IT'S CHRISTMAS III

"To perceive Christmas through its wrappings becomes more difficult with every year." - E. B. White

Despite being mistakenly declared the winner of the 2015 Miss Universe contest, having the crown placed on her heard, and accepting the adulation of the crowd for almost four minutes, Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutierrez, had to give it all back. In arguably the most awkward moment in beauty contest history, the host, Steve Harvey, came on stage as Miss Colombia was about to begin her victory walk, to apologize to the audience for mistakenly announcing the wrong winner.

Not very many things in life, are as disappointing as being mistaken for someone, or something else altogether. Something far worse happened to Miss Colombia. She actually seemed to have achieved her dream, only to have it snatched

UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN

"He was created of a mother whom He created. He was carried by hands that He formed. He cried in the manger in wordless infancy. He, the Word, without whom all human eloquence is mute.” - Augustine

It's another December, twenty fifth. Another Christmas day. But like Benjamin Franklin said, “How many observe Christ’s birthday! How few, His precepts!” It's true that millions around the world celebrate today, many for the wrong reasons. How many really know and acknowledge the fact that He came to a world filled with pain, with a permanent cure. Or that He came to a world dark from the bondage of sin with His indescribable light to dispel forever the powers of darkness. He came to a world, and a people he made with a message of liberation.

SIFT THE GRAIN FROM THE CHAFF

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." - Norman Vincent Peale

Christmas is an annual celebration commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, it is observed most commonly on December 25th yearly, as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people today. While the birth year of Jesus is estimated amongst many scholars to be between the 7th and 2nd BC, the exact date of his birth is unknown, and this controversy is the focus for many antagonists, but for the Church, that's not important.
Very many people today have succeeded in misinterpreting and misrepresenting the whole idea of Christmas, which is to celebrate the gift of redemption for mankind. Many have replaced it with unwholesome and destructive ideas. We should realize that, the presence of an inferior is a proof that there is a superior. The chaff is the inferior, the grain is the superior. The grain is the gift of salvation through Christ. Whether we chose to debate the date of Christ's birth or celebrate the work of salvation, the fact cannot be broken, Christ was born to redeem us, and He's alive today. For Christians this is the reason we're bold to declare our deliverance from the devil's bondage and pledge our allegiance to our Lord.

THE GIFT OF A DREAM (33); DON’T IGNORE THE SIGNS!!!

Signs

ONE of the greatest inventions of modern societies is the road traffic codes and signs. Imagine for a moment how tedious and totally unsafe driving would be without traffic lights and road signs telling us to slow down at bends, make turns, keep straight ahead, and sometimes stop for a moment before moving again. Statistics show that the violation of road signs is the number one cause of accidents especially over speeding.

After James finally learnt how to ride a bike, he enjoyed the thrill of acceleration and the rush of adrenalin in his system, he loved feeling the breeze blow across his face as he rode his bike everyday in the woods, and he enjoyed navigating corners at stop speed.

THE GIFT OF A DREAM (30); THE CHRISTMAS DREAM

Jesus

As we celebrate yet another Christmas and I consider all the paraphernalia that accompanies the season, the merriment, carols, hampers, exchange of gifts, reunion of friends and families huddled together over meals and much laughter, it is easy to lose sight that the entire Christmas package was a dream in the mind of the Almighty God, a plan hatched from before the world’s foundations to save man from sin and deliver the gift of salvation.

This is how Brain L. Habor puts it in His Ministers Manual of 1993. When Pope Julius I authorized December 25 to be celebrated as the birthday of Jesus in A.D. 353, who would have ever thought that it would become what it is today. When Professor Charles Follen lit candles on the first Christmas tree in America in 1832, who would have ever thought that the decorations would become as elaborate as they are today. It is a long time since 1832, longer still from 353,

THE GIFT OF A DREAM (29); LIBERATION IS HERE

"I am leaving this legacy to all of you...to bring peace, justice, equality, love and a fulfillment of what our lives should be. Without vision, the people will perish, and without courage and inspiration, dreams will die - the dream of freedom and peace." - Rosa Parks
 

Rosa Parks

On Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white passenger in Montgomery, Ala., thus launching the modern-day civil-rights movement. Much of the media described her as a tired seamstress, no troublemaker. Rosa Parks was no tired seamstress. As she said of that brave action she took, “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” But the media got it wrong. Rosa Parks was a first-class troublemaker. She was raised to believe that she had a right to be respected, and to demand that respect. Jim Crow laws were entrenched then, and segregation was violently enforced. Rosa was riding on a city bus Dec. 1, 1955, when a white man demanded her seat. Parks refused, despite rules requiring blacks to yield their seats to whites. Two black Montgomery women had been arrested earlier that year on the same charge, but Parks wasn't perturbed-she had a dream.

What was all this trouble for? Some might ask. The truth is Rosa Parks, didn't care what hardship her stand would cause her; topmost on her mind was LIBERATION for the blacks.

Beloved, the same way over 2000 years ago, a saviour who is Christ the Lord, was born, to go through the trouble of seeing all men LIBERATED, from the law of sin and death - from the bonds of the devil. He wasn't perturbed by the pain, why? He had a dream. As we celebrate today, let's take advantage of the liberation Jesus Christ has made available for us all, by His birth, death and resurrection. Happy Christmas!

THE GIFT OF FAMILY (39): FAMILY TIME BENEFITS

"Of all our social institutions, the family is perhaps the one with which we are most familiar. As we proceed through our lives, our experiences within the family give rise to some of our strongest and most intense feelings. Within the family context lies a paradox, however: although most of us hope for love and support within the family -- a haven in a heartless world, so to speak -- the family can also be a place of violence and abuse." - Marylin Poole

Tis the season to gather those you love and soak up the quality time together. We should do this all year round - even research shows that spending time with loved ones is good for health. The benefits are numerous. From decreasing loneliness to thrashing stress levels, from helping with quitting "bad" habits to making a difference in healthy eating habits. Find out some reasons why it's healthy to spend time with people you love.

1. Creating a stronger emotional bond between parents and children.

2. Allows for better communication between family members.

3. Promotes superior performances in school, as children who spend time communicating with their parents tend to get better grades.

4. These children are less likely to exhibit behavioural problems, since kids with parents who spend quality family time together typically have fewer problem behaviours.