And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him … Isaiah 11:1-2a KJV (Jesse was the father of King David. God promised that from David’s lineage would come one born to rule forever. (Samuel 7:16) **********…
Month: November 2022
“O Come, Emmanuel”
Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us]. Isaiah 7:14 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (“Emmanuel” is the Greek form of the Hebrew word, “Immanuel.”) ********** We begin with an ancient song…
Bringing In Christmas …
… With Word & Song It’s that time again, when every store is blasting “Christmas” Music. We have Frosty, Rudolph, “Santa Baby,” Partridges, and poor dear Grandma’s tragic encounter with a reindeer. We have “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” while we “Deck the Halls.” We dream of a “White Christmas” so we can go…
The Least of These
Carl Jung, the great psychiatrist, once reflected that we are all familiar with the words of Jesus, “Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, that you do unto me.” [Matthew 25:40] Then Jung asks a probing question: “What if you discovered that the least of the brethren of Jesus, the one who needs…
“One Thing More”
Thou that hast given so much to me give me one thing more, a grateful heart: not thankful when it pleaseth me, as if Thy blessings had spare days, but such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise. George Herbert ********** To You, Lord, I give my whole heart, a heart filled with praise, for I am grateful … my…
“We Thank Thee”
by Ralph Waldo Emerson For flowers that bloom about our feet,Father, we thank Thee.For tender grass so fresh, so sweet,Father, we thank Thee.For the song of bird and hum of bee,For all things fair we hear or see,Father in heaven, we thank Thee. For blue of stream and blue of sky,Father, we thank Thee.For pleasant…
Psalm 100 NLT
“I Thank Thee”
O Thou whose bounty fills my cup,with every blessing meet!I give Thee thanks for every drop—the bitter and the sweet. I praise Thee for the desert road,And for the riverside;for all Thy goodness hath bestowed,and all Thy grace denied. I thank Thee for both smile and frown,and for the gain and loss;I praise Thee for…
“What If?”
Recently, I was invited to visit friends in Michigan. I wanted to go, but … there were complications. Barry had always driven when we traveled. The one time I’d gone alone, I got lost twice each way. (Who knew there was a White Pigeon in Illinois as well as Michigan?) And if you miss the…
A Story
Perhaps you’ve heard this story: Several years ago in a large city in the far West, rumors spread that a certain Catholic woman was having visions of Jesus. The reports reached the archbishop. He decided to check her out. There is always a fine line between the authentic mystic and the lunatic fringe. “Is it…