113 | In the Fullness of Time
Using an illustration from a Christmas journey many years back, Wayne Johnston explains what it means when the Apostle Paul writes that Jesus came in the ‘fullness of time.’
All posts tagged: Christmas
111 | A Word for 2024 by Wayne Johnston
Wayne Johnston shares a word for 2024. As the darkness covers the earth, like the wise men, we need to focus on the light.
St. Francis of Assisi constructed Europe’s first Nativity scene in 1223 AD
Though Nativity scenes are popular today as a way of displaying our faith during the Christmas season, the first one didn’t actually show up in Europe until the 13th century, Abigail Robertson writes in her article for CBN. Museum of the Bible curator Jeffery Kloha explained in his interview with Abigail, that St. Francis of Assisi set up Europe’s first Nativity scene at his church outside Greccio, Italy in 1223 AD. St. Francis had visited Bethlehem and was inspired by the Nativity scene set up at the site, thought to be the birthplace of Christ. The famous monk went all out, and Europe’s first nativity was actually what is described today as a ‘living’ scene. It had real actors, and live animals, as part of its replication of the manger scene. Because, it included hay, the locals traveling to the service often tied up their animals at the Nativity, adding to the realism. The site of Europe’s first Nativity display remains special to this day and is regularly visited by Popes during the Christmas season.
The story behind Handel’s ‘Messiah’
CBN recently had an interesting story on the development of Handel’s Christmas masterpiece, Messiah, composed in 1741 that included the infamous Hallelujah chorus. The words were written by Charles Jennens who had gathered together several scriptures, including many from the Old Testament (about 60% of the composition), that spoke of the coming Messiah. Jennens, a committed Christian, had written it to counter deism that was growing in popularity at that time. Though Deism acknowledges a God who created the universe, it does not believe this God is personally involved in the affairs of humans and certainly did not believe Jesus was divine. When he handed these words to George Frideric Handel, a German composer living in London, Jenner hoped Handel would create a masterpiece that would counter this growing movement. Many believe that the great German composer was in a slump, because opera, which was Handel’s specialty, was becoming less popular. But Mark Martin explains what happened next: “It’s said that Handel never left his house during those three weeks, and a friend who visited …
Does a Lunar Eclipse provide a clue on what year Jesus was born?
There is an interesting article on the Bible Archaeology Society website where several scholars and physicists wrote letters to the editor debating the various issues surrounding the year that Jesus Christ was born. Historically, Christ’s birth was defined by the change of eras from BC to AD. AD referred to the Latin phrase ‘Anno Domini’, which translated means ‘Year of the Lord’ and BC stood for ‘Before Christ’.āThese two terms have since been changed to remove the religious connotation to CE which stands for Common Era and BCE which stands for Before Common Era. When we study the issue of what year Christ was born, it is best answered with well, we are pretty sure the Lord wasn’t born at the turn of the era, from BC to AD.āIn other words, Jesus wasn’t born in the first year of what became known as the AD era. If that is the case, when was Christ born? We know from both Luke 1:5 and Matthew 2:1 that Herod the Great, who was half-Jew, was still alive and …
Life-sized figures of a Nativity scene at a German Christmas market beheaded
According to a report by the German newspaper, Bild, a life-sized Nativity scene that was part of a Christmas market near the town hall in RĆ¼sselsheim, Germany was heavily vandalized sometime in the early morning of Monday, Dec. 17, 2023. The Nativity scene was part of the display of an Evangelical church located at the market. All the figures portraying Joseph, Mary, the three Wise men, and even the donkey were beheaded. Some had their hands broken off, and two of the figures including Joseph had also been knocked over. The manger had also been destroyed. According to the report, the Nativity scene looked like a battlefield and the figure of Jesus in the manger, which was initially reported as missing, was later found beneath the rubble. Police are looking into the vandalism and are treating it as a potential religion-motivated hate crime. This is not the first time, that the nativity scene has been vandalized. It had also been attacked in 2021 and 2022. Before 2021, there had not been a single act of …
110 | The Magi: When God plundered hell
When it comes to the Christmas story, many have wondered who exactly were the Magi, that came to Bethlehem looking for the newborn king of the Jews?
