Joy to the world; let earth receive her King!

Well, here we are. It's Christmas Eve, 2024. I was going to go to a service, but I didn't make plans. If Pat were still here, we might have gone over to St. David's together, but I just saw they're having services at 4 and 10. Too late for this bird. I remember people used to go to midnight services on Christmas Eve. Don't remember if I did. I don't want to go long tonight because I just want to watch some movies or read. I have watched three movies already since yesterday.I recommend the one I saw this afternoon: The Adventures of Ociee Nash. It was real good. I watched it on TubiTV. I have a bunch of VHS videos I might watch. A Christmas Carol with Alistair Sim, It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, Prancer, or I might see what else I might find that's free online. Made chicken salad today and have been eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It needs celery but it has grapes and pecans so it's pretty good. And still have choriquezo from El Mezcal from Sunday. It's really good too. God takes real good care of me and has worked on me for many years to get me to the point of being at peace with most of what's going on. He has a way of putting everything to rest. If people don't want you, that's okay. And during the holidays, it is simply no use to get all stressed out about whether you're alone or not. You're never alone if you know the Lord, and that is just the truth. I am beyond arguing about it with anybody. All my loved ones know where I'm coming from and I can't preach to them all the time. I can pray for them and love them. They know what they need to do. At least I trust that God is dealing with them and they are his responsibility. I've done my part, and I'll keep doing it as God directs, but I'm free. I am enjoying freedom with the Lord. I was thinking today about the girl that shot up the school in Madison, how her custody arrangement with her parents was two days with one, three days with the other, alternating every week, and, I assume, taking turns on weekends. That just makes me so sad to think about. No wonder she was wacked in the head. No wonder she needed therapy. No wonder she wanted to kill and wanted to die. I am not surprised at all. I wish people would get this, but they don't. Can you imagine? I wrote this down what it would have been like for me. I'd have to have written it down every week on a calendar or made up a new calendar every month to remind me where I was supposed to be. So, for example, this week Monday and Tuesday with Mom, Wednesday through Friday with Dad, weekend with Mom; next week Monday, Tuesday with Dad, Wednesday through Friday with Mom, weekend with Dad, and go back to Monday and Tuesday with Mom, Wednesday through Friday with Dad, weekend with Mom; next week Monday, Tuesday with Dad, Wednesday through Friday with Mom, weekend with Dad. How awful. My heart is crushed just thinking about it. But millions of kids are living in situations like this and we wonder how someone goes and shoots up a school and then takes their own life. The lawyers who design these custody arrangements all deserve to go to jail for the rest of their life. I'm serious. Well, Santa Claus is coming to town. I haven't seen whether the Santa watch is on. I don't have cable, so I don't know if they're doing it or not. I'm listening to a very nice Christmas piano jazz with a fireplace video in the background. Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. The Bible says, "Do not fret because of evildoers" (Proverbs 24:19) so I won't. I just pray for our USA to return to God so we can be the world leader we have always been, I am thankful for having been born in America and I pray it will always be the land of the free and the home of the brave. I want to please God in everything I do, and when he's letting me relax and enjoy life, I'm going to do that no matter what anyone else is doing. I am tempted to make a comment about politics. I just saw another verse in Proverbs 24. It says, "...Do not associate with those given to change; for their calamity will rise suddenly..." (verse 21-22). These Obama-ites and their successors have been going on about "change" since 2008 when I first moved back to Kansas. Change, change, change, they are going to "change America." I don't know why they think they are supposed to "change America." It just infuriates me. But God says not to fret about them. We should pray for the leaders in government. I really don't want to get on this subject... but I think praying for them might be the best way to go. Instead of complaining about all the evil they are doing. Maybe we should be praying for them to be wise, for God to lead them and show them the error of their ways, things like that. Ask God to save them too, of course. The rest of that passage (Proverbs 24:21-22) says to "fear the Lord and the king...and "who knows the ruin those two can bring?" My notes tell me "those two" are God and the king (or in our case, the president). We do have a Democratic Republic, so we are not entirely governed by just one man, but these verses tell me God instituted government and that leaders have a responsibility given to them by God and "we the people" in America are supposed to elect leaders that represent us, but we have to be righteous people or else everything will just become corrupt and we will end up with totalitarianism. Believers need to be involved in the process, the more, the better. Meanwhile, I am very thankful for Christmas, I am very thankful for salvation and the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life and all Jesus came to do in the world, and I want to be a part of it. It isn't easy, but it is necessary and possible with God. If we choose Jesus we get this life and the life to come. If we reject Jesus, we might have some good things in this life but that's all we will have. I just know that Jesus is the reason for the season. He came, born of a virgin, died for our sins, and rose again and is coming back and he is the only way to go to heaven and I pray for all my friends and family that don't know him yet. You have not yet begun to live if you are still avoiding Jesus. He is being very merciful letting you live (just saying). We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Without him we were all perishing, already judged by the word of the Lord. it's a very evil generation we are living in. "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36). That is God's word, and they are strong words. They're not there for you to argue about. They're there or you to believe and receive and let God save you and give you life now and forever in eternity. So, Christmas morning is the next thing. I pray that you give your life to Jesus right now, if you haven't already, and begin to live in the grace and mercy of God as he intends for you. There is nothing in this world that compares with the abundant life Jesus came to give. So, in all our giving, how about giving your heart to Jesus? Merry Christmas! Glory to God in the highest!Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her King! God bless you and goodnight.