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♦ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2008
FAITH, FAMILY
When making resolutions, a
trash bag might come in handy
The house I grew
up in had a room
referred to as the
“back room.”
One purpose of the back
room was for storage of
things that were not useful
in other parts of the house.
(Incidentally, I was born in
that room!)
Under beds in the back
room were boxes of val
ued “stuff.” On the closet
shelves were more boxes
containing “stuff” that
Mama considered to be of
value. (I escaped!)
Mama’s baby daughter is
not quite so efficient. I have
a room where things are
stashed out of the way.
My system, however, is
to open the door and toss
things in - close the door
quickly; enter at your own
risk.
Sometimes, I know exact
ly which stack holds the
Walk Through Bethlehem
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ENI/Gary Harmon
Don Yates, Judy Ricks and Barbara Yates explain their brass and candle shop
during the annual Walk Through Bethlehem held at Shirley Hill Baptist Church in
Warner Robins recently.
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ENI/Gary Harmon
Pottery maker Marita Ellixson talks to the people about her pot making as her
helpers, Samantha Rutter, Morgan Blackwith and Katlyn Cochran work with a pot
on the clay wheel.
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Shown is the cross at the end of the walk.
Reflections
Earline
Cole
Columnist
"If we sort out bad
habits from good ones
and discard those we
can get along without,
there will be no need to
give thought to broken
resolutions."
treasure I seek. Sometimes,
finding what I want requires
digging through stack after
stack.
Numerous times, I have
put a trash bag close by and
sorted out things with abso
lutely no value. The sorting
is an ongoing process.
As we reflect on reso
lutions, we might find it
helpful to have a trash bag
available. If we sort out bad
habits from good ones and
discard those we can get
along without, there will be
no need to give thought to
broken resolutions.
The sorting might seem
endless, but considerable
progress will be made.
“Be renewed in the spirit
of your mind. ”
- Ephesians 4:23
I thank (our) God upon
every remembrance of you.
- Philippians 1:3
ENI/Gary Harman
Did wise men meet Dm shepherds?
The typical Christmas
crfeche depicts both
the shepherds and
the wise men at the manger
scene. Since Luke’s gospel
makes no mention of the wise
men attending Jesus’ birth
while Matthew’s account
excludes the shepherds,
the concurrent appearance
of the wise men and the
shepherds at the manger is
highly unlikely.
Luke 2: 8-17 states that
an angel appeared to the
shepherds who were keep
ing watch over their flock
by night. “Be not afraid”,
the angel proclaimed, “for
behold, I bring you good tid
ings of great joy which will
be to all people. For there is
born to you this day in the
city of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord.
“And this will be the
sign to you: You will find a
Babe wrapped in swaddling
clothes, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was
with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host prais
ing God and saying: “Glory
to God in the highest, and
on earth peace, goodwill
toward men!”
After the angels vanished,
the shepherds left with haste
and found Mary and Joseph,
and the Christ Child lying in
a manger.
Matthew 2:1-18 describes
Celebrating family traditions
brings everyone together
QUESTION: My family
lives together under one
roof and we share the
same last name, but we
don’t “feel” like a family.
How can I begin to put a
sense of togetherness into
this harried household?
How do you put mean
ingful activities into your
family?
DR.DOBSON: One way to
accomplish that is by creat
ing traditions in your home.
By traditions, I’m referring
to those recurring events and
behaviors that are anticipat
ed, especially by children, as
times of closeness and fellow
ship between loved ones.
In our family, the center
piece of our holiday traditions
is food. Each year during
Thanksgiving and Christmas,
the women prepare mar
velous turkey dinners with
all the trimmings. Another
great favorite at that time is
a fruit dish called ambrosia,
containing sectioned oranges
and grapes. The family peels
the grapes together the night
before the big day.
These holidays are wonder
ful experiences for all of us.
There’s laughter and warm
family interaction through
the day. We look forward
to that festive season, not
just for the food, but also for
what happens between loved
ones who come together on
that occasion.
We also have designated
foods on the other holidays
throughout the year. On New
Year’s Day, for reasons which
I cannot explain, we enjoy
a southern meal of pinto
beans cooked at least eight
hours with large chunks of
lean ham, served with corn
bread and little onions. It’s
so good!
