Sugar Plums and Mangers
December 24, 2010 by Jory · 2 Comments
Photo by jorgelguzman of Webshots.com
What young girl wouldn’t welcome a magical journey through the Land of Snow? Where snowflakes turn into dancing maidens? Where the Snow King and Queen usher us and our handsome Nutcracker Prince into the Land of Sweets, Mother Ginger, and the Sugar Plum Fairy? Most of us relish our once-upon-a-time dreams, especially at this magical time of year. Imagination is a wondrous thing!
Yet sometimes we tend to mix together what’s real and what isn’t. As our kids get older, some of us parents hasten to say things like, “Um… well, yes, honey. You’re right. Santa Claus, elves, and reindeer don’t really fly through the air delivering toys to girls and boys; but the spirit of Santa Claus—the spirit of giving—is very much alive. THAT is what we celebrate!” Other parents, for perfectly valid reasons, choose the less fanciful approach and focus solely on the celebration of Jesus’s birth – not on roly-poly Santas and skinny chimneys and half-drunken glasses of milk.
Whatever our tradition regarding Santa Claus, let’s focus on what truly matters: that God loves us all so much that He sent His one and only Son to dwell among us—and to dwell within us. That is what we celebrate as Christians.
Hear now the voice of Linus, a child created in the imagination of Charles Schultz, as he tells us the true source of our deepest joy. From the Book of Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 8 – 14:
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.”
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MERRY CHRISTMAS, everybody! May we welcome God’s gift to us with open hearts, open souls, and open minds.
With love,
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Releasing Children From Poverty with Mark Hollingsworth
December 2, 2009 by Jory · Leave a Comment
For the past 57 years, Compassion International has been the leading international advocate for children living in conditions described as the poorest of the poor.
Its one-to-one child sponsorship program has been recognized as the best in its field by publications like Smart Money magazine, Consumers Digest, The Wall Street Journal, and the Chicago Tribune. This Christ-centered ministry is now working in 26 countries and has linked over 1.1 million needy kids in developing nations with sponsors who not only provide for their needs, but who also speak directly into their lives.
Radio Marketing Manager Mark Hollingsworth illustrates how children, families, communities, and sponsors are transformed by the relationships created through the efforts of Compassion International. Mark works with Christian musicians such as Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Petra, and Rich Mullins, and he creates partnerships with broadcasters who want to share this dynamic ministry with their listeners.
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Mark Hollingsworth
Mark Hollingsworth has been Radio Marketing Manager for Compassion International since 2001; he served as Manager for Artist Relations for six years before that. He’s not just an employee of this child development ministry, however. He’s been a sponsor for over 30 years and has met most of the children he’s sponsored in the 40+ trips he’s led for Compassion. Mark has traveled to 49 countries and all 50 states and considers himself a citizen of the world looking for ways to best assist the poor in finding workable solutions to their social, economic, and spiritual plight. Mark has also been heavily involved in the entertainment world as an artist manager for Petra, Sixpence None the Richer, Steve Taylor, and Smalltown Poets. Those artists sold millions of albums and won dozens of Grammy and Dove Awards while he served them. Also a recognized journalist, Mark has written for over 25 publications and is currently working on his memoirs about his travels abroad.
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