I was looking at our Christmas cards received this year. We only received seven cards this year. I noted that I did not get cards from several friends and family who have sent yearly Christmas cards in past years.
I, too, have reduced the amount of Christmas cards that have sent over recent years. I sent out about 20 cards this year. This year, I tried to write at least a personal note on the card addition of just signing our names.
When I was younger, I remember sending double or triple that amount. Once or twice, I cheated and typed a letter of our year and added it to the envelope, instead of personally writing a paragraph or two on the card. I also remember getting so many Christmas cards that we strung them up on the wall mantle, and later that was reduced to a cute Christmas card holder. In the past five years or so, the cards are so few, that we just lay them on a table.
It is so easy to wish folks a generic Merry Christmas on social media. But it is certainly not as personal as receiving a card that someone took the time to mail especially to me and my husband.
Of course, there is the obligatory Christmas card sometimes sent in response to a card that I mailed to someone, that is usually received after Christmas.
Maybe as we get older, we are forgotten. But we are never forgotten by God.
“For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull or indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.” (Hebrews 6:10-12)
“”The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected – even the children in the third and fourth generations.” “
After reading several commentaries, I think that the Lord is referring to the sins of the parents affecting the generations because these sin are continued down through the generations without repentance. I refer to Exodus 20:5-6, where the Lord says, “You must not bow down to them (idols) or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love on those who love Me and obey My commands.”
My daily Bible study is currently in the Book of Ezekiel. In Chapter 18, The Lord is talking to Ezekiel who was a prophet during the Judean exile in Babylon (Ezekiel 1:1) I am taking excerpts from Chapter 18, please refer to the entire chapter for further reading.
“”Then another message came to me from the Lord: “Why do you you quote this proverb concerning the land of Israel: The parents have eaten sour grapes, bu their children’s mouths pucker at the taste? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you will not quote this proverb anymore in Israel. For all people are Mine to judge- both parents and children alike. And this is My rule: The person who sins is the one who will die.””(Ezekiel 18: 1-4)
From commentary from www.reddit.com, I understood this verse to mean that that the Jews blamed their parents for their captivity and the Lord was telling them to stop saying this because they should express resentment of their ancestors.
The Lord give three examples in this chapter. “Suppose a certain man is righteous and does what is just and right…….. and faithfully does my decrease and regulations. Anyone who does these things is just and will sure live, says the Sovereign Lord.” (vv. 5, 9)
“But suppose that a man has a son who grows up to be a robber or a murderer and refuses to do what is right. And the son does all the evil things his father would never do-…. Should such a sinful person live.” No! He must die and must take full blame.” (vv. 10, 13B)
“But suppose that sinful son, in turn has a son who sees his father’s wickedness and decides against that kind of life….. and obeys My regulations and decrees. Such a person will not die because of his father’s sins; he will surely live. But the father will die for his many sins- for being cruel, robbing people, and doing what is wrong among his people.” (vv. 14,15, 17B, 18)
“”What” you ask, “Doesn’t the child pay for the parent’s sins?” No! For if the child does what is just and right and keeps My decrees, that child will surely live. The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness. But if the wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey My decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done.” (vv 9-22)
“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like the other sinners, should they be allowed to live? NO, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins.” (vv. 22-24)
“Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign Lord. Repent, and turn for your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should your die, O people of Israel? I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!” (vv30-32)
In today’s world, these Scriptures surely apply as well. We should admit that we are sinners, believe that Christ died for our sins, and commit our lives to following Jesus.
(All Scripture taken from the New Living Translation)
I haven’t posted in a while, and for good reason. Somewhere during the first week of December, I caught a cold, or so I thought. The symptoms progressed to sinus congestion, but no fever. I continued my routines with a nasal decongestant and ibuprofen. I still thought nothing of it, until the day of December 14th. I had been working as part-time seasonal help at a local department store. Having standing on my feet for five hours, they began to ache. When I got home, and walked my dogs, the aching persisted. I went to bed early that night because I was so tired. During the night, I developed a sinus headache, and I noted my temperature was 99. I slept until 1:00 pm the next day. The medication helped control my symptoms and I felt better.
A few days after I caught my cold, my husband began with the same symptoms of nasal congestion. He ran no fever, but had a little cough. He started getting more fatigued around December 16th. He had to take naps during the day. He has underlying medical conditions, one of which is low sodium, which has cause confusion and memory loss in the past. While playing his favorite interactive video game, he got confused about how to play the game. This happened on several occasions over the next few days. When I got home from work on December 19th, all the lights were on outside as well as inside the house. My husband was obviously in a confused state of mind. He forgot when I was coming home from work and had been looking for me inside and outside of the house. He was very fatigued and he went to bed. Long story short, I called my son and he came over to help me convince him to go to the ER. I called the EMTs and they checked him out. By that time, he was more in his right mind. He agreed to be take to the local ER.
We got to the ER around 10:30 pm. Chest X-ray and CT scan were normal, the Flu A swab was negative. Lab work showed low sodium and magnesium which necessitated admission to the hospital. It being 1:30 PM and I had a 30-minute drive home and knowing I could not go to the room with him, I left for home. I called him when I got home. He said he was still in the ER and they had tested him for COVID, but the results were not back yet. He called me back around 4:30 AM and said he was finally in a room, and he had tested positive for COVID. I could not believe it.
