FRIENDSHIP

"In your life you should always have some people whom you nourish & who return little or nothing to you. You should also have people who nourish you, but you may return nothing to them. A third kind of relationship is equal sharing. This is friendship."  Jim Conway, Men's Devotional Bible 

THE CHRIST ON THE CROSS

"The odds against the Babe in the manger & the Christ on the cross were enormous, even absolute to any betting man. But there was something more than meets the eye. As Luther put it, if it were a mere man in the balance, over against the sin of the world, we'd be lost. But on the scale, over against our ins, is God in the flesh, & it's not even close. 'The 'power' of sin? The 'power' of the devil? The 'power' of the flesh.' 'Their might? A joke, a mere facade! God is with us & we with God--our vict'ry cannot fail!'"  Pastor Matthew Harrison, President, LCMS, The Lutheran Witness, Dec. 2020

Welcome back to my blog. SAN ANTONIO ODYSSEY RECAP:  First of all, I need to make a correction. On SUN we had supper at Saltgrass Steak House; not Sawgrass Steak House. Also, I forgot to mention "Skies Over Texas," which we watched at the Tower of the Americas. It was a 4-D movie, so when a rattlesnake came shooting out at us, we were startled. And when horses were stampeding, the chairs shook. And when a bull came toward us & snorted at us, we were covered in mist to simulate bull snot. [Not pleasant to read, I know.] 

HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR VISIT TO SAN ANTONIO

* Our apartment, which was spacious. And it was located conveniently just a block or two from the historic Old Market, where we caught the trolley more than once.

* The trolley drivers, who were very insightful & amusing.

* A visit to the Alamo, which Lois had never been to.

* Strolling through the King William District & seeing some pretty impressive mansions.

* Wonderful food at Boudros on the River Walk, Bier Garten close to the Alamo, Mi Tierra in the historic Old Market, Lorraine's in the Pearl District, ice cream at a shoppe adjacent to the Alamo, & the Saltgrass Steakhouse on the River Walk.

* Several visits to the historic Old Market, where I dutifully followed Lois around to a plethora of shops, where she purchased cheap but meaningless trinkets for the grand-kids.

* A visit to the observation deck of the Tower of the Americas.

* Great, sunny weather with highs in the 50s, 60s, & even 70 one day. We missed the bitter cold & snow in Norfolk while we were gone. [Actually, that's a lie.]

Our trip back to Wichita Falls yesterday was uneventful. We visited Total Wine before we left San Antonio, where there are literally billions of kinds of wine, beer, & hard liquor. We bought some vodka & wine for ourselves. SPOILER ALERT:  We also bought wine for our kids. I hope they're grateful. We drove all the way to Antonio just to buy wine for them. We stopped for lunch in Marble Falls, where we hoped to eat again at the world famous Bluebonnet Restaurant. Alas, the line to get in was much too long, so we tried Whataburger. The dining room was closed, & the drive-thru line was long, so we went across the street to the Bella Sera. It turned out to be an Italian restaurant. Who knew? "Bella Sera" is Italian for "place of delicious, warm rolls." I had eggplant parmigiana. Lois has manicotti. Delicious! We drove the rest of the way to Wichita Falls & passed a plethora of historical markers. It was only with the greatest restraint that we didn't stop to check them out. We got back to David & Carmen's around 6:15. I had party mix & bloody Marys for supper. Tomorrow we head back to Nebraska. It will be a long day, since we have to detour to Lincoln to pick up our dog Sammy before continuing on to Norfolk. On Friday we head to Eagan, MN, where we will visit Nathan, Laura, Calvin, & Claire. Friday is Calvin's birthday. We are greatly looking forward to it!

I can't restrain myself from making some comments about the events on Jan. 6, but I'm going to try to keep things on the lighter side first.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

Yesterday was my 68th birthday. [For those of you who know me, I know you will be surprised by this, given my youthful appearance.] Lois gave me the best birthday card ever. [Thank you, honey!] We had breakfast at Perkins. When I ordered the 55+ omelette, the waitress asked to see my ID. [Okay, that's a lie.] We had supper with friends at the Sand Bar, where we tried to keep socially distanced. 

According to onthisday.com, here are some significant events that happened on January 7.