Over 100 military personnel make a commitment to Christ at church Christmas musical
A Baptist Church in Lawton, Oklahoma recently announced that 116 American soldiers made professions for Christ at a recent Christmas program, CBN reports. The First Baptist Church puts on a musical each year entitled “The Journey of Christmas” that draws thousands of people to the show which typically runs multiple nights. The musical which features 30 actors, 50 singers, and a 39-foot Christmas tree tells the story of Michael who plans to go on vacation over Christmas. His failure to make the trip results in him gaining a new perspective on the true meaning of Christmas. Last year, over 4,000 people attended the musical that ran one weekend. The church hopes to see over 5,000 people attend this year’s program, which is scheduled to be performed over two consecutive weekends. Over 700 military personnel from the nearby Fort Sill ArmyĀ base attended this year’s program. Fort Sill Army base has a population of approximately 53,000 military personnel and their families and provides artillery training for several branches of the US military.
The US Capitol Hill Christmas tree, finally allowed to have religious decorations
According to a news release issued by the Christmas Defense Coalition (CDC), ornaments with a religious theme will finally be allowed on the Christmas Tree put up in the Capitol Hill Building in Washington, DC. Over the past several years, people were allowed to submit ornaments to be displayed on the Christmas tree, but according to the government’s guidelines, “Decorations cannot include religious symbols.” This meant that the decorations displaying the ‘Reason for the Season’ such as Nativity Scenes, the star of Bethlehem, and images of Jesus even as an infant were banned. CDC, which has been actively campaigning over the past several years to have this restriction removed, announced that it is no longer part of the 2023 guidelines for ornament submissions: Click to access 230329_MakeAnOrnament-Flyer.pdf The ‘People’s House,’ as the US Capitol Building is so rightly called, must be a place where all Americans should be afforded the right to come and peacefully celebrate and express their First Amendment Rights, said CDC Director Rev. Patrick Mahoney. “That is why we are thankful the …
Canada: Where the attacks on Christmas continue
I don’t know what is going on in Canada, but the Blacklock’s Reporter provides a brief overview of the government’s latest attack on Christmas: “Christmas is discriminatory, says a Canadian Human Rights Commission report. Observance of Jesusā birth is āan obvious exampleā of religious bias rooted in colonialism, wrote the Commission: ‘No one is free until we are all free.‘” READ (Behind Paywall): Call Christmas Colonial Bias
Are the attacks on Christmas starting already?
It is not even the middle of November, and already the attacks on Christmas have started. Fox News reports that an email allegedly sent from the deputy administrator for the city of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin is restricting what Christmas decorations city employees can put up this festive season. According to the email, this is being done so not to offend people. The email particularly restricted the use of religious decorations and the colors red and green. But so not to be the total Grinch that tried to steal Christmas, certain exceptions were allowed for decorations. Fox News explains: With the reminder, the email asks departments to refrain from using “religious decorations” or “those solelyĀ associated with ChristmasĀ (such as red and green colors)” when decorating public spaces within city buildings. Some neutral, inclusive decorations suggested include snowflakes, snow people,Ā festive lighting,Ā greenery and incorporation of colors like blue, green and purple. Fox News adds that several city employees sent a copy of the alleged email from Deputy City Administrator Melissa Cantarero Weiss to Wisconsin Right Now which then released its …
Documentary suggests that the Star of Bethlehem was a conjunction of Venus and Jupiter
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2Ā and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’ā (Matthew 2:1-2 NIV) In a new documentary, God of Heaven and Earth, Edify Films’ producer Elliott Wallach makes the case that the Star of Bethlehem that guided the Magi to visit Jesus was a conjunction of two planets, Venus and Jupiter, Christian Headlines reports. According to Wallach, it would have produced the brightest light that anyone living in Judea would have ever seen when it stopped over Bethlehem. Further, if this is true, then that event would have likely occurred on Dec. 25, 2 BC. This means Jesus was probably born a few years earlier. The documentary also looked at the earthquake mentioned in Matthew 27: 51, 54 associated with Christ’s crucifixion. The filmmaker noted that this would put the date of the crucifixion at 32 AD. …
Have a ‘Merry Winter Closure Period’
Maybe it is jut me, but our schools of higher learning seem to be getting dumber every day. According to an article in the Daily Mail, the University of Brighton, based in Brighton England, recently sent out a nine-page memo to its staff telling them what words they can and cannot use. It was referred to as an inclusive language document. Top of the list was their instruction not to say Christmas this season, because it is too ‘Christian-centric, instead, they were told to use the phrase ‘Winter closure period.’ So instead of saying Merry Christmas, the staff are apparently urged to say have a “Merry Winter Closure Period”. Brighton insists this is just guidance for its employees, as it hasn’t officially banned the word Christmas on its campuses Well, I have news for the University of Brighton, Christmas is a Christian celebration, and unless it’s also planning to change the name of Ramadam because it is too Muslim-centric, then this is just another example of anti-Christian bigotry and exclusion. READ: Brighton University urges staff …
