[Faith-talk] Good Night Message for Tuesday, December 4 2012

[Paul]

Hello and good day, morning, afternoon or evening to you.  I hope and pray that, by God's matchless grace and His providential care, that we in North America had a good day today and that you in other parts of the world are having a good Wednesday.  As for me, I'm thankful that I was able, with my friend Jared's help, to withdraw some money from an IRA CD to have some much-needed outside structural repairs on my house.  When you own a piece of property like that, you have to keep it up, otherwise down the road it will cost you more to repair it.  So that's the reason for the withdrawal.  I am also thankful that our neighborhood association unanimously chose me to be its member-at-large.  Basically the job doesn't entail much work, only to be a tie-breaker in matters where the other four members don't agree and to manage the email listserv.  This, as well as all other officers in our association, are all voluntary.

Marian Guetz spoke to my heart today as I was figuring out what to write as the article, actually a poem.  It's called "The Greatest Gift," rendered as follows:

Perhaps you're weary of the rush of Christmas,
And fearing the expense that it brings,
Perhaps you've lost interest in gifts and cards
Or just tired of material things,
Perhaps you're caught in the pressures of life
Not knowing how to withstand,
Perhaps you sit back and quietly watch
The fervor that reigns over the land.
Whatever it is, and whatever you do,
We share a Gift today,
When God gave the world the Greatest of all,
Lord Jesus on Christmas Day!


Now I'm no judge of you readers, but Mariann's words said a lot to me.  I'd rather have Jesus and a group of loyal friends who will stick by me as I stick by them than all the fancy material things this world offers.  Anyway that's just my opinion on the subject.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, throughout this night or day and especially in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian brother and friend, Paul