{"id":23210,"date":"2014-12-07T00:15:58","date_gmt":"2014-12-07T05:15:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=23210"},"modified":"2014-12-06T19:28:48","modified_gmt":"2014-12-07T00:28:48","slug":"christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2014\/12\/07\/christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"This Is Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/phssChristmasgraphic2014.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23090\" src=\"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/phssChristmasgraphic2014.jpg\" alt=\"phssChristmasgraphic2014\" width=\"560\" height=\"280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/phssChristmasgraphic2014.jpg 560w, https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/phssChristmasgraphic2014-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Do you find it hard to sleep tonight<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> Resting by the Christmas lights<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> Could there be something you forgot<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Beyond the bows and mistletoe<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> The tree with presents wrapped below<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> There&#8217;s more to this than you had ever thought<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> Have we lost the reason that we celebrate each year<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em><span style=\"color: #800000;\">What is Christmas<\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #800000;\"> If there never was a Savior wrapped in a manger<\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #800000;\"> What is Christmas without Christ<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Remember how the story goes<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> God&#8217;s Gift was wrapped in swaddling clothes<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> Beneath the star, one great and holy night<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\">The shepherds heard the angels sing<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> The wise man brought an offering<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> Peace on earth began in Bethlehem<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> Have we lost the reason that we celebrate each year<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em><span style=\"color: #800000;\">What is Christmas<\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #800000;\"> If there never was a Savior wrapped in a manger<\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #800000;\"> If the angels never sang<\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #800000;\"> Glory to the newborn King<\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #800000;\"> What is Christmas without Christ<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\">There&#8217;d be no Gloria in excelsis deo<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> Gloria in excelsis deo<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\">What is Christmas<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> (Joy to the world)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> If there never was a Savior wrapped in a manger<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> (Joy to the world)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> What is Christmas without Christ<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\">This is Christmas<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> It&#8217;s all about the Savior wrapped in a manger<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> (Joy to the world)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> This is Christmas because of Jesus Christ<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\">(Gloria)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> This is Christmas<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> (In excelsis deo)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> Because of Christ<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> (In excelsis deo)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> Because of Christ<\/span><\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/20HoJZecNqM?rel=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/center><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">written by Jon Micah Sumrall and Dave Lubben ~ performed by Kutless<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">* \u00a0\u00a0\u2665 \u00a0~ \u00a0\u271d \u00a0~ \u00a0\u2605\u00a0 \u00a0 *<\/span><\/h4>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>&#8216;mas,&#8217;<\/em>\u00a0&#8230;that&#8217;s what <span style=\"color: #800000;\">Christmas<\/span> is <em>without<\/em>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #800000;\">CHRIST<\/span>.<\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">In reality, I would say &#8216;<em><strong>mess,&#8217;<\/strong><\/em> really. \u00a0Yes, there are gorgeous trees&#8230;decorated in colorful ornaments&#8230;and gifts, too. \u00a0Cookies and treats would still be made,and turkey and trimmings still would be served. \u00a0But what would it all mean? \u00a0And when all was taken down and put back into boxes, and the food all stored away and life went back to the way it was, how empty it would be. \u00a0Of course you would still have the presents and such, but that thrill only lasts for a short while. \u00a0We need <span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong><em>THE\u00a0<\/em>Gift<\/strong> <\/span>that fulfills forever&#8230;.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u201cToday in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, He is Christ the Lord.<br \/>\nThis will be a sign unto you: you will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.&#8221;<br \/>\nSuddenly a great company of the Heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and<br \/>\nsaying,&#8221;Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.&#8221;<br \/>\nLuke 2:11-14<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong><em>THE\u00a0<\/em>Gift.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 He came the same way that you and I did. \u00a0His precious mom and dad beamed with pride and joy. \u00a0I&#8217;m sure they held Him and sang to Him and kissed His sweet head. \u00a0They didn&#8217;t need anything else that night. \u00a0And today&#8230;we don&#8217;t either. \u00a0As we decorate our houses and light the tree, we remember the reason for it all&#8212;<em><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Jesus<\/span><\/strong><\/em>. He came wrapped in a manger, for you and I. \u00a0And He became a man and experienced all that we have.<\/p>\n<p>Let us not forget. \u00a0For without Christ, there really wouldn&#8217;t be any glory. \u00a0There wouldn&#8217;t be any joy to the world or angels singing for all to hear. \u00a0But because He is the Savior, we will still be filled with Him, even when Christmas is over. Even when we take it all down, we look up to Him Who loves us and will come back for us to live with Him forever. \u00a0Isn&#8217;t that really the only gift we ever need?<\/p>\n<p>And, thanks to God the Father, <em>there will <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">never<\/span> be a Christmas without Jesus<\/em>. \u00a0It is all about a Savior, it is all about Him wrapped in a manger, and it always will be!<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">* \u00a0\u00a0\u2665 \u00a0~ \u00a0\u271d \u00a0~ \u00a0\u2605\u00a0 \u00a0 *<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><em>Let us pray<\/em>: Oh Heavenly Father, You are so amazing and awesome and always giving. You love and love and give grace and forgiveness for free. \u00a0You have so much patience with us, I am amazed. \u00a0Lord, thank You for sending the ultimate Gift, wrapped in swaddling clothes, placed in the manger to save us from certain death. \u00a0That is the whole reason we celebrate Christmas. I pray for those who have moved away from You. \u00a0May they be reminded this season about the Baby that came to save the world. We can never thank You enough so we pray to live our thanks to You by spreading hope to this hurting world and by blessing because we have been blessed! \u00a0We pray all these things in Jesus&#8217; name, amen!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you find it hard to sleep tonight Resting by the Christmas lights Could there be something you forgot Beyond the bows and mistletoe The tree with presents wrapped below There&#8217;s more to this than you had ever thought Have we lost the reason that we celebrate each year What is Christmas If there never [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":23090,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4937],"tags":[4663,7938,1287,425,4639,589,7939,7919,7941,4932,1062,7940],"class_list":["post-23210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psalms-hymns-and-spiritual-songs","tag-christmas-carols","tag-christmas-songs-of-praise","tag-gch","tag-girlfriends-coffee-hour","tag-jesus-birth","tag-kim-spring","tag-kutlass","tag-luke-2","tag-meaning-of-christmas","tag-psalms-hymns-spiritual-songs","tag-the-gift","tag-this-is-christmas","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/phssChristmasgraphic2014.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p39pHp-62m","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23210"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23210\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23220,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23210\/revisions\/23220"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}