* 1610:  Galileo discovers the first 3 moons of Jupiter

* 1714:  Typewriter patented by Henry Mill (built years later)

* 1953:  Harry Truman announces American development of hydrogen bomb That was the year I was born, & I distinctly remember my parents talking about it. [Okay, that's a lie.]

* 1999:  Bill Clinton's impeachment trial begins

WHAT I'M READING

I finished reading "The English & Their History," by Robert Tombs. I really plodded through it until the 20th century, when things finally got interesting. Mr. Tombs tended to compare British controversies with those in other countries, with Great Britain coming out as looking better. I suppose that was because he is British.

I started reading "History Decoded:  The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of all Time," by Brad Meltzer. Did you know that there's a good chance that John Wilkes Booth wasn't killed following Lincoln's assassination? Did you know that there's a good chance that D.B. Cooper survived his jump from the airplane he hijacked? I didn't either.

TRENDING

> "Last Civil War widow dies."  Drudge Report  My grandfather was born in 1900. It's kind of mind-boggling that he could have known Civil War veterans.

> "CA residents told to stay within 120 miles of home."  ibid  There is no place like . . . California.

> "Looter who stole Pelosi's lectern is ID'd as Florida man."  ibid  I hope it wasn't my nephew Nick.

> "Britney Spears' ex-husband joined."  ibid  Oops, he did it again.

> "Ignorant Republicans riot & don't even get any big-screen TVs."  Babylon Bee

> "CNN gravely reports on 'first violent protest in recent memory."  ibid  Did you noticed how I used the word "ibid." I'm just trying to impress.

ROAD TRIPS

We're getting ready to embark on our first road trip of 2021, heading to Lincoln today, then Texas on Saturday. While we're in Texas, we're visiting San Antonio. Although I've been there, Lois hasn't, so it counts as a road trip.

We'll be back in town only one day before we had to the Twin Cities, so I may not be blogging much the rest of January.

Speaking of New Year's resolutions . . . 

RESOLUTIONS UPDATE

One of my resolutions was to avoid useless argument on Facebook. Well, it didn't take long for me to falter. I got into a "conversation" with a few(?) people over evolution re:  creation. As usual, evolutionists would rather make insulting comments than actually engage in facts & logic. Anyway, after a few days I disengaged. I'll try to do better.

Another resolution was to avoid french fries. We've had tater tots twice, & Lois claims that this is just as bad if not worse than french fries. I disagree. And I could have gotten french fries as a side last night, but opted for a garden salad & baked potato instead. Hooray for me.

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

Okay, here's my two cents' worth, which means that's exactly what you get.

* There's no condoning what happened in D.C. on Wednesday, even if there was massive cheating in the election.

* This morning's Omaha World Herald reports that President Trump finally conceded the election. He should have done that weeks ago.

* Having said that, I find it disingenuous that so many of the same people who vehemently claimed that they didn't have to accept the results of the 2016 election told us to shut up & accept this election.

> While I was at PT yesterday, the TV was on. President-elect Biden called the events of Jan. 6 "the worst assault ever on democracy." Apparently he's never heard of 9/11 or Pearl Harbor.

> People roundly condemned, & rightly so, the violent protest in our nation's capitol. Some of those same people lied about and/or supported violent protests led by Antifa & BLM. That's called hypocrisy.

> Wednesday's events gave us a clue as to what would have happened, only more violent & wide-spread, had Trump won the election.

> God institutes the earthly authority that is placed over us. Christians have the opportunity now to let our lights shine among men, that by our good works, God would be glorified. Having said that, we are still called upon to oppose what is evil.

> I will continue to pray that God gives us the leaders we need, that He helps us cope with the leaders we get, & that He saves us from godless leaders.

Yesterday's events in the capitol literally left me with a queasy stomach. What has happened to our country? These actions can't be condoned for any reason. I fear that we're stooping to the level of those who have hated our soon-to-be ex-president. The news from Georgia is equally distressing. I fear that we are in for a long four years. I continue to pray that our lights would shine among men, that by our good works, God would be glorified.

These words from my devotion this morning really resonated with me.

