Category Archives: Illustration

Posted on

Have You Seen the New Night Before Jesus Came?

by

Have You Seen the New Night Before Jesus Came?

“A Visit from St. Nicholas”, more commonly known as “The Night Before Christmas” and “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously in 1823 and later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, who claimed authorship in 1837. Some commentators now believe the poem was written by Henry Livingston Jr. The poem has been called “arguably the best-known verses ever written by an American” and is largely responsible for some of the conceptions of Santa Claus from the mid-nineteenth century to today. It has had a massive impact on the history of Christmas gift-giving.1. Here is a twist on this poem titled ‘Twas the Night Before Jesus Came.’

[Tweet “Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house, Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.”]

What Is the Meaning of the Star in the Christmas Story?

The Boneless Tongue

smiley-vector-illustration-tongue-out_m1bRTb (1)“The boneless tongue, so small and weak,
Can crush and kill,” declares the Greek.
“The tongue destroys a greater horde,”
The Turk asserts, “than does the sword.”
The Persian proverb wisely saith,
“A lengthy tongue–an early death!”
The English takes this form instead,
“Don’t let your tongue cut off your head.”
“The tongue can speak a word whose speed,”
Say the Chinese, “outstrips the steed.”
The Arab wise men say in part,
“The tongue’s great storehouse is the heart.”
From Hebrew was the maxim sprung,
“Thy foot should slip, but not the tongue.”
The sacred writer – the Bible – crowns the whole,
“Who keeps the tongue doth keep his soul.”
— author unknown

Memorizing Entire Books of the Bible

Family-bibleA few years before the war, a humble villager in eastern Poland received a Bible from an evangelist who visited his small hamlet. He read it, was converted, and passed the book on to others. Through that one Bible two hundred more became believers. When the evangelist, Michael Billester, revisited the town in the summer of 1940, the group gathered to worship and listen to his preaching. Billester suggested that instead of giving the customary testimonies they all recite verses of Scripture. Thereupon a man arose and asked, “Perhaps we have misunderstood. Did you mean verses or chapters?” “Do you mean to say there are people here who can recite chapters of the Bible?” asked Mr. Billester in astonishment. That was precisely the case. Those villagers had memorized not only chapters but entire books of the Bible. Thirteen knew Matthew and Luke and half of Genesis. One had committed all the Psalms to memory. Together, the two hundred knew virtually the entire Bible. Passed around from family to family and brought to the gathering on Sundays, the old Book had become so worn with use that its pages were hardly legible.

Gerbil In The Grease

GerbilI was busy working about the kitchen when I noticed Henry, one of our pet gerbils sitting atop a stool next to the counter. A few moments later I heard a splash and then frantic scrabbling. The sound was mystifying. What was its source? Suddenly I knew. Grabbing from the corner of the counter a large tin which I poured used oil into I witnessed a sodden Henry going down for the last time. Fortunately for him I was able to grab his long tail and haul him out. As he huddled in a pitiful mess upon a kitchen towel I gently soaped him up and rinsed him in warm water. As the grease disengaged from his coat he raised his little head, straightened himself up and shook himself off. Henry was restored.The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. Henry fell into the grease because he was somewhere he shouldn’t have been. He did not fall into the oil on purpose. His fall resulted from not knowing better. Sometimes this happens to us as God’s children. We fall. We fall into situations due to ignorance. Other times we fall into situations due to our own rebellious choices. Whatever the case the LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. Today you or I may be in a fallen state we may be bowed down by a situation incurred by our ignorance or perhaps by a rebellious choice. Whichever the case let us remember the LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. Let us lift our hearts and eyes to him who is faithful and allow ourselves to be restored.Prayer: Lord God and Wonderful Father thank you for your loving kindness which endures forever. Restore us this day as we may have need and bless us with a spirit of gratitude toward you, our Father, who loves us so. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen. Lynne Phipps lynnephipps@hotmail.com