know

that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?

The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great I Am.

So Beautiful!  Written by Mark Lowry along with Buddy Greene.  One of my favorite versions is sung by Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd.  Give yourself another Christmas present and listen to the power of the music and hear the words...

Merry Christmas...God bless us, everyone.

The Dancing Man

“The mountains and hills will burst into song before you and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”

Isaiah 55:12

“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace.”

One of the books I read to my girls when they were little was called 'The Dancing Man'  I loved that book, maybe more than they did. It is a story of a little boy who wants some joy in his life. He can see that the world around him is dancing, the trees sway and the clouds dance in the sky, but he didn't know that joy for himself, he wanted it, he waited for it. One day, an old man dances up to him and offers him a gift...

“I am the dancing man,” he said, “and I have a gift for you.”

The little boy takes the gift and soon he is dancing like the old man.  He shares his gift with others and soon they know his joy too.

This story is actually a parable, originating from South Africa.  It tells the story that life is a gift from God.

A gift from God, peace, joy and ...dancing.

Last night I went to my granddaughters dance recital, Hadley, who is three, soon to be turning four, so sweet.  The recital was absolutely beautiful, all the dancers, all the joy.  Of course, her performance was the sweetest, well, all the dancers were sweet and beautiful. This recital was an early Christmas gift, a gift of dancing, a gift of joy. 

Hadley loves to sing and dance and just twirl, she’s teaching it to her sister, Presley.  Such a joy to watch them dancing, sharing their little gifts with each other, with us...joy, laughter, dancing.  Both of them are a gift, gifts from God.  My other granddaughters, Riley and Gracie dance too, they also had their recital, but it was very far away, I know they are just as sweet, I've seen them practicing, twirling, just beautiful, more gifts from God.

God has a gift for all of us, it is wound up in Christmas, it is His Son, the reason we celebrate at this season.   His Son has a gift for us, it is His life, for us. 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life"

John 3:16

What an amazing gift, isn't it cause to burst into song and to clap our hands, to go out in joy ...dancing.

"I Am the Dancing Man," he said, "and I have a gift for you."

Pearls on a String

"Suddenly a great company of of the Heavenly Host appeared with the angel praising God and saying 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.' "

Unspeakable joy!

"When the angels had left them and gone into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.' "

This morning in church as another candle was lit, we celebrated the third advent, the advent of joy, unspeakable joy!

These last two years have been a time of heaviness for me, but in it all I have known joy. I know it's hard to believe but I have seen the grace of God, the glory of it, the joy of it...unspeakable joy. Even in Johns death, because of it, because of his stand and his courage, I have learned more, felt more, known more of God and as you may have noticed, I can not stop talking about it.

Years ago, in a bible study, we learned the word 'sumballo.' It is the practice of casting many things together, combining them as one, as if to string pearls on a string, treasures.

Treasures, gained and confirmed over these past 2 years, combined as one, my pearls, cast on a string...

God's Grace ~ love ~ faith and love that spring from hope ~ where my heart is ~ stored up for me in heaven ~ He is my treasure ~ spiritual wisdom and understanding ~ a life worthy ~ stacking memories like stones in the river ~ pleasing Him ~ growing in the knowledge of Him ~ being strengthened to have great endurance and patience and joyfully giving thanks ~ courage ~ strength ~ sharing in the inheritance ~ rooted and built up ~ overflowing with thankfulness ~ setting my mind on things above ~ being renewed in knowledge ~ clothing myself with compassion ~ kindness ~ humility ~ gentleness and patience ~ bearing with one another ~ showing grace ~ all in the name of Christ ~ being watchful ~ devoted to prayer ~ proclaiming the mystery of Christ ~ clearly ~ being wise ~ making the most of every opportunity ~ full of grace ~ seasoned with salt ~ His faithfulness ~ my faith ~ He has His trust in me ~ He is for me, who can be against me ~ He wants to do me a favor ~ His favor rests ~ rest in Him ~ joy ~ Joy ~ unspeakable joy.