Shortening the story some more, my husband was discharged home on Monday, December 21st. That night he had a major coughing spell. I made an appointment for him to be seen by one of his providers on Tuesday, December 22nd. Because of his diagnosis of COVID, he had to go to their special Sick Clinic (COVID clinic). Chest X-ray showed mild patchy groundglass and interstitial opacities in both mid to lower lungs, indicating viral COVID pneumonia. He received a shot of Rocephin and Kenalog, and added Vitamin C and Zinc to his medications (he was already on Vitamin D). I told his provider what symptoms I had and she told me that I had already had COVID. I asked her if I need to be tested, and she said no, that wasn’t necessary at this point.
They sent us home, with with home care instructions and ordered home oxygen. We bought a pulse oximeter to measure his blood oxygen levels. He was given breathing exercises and an incentive spirometer. There were four positions he had to sleep in during the night to avoid the pneumonia settling in.
Tuesday and Wednesday nights were rough.He was so weak he had to either us a walker or walking cane to move around My husband had night sweats and I had to change the bed sheets every day. Thursday night was much better. By Friday, Christmas morning, he was beginning to get stronger, no longer needed the walker, but did use the walking stick on occasions. He still is using oxygen.
Obviously, we were unable to spend Christmas with our family. But we were together and because of the multitude of people praying for my husband’s recovery, he has been able to remain at home where I can take care of him. I truly believe he would not have done as well if he had to go to the hospital and be there by himself. His quarantine ends December 30th. I imagine his recovery back to normal will take many weeks.
In light of our COVID Christmas, we cannot forget the real real reason for Christmas. The birth of Jesus, our Savior of the World. Without faith, I could not have had the strength to endure these past few weeks.
” God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” Psalms 46:1
“Therefore, angels are only servants, spirits sent to care for people will will inherit salvation.” Hebrews 1:24
“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
They are like trees planted along a riverbank., with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried about long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?
But I, the Lord searches all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” (Jeremiah 17: 7-10, NLT)
“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advise of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgement. Sinners have no place among the godly.
For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of wicked leads to destruction.” (Psalm 1)
“But God made the earth by His power, and He preserves it by His wisdom. With His own understanding He stretched out the heavens. When He speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He send lightening with the rain and releases the wind from His storehouses.” (Jeremiah 10:12- 13, NLT)
“I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die. Pour out Your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge You – on the peoples that do not call upon Your name. For they have devoured Your people Israel; they have devoured and consumed them, making the land a desolate wilderness.” (Jeremiah 10:23-25)
“The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for Me. I said, “Here I am, here I am!” to a nation that did call on My name. All day long I opened My arms to a rebellious people. But they followed their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes.” (Isaiah 65, 1-2, NLT)
“All who invoke a blessing or take an oath will do so by the God of truth. For I will put aside my anger and forget the evil of earlier days.
Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth and no one will even think about the old ones anymore. Be glad; rejoice forever in My creation! And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a source of joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and delight in My people. And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more.
No longer will babies die when only a a few days old. No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life. No longer will people be considered old at one hundred! Only the cursed will die young! In this days, people will live in the houses they build and eat the fruit of their own vineyards. Unlike the past, invaders will not take their houses and confiscate their vineyards. For My people will live as long as trees, and My chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains. They will not work in vain, and their children will not be doomed to misfortune. For they are people blessed by the Lord, and their children, too, will be blessed. I will answer them before they even call to Me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!
The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. But the snakes will eat dust. In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on My holy mountain. I, the Lord, have spoken.” (Isaiah 66, 16-25, NLT)
“”This is what the Lord says: “Be just and fair to all. Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you and to display My righteousness among you. Blessed are all those who are careful to do this. Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest and keep themselves from doing wrong. “” (Isaiah 561-2, NLT)
“Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.” (Isaiah 57, 1-2, NLT)
“”The high and lofty One who lives in eternity, the Holy One says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.”” (Isaiah 57: 15, NLT)
“”But those who still reject Me are like the restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt. There is no peace for the wicked, “says my God.”” (Isaiah 57, 20-21, NLT)
“No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6, v. 8, NLT)
“The godly people have all disappeared; not one honest person is left on the earth. They are all murders, setting traps even for their own brothers. Both their hands are equally skilled at doing evil! Officials and judges alike demand bribes. The people with influence get what they want, and together they scheme to twist justice. Even the best of them is like a brier; the most honest is a dangerous as a hedge of thorns.
But your judgment day is coming swiftly now. Your time of punishment is here, a time of confusion. Don’t trust anyone- not your best friend or even your wife For the son despises his father. The daughter defiles her mother. The daughter-in-law defiles her mother-in-law. Your enemies are right in your own household!
As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.” (Michael 7:2-7, NLT)
Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise Him from the skies! Praise Him, all His angels! Praise Him, all the armies of heaven!
Praise Him, sun and moon! Praise Him, all your twinkling stars! Praise Him, skies above! Praise Him, vapors high above the clouds!
Let every created think give praise to the Lord, for He issued His command, and they came into being. He set them in place forever and ever. His decree will never be revoked.
Praise the Lord from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey Him, mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all livestock, small scarring animals and birds, kings of the earth and all the people, rulers and judges of the earth, young men and young women, old men and children.
Let them all praise ether name of the Lord. For His name is very great; His glory towers over the earth and heaven!
He has made His people strong, honoring His faithful ones – the people of Israel who are close to Him.