The real Saint Nicholas
While our modern Santa Claus has taken on god-like qualities in our modern culture, the story of jolly ole Saint Nick finds its roots in a real man, Saint Nicholas, who served as the Bishop of Myra located in modern Turkey. The city of Myra, located on the Mediterranean, is briefly mentioned in Acts 27:5, as Paul, now a prisoner, was being transported to Rome by a centurion According to ancient tradition, Nicholas (270 AD – Dec 6, 343 AD) was born in the city of Patara, also located on the Mediterranean Sea. It was a city, that the Apostle Paul visited while on his journey to Jerusalem (Acts 21:1-2). Nicholas came from a very wealthy Christian family and for the first half of his life, he lived during some of the most horrific times of Roman persecution, under the emperor Diocletian (284 – 305). During this period, Roman soldiers were going door to door searching for copies of scripture. It was this persecution that spurred the early believers to canonize the Bible, as they …
Tim Allen says his new Santa series will emphasize a religious aspect of Christmas
In a recent interview with The Wrap, Hollywood actor Tim Allen, 69, who will be starring in Disney Plus’s The Santa Clauses, says the six-part series will be focusing on the religious aspects of Christmas. Allen stated the original script was emphasizing otherworldly things such as ghosts and goblins, but after Allen’s insistence has since decided it will focus on the real St. Nicholas, who was the historic figure on which modern Santa Claus is based. “I said no, this is Christ-mas. It’s Christ-mas. It literally is a religious holiday,” Allen said in the interview. “We don’t have to blow trumpets, but I do want you to acknowledge it. That’s what this is about. If you want to get into Santa Claus, you’re gonna have to go back to history, and it’s all about religion.” That part of the story will not be developed until the final two shows of the series. St Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra (270 AD to 340 AD), who became famous for the miracles attributed to his prayers and …
Ukrainians urged to celebrate Christmas on Dec 25
We are living in interesting times, and it may even impact when members of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine celebrate Christmas, Premier Christian News reports. During a church synod held in October, the leaders of Ukraine’s Orthodox Church encouraged its members to celebrate Christmas on December 25 this year, instead of January 7th as it has traditionally done. The group has approximately 7,000 churches in Ukraine. For centuries, Ukraine’s orthodox church was under the auspices of the Russian Orthodox Church. However, in 2019 it broke free from the Russian Orthodox Church due largely to Russia’s seizure of Crimea in 2014. The differences between the two groups have only grown since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. In September, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, likened Russia’s invasion to a Holy War and said any Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine would be absolved of their sin. In an interview with Premier Christian News, Christian historian Martyn Whittock explained the decision to move the celebration of Christ’s birth to Dec 25: “Orthodox believers …
Have researchers discovered the tomb of St. Nicholas?
According to a Turkish news site, Demirƶren News Agency, researchers may have discovered the tomb of St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra while excavating the ruins of a third and fourth century church in Demure, Turkey, Breitbart reports. St. Nicholas, as his name suggests, is the man who inspired our modern Santa Claus. He was the Bishop of Myra prior to his death on December 6, 343 AD. The tomb is probably empty as the bones of St Nicholas were apparently transported to Bari, Italy in 1087 AD, and are now on display at the Basilica di San Nicola. Other bone fragments may have also ended up San NicolĆ² al Lido in Venice. Nevertheless, researchers believe the newly discovered basilica may still contain other relics associated with the infamous Bishop. Though little is known about St. Nickolas’ life, historical documents reveal that 250 years after his death people were making pilgrimages to his tomb in Bari revealing his growing fame. So how did his life pave the way for our modern Santa Claus? Breitbart provides …
Hundreds lift their cellphones, signifying they received Christ during church’s Christmas programs
There were shocking responses to invitations to receive Christ during Champion Forest Baptist Church’s Christmas services this year. The Baptist Press reports that for five days, Dec 8 – Dec 12, 2021, the Houston church held its Christmas program, with one nightly from Wednesday through Friday and two on Saturday and also Sunday. It’s estimated that 30,000 people attended services during the five-day event. At the end of each program, the church’s senior pastor, Jarrett Stephens, gave a Gospel presentation, after which he invited those who believed in Jesus for their salvation to turn on their cell phones’ flashlight in the darkened auditorium. Everyone, including the congregation, was stunned by the responses as dozens of people held their cellphones high in the air at the end of each service, flooding the auditorium with light. Photographs taken over the five-day event revealed that 1,114 people had made a decision to believe in Jesus. Calling the response unprecedented, Stephens told the Baptist Press: āGod is moving, and to Him be the glory. It is all about Him. …
Find someone who thinks differently than you, and demand an explanation!