From my treasure to ours, the reason for Christmas, Christ, our King...

"When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them."

Unspeakable joy!

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."

...like pearls on a string.

Like a Winter Snow

I have a special friend, though we are apart in age, some have said to me that we are cut from the same cloth, her and I. It could be we are, does God cut from cloth? Threads maybe, He weaves them together. The bible talks of threads often, in many ways, connecting to one another, braided together, knit together, woven, tied…God’s tapestries.

Well, my friend and I have many threads in common, her birthday is one day off from mine, her husband's birthday is one day off from my husband's. Her daughter was born in the same month as my daughter. My daughter, Dana, it was her birthday yesterday, so beautiful.

My daughter has been touched by my friend, it seems they are soul mates and I have been touched by her daughter, I was close by, the year she was born, she has always been sweet, like my daughter...they may be cut from the same cloth.

Connecting threads. Threads of the same colour, different tapestries, hers and mine. Both beautifully threaded with accomplishments and with disappointments. Both woven with joy and with loss. Both interwoven with faith, hope and love.

On Sunday morning my friend's daughter sang a song in church that touched me. It was beautiful. She sang it quiet, soft and slow.

This song, I’ve heard it before, I have the words written down, I know them. A song written by Audrey Assad, called ‘Winter Snow'. A beautiful song that sings the story of Christ coming to earth, to us. He could have come like a mighty storm, a hurricane but He didn’t, He came in like a winter snow. Quiet and soft and slow.

It reminds me of my husband, John. He was a man’s man, tough and strong. Sometimes his temper got the better of him, he wasn’t one to sit by quietly when something wasn’t going his way. Sometimes though, he was. Once, when his employee wasn’t responding very well at a job site, I asked him, why aren’t you saying something? He answered me, “ Bud, sometimes, you just have to eat it.” Just sit by. That comment surprised me. I took it in and I try to remember that message…just sit by.

This last ‘something’ that he went through,was definitely not going his way and his choice was to sit by quietly. He could have gone out like a hurricane, all mad but he didn’t. He left us in November, in a whisper, all quiet, like a winter snow.

“When you get close enough and quiet enough, He will whisper a secret to your heart and it will change your life. In that moment all your fears will be gone.”

Stormie Omartian

The Herdmans

I went to a play last night put on by Act Theater, many of the children from Arnold Church were involved in it. It was the first Christmas event I attended this year, well aside from the 1st Advent last sunday. The MC told us that the children had all done such a good job of learning their parts, in fact, they were so good we would all be fully taken in by it.

We were.

It was the best Christmas pageant ever! The play was based on a book by Barbara Robinson written in 1972, at that time the reviews said this book was bound to be a classic...it is.

The play was called "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" and as I said, it was, it was funny and so true. It tells the story of a family of kids, the Herdmans and how they were about to ruin the Church play, to make it the worst Christmas play ever! The Narrator, one of the main characters, said "The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world!"

The Herdmans, they were the lowest of the low, the poorest of the poor, dirty ruffians, who ended up learning about Jesus. They didn't ruin the church play, somehow they made the Christmas play better.

The Herdmans...kind of reminds me of the shepherds.

The shepherds, the lowest of the low, the poorest of the poor, that's what the people in those days thought. Dirty ruffians, who went looking for Jesus. They too make the Christmas story better.

John the Baptist was a ruffian, at least he was described as one, he dressed in clothes made of camel hair, he wandered in the desert, he ate locusts and wild honey, yet he prepared the way for Jesus, he said there is one coming after me who is better.

The Herdmans, the shepherds and John the Baptist, ruffians who learned about Jesus, who went looking for Him and who prepared the way for Him.

This sunday is the 2nd Advent a reminder for us to learn more about Jesus, to look for Him... to prepare for Him...

"And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6