"Regardless of the darkness we feel around us, our prayer is the same. 'Lord, keep us safe in this home until we come to Yours. Make me know Your hand is here.' We pray that when answers can't yet be seen, our Father's hand will always be known. Push aside the trouble, fears, & pain so that, even if they are still there, what we know & trust is God's hand. That will make the difference."  "Our Way Home:  A Journey Through the Lord's Prayer," by Daniel Paavola.

A PRAYER AT A TIME OF NATIONAL CRISIS OR CALAMITY

"Heavenly Father, I come to Your throne of mercy, bowed down & wearied by the weight of suffering & disaster visited upon our country. I beg You to protect this nation in our hour of need. I acknowledge my trespasses before You & do not deny either my own transgressions of Your holy Law or the sins of other citizens of my homeland. We are laden with iniquity, but You call us to Your forgiveness, salvation, hope, & life. Turn the hearts & minds of all to You, that they might find peace through the cleansing of Jesus' blood. Let me not be confounded or dismayed, so that I, a child of Your grace, may courageously speak to this needy world of the hope that is within me. Make me an instrument of Your peace in a world of conflict, a witness to the power of faith in a world lost in unbelief, & a bearer of the joy that overcomes the sorrow of a fallen world. Grant to the leaders of this nation & all the nations of the world wise counsel, calm thinking, & unselfish aims. Amid the tumult of disaster, build Your kingdom & turn even more souls to Yourself. Because of Your grace, we are not altogether lost but find peace & forgiveness in You. O Lord, give me the grace to seek You, trust You, & confess You; in Jesus' name. Amen."  Lutheran Prayer Book

JESUS' EYES

"What was it that drew men to Jesus? Yes, He spoke with authority & He did miraculous & wonderful deeds, but I think the one thing that men could not ignore was the compassion & love that came from His heart & on to His face & into His words & deeds. If we abide in Him as He abides in us, we begin to see things differently. We begin to look at things with His eyes."  Bob Benson, Men's Devotional Bible

THE ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON

"God gives His only-begotten Son so that we would not perish. He gives us His Son for us so that we can be received as sons of God by grace. The Father called Him from the womb, from the body of His mother (Is. 49:1) with the name Jesus because He would save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). There can be no rebirth without the birth of the sinless Son. There can be no eternal life with God unless the promised offspring obeys to the point of death. He had to be counted as a stubborn son so we could be reckoned as obedient offspring.

"He took up residence in the womb of the Virgin so that He could be placed in the tomb of the earth. The Seed of the woman had to be sown into the ground in order to sprout forth in new life for us. He ascended like a young plant, & like a root out of the dry land (Is. 53:2). Because of the suffering & success of the Son, the Father waters the thirsty ground & pours out His Holy Spirit upon all His offspring (Is. 44:3)."  Rev. Brian Kachelmeier, The Lutheran Witness, Dec. 2020

AN EPIPHANY HYMN *

* "O Jesus, King of Glory," Sts. 1, 5, 6

"O Jesus, King of glory, Both David's Lord & Son! Your realm endures forever, In heaven is Your throne. Help that in earth's dominions, From pole to farthest pole, Your reign may spread salvation To each benighted soul.

"Oh, look on me with pity Though I am weak & poor; Admit me to Your kingdom To dwell there, blest & sure. I pray, Lord, guide & keep me Safe from my bitter foes, From sin & death & Satan; Free me from all my woes.

"Then let Your Word within me Shine as the fairest star, Your reign of love revealing How wonderful You are. Help me confess You truly And with Your Christendom Here own You King & Savior With all the world to come."

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them." Isaiah 9:2  

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."  1 Peter 2:9

SOME DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

Today is the Festival of Epiphany--the day when we celebrate the visit of the Wise Men to Bethlehem to see the Baby Jesus. It marks the observance of Jesus' introduction to the Gentile or non-Jewish world. According to dictionary.com, an "epiphany" is "an appearance or manifestation, especially of a deity." Epiphany resonates with me because I, like many of you, am a Gentile by ancestry. My ancestors roamed the forests of Northern Europe for countless generations until God, in His grace & mercy, sent brave men to witness to these barbarians about the Savior of the World. That right. My ancestors were barbarians, & without God's grace & mercy, they would have continued to walk in darkness. I give thanks for those brave men who carried the Gospel to heathen people. I give thanks for the mercy & grace of Jesus Christ, who called us out of darkness into the His marvelous light. Have a blessed Epiphany!

