No More Resolutions

Last year I gave up New Years Resolutions.  Instead I chose to do One Word.  I saw great growth doing this.  So this year I am going to do the same thing.  For more information on my One Word for 2013, please visit my other blog http://thepuresacrifice.blogspot.com/2012/12/one-word-2013.html.

Progress Report

Sorry I have been spending more of my time lately away from the computer with the holidays and all.  But I did want to say that I have not forgotten you.

I am also going to be spending the next few days trying to finish cleaning my room.  My goal is to be finished by January 1st.  I am making great progress.

I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas and that everyone has a Happy New Year.

My Thoughts on Sandy Hook Tragedy

For my thoughts on Sandy Hook, please visit my other blog.  http://thepuresacrifice.blogspot.com/2012/12/one-step-away-from-evil.html

Meaning of the Christmas Tree

Green is the second color of Christmas.  The stately evergreen, with its unchanging color represents the hope of eternal life in Jesus.  It's needles point heavenward as a reminder that mankind's thoughts should turn heavenward as well.

The star was the heavenly sign of promise.  God promised a Savior for the world and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise on the night that Jesus Christ was born.  God always fulfills his promises and, wise men still seek him.

Red is the first color of Christmas.  Red is deep, intense, vivid.  It is the color of the life-giving blood that flows through our veins.  It is the symbol of God's greatest gift.  Christ gave His life and shed His blood for us that we might have eternal life. When we see the color red, it should remind us of the most wonderful gift.

Just as lost sheep are guided to safety by the sound of the bell, it continues to ring today for all to be guided to the fold.

The glow of the candle represents how people can show their thanks for the gift of God's Son that Christmas Eve long ago.

Twinkling lights symbolize, each one representing one of God's precious children, their light shining for all to see.  Let your light so shine before people that all may see it and glorify God.

The Candy cane is a stick of hard white candy: white to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock the foundation of the church, and the firmness of God's promises.  The candy cane is in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth.  It also represents the Good Shepard's crook, which he uses to reach down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.  The original candy cane had three small red stripes, which are the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed, and a large red stripe that represents the shed blood of Jesus, so that we can have the promise of eternal life.

Wreath made of fresh, fragrant greenery tied with a bright red bow.  The bow reminds us of the bond of perfection, which is love.  The wreath embodies all the good things about Christmas for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand.  It contains the colors of red and green and the heaven-turned needles of the evergreen.  The bow tells the story of good will towards all and it's color reminds us of Christ's sacrifice.  Even it's shape is symbolic, representing eternity and the eternal nature of Christ's love.  It is a circle, without beginning and without end.