Merry Christmas!!

And so this is Christmas... and what have I done?

Nothing, it seems, to this poor little blog. I'm so sorry for my absence, but it turns out that the last year of high school spits out a large amount of homework, and so when I have free time I sort of relish it and let my brain shut down, essentially.

But apologies are not the purpose of this post. Today is Christmas Eve, and in about half an hour it will officially be Christmas. So...

Merry Christmas!

Last year I posted the passage from Luke that is the Christmas story. The link to it is here: LINK! and I will post the URL at the bottom of the post.

My four year old nephew has a habit of justing shouting Happy Birthday! to everyone when he knows it's a special occasion. No, he's not getting his celebrations mixed up, he's just a little monkey like that. But today when he stood in the middle of my living room and shouted it, it somehow seemed appropriate.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Talking to my mom today, I mentioned how every year, Christmas more and more seems to lose its sparkle. I no longer get all giddy at the thought of it, and instead of wanting to stay up all night (to see "Santa"), I'm actually pretty darn sleepy right now. The only reason I'm still up is that this blog post is my present to you, my few but very much loved readers.
However, this isn't to say that I'm not excited for Christmas now. I'm actually quite excited. The sensation that I get is akin to the one I get when my two year old niece snuggles up to me and falls asleep... you know, that warm sensation that travels down to your toes and up to your nose? Christmas has stopped being this awesome time where I get lots of presents from this big guy with a tummy as large as his toy sack, and more about
a little baby who was born in a manger this day and just so happens to have saved all of our souls.

My pastor during today's sermon mentioned the lyrics to the song Mary Did You Know?, and I'd like to end this post with them (I always attend the Christmas eve service... if I didn't, I don't think it would quite feel like Christmas). And I think that they are enough in themselves... they don't need to be elaborated upon. I'd suggest doing a youtube search on the song if you aren't familiar with it, because it's one of the most gorgeous Christmas/Advent songs you'll ever hear. I recommend Kenny Roger's version, but that would be because my family is way into country music, and all our Christmas CDs are by country artists. Ergo, a country version of the song is way more Christmas-y to me.

Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Would one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy
would save our songs and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy
has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered
will soon deliver you...

Mary did you know that your baby boy
will give sight to the blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy
will calm the storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy
has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God...

Oh Mary, did you know...

The blind will see
The deaf will hear
The dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb!

Mary did you know that your baby boy
is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy
will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy
is Heaven's perfect Lamb?
The sleeping child you're holding is the
Great
I
Am...

~Godspede

The URL: http://justtryasking.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas.html
The Bible passage in it: Luke 2: 1-20 (NIV)

Muses: Poor, Unfortunate Souls

This is an excerpt from my pastor's sermon:

Famous Christian author, Tony Campolo, once said that on one of his mission trips to Haiti, he was walking the streets, praying for this poverty-stricken country. Three little girls approached him from the street. The oldest one of them was fifteen; the other two much younger.
As they approached him, the oldest one said, "Sir, if you give me ten dollars you can have me for the night." Campolo wondered how many American businessman had come to Haiti and used God's children in that way.
He said, "Really? For ten dollars, I can have you for the night?"
She said, "Yes."
He said, "Well, what about your friend here; can I have her for the whole night for ten dollars also?"
She said, "Yes."
He pointed to the third girl. "How about you; can I have you for ten dollars for the whole night?"
She said, "Yes."
He said, "Fine. Meet me at this hotel at six o'clock tonight." They agreed to be there. He went back to his hotel and rented a VCR and had it brought up to his room. He scoured the city for Disney tapes and bought all of them that he could find. At a quarter to six, he ordered four banana splits (one was for him!). When they came, they stayed up late eating banana splits and watching The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and other movies. The last of them conked out at one in the morning.
For at least one night, those children were given their childhood back because someone cared enough to treat them as Jesus taught us.

Imagine the life a prostitute lives.
Imagine being so poor and so desperate that you'd actually sell your body to complete strangers.
...poor souls with nothing else to turn to.
And then imagine being fifteen or younger and doing this. By entering into such a life, which they had doubtlessly been in for years already, they not only sell their bodies but also their innocence, their childhood, their purity.
It warms me down to my toes to know that someone took the initiative to give back their childhood and their young innocence, even if just for a few hours. It's such a powerful move... and what a perfect way to evangelize. This man didn't walk up to the girls and berate them for giving themselves away time and time again and for making a poor life choice. No, he looked at them and saw children being forced by their social and economic circumstance to behave like adults, and decided to change that for at least one night.

"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35 NKJV)

~Godspede