Season of Gifts

Last evening we phoned, then visited our neighbors across the street with our Christmas greeting. As we walked back up the drive, the neighbors from the other side of our house were just ringing our doorbell. So we enjoyed a delightful Christmas visit with them too. I know this is old-fashioned, but we love our friendly neighbors!

In Valley of Vision, the collection of Puritan prayers I've mentioned before, I read a moving Christmas prayer. I'll quote part of it here (you'll recall that it uses older "thee" and "thou" language):

Herein is wonder of wonders:
he came below to raise me above,
was born like me that I might become like him.
Herein is love:
when I cannot rise to him he draws near on wings of grace,
to raise me to himself.
Herein is power:
when Deity and humanity were infinitely apart
he united them in indissoluble unity,
the uncreated and the created.
Herein is wisdom:
when I was undone, with no will to return to him,
and no intellect to devise recovery,
he came, God-incarnate, to save me to the uttermost,
as man to die my death,
to shed satisfying blood on my behalf,
to work out a perfect righteousness for me.

O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds,
and enlarge my mind;
let me hear good tidings of great joy,
and hearing, believe, rejoice, praise, adore,
my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose,
my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father;
place me with ox, ass, camel, goat,
to look with them upon my Redeemer's face,
and in him account myself delivered from sin.

Let me with Simeon clasp the new-born child to my heart,
embrace him with undying faith,
exulting that he is mine and I am his,
In Him thou hast given me so much
that heaven can give no more.

This gave me words for the desires I feel today.

I think I'm less tired; I hope so. The rash seems less severe also. Thanks for praying.

Love,
Carol