We canāt blame a virus for our behaviour, but my impression is that our global health crisis has generated a lot of arrogance. COVID taught us some things that are not good. We are getting skilled at dividing and rejecting. Have you noticed that some people are correct and approved, and others rejected because they donāt think like the official majority? I have read news articles about āthose people’ who are usually on the wrong side of an argument, like vaccination or some political division. The official position seems to be, if we find someone who thinks differently, we demand an explanation. We want to know how they could be so wrong when we told them how to think. Division and rejection seem to be our new path to the truth. If you donāt agree with me, donāt lose your temper. That would just prove my point. We should all know, that a disagreement about an idea can easily become a rejection of people. READ: Mass protests and mayhem continue into a sixth night; thousands …
Was Jesus born in a cave?
Many might be surprised by the notion that Jesus was born in a cave, but essentially that is the claim being made by the Church of the Nativity, located in Bethlehem, that is built over the site of where it believes Mary gave birth to Jesus. The Lord’s actual birthplace was in a cave located below the church’s main altar, that can be accessed by two staircases on either side. In fact, the grotto where it claims Jesus was born is part of a larger network of caves that can be accessed from neighbouring buildings, but is now blocked by gates. But not everyone agrees that Christ was born in a cave. One common argument against it, is that Luke, who provided the most extensive narrative of the events surrounding Christ’s birth (Luke 2:1-21), does not mention a cave. Why didn’t he do this? It’s argued that Luke would have mentioned the cave if it was unusual. What was unusual to Luke, is that because there was no room in the inn, Joseph and Mary …
Low Temperature Religion: Is a Muslim Christmas possible?
There are stories this Christmas of Muslims putting up Christmas trees and putting gifts under them. I have read at least two of these stories in the news. The Muslims, in the stories, are immigrants living in places where most people celebrate Christmas. This seems strange; the holiday is Christ-mass, the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Until now, Muslims never celebrated Christmas; they had their own special events on the calendar. From the descriptions, it looks like some Muslims chose to celebrate a cultural Christmas, with a decorated tree and presents, and maybe some thoughts about a jolly fat man coming down the chimney. There were probably no herald angels on the tops of the trees, and probably no manger scene with a baby Jesus. They were having fun, and enjoying the season. Itās easy for me to understand, and smile, and I am sure some strict conservative Muslims do not approve. These events happened in places where Muslims were immigrants, and a minority in the population. READ: I’m Muslim and didn’t celebrate Christmas …
Seven modern misconceptions about the original Christmas story
When we listen to Christmas carols and read our Christmas cards, we sometimes get the wrong impression about what really took place on the day Jesus was born. The following are seven modern misconceptions about the events surrounding the birth of Christ. None of these take away from the miracle that took place that day. 1. Jesus was not born on December 25th Look there is nothing wrong with celebrating the birth of Christ on December 25. As we read the Biblical account, the Lord’s birth was obviously a significant event and was very much celebrated. But it did not take place on December 25th. The fact that shepherds were in their fields when Jesus was born, suggests that Christ was probably born during spring lambing. So how did we end up with Dec. 25? Well, that was the result of the compounding of an earlier mistake. One of the first festivals initiated by the Roman Catholic Church was the Assumption of Mary, that celebrated her conception by the Holy Spirit. They set that date …
Did Balaam prophesy about the Star of Bethlehem?
