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Showing posts from December, 2016

Best Gift of 2016

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As 2016 begins to fade into a memory,  I wanted to give thanks to our Lord for the best gift my family received this year. This little guy came into our lives on October 2nd, and we are blessed.  ~ On the fourth week of Advent we were accompanied while practicing Christmas songs at church. He looks quite content in his gramma's arms.

Pondered In Her Heart

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But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. Luke 2:19 (NASB)  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart - Alice Havers They have come  from out of the darkness, men of the fields, those who were watching  their cattle and sheep. They share a story, some saw angels, some saw lights. They all heard the song, a melody composed  at the throne of God. Mary knows and has no doubt, for an angel had come to her, God's herald, Gabriel. They have come  out from their monotonous stupor, men of simplicity, those who were bored of days and nights. The angels gave them joy, excitement never before felt. They have come looking to rejoice, celebrating the greatness of a song sung on high. And Mary ponders in her heart the rantings of unscholared men, singing praises for her newborn child. copyright 2016 - Donald P James Jr 

When He Calls Me Father (Prayer of Saint Joseph)

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Saint Joseph with the Infant Jesus by Guido Reni How am I to do this? You said, through your angel, that He would be God with us. But I am only a man, unable to grasp the thoughts You possess. This child in Mary's womb will look to me for guidance. Who am I to instruct Your son? I am a carpenter, not a scholar. My hands are skilled, not my mind. We will travel to the town of Micah's prophecy, to be counted among David's kin. Her time is near. The journey is long and I am frightened that I will be insufficient. How am I to do this? You have asked me to adopt a promise, the hope of all time to come, a covenant so far beyond my imagination. Be with us always on this journey through life and death. Give me the strength to honor the words spoken when He calls me father. copyright 2016 - Donald P James Jr 

Squirrels in the Snow

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I just wanted to share the lyric of a song I wrote back in the early 1990s. One morning, during the Christmas season I watched a couple squirrels scampering through the fresh coating of snow in our back yard. The poem was meant to be lighthearted, but ended up a bit deeper than intended. A friend of mine put music to the words and both my daughters fell in love with the piece. copyright 1992 - Donald P James Jr 

Stars

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Bruno Piglhein - Star of Bethlehem There are stars we simply gaze upon, on cloudless nights. We see shapes and figures in the patterns of heavenly lights, give them names and call their groupings constellations. There are stars which travelers follow, lights in the sky leading the way from one land to another, or across vast seas and oceans. There was one star, rising in a specific place, over a tiny village, over a barn in a field. One star, a comet, maybe or a flight of fancy. One star, lighting the way through the strife of a fragile night. One star calling wise men and shepherds to the humble birth of greatness. copyright 2016 - Donald P James Jr  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0769H9LJH