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♦ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2007
6A
Walk Through Bethlehem
continues today and tomorrow
From Staff Reports
Shirley Hills Baptist Church on Corder Road in Warner Robins is once more giving a gift of Christmas
joy to the people of Middle Georgia.
The annual “Walk Through Bethlehem,” which attracts thousands each year, is a complete re-creation
of the city of Christ’s birth, with costumed townspeople, including armed Roman Centurions, shopkeep
ers and, of course, Mary and Joseph, who have come there to pay taxes.
You will find the stable and the manger - always with a live “Baby Jesus” cared for by his real par
ents.
The walk, which is open to all at no charge, is a year-round labor of love for the Rev. Andy Cook and
his congregation. It takes about half an hour to complete, and those who are waiting for their turn on
the tour enjoy music and fellowship.
Hours are 4 p.m. through 10 p.m. tonight and Ttomorrow.
To larn more, visit www.shirleyhills.com.
Christmas should be a year-round attitude
“Shut Up!” a young store clerk called
out to another. “Shut
Up! The co-work
er responded. The
unpleasant words
were not angrily
spoken, just a little
cross talk between
two friends, each
attempting to give
the last command.
After the harsh
words were exchanged
three executive times
each. I chimed in with
a “Merry Christmas.”
Earline Cole
Reflections
‘Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus 5
This treasured letter first
appeared in the Chicago
Sun, in sresponse to a letter
from a child named Virginia
O’Hanlon.
Virginia wrote:
“DEAR EDITOR: I am 8
years old.
“Some of my little friends
say there is no Santa Claus.
“Papa says, ‘lf you see it
in THE SUN it’s so.’
“Please tell me the truth;
is there a Santa Claus?
The Editor wrote back:
VIRGINIA, your little
friends are wrong. They have
been affected by the skepti
cism of a skeptical age. They
do not believe except [what]
they see. They think that
nothing can be which is not
comprehensible by their little
minds. All minds, Virginia,
whether they be men’s or
children’s, are little. In this
great universe of ours man
is a mere insect, an ant, in
his intellect, as compared
with the boundless world
about him, as measured by
the intelligence capable of
grasping the whole of truth
and knowledge.
Yes, VIRGINIA, there is
a Santa Claus. He exists as
certainly as love and gener
osity and devotion exist, and
you know that they abound
and give to your life its high
est beauty and joy. Alas! how
dreary would be the world if
there were no Santa Claus.
It would be as dreary as if
there were no VIRGINIAS.
There would be no child
like faith then, no poetry, no
romance to make tolerable
this existence. We should
have no enjoyment, except
in sense and sight. The eter
nal light with which child
hood fills the world would be
extinguished.
Not believe in Santa
Claus! You might as well not
believe in fairies! You might
get your papa to hire men
to watch in all the chimneys
on Christmas Eve to catch
Santa Claus, but even if they
did not see Santa Claus com
ing down, what would that
prove? Nobody sees Santa
Claus, but that is no sign
that there is no Santa Claus.
The most real things in the
world are those that nei
ther children nor men can
This brought another clerk into the
conversation.
“Christmas,” he said with the atti
tude of old Ebenezer Scrooge,” “I’m
tired of Christmas; we’ve been having
Christmas ever since October.
“Tired of Christmas and it’s not
even here, yet?” I asked. Quickly, the
first clerk called my attention to a
major mistake. “Christmas IS here,”
he said. “Christmas is giving and we
can give anytime we want to. We don’t
have to wait until December 25th.”
Convinced that someone started the
tradition for financial gain, the young
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Santa C/aus was a reality for these children at the Perry Volunteer Outreach Christmas
Dinner. All of the children received gifts and enjoyed a turkey dinner.
see. Did you ever see fair
ies dancing on the lawn?
Of course not, but that’s
no proof that they are not
there. Nobody can conceive
or imagine all the wonders
there are unseen and unsee
able in the world.
You may tear apart the
baby’s rattle and see what
makes the noise inside, but
there is a veil covering the
unseen world which not the
strongest man, nor even
the united strength of all
the strongest men that ever
lived, could tear apart. Only
faith, fancy, poetry, love,
romance, can push aside
that curtain and view and
picture the supernal beauty
DAVID OVERTON
JEWELERS
< %j^ >
905 Carroll St.
Perry, GA 31069
478-987-1392
IfIVE
and glory beyond. Is it all
real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all
this world there is nothing
else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank
God! he lives, and he lives
forever. A thousand years
1812 D.S. 41N.
Perry, GA
987-1112
Qt&Ceks
FIoonngAMHHGA
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740 Main Street
Perry G A 31069
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man suggested the date should be
removed from the calendar and every
day be looked upon as Christmas.