A PRAYER FOR THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD

"O gracious God & Lord, who by a star led the Magi to see the manifestation of Your love for all people in the Christ Child, I thank You for this revelation that the whole world should share in the salvation which You have prepared in Jesus Christ, Your only-begotten Son.

"Enable me by Your Spirit to find peace & joy in the faith that I, too, have been redeemed by Jesus Christ from sin, from death, & from the power of the devil. Let me never forget that I am now Christ's own & that it is my duty to live under Him in His kingdom & serve Him in righteousness all the days of my life.

"Graciously reveal Yourself to all people who even now do not know Jesus Christ & salvation in Him. Gather Your elect from all the nations of the world that Your house may be full, that Yours shall be the kingdom & the power & glory forever & ever. Amen."  My Prayer Book

A HYMN FOR EPIPHANY *

* "The People That in Darkness Sat," Sts. 1, 5, 6, LW #77

"The people that in darkness sat A glorious light have seen; The light has shined on them who long In shades of death have been, In shades of death have been.

"His righteous government & pow'r Shall over all extend; On judgment & on justice based, His reign shall have no end, His reign shall have no end.

"Lord Jesus, reign in us, we pray, And make us Yours alone, Who with the Father ever are And Holy Spirit, one, And Holy Spirit one."

It's the 11th day of Christmas, so I'm going to share a Christmas hymn, along with a devotional thought.

Lo, How a Rose is Growing *

* Sts. 1 & 5, LW #67

"Lo, how a rose is growing, A bloom of finest grace; The prophets had foretold it:  A branch of Jesse's race Would bear one perfect flow'r Here in the cold of winter And darkest midnight hour.

"O Savior, Child of Mary, Who felt all human woe, O Savior, King of glory, Who triumphed o'er our foe:  Bring us at length, we pray, To the bright courts of heaven & into endless day."

The Christmas Story

"One can listen to the Christmas story so callously that he does not recognize what an astounding great wonder God accomplished through it. We Christians, however, cry out in astonishment:  'Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom & knowledge of God!'" (Rom. 11:33) 

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE . . . NYC

"Agressive squirrels attacking NYC residents."  Drudge Report, 12/30

CHRISTMAS TREE FACTS *

* Omaha World Herald, 1/2

* "There are approximately 25-30 million real Christmas trees sold in the U.S. every year.

* There are close to 350 million real Christmas trees currently growing on Christmas Tree farms in the U.S. alone, all planted by farmers.

* North American real Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states & Canada.

* 80% of artificial trees worldwide are manufactured in China . . . 

* Real trees are a renewable, recyclable resource.Artificial trees contain non-biodegradable plastics & possible metal toxins such as lead.

* For every real Christmas tree harvested, 1-3 seedlings are planted the following spring.

* There are about 350,000 acres in production for growing Christmas trees in the U.S.; much of it preserving green space.

* There are close to 15,000 farms growing Christmas trees in the U.S.,  & over 100,000 people are employed full or part-time in the industry.

* It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of typical height (6-7ft) or as little as 4 years, but the average growing time is 7 years.

* The top Christmas Tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, & Washington.

* There are more than 4,000 local Christmas tree recycling programs throughout the U.S."

No real Christmas trees are grown in Hawaii, so there was much excitement when the first containers of Christmas trees, grown in the Pacific Northwest, arrived. There were huge crowds lined up to get a tree, & trees were incredibly expensive, so we went with an artificial tree. Lois & Nathan are very sensitive to pine resin, so we pretty much have used artificial trees in our house. There were a few years when we bought Scotch or White pines, which didn't have the same effect. We use an artificial tree now.

A PERSONAL NOTE

I really, really like the Christmas season. I mean, what's not to like? It's mind-boggling that the Almighty Lord of the Universe humbled Himself to born one of us. The Son of God became the Son of Man. He lived the holy life that none of us could live. He died the death that should have been ours, so that we might have forgiveness. He rose again from the dead on the third day, triumphant over sin, death, & Satan.

