Keep the 'Christ' in Christmas

Luke 2
The Birth of Jesus
 1And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
 2(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
 3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
 5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
 6And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
 7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.


The Shepherds and the Angels
 8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
 9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
 10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
 12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
 14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
(King James Version)

My prayers are that the world will remember the true meaning behind Christmas. Although there is much controvesy over the timing and details of the holiday 'Christmas' (Christ mass) is a time to thank God for sending His son for our Salvation.


Peace and Joy,
Faith Draper aka byfaithonly

My Site By Faith Only.com
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No more Christmas Articles this Year

I was hoping to publish at least two more Christmas articles but got sidetracked today. I ended up not researching for Christmas in countries around the world. Rather I have a mile long list (and research already done for several) articles that will come after the Holidays.   I plan to do a lot of traveling this coming year - not physically but in my imagination. I look forward to taking you with me on my journey around the world. You will also get the chance to meet many of my ancestors as we visit the lands where my family began.     We will be visiting castles, farms, major cities, and small villages in England , France , Germany , among many others. You will get the chance to meet Kings and Queens , Native Americans, world travelers, and even a few authors along the way.   If I don't get the chance to chat with you before, I'm wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Please keep the 'Christ' in Christmas and stay safe. Peace and Joy, Faith Draper aka byfaithonly   My Site By Faith Only.com My Profile Associated Content Follow Me on Twitter

Work :(

Just throwing this out to see what others think. I remember when my kids were in school. There were a couple over the years (out of 4, 3 did not like school). Because of their dislike for setting in a classroom they did tend to 'skip school'. The punishment never made since to me - suspend them from school. Is this not rewarding them for the behavior the school was trying to break them of?   So how does this relate to work? I for one am thankful to have a job in an economy where there are thousands unemployed. The fact however is I hate the work I do and while for financial reasons I drag myself to work most days I would much rather be doing anything else.   Today for the second day in a row I along with many others was sent home early because work was slow. Yippee - my pay check will suffer but I can't say I am broken hearted at this time. How did they select who would go home? First the employees with the best attendance record were asked if they wanted to go. A few of these people did leave. Next they sent home the ones with the worst attendance... Yes, just like school they rewarded the ones with poor attendance by giving them what they wanted - to be any place but at work.   Granted there are people such as myself who's attendance was effected by health problems - sick with the flu I did not go to work. One co-worker had a heart attach a few months ago but missed work because of that and is now at the bottom of the list and was sent home. This is NOT right but I still thought it funny that a large number of people were sent home because they have too much fun on the weekend and can't manage to make it to work on Monday. Another group just doesn't care and tend to show up late or go home early for made up reasons.   My advice, if you are working from home do not let yourself fall into the group of people who gets sent home. No matter what job you are doing keep at it. Set a regular work schedule for yourself and stick to it. If not you could 'get sent home' or worse back to the work force that has no choice in the hours you work. Peace and Joy, Faith Draper aka byfaithonly   My Site By Faith Only.com My Profile Associated Content Follow Me on Twitter

Support Our Troops One Mother's Story Across the nation we see and hear "Support Our Troops." While searching the Internet you will find thousands of results for groups, organizations, and individuals offering support for our troops or ways we can Support Our Troops. By Faith Draper  |  Published 11/9/2009 Peace and Joy, Faith Draper aka byfaithonly   My Site By Faith Only.com My Profile Associated Content Follow Me on Twitter

Accomplishments

This has been one of those weekends that I've felt like I didn't accomplish a single thing yet when I look back I see I managed much more than I thought.   The first was a new web page for byfaithonly.com something I've been meaning to do for months. Since writing for AC and playing/promoting on Twitter I tend to neglect the site. I do need to devote more of my time and effort there.   Two grand kids here for half the weekend - they helped Grandma make taco salad (their job was ripping up the lettuce - they had great fun doing the task). They built a fort under my desk out of blankets and pillows off the sofa. And grandson provided not only an idea for another story for Associated Content but even contributed to the story.   I published yet another article in the 'Christmas in ....' series which I almost didn't think I was going to manage with the Grand kids here but kicked it out after they left - for going the nap I really wanted.   The final accomplishment for the weekend was finally deciding what to do about Examiner.com For several months now have had people telling me (other writers) that I should write for them but have not been able to find my 'niche'. Not only did I find a topic I will enjoy writing but made the decision (goal) of writing ahead at least 15 articles on that topic. Once I apply to Examiner if they don't accept me I can always publish them on Associated Content so my efforts won't be wasted either way.   So, a weekend that I though was a total waste turned out to be very productive. Often things look different when we look at them from a different angle. Peace and Joy, Faith Draper aka byfaithonly   My Site By Faith Only.com My Profile Associated Content Follow Me on Twitter

Sleigh Bells Ringing Sleigh bells were ringing in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve. Was I losing my mind? By Faith Draper  |  Published 11/22/2009   Peace and Joy, Faith Draper aka byfaithonly   My Site By Faith Only.com My Profile Associated Content Follow Me on Twitter

Candles, Candles, and more Candles

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For the Sports Man or Woman

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The LORD is My Rock My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2 (KJV) I wasn't sure why I filmed this video but as I was watching it today this Bible verse kept going through my mind. While the water moves around this rock the rock remains unmoving, steady and strong. Now I know why - a gentle reminder to myself! This rock in a small stream was filmed at Minard's Mill in Southern Michigan one windy day! By Faith Draper  |  Published 11/11/2009 Peace and Joy, Faith Draper aka byfaithonly   My Site By Faith Only.com My Profile Associated Content Follow Me on Twitter

Christmas Articles on Associated Content

Christmas in Greenland
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The Holiday Season at a Call Center
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Christmas in Our Town
Christmas in Jackson Michigan, our town, I'm sure is very much like Christmas in thousands of other towns around the world. City streets lined with decorations; trees, candy canes Santa Clauses, and angels.
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Christmas in San Antonio
My most memorable Christmas continues to be the year I found myself a single mother of two young boys, two and four years old. We were living in West Texas at the time, over 14,000 miles from my parents and siblings.
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Christmas in Ireland
Christmas in Ireland includes the hanging of holly, candles in the windows, and whitewashing the house are a few Christmas traditions involved in celebrating Christmas in Ireland that go back to early years in Ireland.
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Favorite Christmas Movies
My personal favorite Christmas movies for 2009 are A Christmas Miracle, Christmas in Canaan, The Christmas Shoes, The Note, and Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
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Two Letters to Santa Don't write something if you don't want others to read it. You never know when it's going to come back to haunt you! By Faith Draper  |  Published 11/15/2009 Peace and Joy, Faith Draper aka byfaithonly My Site By Faith Only.com My Profile Associated Content Follow Me on Twitter

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