Salute the Happy Morn

Good morning, dear friends! I awoke this morning after a fitful sleep with the words to an old Christmas carol on my mind. I can't recall singing this one for several years so I was pleased that God, by His Spirit, brought it to mind. The words are archaic yet majestic and it was good to read them after doing a Google search to find them. The story behind the carol is worth repeating.

John Byrom had sev­er­al child­ren, but his fav­or­ite was his daugh­ter Dol­ly. In De­cem­ber 1745 after an outing with Dol­ly, he prom­ised to write her some­thing for Christ­mas; it was to be written es­pe­cial­ly for her and no one else. The de­light­ed Dol­ly re­mind­ed her fa­ther of his prom­ise each day as Christ­mas grew near­er. On Christ­mas morn­ing when she ran down to break­fast she found sev­er­al pre­sents await­ing her. Among them was an en­ve­lope ad­dressed to her in her fa­ther's hand­writ­ing. It was the first thing she opened, and to her great de­light, it proved to be this Christ­mas car­ol.

CHRISTIANS AWAKE, SALUTE THE HAPPY MORN

Christians, awake, salute the happy morn

Whereon the Savior of the world was born.

Rise to adore the mystery of love

Which hosts of angels chanted from above,

With them the joyful tidings first begun

Of God incarnate and the virgin’s Son.

Then to the watchful shepherds it was told,

Who heard th’angelic herald’s voice, “Behold,

I bring good tidings of a Savior’s birth

To you and all the nations of the earth;

This day hath God fulfilled His promised Word;

This day is born a Savior, Christ the Lord.”

He spoke; and straightaway the celestial choir

In hymns of joy, unknown before, conspire;

The praises of redeeming love they sang,

And Heav’n’s whole orb with alleluias rang.

God’s highest glory was their anthem still,

Peace on the earth and unto men good will.

To Bethl’hem straight th’enlightened shepherds ran

To see the wonder God had wrought for man

And found, with Joseph and the blessèd maid,

Her Son, the Savior, in a manger laid;

Then to their flocks, still praising God, return,

And their glad hearts with holy rapture burn.

Like Mary let us ponder in our mind

God’s wondrous love in saving lost mankind!

Trace we the Babe, who hath retrieved our loss,

From His poor manger to His bitter cross,

Tread in His steps, assisted by His grace,

Till man’s first heav’nly state again takes place.

Then may we hope, th’angelic hosts among,

To sing, redeemed, a glad triumphal song.

He that was born upon this joyful day

Around us all His glory shall display.

Saved by His love, incessantly we sing

Eternal praise to Heav’n’s almighty King.

I add a resounding AMEN as I close this post!

Have a great day, my friends! Be encouraged as you "think on these things."

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, [a] Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

Babbling Brook

On Christmas day I took a walk in the woods behind our home, down to the creek that runs across the corner of our lot. I hadn't been down there for a couple of months. Usually by this time the snow has made the path impassible but we have no snow and I was able to get down to the creek.

When I got there I saw that I had left our Adirondack chair down there last fall so I sat down and thought deeply for awhile. The sound of the "babbling brook" was music to my ears.

Normally I would be disappointed if we didn't get a White Christmas but not this year. Christmas came and went so quickly! And remember...the days are already getting longer! Hallelujah!

Regardless of the weather, we have a God who care for His own and I have much to thank Him for as we approach the end of another year. It's been a difficult year but the Lord has been faithful and good. He walked with this pilgrim each step of the way even when I wondered what was going to happen next.

I'm reminded afresh of the verse which my Grandma Fisher taught me many years ago:

"The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knoweth them that trust in Him." - Nahum 1:7

Emmanuel Has Come!

Today we celebrate the birthday of the King! Aren't you glad He came? He's coming back again! What a day that will be!

"But until then, with joy I'll go on singing, Until then, with joy I'll carry on; Until the day my eyes behold that city, Until the day, God calls me home."

Have a blessed Christmas dear friends! Be encouraged today! We have eternal life, hope for the future and peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, the King!

Much love in Christ, David

Encouraged? YES!!!

Today I received the 2nd best gift of the Christmas season (the 1st is Jesus, of course). My niece Holly, who many of you have been praying for, came home from Lyndhurst Rehab Hospital in Toronto for the Christmas season.

Our Fisher family Christmas celebration was held at Jim & Karen's home and Holly was taken out their from her parents' home by ambulance. How exciting for her to be home for about 2 weeks! She'll go back to Toronto on January 2nd.

Holly can move her legs and feet now and she can stand briefly but isn't able to take any steps yet.

She told me that being with family today helped to alleviate her pain and that being home was the best Christmas gift she could have.

Thanks so much for your prayers for Holly over the past six months. It's hard to believe that it was the end of June when she was involved in that terrible accident.

I took this picture of Holly today. Please continue to pray! THANK YOU!

Was I encouraged today! You bet I was! This old uncle got teary-eyed several times!

We love you Holly! Thank you Lord for continuing to bring Holly back from her terrible condition after the accident!

Sweet Hush of God

My friend, Pauline Stringer, penned the following words. Recently she shared them at our church and my heart was refreshed. After reciting the words, a loud AMEN was heard in the sanctuary...my expression of agreement. O that we would listen for His voice in the stillness (and in the blur of activity as we rush about).

Thanks, Pauline, for sensing God's sweet hush and writing about it.

Sweet Hush of God

In the stillness
Where I find You
There I know You
And I love You;
In the stillness
Of Your presence
Where I find
My hiding place.

Sweet hush of God,
Sweet hush of God,
Breathe on me now
Sweet hush of God.

In the stillness
I will listen
To Your heartbeat
I surrender.
In the stillness
I will trust You
As You enfold me
In Your love.

Dear friends, please take time to recharge your spiritual and emotional batteries over the Christmas holidays! We can get so frantic in the days before Christmas. We get stressed, short-tempered, impatient and hard to live with. Allow the God of Heaven to enfold you in His arms. Hear His voice as He whispers "peace" to your troubled soul. Rest in Him!

Be encouraged today!

Moving In

A friend sent along this excellent piece of writing. It has profound meaning! Enjoy and rejoice that the God of Heaven would choose to take up residence in our hearts and lives.

Let the stable still astonish:
Straw-dirt floor, dull eyes,
Dusty flanks of donkeys, oxen;
Crumbling, crooked walls;
No bed to carry that pain,
And then, the child,
Rag-wrapped, laid to cry
In a trough.
Who would have chosen this?
Who would have said: "Yes,
Let the God of all the heavens and earth
Be born here, in this place"?
Who but the same God
Who stands in the darker, fouler rooms
of our hearts and says, "Yes,
let the God of Heaven and Earth
be born here-- in this place."

- Leslie Leyland Fields

We marvel that God incarnate would choose a lowly manger to make His entrance to "our world. The greater "astonishment" should be that He would choose to inhabit frail, broken, marred creatures like us. Yet He did, He does and He will. Amazing grace!

Be encouraged today, dear friends! God did not pass us by when looking for a residence for His Son! In spite of the dirty surroundings, He has "moved in" and we will never be the same again!

- David W. Fisher