Today is Halloween. That reminds me of my childhood in Missouri, walking in the rain along country roads, where my brothers and sisters and I carried our pillowcases and wore sheets to be ghosts. At other times I was Zorro, or the Wolfman, or Dracula, but the goal was the always same—lots of candy to eat the next day.
After a quick two-hour trip up the road to Columbus, we reunited with dear friends, Rich and Vera, who we can practically call family having lived in the same home for four years, next door for another year, then up the street for four more years. It’s difficult to put all the life we shared together into a few words, but I think the word, “celebrate” sums it up.
1,990. Yes, it’s been 1,990 years since the day of Pentecost in 28 A.D., when the Christian church began. And that’s something to get fired up about!
Memorial Day recognizes those who gave their lives in service to America. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Here is poem to commemorate it.
(Sung to the tune of “Ode to Joy” by Ludwig van Beethoven)
Jesus Christ is our Passover,
Shed his blood and died for you.
Now in him we have forgiveness
By his stripes, our healing too.
Wash the debt of sin and sickness
Hurt and sorrow all away.
We rejoice for he is risen;
He’ll return for us someday!
As we eat the bread that’s broken
Like his body, bringing health;
As we drink the cup of his blood,
Saving grace beyond all wealth.
He has given from the Father
All we need to reign with Him.
Jesus Christ is our Passover,
Healing lord who conquered sin!
For more information on the forgiveness and healing we have through Jesus Christ as our Passover, please click here.
During this time of year, many people think back on Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. They are reminded of his last supper and how he instituted “holy communion” as a memorial of what he would accomplish.
Originally, God set up special days to recognize His goodness to His people. Yet, God has always wanted every day to be a holy day, set apart for Him. That is where we get the modern word “holi-day,” meaning a holy day. The word “holy” in the Bible means to be set apart for another. We are set apart to love and worship our heavenly Father every day! Every day is a holiday.
Gene and I spent our first Christmas Eve together in Melbourne, Australia with several friends. On this warm summer evening at Manya’s apartment, we enjoyed fresh fruit, cold chicken, bread from a local bakery, jasmine tea, and champagne. As we were singing holiday songs, Gene and Terre disappeared for a bit. They returned as…Santa and the Christmas Fairy! Bearing gifts for all!
God, our heavenly Father, has given us so many wonderful things. One thing we can always give back to Him is thankfulness for what He’s done. That is “thanks giving” at its finest. Here are a few places the word “thanksgiving” appears in the King James Version of the Bible.
In Part 1 of this series, we learned that the gospel of John shows Jesus as the Son of God. His genealogy in John calls him “the only begotten of the Father.” We also saw that Jesus often spoke of bringing eternal life as savior.