Now that the bloom is off the poinsettia

Song for the Day After Christmas
Terry S Taylor
Fa la la la Fa la la la
Here's a song, here's a gift for the day after Christmas
When the presents have been opened and your spirit has crashed
When all the colored lights are turned off and the yule log is an ember
and you've returned that crap to KMart and the tree is in the trash

You've got to hold on hold on to the season's inspiration
More than a sweet memory, more than yuletide cheer
He's the Son, He's the one, He's the wondrous incarnation
Makes each day a little holiday, makes holy each New Year
Fa la la la Fa la la la

Now the Christmas snow is melting and the mundane days they roll by
and the silent night's been silenced and the angel choir is gone
You'll still hear them singing if you will only listen
they sing every day it's Christmas, it's Christmas all year long

You've got to hold on hold on to the season's inspiration
More than a sweet memory, more than yuletide cheer
He's the Son, He's the one, He's the wondrous incarnation
Makes each day a little holiday, makes holy each New Year
Fa la la la Fa la la la

Baby Jesus is now boxed up and the wise men not so smart
All they can do is hibernate and dream there in the dark
of the countless trips to Bethlehem and one they'll make again
But most time they spend in boxes where the starlight can't get in

Here's a song, here's a gift for the day after Christmas
When the credit card's been maxed out and the bills are piling high
When the children are less grateful and the wife is tired and worried
Nat King Cole's worn out his welcome and you're fat on pumpkin pie

You've got to hold on hold on to the season's inspiration
More than a sweet memory, more than yuletide cheer
He's the Son, He's the one, He's the wondrous incarnation
Makes each day a little holiday, makes holy each New Year
Makes each day a little holiday, makes holy each New Year
Fa la la la Fa la la la

First Coming

I;ve been following Charlie Lowell's (Jars of Clay)blog of Advent Poetry lately. I saw this one on there a few days ago and since I've always been intrigued with Madeleine L'Engle, and the words here are really great, I thought I'd pass it along to the few who are here.

First Coming
by Madeleine L’Engle

He did not wait till the world was ready,
till men and nations were at peace.
He came when the Heavens were unsteady,
and prisoners cried out for release.

He did not wait for the perfect time.
He came when the need was deep and great.
He dined with sinners in all their grime,
turned water into wine. He did not wait

till hearts were pure. In joy he came
to a tarnished world of sin and doubt.
To a world like ours, of anguished shame
he came, and his Light would not go out.

He came to a world which did not mesh,
to heal its tangles, shield its scorn.
In the mystery of the Word made Flesh
the Maker of the stars was born.

We cannot wait till the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice,
for to share our grief, to touch our pain,
He came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!

Speech, Part 4

I saw William Young, the writer of The Shack on 100 Huntley Street last night. It made the story more meaningful and more understandable in terms of its controversial elements. He certainly came across as a person with the true meaning and depth of Christianity, and more importantly what it means to be a Christian, as a genuine concern for him.


But, that is not what this post is about.


I’ve noticed that there is no difference in the Christian community and the rest of our society with regard to things like gossip. I don’t know why gossip and gluttony are both ignored.
What is gossip? “Idle talk about the personal or private affairs of others.”
Most of the stuff we talk about are the private affairs of others. We’re spreading them for what reason? Most people gossip because we like to spread salacious dirt on others. It starts early in life. We tend to carry on. It is a struggle to not do the same. There is a definite line between gossip and passing on needed information.

A co-worker said once, “do you care about me enough to tell me to stop gossiping?”

We think we can say things because we have freedom of speech. Show me that phrase in the Bible, “freedom of speech!” We need to think the opposite. We need to think of the freedom to remain silent.

The truth in love is a terrific thought. We need to ensure we use both.

In our home, we've been really convicted over the past several months over watching shows on tv that bring criticism to our lips. Shows that make us judge others and their talents or ideas of fashion. There are so many designed today to make us shake our heads at the foibles and missteps of others that it makes me stop looking at myself and what I should be doing to make things better where I can actually make a difference.

Speech, Part 3

Matthew 10:19 “But when they deliver you up do not worry about what you should speak. For it will be given told you in that hour what you should speak: for it is not you who speak but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

1 Peter 2:1, 2 “Therefore laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”

Col 4:6 “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

Matt 12:35-37 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned.”

Ps 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”

Col 3:9 “do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with his deeds.”

1 John 3:18 “My little children let us not love in word or in tongue but in deed and in truth.”
... sometimes we only do love in words! Sickening to have people throw words at us, hoping they will stand alone. These words end up hurting more than helping because we know they are not true.

Speech, Part 3

1 Peter 2:1
“Lay aside all … evil speaking...”

Matthew 12:35-37 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
37 For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned.”

Notice the progression, and that it starts with what is inside. A good man, has good treasure, and therefore, good comes out of him. Conversely, an evil man has evil treasure in his heart and therefore, it is evil that comes from him.
Notice the message in these verses though, we see things in terms of evil and good and indifferent, or as we call it at times, amoral. God calls us to a higher calling then we ever imagine for ourselves. God knows that our conscience will get us for the blatant ones. The higher law, the greater expectation is here focusing on the flippant, wasted, thoughtless words we often throw out.

I’ve been challenged over the past several months with the verse, 2 Corinthians 10:5, “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” This has been very helpful as it is connected to words. A few people speak without thinking. That is a disease that I don’t know how to cure. Most of us have some filter at work that enables us to stop our mouth before the words come out. Whether we use this filter or not is another question. It is in capturing these thoughts that we can control our words.

Where are we losing out in our battle with words?
Telephone?
Internet?
The foyer?
With the people we love?
Behind someone’s back?
Lies?
Slander?

Speech, part 2

“People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought, which they avoid.” -Soren Kierkegaard

Everybody's Talking... Is Anyone Saying Anything?

Its obviously Christmas, everything is too busy. I took an intentional break from this blog for a while, because it really does take up too much of my time.

Here are a couple of vaguely related thoughts.



"Britney"

Britney, I'm sorry for the lies we told
We took you into our arms, then left you cold
Britney, I'm sorry for this cruel, cruel world
We sell the beauty but destroy the girl

Britney, I'm sorry for your broken heart
We stood aside and watched you fall apart
I'm sorry we told you fame would fill you up
And money moves the man, so drink the cup

(chorus)
I know loves goes around the world, we know
And you never see it coming back
But I can see it coming back for you
It's coming back for you

Britney, I'm sorry for the stones we throw
We tear you down just so we can watch the show
Britney, I'm sorry for the words we say
We point the finger as you fall from grace

Britney, I do believe that love has come
Here for the broken, here for the ones like us
-Bebo Norman

Matthew 10:19
“But when they deliver you up do not worry about what you should speak. For it will be given told you in that hour what you should speak: for it is not you who speak but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

Yummy...

There is nothing like half baked proroguies to turn your stomach.


Unless its coalition stew.