December 17
"And the angel said unto her, Fear not Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus." Luke 1:30-31
Carol: I believe in Christ
I believe in Christ; he is my King!
With all my heart to him I’ll sing;
I’ll raise my voice in praise and joy,
In grand amens my tongue employ.
I believe in Christ; he is God’s Son.
On earth to dwell his soul did come.
He healed the sick; the dead he raised.
Good works were his; his name be praised.
I believe in Christ; oh blessed name!
As Mary’s Son he came to reign
’Mid mortal men, his earthly kin,
To save them from the woes of sin.
I believe in Christ, who marked the path,
Who did gain all his Father hath,
Who said to men: “Come, follow me,
That ye, my friends, with God may be.”
I believe in Christ—my Lord, my God!
My feet he plants on gospel sod.
I’ll worship him with all my might;
He is the source of truth and light.
I believe in Christ; he ransoms me.
From Satan’s grasp he sets me free,
And I shall live with joy and love
In his eternal courts above.
I believe in Christ; he stands supreme!
From him I’ll gain my fondest dream;
And while I strive through grief and pain,
His voice is heard: “Ye shall obtain.”
I believe in Christ; so come what may,
With him I’ll stand in that great day
When on this earth he comes again
To rule among the sons of men.
Pattern of Love
by Jack Smith
I didn't question Timmy, age nine, or his seven-year-old brother Billy about the brown wrapping paper they passed back and forth between them as we visited each store.
Every year at Christmas time, our Service Club takes the children from poor families in our town on a personally conducted shopping tour. I was assigned Timmy and Billy, whose father was out of work. After giving them the allotted $4 each, we began our trip. At different stores I made suggestions, but always their answer was a solemn shake of the head, no. Finally, I asked, "Where would you suggest we look?"
"Could we go to a shoe store, Sir?" answered Timmy. "We'd like a pair of shoes for our Daddy so he can go to work."
In the shoe store, the clerk asked what the boys wanted. Out came the brown paper. "We want a pair of work shoes to fit this foot," they said.
Billy explained that is was a pattern of their Daddy's foot. They had drawn it while he was asleep in a chair.
The clerk held the paper against a measuring stick, then walked away. Soon he came with an open box. "Will these do?" he asked.
Timmy saw the price on the box. "They're $16.95," he said in dismay. "We only have $8."
I looked at the clerk and he cleared his throat. "That's the regular price," he said, "but they're on sale; $3.98, today only."
Then with shoes happily in hand, the boys bought gifts for their mother and two little sisters. Not once did they think of themselves.
The day after Christmas the boys' father stopped me on the street. The new shoes where on his feet, gratitude was in his eyes. "I just thank Jesus for people who care."
"And I thank Jesus for your two sons," I replied. "They taught me more about Christmas in one evening than I had learned in a lifetime."
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