Christmas 2024

 

 

Lord, we give you thanks

For Christmas 2024,

Whether or not we will see another

We do not know.

 

But what we do know is

We’ve come this far by faith

And such faith we now exercise

Is by your grace.

 

A measure you have given

To make us whole

And sufficient every single day

To keep our souls.

 

While some may argue

That Christmas is pagan,

We thank you for Christmas 2024

As we celebrate your Son.

 

 

The Son that you gave

For the whosoever will

And the Son whose shed blood

Is efficacious still.

 

Christmas without Calvary

Is missing the mark

Particularly to all those people

Who are still in the dark.

 

For the light has come

In the person of God’s Son,

The invitation is to you and me

In fact, to everyone.

 

Lord, we give you praise

And you only we adore,

For you are the centre of our joy

And of Christmas 2024.

 

As we therefore reflect

At this time of goodwill,

May he who came at Christmas

Our heart and life fill.

 

 

Lord, we give you thanks

And we give you praise

For Christmas 2024 and beyond

And renewed hope raised.

 

Stewart Russell © December 24, 2024

 

It’s Christmas Day!

 

 

The day we’ve been waiting for

Is finally upon us!

It’s Christmas Day, my friends,

Let’s celebrate Jesus.

 

Remember one and all,

He is the Reason!

The reason for what?

This wonderful Christmas Season.

 

The food, the fun, the fanfare:

All of these are great,

But none so accomplished as

What Jesus did for our sake.

 

From a cradle in Bethlehem,

To a cross at Calvary,

And by his glorious resurrection

He brings hope to you and me.

 

A hope that is as certain

As this today, Christmas Day,

When we celebrate his first advent

In so many wonderful ways.

 

I will be brief today;

Thanks for your time,

In the midst of your celebrations

Keep Jesus on your mind.

 

Thank you for your support

All through this year!

Your comments, my readers,

Brought me much cheer.

 

 

Have a Christ-filled Christmas

With your family and friends,

I will certainly do as much

From my own end.

 

Do not waste a single moment,

The day goes so fast

And before you know it

It is quickly past.

 

Again, thanks for your patronage,

Have a wonderful day!

And do enjoy this Christmas season

In every wholesome way!

 

Stewart Russell © December 25, 2021

 

Thanks

Why are you on my blog?

Reading this I hope,

I thought it was full time

For this thank-you note.

Thanks to every reader

For taking the time

To read these postings

To which I feel assigned.

Many have said,

“Why don’t you write a book?”

But that specific venture

Is not part of my outlook.

I am satisfied to write

As the inspiration comes

And most of it you would notice

Is about God’s Begotten Son.

Every now and again

I may write something light

But that is for laughs

And to make your day bright.

However I’m principally about

One’s soul’s salvation

And the fact that Jesus came

To bring us redemption.

So as you read

Please give attention to your soul

And remember all that is broken

Only Jesus can make whole.

That is the reason he came

And the purpose he died

So that one’s greatest need

In him can be satisfied.

The need of a Saviour

In the person of Jesus Christ

That forgives all our sins

And offers eternal life.

So thank you for reading

Each and every day

But even more than that

Let Jesus have his way.

Stewart Russell © July 2018

My Prayer

Heavenly Father

I give you thanks for this day

I thank you

That I am learning your way

I know not

What this day has in store

But Lord, help me

To trust you even more.

I thank you for

Blessings noticed and unnoticed

For they two combined

Makes an enormous list

I have seen your merciful hand

However I’ve turned

Help me never, Lord

Such great love to spurn.

Teach me to wait

 In patience before you

Cognizant that yours

Is always the better view

Teach me too, Lord

That you are never far

But that you are in us

Wherever we are.

This day Lord,

I ask nothing for myself

For you always

Replenish my shelf

However Lord,

 For those in dire need

I ask that you

Grant them relief with speed.

To the suffering

In hurricane ravaged lands

To them Heavenly Father

Extend your merciful hand

And to all of us at home

In this troubled land

Teach us once more

To follow your righteous plan.

  

For we are blessed

Lord, we know that we are

Though there are some things

Those blessings mar

Like the guns and violence

And the several road deaths

They all combine

To disrupt our night’s rest.

No doubt Lord

All of this happens elsewhere

So for such places

We also pray

That your name would again

Be truly revered

In our homes and communities

And everywhere.

Let this simple prayer

Be the desire of each heart

That perhaps today

Would be that fresh start

Where we would return

To trusting in you

And all ungodly practices

We would eschew.

Just like I began, Lord

I end this prayer with thanks

For all my necessities

That you daily grant

But most of all, Lord,

That I am your child

Help me to walk

Ever close by your side.

Amen and Amen!

Stewart Russell © October 2017