Happy Friday

He Leads us to Safety
(Author Unknown)

One Christmas Eve, many years ago, Grandma and Grandpa were babysitting their grandchildren. One special event each Christmas Eve was to attend the services at the town church. This Christmas Eve, Grandpa would have nothing to do with the special services. He said to his wife, "You take the grandchildren to the services, I can't be bothered...I don't believe that this God could become a little baby..why would He want to become one of us?" And so the grandmother took the children off to the services, leaving Grandfather to stay home by himself.

While Grandfather read the newspaper alone in the living room, he heard a loud noise coming from the kitchen. He hurried to into the room to see what was making all the noise. To his surprise, he saw three little sparrows, each trying to fly into the house through the glass kitchen window.

"The poor little birds will die," he said, as the storm outside got worse. "What can I do to save these little ones?" he thought. "I know what I will do! I'll go outside and turn on the light in the back shed."

And so, he put on his boots, his coat and hat and went outside in the cold wind to turn on the light in the shed. But to his surprise the birds would not go into the barn. "What will I do now?" he said. "Ahh, I know! I'll get the bird seed and make a trail of seed to the barn so that the birds will eat their way to safety."

And so he spread the bird seed. But they would not go. He thought again. "What would get those birds into the barn? I know! I'll shoo them in! They will be afraid of me and I'll chase them into the barn." He tried to shoo them, but they fluttered about and still would not go into the barn.

In frustration he fell to the ground and pounded the snow with his fists and said, "If only I could become a little bird, one of them, I could lead them and show them the way to safety so that they would not die."

Just then, the bells sounded at the church in the town square, and at that moment, Grandfather understood why God would want to become one of us, in Jesus. He became one of us to lead us to safety.

Christmas in Heaven

I've had my first Christmas in Heaven
A Glorious, wonderful day.
I stood with the saints of the ages,
who found Christ the Truth and the Way.

I sang with the Heavenly Choir:
Just think: I who longed so to sing!
And oh, what celestial music
we brought to our Savior and King!

We sang the glad songs of redemption,
How Jesus to Bethlehem came,
And how they called His name Jesus,
That all might be saved through His name.

We sang once again with the angels,
The song that they sang that blest morn,
When shepherds first heard the glad story
That Jesus, the Savior, was born.

Oh, how I wish you had been there:
No Christmas on earth could compare
With all the rapture and glory
We witnessed in Heaven so fair.

You know how I always loved Christmas;
It seemed such a wonderful day,
With all of my loved ones around me
The children so happy and gay.

Yes, now I can see why I loved it:
And oh, what a joy it will be
When you and my loved ones are with me:
To share in the glories I see.

So dear ones on earth, here's my greeting:
Look up till the day dawn appears,
And oh, what a Christmas awaits us,
Beyond all our parting and tears.