For many years, we invited
30 or more friends to our
home on July 4 and served
them barbecued hamburg
ers and baked beans. This
became a prelude to the fire
works display, and much fun
and laughter.
There are many other tra
ditions. Immediately prior
to the Thanksgiving dinner,
each person is given two ker
nels of Indian corn to symbol
ize the blessings he or she is
most thankful for that year,
A basket is passed and
members drop in the com
while sharing their two rich
est blessings from God dur
ing that year. Our expres
sions of thankfulness inevita
bly involve people -- children,
grandparents and other loved
ones. As the basket moves
Parables to Ponder
Billy
Powell
Columnist
www.blllypowellbooks.com
the wise men who came from
the East. From the land of
Babylon (modern day Iran),
they had seen the star over
Israel heralding the birth of
a king.
Not only were they astrol
ogers but evidentially they
were Old Testament schol
ars, who were knowledge
able of Messianic prophecies
such as Daniel’s timelines
regarding the Messiah’s
birth.
After the star appeared,
they traveled to Jerusalem
to inquire: “Where is He
who has been bom King of
the Jews? For we have seen
His star in the East and have
come to worship Him.” A dis
turbed King Herod gathered
the chief priests arid scribes
to inquire where the king
would be bom. “Bethlehem”
they replied, citing Micah’s
prophecy.
Resentful of another king,
Herod asked the wise men
when the star first appeared
Focus on the Family
Dr.
James
Dobson
Columnist
around the table, tears of
appreciation and love are evi
dent on many faces.
It is one of the most beauti
ful moments of the year.
The great value of tra
ditions is that they give a
family sense of identity and
belonging. All of us desper
ately need to feel that we’re
not just part of a busy cluster
of people living together in
a house, but we’re a living,
breathing family that’s con
scious of our uniqueness, our
character and our heritage.
That feeling is the only
antidote for the loneliness
and isolation that character
ize so many homes today.
QUESTION: I get very
upset because my two
year-old boy will not
sit still and be quiet in
church. He knows he’s
not supposed to be noisy,
but he hits his toys on the
pew and sometimes talks
out loud.
Should I reprimand him
for being disruptive?
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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
"Let the spirit move you"
and dispatched them to
Bethlehem to locate the
young child. After the wise
men departed, “the star
which they had seen in the
East went before them, till it
came and stood over where
the young Child was. And
when they had come into the
house, they saw the young
Child with Mary His mother,
and fell down and worshiped
Him. And when they had
opened their treasures, they
presented gifts to Him: gold,
frankincense, and myrrh.”
Warned in a dream, the
wise men returned not to
Herod as he had requested,
but departed to their own
land. Based on the testimo
ny the wise men gave, Herod
reckoned that they first saw
the “Star of BethlehemO
within two years before
their arrival in Jerusalem.
Consequently, Herod put to
death all the male children
in Bethlehem two years old
and under.
In summary, the wise men
cqjne not to a manger, but
to a house. This would place
the age of Jesus around 2.
According to tradition,
the names of the wise men
were Gaspar, Melchior, and
Balthazar. On Jan. 6, we
observe the Christian festi
val of Epiphany, which marks
the visit of the wise men to
celebrate Jesus’ birth.
DOBSON: With all respect,
your question reveals a rath
er poor understanding of the
nature of toddlers. Most two
year-olds, those who are nor
mally active, can no more fold
their hands in church and lis
ten to a sermon intended for
adults than they could swim
the Atlantic Ocean.
They squirm, chum and
burn because they must.
You just can’t hold a toddler
down. All their waking hours
are spent in activity, and
that’s normal for this stage
of development. So I do not
recommend that your child
be punished for this behav
ior. I think he should be left
in the church nursery where
he can shake the foundations
without disturbing the wor
ship service. I
f there is no nursery, I sug
gest - if it is possible from a
financial point of view - that
he be left at home with a sit
ter until he is at least three
years of age.
Dr. Dobson is founder and
chairman of the board of the
nonprofit organization Focus
on the Family, Colorado
Springs, CO 80995(www.
family.org). Questions
and answers are excerpted
f)om “Solid Answers” and
‘Bringing Up Boys,” both
published by Tyndale House.
1812 U.S. 41N.
Perry, GA
987-1112
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