Brown's Daily Word 12-27-12

Merry Christmas, our Savior is born. I have posted some of my pictures from my recent trip to Australia on my Facebook page. It is almost mid-summer in Australia and New Zealand, so they celebrate Christmas in mid summer. When I spoke to the Australians and the New Zealanders about Christmas celebrations they shared with me that they prepare mega barbques for Christmas and go the beaches for surfing. Various summer flowers akin to those on the Indian sub-continent are in full bloom. They are also harvesting summer/tropical fruits. In quite a contrast to the balmy summer Christmas in Australia we are having a very snowy Christmas here in North East of the America the Beautiful. The Lord blanketed our region here in New York with almost a foot of snow. All is well. It is looking like a winter wonderland.

I am reflecting on the shepherds, who became the divine news channel for the announcement of the Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. The simple and sleepy shepherds, stunned by the songs of the heavenly host, forgot about their sheep and came in haste to Bethlehem. They were the first to behold the newborn king. Their lives were changed, challenged, and filled. It is written in Luke 2: “The shepherds returned to the fields, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard "

I love to see Christmas come because it is during this time of year that we see the human race more as God intended us to be. That is, at Christmas time, most of us are a little kinder…to family and friends, and even strangers. Most of us are a little more thoughtful, a little more generous, a little more considerate to others. The world is a happier place because most everyone is a bit kinder. 'There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,' returned the nephew. 'Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round - apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that - as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!' Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol".

The Spirit of Christmas peace and generosity is not supposed to be confined to one, or at the most twelve, days a year. The Lord gave the gift of Christmas to last whole year and whole life span on earth and beyond this world.

There is a story about an old man who was sitting in his house one day in January and he thought he head the voice of a little boy singing. The old man heard a knock on his door and he slowly got up and shuffled over to open that door. There was a little boy singing, HARK THE HERDALD ANGELS SING and the little boy sang the chorus with real gusto, GLORIA. The old man was not amused and he spoke gruffly, “Sonny, don’t you know that Christmas was four weeks ago? Today is January 25th and Christmas has been over for a month?” The little boy replied in his excited voice, “Yes, but I had the measles at Christmastime and then I got the small pox, and I just got out of the house. I wasn’t able to do any Christmas caroling this year, so here I am. HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING.

"A man is at his finest
towards the finish of the year;
He is almost what he should be
when the Christmas season is here;
Then he's thinking more of others
than he's thought the months before,
And the laughter of his children
is a joy worth toiling for.
He is less a selfish creature than
at any other time;
When the Christmas spirit rules him
he comes close to the sublime.

When it's Christmas man is bigger
and is better in his part;
He is keener for the service
that is prompted by the heart.
All the petty thoughts and narrow
seem to vanish for awhile
And the true reward he's seeking
is the glory of a smile.
Then for others he is toiling and
somehow it seems to me
That at Christmas he is almost
what God wanted him to be.

If I had to paint a picture of a man
I think I'd wait
Till he'd fought his selfish battles
and had put aside his hate.
I'd not catch him at his labors
when his thoughts are all of pelf,
On the long days and the dreary
when he's striving for himself.
I'd not take him when he's sneering,
when he's scornful or depressed,
But I'd look for him at Christmas
when he's shining at his best.

Man is ever in a struggle
and he's oft misunderstood;
There are days the worst that's in him
is the master of the good,
But at Christmas kindness rules him
and he puts himself aside
And his petty hates are vanquished
and his heart is opened wide.
Oh, I don't know how to say it,
but somehow it seems to me
That at Christmas man is almost
what God sent him here to be." Edgar Guest from" At Christmas"

Merry Christmas,

Brown

http://youtu.be/76RrdwElnTU