Christmas
is not just a day, an event to be observed and speedily forgotten. It
is a spirit which should permeate every part of our lives.
-
William Parks
~*~*~*~
I Was Not His Father, He Was Mine
Joseph - I Was Not His Father, He Was Mine - YouTube
He
was working late one evening
With
the wood he knew so well
When
she thought
she
recognized him
Though
at first,
She
couldn't tell
As
she humbly begged his pardon
A
strange sadness swelled inside
When
she asked,
"Aren't
you the father
Of
that man they crucified?"
Then
the carpenter repeated
What
he's said so many times
He
said, "I was
not His father,
He
was mine."
Then
he humbly went on working
With
his
worn
and
calloused
hands
Though
she did not ask
more
questions
He
knew she didn't understand.
So
he asked if she would help him
He
saw her answer
in
a glance
And
She
did the chores
he
asked her
And
She
was grateful for the chance
Then
they talked for hours of Jesus
And
how he knew He was divine
He
said "I was not His father,
He
was mine.
How
could one
So
foolish and so flawed
Ever
hope to raise
the
Son of God?"
Then
he spoke
of
the misgivings
He
had had
a
thousand times
Now
Jesus found
the
tender moments
To
let him know
He
had done just fine
Then
the carpenter recited
The
greatest truths
he'd
ever learned
And
testified
they
came from
Jesus
And
then her heart
within
her burned
Then
They
embraced as she departed,
Joseph
told her one more time,
"Tell
them I was not His father
Tell
them He was mine
No,
I was not His father,
He
was
mine."
~*~*~*~
Recipe
Fuzzy
White Navel
2 to 4 large oranges*
2 cups vanilla ice cream
½ cup chopped fresh or canned peaches
4 ice cubes
Fresh
mint
To make orange shells, slice off about ¼¼ of each orange at the blossom end. With a spoon, scoop out pulp and juice; save. Scrape shells clean; chill.
In blender, combine pulp and juice of two oranges, ice cream, peaches and ice cubes; blend until smooth. To serve, pour into chilled orange shells. Garnish with mint and serve with short straws.
*Depending on size of oranges, four shells may be needed. Only add the pulp and juice of two oranges to blender
~*~*~*~
Make Christmas Special
As the old song goes, "there's no place like home for the holidays." This year, those lyrics are more applicable than ever. Because of coronavirus, many families are having private celebrations this year instead of family get togethers. If that's the case for you or your family, have no fear — there are still things you can do. For example, have a mask making party. Turn paper plates into snowmen masks, or Santa Claus masks. Have a zoom party. My son Nathan suggested a talent show, so we’re having a Christmas Talent Show. What fun! Take the time to make memories.
~*~*~*~
Yesterday, I made a donation to the Marine Corps Toys For Tots program. My path today led me to think about Joseph and the influence foster fathers can have in our lives. I’d like to share those thoughts with you.
Joseph’s role is almost overlooked at Christmas. There are very few carols centered around him. Let’s look at what we know of him. He was a carpenter. (Carpenters at that time crafted furniture, they didn’t build homes). He was an upright man. You can be sure that Heavenly Father carefully examined the man who would be the earthly father of His son. There is not a single instance in the scriptures which indicated that Joseph was ever cruel or abusive. He thought before he acted. He believed the angels and married Mary. He listened to the warning and took his wife and child to Egypt, saving Jesus’ life. He taught him to work with his hands, to be a carpenter.
Dr. Ralph Wilson has hundreds of wonderful stories found at joyfulheart.com. I love the story entitled “The Cradle, A Christmas Story”. Unfortunately, his writings are copyrighted. There is a disclaimer on the site stating that you may not post his work on the internet. Please goto this link for today’s story.
The Cradle, a Christmas Story - Christian Articles Archive (joyfulheart.com)