And one of the reasons it's my favorite time of year is because of the Christmas hymns--some of my favorite hymns. It seems a shame that we sing those hymns for only a week or two, then put them on the shelf for another year. We sang some of those hymns in church this morning. I hope you will indulge me as I share some of those hymns with you.

Now Sing We Now Rejoice [Sts. 1 & 4, LSB #386]

"Now sing we, not rejoice, Now raise to heav'n our voice; He from whom joy streameth Poor in a manger lies; Not so brightly beameth The sun in yonder skies. Thou my Savior art! Thou my Savior art!

"Oh, where shall joy be found? Where but on heav'nly ground? Where the angels singing With all His saints unite, Sweetest praises bringing I heav'nly joy & light. Oh, that we were there! Oh, that we were there!"

When Shepherds Lately Knelt [St. 1, LSB #369]

"Where shepherds lately knelt & kept the angel's word, I come in half-belief, a pilgrim strangely stirred; But there is room & welcome there for me, but there is room & welcome there for me."

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing [St. 3, LSB #380]

"Hail, the heav'n-born Prince of Peace! Hail, the Sun of Righteousness! Light & life to all He brings, Ris'n with healing in His wings. Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth. Hark! The herald angels sing, 'Glory to the newborn King!'"

Away in a Manger [Sts. 1 & 3]

"Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head. The stars in the sky looked down where He lay, The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

"Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay Close by me forever & love me, I pray. Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care, And take us to heaven to live with Thee there."

Silent Night [St. 1, LSB 363]

"Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin mother mother & child. Holy Infant, so tender & mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace."

O Little Town of Bethlehem [St. 4, LSB #361]

"O holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin, & enter in, Be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Immanuel."

On Christmas Night All Christians Sing [St. 1, LSB 377]

"On Christmas night all Christians sing to hear the news the angels bring, On Christmas night all Christians sing to hear the news the angels bring, News of great joy, news of great mirth, News of our merciful King's birth."

Joy to the World [Sts. 1 & 4, LSB #387]

"Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room And heav'n & nature sing, And heav'n & nature sing, And heav'n, & heav'n & nature sing.

"He rules the world with truth & grace And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders of His love."

SALVATION THROUGH NO ONE ELSE

"Jesus is my best Friend. Here is salvation, nowhere else! No other person, no matter how important he may be, is able to save you. Only Jesus can do that. He is the soul's Salvation, your true Savior. Firmly cling to Him." Herman A. Mayer, A Year with Jesus

A CHRISTMAS HYMN *

* "Once in Royal David's City," Sts. 1 & 4, LW #58

"Once in royal David's city Stood a lowly cattle shed, Where a mother laid her Baby In a manger for His bed; Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child.

"Not in that poor lowly stable With the oxen standing by Shall we see Him, but in heaven, Set at God's right hand on high. Then like stars His children, crowned, All in white, His praise will sound!"

2020 RESOLUTIONS REVIEW

I know you've been anxiously awaiting the results of my 2020 resolutions. Here they are.

> Write a 365-day devotion book. Accomplished.

> Average one road trip per month. Accomplished.

> Add to our National Park & bucket list. We failed. If we had been able to do our Alaskan trip, we would have added at least 2 National Parks to our list.

> Lose at least 10 lbs. I lost 22 lbs.

> Work out at least 3X per week. Accomplished only occasionally.

> No politics in my Mental Health MON blog. Accomplished, except for one early slip-up.

> Receive a DNA report from Ancestry.com. I failed.

> Cut back on coffee.  Accomplished.

2021 RESOLUTIONS

I know you've been anxiously awaiting, at least since yesterday. my list of 2021 resolutions.

* Go on at least 8 road trips. We'll get a good head start, God willing, with trips planned to Texas & Minnesota in January, a trip to Florida in February, & a trip to California in March.We've also scheduled our family reunion with kids & grand-kids for June. Hopefully, we'll be able to go on our postponed Alaska trip.

* Give up French fries. Pray for me.

* Receive a DNA report from Ancestry. com. I've made & failed this resolution for the last 2 years, so I don't know why I should even attempt it this year.

* Do my physical therapy exercises for my neck at least 3X per week.

