December 2019 Volume 1, Issue 1

Welcome to my new monthly newsletter! What a beautiful time of year! As we await the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, it is a time of Remembering, a time of Hope, a time of Anticipation, a time of Joy, a time of Excitement, a time of Faith, and a time of Thankfulness. It is a time of Awe and Wonder. Who is this Jesus Christ?

In spite of everything we have done, God still did not give up on us. Instead, He sent His one and only son Jesus to leave the spiritual world and be born of a virgin human being named Mary. Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, the one who knew no sin, suffered all our sins to reconcile us with God. He defeated death and rose again from the dead so that we could know God and become heirs of His Kingdom.

Through God's Amazing Grace Jesus has picked us up from where we were and reconciled us with the Father God, so that we won't die but have Eternal Life. He went before us so that we may have Faith and Believe. Jesus asked God to give us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us as our Guide and Counselor, so that we would have the same relationship with the Father as Jesus did; and Jesus would always be with us. Emmanuel, God With Us! Our body is God's temple. He lives within us. He knows each and every one of us better than we know ourselves.

Sometimes during the celebration we become bogged down with events, chores, shopping, and planning and almost forget the real meaning of the Season. Also, let us keep in mind that some people are in great sorrow at this time of year for many different reasons. Remember, a simple act of kindness can make a huge difference in a person's life. Try to leave a person better off than when you first saw them. Let them see Jesus through you and your actions. A kindness shown, a smile, a word of encouragement, a prayer, may be the high point of that person's day. It may make a huge difference in a person's life, maybe even save it!

Below are some of my favorite Christmas videos for your enjoyment. Please listen to them in order and think about the meaning in each of them. Sadly, the first video is basically where our society is today. It is the same in many different areas of the world, too. Jesus is still calling to us today to come home. Don't harden your heart if you hear His voice!

I hope you enjoyed these videos. I have also added a couple of simple prayers. The first one a child or an elderly adult can memorize without much trouble. It keeps you in Jesus' care and should be prayed giving thanks to God. The second one will be a little more difficult. The first one is taken from Saint Augustine's Prayer Book (Revised Edition, 2014), page 187. It follows:

"HEART OF JESUS, think of me.

Eyes of Jesus, look on me.

Face of Jesus, comfort me.

Hands of Jesus, bless me.

Feet of Jesus, guide me.

Arms of Jesus, hold me.

Body of Jesus, feed me.

Blood of Jesus, wash me.

Jesus, make me thus thine own.

Here and in the world to come. Amen."

The second prayer is a great remembrance and encouragement. It also is taken from Saint Augustine's Prayer Book (Revised Edition, 2014), page 411. It follows:

"O CHRIST OUR GOD, the wisdom, the power, and

the glory of the Father, who dwelt among us as

the Word made flesh and, having overcome the prince

of darkness, returned to the eternal joys of heaven:

Grant us, even now in the midst of this dark world,

the full outpouring of thy splendor, and appoint thy

holy angels to be our defenders, to guard our going

out and our coming in, until by thy mercy, we stand

in the eternal light, where thou dost live and reign,

world without end. Amen."

If you don't know Jesus Christ, I encourage you to form a relationship with Him. He never promised to stop pain and suffering in this age but He did promise to be with you always and help you through these difficult times. He will give you His strength and guidance, His wisdom and understanding to help you through the good times and the bad times on your Earthly journey to Eternal Life.

If you would like to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior right now, please do the following:

1. Repent of your sins both know and unknown.

2. Follow Romans 10:9,10,13 The NASB version of the Bible is listed below:

" If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved: for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation...13 for '"Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."' "

3. The Holy Spirit will now dwell within you.

4. Next: Find a local Church to join and be water baptized as an outward sign of a follower of Jesus Christ and a member of the congregation of the Church you selected.

Congratulations!!!

May You have a Blessed Christmas!!!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!

Karyl K. Glad