Balaam was an interesting Old Testament character. He was some type of diviner, perhaps soothsayer or sorcerer, whom King Balak of Moab hired to curse Israel before an upcoming battle. During the several prophecies that Balaam delivered, there was one that many believe referred to the star that showed up announcing Christ’s birth. Now obviously Balaam had a reputation as a seer, for Balak to be willing to purchase his services. And Balaam’s international fame was confirmed by Dutch archaeologists who found a text written about Balaam on a plastered wall dated to around 1200 BC in the ancient town of Deir Alla located in Jordan. The text was actually written by the Canaanites and spoke Balaam, son of Beor three times in the first four lines, exactly as the Bible describes him (Numbers 22:5). In this inscription, Balaam is referred to as a seer of the gods indicating he was well known and revered among the gentiles. The text also provides several of Balaam’s curses that suggests this was his specialty and apparently, these …
Have a Glutton Free Christmas
What if Christmas wasnāt just an excuse for gluttony? In Canada and the United States, we celebrate through over-indulgence. Anniversaries, weddings, holidays, and birthdays are celebrated with cakes, suppers, alcohol, gifts, and parties. I love to celebrate so this is not an attack on celebrations. But I wonder what it would be like if we celebrated differently. What if instead of feasting and self-absorption we lowered our party expectations and dimmed the noise just enough to hear and see something different this Christmas? This year, many of us are forced to celebrate at a different pace than in previous years. There are few office or work parties. Personally, we are not allowed to have our wonderfully large North Central Lighthouse Christmas lunch and giveaway this year. Things are very different. For many, this is depressing and has dampened their Christmas spirit. I understand this. I miss our Lighthouse Christmas gathering and the Christmas teas and other events of the season. But they are not the cake of Christmas. They are just the icing on the …
Modern Shepherds
Christmas is that bizarre time of the year when people who donāt have anything to do with Jesus suddenly start praising His name. Celebrity singers whose lifestyle and beliefs do not include any room for Jesus have wonderfully sincere sounding songs about the birth of Christ. I am not going to name who these are, but think about how they are, and the irony becomes clear. Singers who support things opposed to the word of God are calling us to come and worship baby Jesus. Maybe they find the baby less threatening than the grown-up Jesus, who confronted evil and certainly condemned much of what modern culture calls good.Ā No room in their hearts for Jesus, they relegate him to the back rooms of their lives, setting him up in the stables around back. Maybe someone needs to tell them that Jesus never stayed in the stable for long. That sweet baby in the feeding trough is God in the flesh with a purpose to bring peace and salvation through an intimate relationship with Him. …
The Vatican’s nightmare before Christmas
Roman Catholics around the world are outraged by the Nativity scene set up at the Vatican this year with people describing it as hideous, cold, satanic, disgusting, disturbing, demonic, repulsive, gross, creepy, sickening, disgraceful, a scene from Alien, ugly, nightmarish, an abomination and others suggested the Vatican’s choice perfectly sums up 2020 (I don’t think that was a complement.) LifeSiteNews, a Catholic news agency, provides the details of Pope Francis’ choice for this year: VATICAN CITY, December 11, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ā The Vatican nativity scene, unveiled during an evening ceremony today in St. Peterās Square, has been roundly ridiculed and scorned as a modernist insult to the Incarnation and the Holy Family. āThis year, more than ever, the staging of the traditional space dedicated to Christmas in St. Peterās Square is meant to be a sign of hope and trust for the whole world,ā a Vatican statement about the scene had promised earlier. […] āSo the Vatican presepe has been unveiled….turns out 2020 could get worse,ā tweeted art historian Elizabeth Lev. āIt has nothing uplifting …
ACLU loses court challenge over Indiana Nativity scene
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana (ACLU) has just lost a court battle to have a Nativity scene removed from the front lawn of the Fulton County Courthouse in Indiana.
A Christmas letter from the perpetually offended
I love how they pretend their concern is that someone else will be offended, when we know it is them who is offended. Kim Hunt, a front line nurse in St. Anthony, Minnesota, received an anonymous letter from a neighbour complaining about Hunt’s very modest set of Christmas lights on her home. And, according to reports, three other people in the neighbourhood received a similar letter.
