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“What Does It Mean?” Week 3: Joy.
Joy A source or cause of delight –Merriam-Webster Joy differs from happiness in that it is an emotion. -Wikipedia Is there greater delight than the wonder of Santa, or the glee witnessed as a child unwraps the present they wished for? Can there be a sweeter tear than the touch of a Christmas memory? Yes. Set a part from…
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“What Does It Mean?” Week Two: Emmanuel
Emmanuel 1. Jesus Christ, especially as the Messiah (Matt. 1:23). 2. Immanuel. (dictionary.com) “They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”).” Matthew 1:23 (MSG) Jesus appeased the ardent anticipation of our hearts. The questions have been answered. The gaps have been filled. Hope is available for the world to receive. “Emmanuel” explains how God came for us, is…
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“What Does It Mean” Week One: Noel.
Noel 1. A Christmas carol. 2. (capitalized) Christmas. (Merriam-Webster) Another name for Christmas. French Noël (“Christmas season”), may come from the Old French nael. This, in turn, is derived from the Latin natalis, meaning “birth.” Wikipedia Noel is a word meant to remind us of our place …our heritage …our hope. Replace antagonism with the familiar embrace of faith.…
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The Smiley Faces
“MOMMMMMM-A!!!”cried my wallowing six-year old, accompanied by her trademark stomp of dissatisfaction. “It’s doing MINUSES now …that’s too HARD….” For days, exasperated sighs and incorrect buzzers had drifted from the kitchen counter at breakfast. But every once in a while, I would hear a jubilant yell: “A smiley-face! I got a smiley face! I beat the teacher!…
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The Invisible Fire.
My little girl’s tears streamed onto my cheeks as she hugged me tight. Fearful that in the darkness of night our house would catch on fire, unreasonable emotion gripped her blotchy red face. Her pierced blue eyes searched mine for an answer …for comfort …for reassurance …all of which I was unqualified to promise her. The anxieties we answer…
Sunny&80 