Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from everyone at SLF, people, puppy, and cows!

1225 says Merry Christmas...

..along with this cute little guy!

"When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem!

Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 

After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to

them about this child.  All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these

things in her heart and thought about them often.  The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying

and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them."

Luke 2: 15-20

Cownt down- 12/24

This girl, 1224 is a little bit people-shy, but she kindly allowed me to snap a few photos of her.

"That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.  The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."

Luke 2: 8-14

Cownt down- 12/23

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. 

Look! The virgin will conceive a child! 

She will give birth to a son 

and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

~Isaiah 7:14

Cownt down- 12/22

Today is 12/22.

This is 1222.  She is very friendly, which is nice but can be annoying when she wants to lick you and be petted while you are trying to get work done.  

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,

because he has visited and redeemed his people.

He has sent us a mighty Savior

from the royal line of his servant David,

just as he promised

through his holy prophets long ago.

Because of God’s tender mercy,

the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

and to guide us to the path of peace.”
Luke 1:68-70, 78-79

Fall on your knees

A beautiful thing:

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God,

he did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to.

Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;

he took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form,

he humbled himself in obedience to God

and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor

and gave him the name above all other names,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Prince of Peace

"For a child is born to us,

a son is given to us.

The government will rest on his shoulders.

And he will be called:

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

His government and its peace

will never end.

He will rule with fairness and justice 

from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.

The passionate commitment of the 

Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

Isaiah 9: 6-7

This is the real meaning of Christmas.  A day to remember the birth of this child, who is called the Prince of Peace.  


One of my favorite Christmas carols is O Holy Night.  The tune and the words are just so powerful.  I especially like the verse that goes as follows:

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains shall His break for the slave is our brother;

And in His name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise us,

Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,

His power and glory evermore proclaim.

His power and glory evermore proclaim.

So this Christmas, may God fill your heart with peace as you remember the real meaning of Christmas !

A quarter of a century

Today someone very special to me celebrates his 25th birthday!!  Happy birthday Josiah!!!  I love you so much!

Unseasonable

It was unseasonably warmish yesterday.  Who thought that I would be out pulling weeds and Josiah mowing the grass in the middle of December!?

Cold

You know it's cold when you can see your breath... inside the house.

Seeing how long we can survive without turning the heat on... fun.

Frosty

Thanksgiving day activities

I have some catching up to do.  I've had photos from Thanksgiving on my camera for a while.

So this is what we did for Thanksgiving.

In the morning I helped make applesauce, it was pink, that was strange.  I've never made pink applesauce before.

Then in the afternoon, before a feast of turkey and cranberry sauce:

Then the Easter bunny got mixed up and showed up for Thanksgiving.  Jack did not like the Easter bunny.

Then more activities:

My view

What a joy it is to look out my kitchen window in the morning and be able to see a new-born calf with it's mother.  The baby was trying to stand up, it took a few tumbles, but finally got on all four legs and took some steps.  Then it stood by the gate, where I could see it, wobbling the whole time.  And the mother, a first time mother, stood guard the whole time, licking the calf, and trying to help it to stay standing.  She was so proud of her new baby.

Some people pay loads of money for an ocean view, but I get a view of something just as wonderful for free.