The Grinch trying to steal ‘Merry Christmas’
AG Michigan Democrat Attorney General Dana Nessel recently when ballistic on Twitter criticizing people who say Merry Christmas. She added that her son was totally devastated when someone wished him a Merry Christmas. Reading the story, it looks like it was Nessel who was outraged, not the son. Nessel has since deleted the tweet.
Will the ‘star’ of Bethlehem appear on Dec. 21, 2020?
According to Matthew, a star appeared telling the Magi of the East that a new King of the Jews had been born (Matthew 2:1-2). After they arrived in Jerusalem, a star then led the group to Bethlehem where they were able to bring gifts and worship the newly born Jesus (Matthew 2:9-11). Some suggest, we may be witnessing the same celestial phenomena that the magi saw on Dec. 20-21, 2020, when the planet Jupiter will align in front of Saturn producing a significantly brighter light in the night sky.
The battle for the true meaning of Christmas continues
The American Nativity Scene (ANS) is an organization in the U.S. dedicated to having a nativity scene set up in every state legislature in America. The goal of ANS is to help keep Christ at the center of the Christmas season and it believes this is ultimately a fight for religious freedom. This year ANS announced that another four more states have agreed to displaying Nativity scenes on their legislative grounds bringing the total to 31. The new additions include: Idaho; Oklahoma; Nevada; West Virginia; and Possibly more will be added. Contrary, to what many people believe, it is not unconstitutional for a privately funded nativity scene to be set up on public property for the Christmas season. The Thomas More Society that provides free legal representation for ANS states that it is a first amendment religious freedom right and fundamentally an issue of Free Speech. In 2019, ANS reported that an additional eight capitols agreed to allow a Nativity scene bringing the total to 27, with 21 of the Nativity Scenes being provided by …
Will police be raiding homes over Christmas?
This is disturbing, but according to reports, police in Britain are warning that they will be invading people’s homes over Christmas if they are suspected of breaking the COVID rules. There are different rules across Britain depending on what lockdown tier is in place. Some areas, like the Midlands, don’t allow visits from people outside the immediate family. Other areas allow mixed groups to a maximum of six. The Daily Mail explains: Police chiefs have warned that Christmas family celebrations will be broken up by officers if they flout lockdown rules. David Jamieson, the West Midlands police and crime commissioner, said officers will investigate reports of rule-breaking over the festive period. The West Midlands are currently under Tier 2 restrictions, meaning people cannot mix with any other households or bubbles inside. READ: Police will enter homes and break up Christmas dinners if families break lockdown rules – and there will be riots, predicts police commissioner However, senior British police officers are also warning if governments force the police to do this, it could result in massive riots. The Blaze …
Did Your Family Impeach The President Over The Holidays?
I hope you had a break over Christmas, and a good one. Christians are told many times about the reason for the season; God came down do live with us, and to save us:
What is the division of Abijah and what does it have to do with Christ’s birth?
In the first chapter of Luke, before the story of Jesus’s conception by the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the record of John the Baptist’s miraculous birth. He was the son of Zacharias and Elizabeth. Zacharias was a priest and he andĀ is wife were unable to conceive. But that all changed when the Angel of the Lord appeared to Zacharias, who was working in the temple, saying his wife would have a child in their old age (Luke 1:12-13). And we know Elizabeth’s pregnancy is connected to Mary’s, because we are told around the six month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy that Mary conceived Jesus (Luke 1:24-27). But the passage provides a bit of information about Zachariah’s priestly service that may hint at what month Jesus was born: 5Ā In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth ….. 8Ā Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service …
āNow Thatās Worth Celebrating!ā
Now thatās worth celebrating! I remember those words being said on the very rare occasion I actually did something worth celebrating. I think one time was when I was managed to convince my wife to actually say I do and not run screaming back up the aisle! Of course the ten pounds of concrete I put in her shoes helped as well but I digress. Back in the day, whatever day you pick, letās say Saturday. Saturday December 12, 1986, the day Stella married me. I married her too but I wasnāt the pretty one! That day we celebrated! There was food, music, dancing, and fun. We celebrated other lifeās milestones and achievements. Whatever the reason, we always knew why we celebrated. Now I think the art of celebration is gone. We celebrate for the sake of celebration. We even celebrate Fridays! Or cheap wing nights! We donāt save it for significant milestones or events. Like the two greatest events of all time. Christmas and Easter are the birth and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. …
OpentheWord.org 