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Tag Archives: Christmas
A Christmas Crisis
It was a personal crisis he could never have imagined. Joseph is taken completely by surprise when he learns that Mary, his future wife, is pregnant. Joseph knew he was not the father. Mary had told him of the angel … Continue reading
A Nativity of Imagination or Reality?
The Gospels provide two nativity scenes. Luke’s gospel tells of humble shepherds heeding the instruction of an angel and worshipping the Christ Child as He lay in a manger in Bethlehem. Matthew’s gospel tells of reputable magi following a star to Bethlehem and worshipping … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Advent, Christmas, Incarnation, Jesus Christ, nativity, Politics, Return of Christ
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Doing Things the Hard Way
“And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them … Continue reading
“How Long ’til We Get There?”
When I was a kid, traveling was part of our Christmas holiday. My family lived in Maryland and my grandparents lived in New York state. As soon as Christmas break arrived my parents, four siblings and I would pile into … Continue reading
Code Red Christmas
Alert systems are put in place to give warnings. In the wake of 9/11 the newly formed Department of Homeland Security instituted a five-level terror advisory scale: low, guarded, elevated, high, and severe. Because that system proved to not be … Continue reading
The Sound of Silence
Almost everyone has something to say about nearly everything these days. There appears to be little, if any, restraint in the stream of words flowing out of mouths and from fingers. It seems to me that we have forsaken the … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship
Tagged Advent, Busyness, Christmas, gift giving, religion, silence, Spiritual disciplines, Spirituality, Thinking
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Waiting
My daughter desperately wants an iPod but doesn’t have enough money to buy one. She’s been trying every angle with her parents and brothers to see if she can beg, borrow, or steal enough to purchase one. She’s offered to … Continue reading
A Father Who Loves to Give
Christmas day has come and gone. The tree and decorations are still up and family will be arriving soon for a few more days of celebration. I have some moments for reflection. I was the recipient of a number of great … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Christmas, christmas wish list, Family, gift giving, Gospel
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The Season of Advent
A front page story in last Saturday’s The Plain Dealer read, “Black Friday brings ‘riot’ in Strongsville, pepper spray in LA.” Now there’s a great way to begin the Christmas season — consumers gone wild! As appalling as it is for … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Advent, Christian Living, Christianity, Christmas, Consumerism, Return of Christ
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Mark Ashley 