* Avoid useless arguments on Facebook, although it will be hard for me to avoiding commenting on pro-abortion posts. No guarantees on that one.

* Add to our National Park & bucket list. If things go as planned, we'll visit the Everglades when we're in Florida, & we'll visit Yosemite when we're in California. If we can go on our Alaska trip, we'll add Denali & Glacier Bay.

* Lose at least 10 lbs.

TRENDING *

* Compliments of the Babylon Bee

" In major deal, the Babylon Bee purchases competing satire site CNN."

" Liberals confused by man giving money without government forcing him to."

SNOW STORM

"A mid-holiday week storm shattered a snowfall record & brought much-needed moisture to the Norfolk area . . . Snowfall began before 4 a.m. TUE . . . Snow continued throughout the morning & midday TUE . . . TUE's system brought a total of .43 inches of precipitation, leaving 7.5" of snow on the ground & shattering the previous snowfall record of 1.8" for De. 29, which was recorded in 1979."  Norfolk Daily News, 12/30

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

"Snake & eggs anyone? For some in FL maybe. Donna Kalil estimates she's eaten a dozen pythons in the last 3 years or so. That's not including the python jerky, says Kalil, a python hunter for South FL Water Management District. 'I eat that several times a week because I take it out with me on python hunts & I eat it out there.' State officials would like to see more people like Kalil putting pythons on the menu--not because of their nutritional value but as another way to to encourage hunting to control their population . . . Python is good in chili--or so Kalil says. She also likes it in stir fry. But her favorite way to eat python is to pressure cook it for 10 or 5 minutes, saute' it with onions & garlic, & add it to pasta & sauce." Omaha World Herald, 1/1/21

"Pandemic feeds demand for backyard chickens. The coronavirus pandemic is coming home to roost in America's backyards. Forced to hunker down at home, more people are setting up coops & raising their own chickens, which provide an earthy hobby, animal companionship & a steady supply of eggs." NDN, 12/31

A PRAYER FOR NEW YEAR'S DAY

"It is on account of Your mercy aloae, O Lord, that I am not consumed, because Your compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Abide with me, O God, throughout the coming year. Be my guide in all my perplexities, my strength in my weakness, my ever-ready help in all my troubles. Forgive me all my sins. O Sabaoth Lord, look down from heaven & in grace behold & visit Your holy Church, which You have chosen for Your own. Preserve for us Your saving Word & Sacraments, that Your vine may send out its boughs from sea to sea & its branches to the uttermost parts of the earth. Look graciously upon our nation & all the nations of the world, & bless them with peace. Grant to all that are in authority wisdom & courage to rule in such a way that we may lead a quiet & peaceful life in all godliness & honesty. To You, almighty Creator & gracious God, I commit this nation, my church, my family & loved ones, & myself. Abide with me. With Your grace & mercy preserve me whole--soul & body--blameless to the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.  Lutheran Book of Prayer

A NEW YEAR'S HYMN *

* "O Rejoice, Ye Christians, Loudly," Sts. 1 & 4, LSB #897

"O rejoice, ye Christians, loudly, For our joy has now begun; Wondrous things our God has done. Tell abroad His goodness proudly, Who our race has honored thus, That He deigns to dwell with us. Joy, O joy, beyond all gladness, Christ has done away with sadness! Hence, all sorrow & repining, For the Sun of Grace is shining!

"Jesus, guard & guide Thy members, Fill them with Thy boundless grace, Hear their prayers in ev'ry place. Fan to flame faith's glowing embers; Grant al Christians, far & near, Holy peace, a glad new year! Joy, O joy, beyond all gladness, Christ has done away with sadness! Hence, all sorrow & repining, For the Sun of Grace is shining!

A CHRISTMAS HYMN *

* "Gentle Mary Laid Her Child," Sts. 1 & 3, LW #57

"Gentle Mary laid her child Lowly in a manger; There He lay, the Undefiled, To the world a stranger. Such a Babe in such a place, Can He be the Savior? Ask the saved of all the race Who have found His favor.

"Gentle Mary laid her child Lowly in a manger; He is still the Undefiled But no more a stranger. Son of God of humble birth, Beautiful the story; Praise His name in all the earth; Hail the King of glory!"