​                                                         WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT 565
                                              
                                               It could have happened
                                               Exactly as it did
                                               That a tiny babe
                                               In a manger born
                                               Would become
                                               The King of kings

                                               Who would have thought
                                               That God would have sent
                                               His son to earth this way
                                               So meek and mild
                                               Just another child
                                               A lying in a crib

                                               Who would have thought
                                               Angels would appear
                                               To a simple band of shepherds
                                               Tending their flocks
                                               On a starlit night
                                               Singing anthems clear

                                               Who would have thought
                                               Magistrates with wealth galore
                                               Would leave their specious homes
                                               And travel from afar
                                               To search for a babe unknown
                                               But then, wise men seek him still
                          
                                               (First published on December 21, 1978)

                                                

                                                                
                                                            WHAT IF  568

                            What if there had been no decree
                            of taxation two thousand years ago?
                            Would Mary and Joseph have travelled
                            to Bethlehem?

                            What if shepherds had not been tending
                            their flocks on the Judean hillsides? Who 
                            would have heard the angelic choir?

                            What if certain intellectuals from the East
                            had not meticulously studied the scriptures
                            and ancient prophesies concerning the signs
                            of the times. Would we still have called them 
                            wise men?

                            What if there had been several inns with many
                            vacancies? Would Jesus still have been born
                            of humble birth?

                            And, most importantly of all, what if Christ had
                            never entered our world as a tiny baby? Who 
                            would have given us the light and the hope 
                            we so desperately need to lead a full and
                            abundant life?

                            Over this Christmas season, we joyously celebrate
                            God's greatest miracle, the birth of his son,
                            Jesus Christ.

                            (First published on December 28,1978)
 





​                                                                            

       
                              ISAIAH 66:1,10,12,13,14

                       Thus saith the Lord, the heaven is
                       my throne, and the earth is my footstool.
                       Where is that ye build unto me? And where
                       is the place of my rest?

                       Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with
                       her, all ye that love her. Rejoice with her all
                       ye that mourn for her.

                       For thus saith the Lord, Behold I will extend
                       peace to her, like a river, and the glory of
                       the Gentiles, like a flowing stream...
 
                       As one who his mother comforteth, so will I
                       comfort you. And ye shall be comforted in
                       Jerusalem.

                       And when ye see this, your heart will rejoice,
                       and your bones shall flourish like an herb,
                       and the hand of the Lord shall be known
                       toward his servants, and his indignation
                       toward his enemies.

                                                                       

                 OPPORTUNITY

    It has been written that Chinese write the word
    "Crisis" with two characters. One character means
   "danger," while the other means "opportunity". Together,
    they spell "crisis."

    So, then, in every circumstances and every 
    happening of our lives we discover these three
    particulars: Danger, opportunity, crisis.

    Danger lies in our apathy or fear of our present
    situation or what may lie ahead.

    Opportunity lies in our willingness to do what
    we can, knowing that our actions will ultimately
    change our circumstances. 

    Every event occurring in our lives may lead to
    a crisis or problem to be solved.
    Crisis, danger, opportunity 
    But the greatest of these is...opportunity.

                                                               Winter came down
                                       To our home
                                       Last night
                                       Quietly pirouetting in
                                       On silvery-toed slippers
                                       Of snow
                                       And we, 
                                       We were children
                                       Once again

​

                                                                  FUTURE CONCERNS

                            "We should all be concerned," wrote
                             Charles Kettering, "about the future
                             because we will have to spend the rest of
                             our lives there."

                             Perhaps the reason most of us may wind
                             up being ill equipped to live in the future is 
                             that we spend too much time squandering 
                             the present and fretting about the past.

                             Can we not see that our present thoughts 
                             quite often determine our future actions.
                             And, we cannot escape our future anymore 
                             than we can ignore the present or deny the past.

                             We would speak well of the past, for it is by
                             remembering the past that we become educated.
                             We would applaud the present moment, for only
                             in the present moment does any action take place.
                             We would extol the virtues of the future, for the 
                             future permits us to dream, to envision, to hope 
                             and to plan.
                             Without the future, there could be no past, and 
                             our present would be shallow indeed.
                          
                             (First published on December 29, 2012)

                                     
                           A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW  562
 
                         No matter how far we have travelled
                         No matter how far we have roamed
                         There's a light in the window that beckons
​                         Calling and guiding us home
 
                         Sometimes during life's journey
                         When misfortunes have laid us quite low
                         'Tis only a light in the window
                         That illumines our path with its glow
 
                         We may wander astray if we wish to
                         Down trails of pathos and sin
                         But there'll still be a light in the window
                         Lighting our path as a friend
 
                         Oh, there's a light in the window that's shining
                         It's shining for you and for me
                         Placed there by the Lord of all lanterns
                         For all, who would, to see

                         (First published on December 8, 2012)

                                                           OUR MISTAKE

                               An unknown author has suggested
                               a few ways we may recognize others'
                               faults while rationalizing our own...

                               "When the other fellow takes a long time
                               to do something, he is slow.
                               When we take a long time, we are thorough.

                               When the other fellow doesn't do it, he's lazy.
                               When we don't do it, we're too busy.
 
                               When someone else goes and does something
                               without being told, he's overstepping.
                               When we do it, we're exerting initiative.

                               When the other fellow strongly states his side 
                               of a  question, he's being bullheaded.
                               When we do it, we're being firm.


                               When the other fellow overlooks a few rules
                               of etiquette, he's being rude.
                               When we do it we are being original.
  
                              When the other fellow makes a mistake, he
                              sure had it coming to him.
                              When we make a mistake, wow what bad luck.

                              Funny isn't it, that it is so hard to correct our
                              own faults. Maybe it's just because we don't
                              recognize them except in others."
                          
                              (First published on November 29, 2013}


                         




                         ​

                                                                   THANKSGIVING (1979) 699
                                           
                                   Our kind Heavenly Father
                                   We have come to the end of another decade.
                                   We affirm unto Thee that this past decade
                                   has been one of abundant blessings.
                                   We are grateful that for most of the past ten
                                   years, our sons and daughters have been 
                                   spared the horrors of war.
                                   We are grateful for this beautiful, magnificent
                                   country. We are highly favored to be living in
                                   America.
                                   We are grateful, that, in this land, the Bible is
                                   an open book, and the Church has open doors.
                                   We are grateful for the freedom of speech and
                                   press, and for the freedom to pursue happiness
                                   as we please.
                                   May we bless Thee in the nineties as Thou hast
                                   blessed us in the eighties.
                                   We thankfully give thanks for your constant presence
                                   in the name of Jesus Christ.
                                   Amen

                                   (First published on November 23, 1979  with revisions
                                   on November 27, 2019)