Christmas, seeking God, love of God, birth of Christ, new year, animal rights

Poems and Bible Verses
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Critters! Does God give a rip?
New Year
God's Viewpoint
Birth of Christ
My God, what is a heart?
The First Christmas

Critters! Does God give a rip?

His nose is short and scrubby;
His ears hang rather low;
And he always brings the stick back,
No matter how far I throw.

He gets spanked rather often
For things he shouldn't do,
Like lying on beds, and barking,
And chewing up shoes when they're new.

He always wants to be going
Where he isn't supposed to go.
He tracks up the house when it's snowing --
Oh puppy, I love you so!
"My Dog" by Marchette Chute

The friendly cow all red and white,
I love with all my heart;
She gives me cream with all her might,
To eat with apple tart.

She wanders lowing here and there,
And yet she doesn't stray,
All in the pleasant open air,
The pleasant light of day.

And blown by all the winds that pass
And wet with all the showers,
She walks among the meadow grass
And eats the meadow flowers.
"The Cow" by Robert Louis Stevenson

[God said...]
Should I not have compassion on Nineveh,
The great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons...
As well as many animals?

[Jesus said...]
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?
Yet not one of them shall fall on the ground
Without your Father.
Jonah 4.11; Matthew 10.29

[God commanded the human race...]
Have dominion over the fish of the sea,
Over the birds of the air,
And over every living thing
That moves on the earth.
Genesis 1.28b

All things new and wonderful

A New Year
To leave the old with a burst of song;
To recall the right and forgive the wrong;
To forget the things that bind you fast
To the vain regrets of the year that's past;
To have the strength to let go your hold
Of the not-worth-while of the days grown old;
To dare go forth with a purpose true,
To the unknown task of the year that's new;
To help your brother along the road,
To do his work and lift his load;
To add your gift to the world's good cheer,
Is to have and to give a Happy New Year.

A New Forever
If anyone is in Christ,
He is a new creation.
Old things have passed away.
Behold, all things have become new!
2 Cor 5.17

A New Self
Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
Put on the new self,
Which in the likeness of God
Has been created in righteousness
And holiness of the truth.
Eph 4.23-24

God's Viewpoint

Profit? -- Loss?
Who shall declare this "good"-- that "ill?"
When good and ill so intertwine
But to fulfill the vast design
Of an Omniscient Will? --
When seeming gain but turns to loss --
When earthly treasures prove but dross --
And what seemed loss but turns again
To high, eternal gain?

Wisest the man who does his best,
And leaves the rest
To Him who counts not deeds alone,
But sees the root, the flower, the fruit,
And calls them one.
"Profit & Loss" by John Oxenham

Therefore we do not lose heart.
Though outwardly we are wasting away,
Yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

For our light and momentary troubles
Are achieving for us an eternal glory
That far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
But on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary,
But what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4.16-18

Birth of Christ

1- Have you any old grudge you'd like to pay,
Any wrong laid up from a bygone day?
Gather them all now, and lay them away
When Christmas comes.

Hard thoughts are heavy to carry, my friend,
And life is short from beginning to end;
Be kind to yourself -- leave nothing to mend --
When Christmas comes.

2-Then let every heart keep
Christmas within --
Christ's pity for sorrow,
Christ's hatred for sin,
Christ's care for the weakest,
Christ's courage for right.
Everywhere, everywhere,
Christmas tonight!

3-Some folks have replaced the "Christ" in Christmas with an "X." They have done so, not only in the name of the holiday, but also in the place that it holds in their heart.

For such folks as those, Christmas has become "Xmas" -- and it means Xhaustion, Xcuses, Xchanges, Xcesses, Xtravagances, Xasperations, Xhibitions and worldly Xcitement.

How much better to make Christ the very center of your Christmas observance.

Keep Christ in Christmas!

4-There was a gift for each of us left under the tree of life 2,000 years ago by the Father of Him whose birthday we celebrate today.

The gift was withheld from no one. Yet some have left the packages unclaimed.
Some have accepted the gift and carry it around, but have failed to remove the wrappings and look inside to discover the hidden splendor.
The packages are all alike: in each is a scroll on which is written, "All that the Father hath is thine. Take and live!"

And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us,
And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
Full of grace and truth.

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory!
John 1.14, First Timothy 3.16

My God, what is a heart?

I cannot open up my eyes,
But Thou are ready there to catch
My morning-soul and sacrifice:
Then we must needs for that day make a match.

My God, what is a heart?
Silver, or gold, or precious stone,
Or star, or rainbow, or a part
Of all these things, or all of them in one?
My God, what is a heart,
That Thou should it so eye, and woo,
Pouring upon it all Your art,
As if that Thou had nothing else to do?

Indeed, our whole estate
Amounts (and richly) to serve Thee:
We did not heaven and earth create,
Yet praise we them, not Thou by whom they be.
Teach me Thy love to know;
That this new light, which now I see,
May both the work and workman show:
Then by a sunbeam I will climb to Thee.
"Matins" by George Herbert/1593-1633

O LORD, our Lord...
When I consider Your heavens,
The work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
What is man, that You are mindful of him?
And the son of man, that You visit him?

For You have made us a little lower than the angels,
And have crowned us with glory and honor.

You have given us dominion
Over the works of Your hands.
You have put all things under our feet:
All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
And whatsoever passes through the paths of the seas.

O LORD our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
Psalm 8.1a, 8.3-9

The First Christmas

Joseph went up from Galilee,
Out of the city of Nazareth,
Into Judea, to the city of David,
Which is called Bethlehem...
To be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,
Who was with child.

So it was, that while they were there,
The days were completed for her to be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn Son,
And wrapped Him in swaddling cloths,
And laid Him in a manger,
Because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country
Shepherds abiding in the fields,
Keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, Lo, an angel of the Lord stood before them,
And the glory of the Lord shone round about them,
And they were sore afraid.

Then the angel said to them, "Fear not!
For, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy,
Which shall be to all people.

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David
A Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

"And this shall be a sign unto you:
You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths,
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,
Goodwill toward men!"
Luke 2.4a, 2.5-14

NOTE: *Swaddling clothes* are defined HERE

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Birth of Christ
1- Have you any old grudge you'd like to pay, Any wrong laid up from a bygone day? Gather them all now, and lay them away When Christmas comes. Hard thoughts are heavy to carry, my friend, And life is short from beginning to end; Be kind to yourself -- leave nothing to mend -- When Christmas comes.		2-Then let every heart keep Christmas within -- Christ's pity for sorrow, Christ's hatred for sin, Christ's care for the weakest, Christ's courage for right. Everywhere, everywhere, Christmas tonight!
3-Some folks have replaced the "Christ" in Christmas with an "X." They have done so, not only in the name of the holiday, but also in the place that it holds in their heart. For such folks as those, Christmas has become "Xmas" -- and it means Xhaustion, Xcuses, Xchanges, Xcesses, Xtravagances, Xasperations, Xhibitions and worldly Xcitement. How much better to make Christ the very center of your Christmas observance. Keep Christ in Christmas!		4-There was a gift for each of us left under the tree of life 2,000 years ago by the Father of Him whose birthday we celebrate today. The gift was withheld from no one. Yet some have left the packages unclaimed. Some have accepted the gift and carry it around, but have failed to remove the wrappings and look inside to discover the hidden splendor. The packages are all alike: in each is a scroll on which is written, "All that the Father hath is thine. Take and live!"
And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, Full of grace and truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory! John 1.14, First Timothy 3.16