Christmas is in the heart. Christmas
is in the mind. The “Merry Christmas”
attitude should be an everyday one. It
should not start in October and end on
December 25.
When the spirit of Christ dwells
within, the spirit of Christmas lives,
the glow o the flickering candle within
the heart’s window will generate the
warmth of His love from one to anoth
er .. . before and after December 25.
“And the work of righteousness shall
be peace, and the effect of righteous-
from now, Virginia, nay, ten
times ten thousand years
from now, he will continue
to make glad the heart of
childhood.
LONGHORN
BUTCHER SHOP
Your hometown butcher Since 1976
1207 Sunset Avt. • Perry Plaza
Perry, GA .11069
Lee Lassiter 478-987-5711
Greer Lassiter
156857
* ’ s
(/PERRY FLORIST
734 Main Street
Perry, Georgia 31069
987-1656
800-516-10041
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in
[5685^
"Let the spirit move you"
Isaiah and John got
a glimpse of heaven
Were a national poll taken of
Billy Powell
Columnist
what do you think it would
be? I would cast my vote
for God’s throne room in
heaven. Two men of the Bible
were allowed a glimpse into
heaven. Isaiah saw the Lord
sitting high upon a throne sur
rounded by a host of sera
phim singing, “Holy, holy,
holy is the Lord of hosts.”
John also witnessed the glo
ries of heaven. The first thing
that John saw was an open
door leading into heaven.
This door is never closed to
those who genuinely seek God,
and is always open to those
who have accepted Christ
as their savior. A voice that
sounded like a trumpet said to
John, “Come up hither.” As
John passed through heaven’s
door, his eyes feasted upon the
majestic sight of God’s throne.
God’s countenance reflected
the scintillating brilliance of
jasper and camelian. These
precious stones, which sparkle
and flash with luminous splen
dor, symbolize the holiness
and glory of God.
Circling above the throne
was a rainbow, which repre
sented God’s everlasting cov
enant with His people. It is a
covenant in which God has no
favorites. His love and mercy
are available to all men
Roundabout the throne
were 24 thrones, and seated
on the thrones were 24 elders,
clad in white garments, with
golden crowns upon their
... What you%re got goingJ
on. Send us ||pur churcfrl
bulletin. andme’ll help.
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jifw 1210 Washington St.
Perry, GA 31065*
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Perry, GA 31069
Complete Car Maintenance
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i|M OF PERRY
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church of your choice
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987-2552
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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
heads. These elders are sym
bolic of the twelve patriarchs
of the Old Testament and the
twelve Apostles of the New
Testament. Their white gar
ments indicate they had been
washed clean by the blood of
Jesus.
Their crowns signify
rewards bestowed upon them
for overcoming the world
and remaining true to God.
Coming from the throne were
flashes of lightening and
peals of thunder, which are
reminiscent of the sensory
and auditory manifestations
of God’s presence at Mount
Sinai where the frightened
Israelites quaked with terror.
Between John and the throne
was a “sea of glass, like crys
tal.” This expanse of sea is fig
urative of the vast and impass
able distance between a holy
God and sinful man.
On each side of the throne
were four living creatures, the
most powerful beings imagin
able. Each had six wings; their
bodies being full of eyes.
The face of the first creature
was a lion, the second a bull,
the third a human, and the
fourth an eagle.
Day and night the crea
tures sing, “Holy, holy, holy,
is the Lord God almighty, who
was, and is and is to come. ”
The scene concludes as the
24 elders fall down to worship
Him who lives forever and
ever.
They cast down their vic
tor’s crowns in homage before
the throne, singing, “Worthy
art thou, our Lord and God, to
receive glory and honor and
power, for thou didst create
all things, and by thy will they
existed and were created.”
Since our bodies, our
souls, our very existence
come from God, should we
not bow down as the elders
did and worship Him too?
God-fear
ing believ
ers on
what . was
considered
the most
stunning
and breath
taking
spectacle
the human
eye could
behold,
Serving Houston County
Perry • Warner Robins
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CB&T
Bank of Middle Georgia
Lms6.
Perry
Drug Comnany
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> ■' " '■ *■■ ' '*•*? '
Ben Bartlett St Hubert Bennett,
Rt (.ISTERED PHARMACISTS
M*st hisiuwMt ActtpttS _
1036 MAC ON RD.» PERRY, GA
[56861^ _
988-1144
56862