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"You will show the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and
the pleasures of living with your forever."
Psalm 16:11 (NLT) 

Our six year-old granddaughter, Brooke, loves to spend time at our house visiting with her cousins Faith and Mary Kathryn. So during the Christmas holidays when there was no school she came to spend a couple of days and nights with us.

However, she still wanted to keep in contact often with her mother. In this high-tech world we live in, cell phones have became a daily part of our grandchildren's lives. They find themselves using them at home and while they are in traveling. Six year-old Brooke can operate one easily.

While in our home she picked up our cordless phone to call her parents. Because she was in the habit of using the cell phone she found herself pushing the talk button at the wrong . . .

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.
?Get up,? he said, 'take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.
Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.?
 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,  Matthew  2:12-14

Just this past week in the news was the report of a man named "Chemical Ali". Ali Hassan al-Majid, Saddam's cousin, was one of Saddam Hussein's henchmen and got the name from his fondness at using chemical weapons, especially against the Kurds of northern Iraq. During Saddam's time thousands were gassed by this man. He threatened to bury the Kurds by bulldozers loads¹. 
Saddam himself was totally ruthless and used  assassination and mass murder to keep his iron grip over his country.

I love roses...and I'm not particular--"just one red rose will do!"--any time of the year! This Christmas we celebrate the giving of a rose more beautiful than words can describe. God's gift to the world: the Rose of Sharon! His fragrance fills our heart and especially during this season of the year, His warm, loving presence seems to even flood our world. People are kinder, gentler, more loving, more friendly, more giving than at any other time of the year.

People are lonely too--more than at any other time of the year. I heard a story that touched my heart and I hope will touch yours. It's about an elderly lady named Rose. She lives alone--somewhere in our world--and apparently has no family...but there's a faithful Avon lady who . . .

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11 

Everywhere you go, you get the feeling of Christmas coming. The highways are filled with shoppers, and vacationers. People are on their way to visit relatives during this holiday season. Others are out to finish their Christmas shopping at the last moment.

If you go out at night during this season, you are sure to see lots of beautiful decorated homes and stores. Some people get very extravagant in their decorations. One home in our vicinity that we call 'The Mansion' has a beautiful barn in sight of the interstate. It is all decorated with a big star on top. Beside it, they have a beautiful cross that you can . . .