The 25 Days of Christmas

This is a recap of my 25 Days of Christmas posts, beginning on December first,

Each morning I have been posting a Bible verse and a few thoughts to my Facebook Status. I have really enjoyed doing this and I thought I would share the entire 25 Days with you.
Note: Bible references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

Dec 1

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. 
~Isaiah 7:14

The greatest Christmas gift of all was never placed beneath a tree,
But lay within a manger beneath a star, for all to see!

Dec 2

The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
~Luke 1:30-31

Remember, Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

Dec 3

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

~Galatians 4:4-5

Don't forget, God wants to be a part of your Christmas!

Dec 4

(An) angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

~Matthew 1:20-21

I'm just a sinner saved by grace. What a great gift I've been given!

Dec 5:

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

~Isaiah 9:6

This baby, this GIFT from God, was not your typical child. He was, and is, special. Don't refuse this gift.

Dec 6

Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which translated means, "God with us."

~Matthew 1:22-23

God wants to be "with us" not only at Christmas time, but all through the year.

Dec 7:

While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

~Luke 2:6-7

Could Mary have known this little Baby she held in her arms was the Lord of creation and would one day be the Savior of mankind.

Dec 8:

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;

~Luke 2:10

Even with all the bad news in the world today, there is GOOD NEWS which will bring joy to everyone!

Dec 9

Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

~Luke 2:4-5

Bethlehem ("House of Meat/Bread") was the ancestral home of King David. Jesus, born in Bethlehem, was the Bread of God. He was the "living bread that came down out of heaven." (John 6:51)

Dec 10

"for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

~Luke 2:11-12

Jesus was the FIRST Christmas Gift -- a gift from God. And yes, this Gift was wrapped, with love. When you see the gifts under the tree. Remember, they are wrapped with love.

Dec 11

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

~Luke 2:13-14

As we prepare to celebrate, the birth of our Lord, let us always remember why He came. And as we present our gifts to our friends and all our loved ones, let us offer Him the holy gift of praise.

Dec 12

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
~Romans 6:23

Yes, Jesus was a Gift from God, but the true gift is the salvation we receive when when accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8)

Dec 13

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
~James 1:17

God loves giving gifts all year long, why shouldn't we? Maybe we should have Christmas all year long! I love everything about Christmas. Just think, even Christmas lights declare to glory of God, the Father of lights!

Dec 14

And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

~1 John 5:11-12

Even the best gift, if left unwrapped under the tree, it worthless. Open your heart and accept the gift God has given to you--eternal life through Jesus Christ, His Son. 

Dec 15

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

~Ephesians 2:8-9

Unwrapping a package you bought and wrapped yourself is meaningless. There is no joy or excitement.

There is nothing you can do to earn salvation. You can't buy it, it is the GIFT of God.

Dec 16

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

~Luke 2:15-16

Why were shepherds the first, and one of only two groups of people to visit Jesus as a baby? Shepherds were one of the lowliest occupations, yet the Lord himself was a shepherd (Psalm 23). Jesus said: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." (John 10:11) 

Dec 17
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."

~Matthew 2:1-2

The shepherds (see yesterday) and the maji (or "wise men") were the only two groups of people who visited the baby Jesus. The shepherds believed the what the angels said; the maji believed what the Scriptures said and traveled several hundred miles to worship the newborn King.

We should ALL believe the Word of God. Worship Christ Jesus, not simply as a baby born in Bethlehem, but as King and Lord. (see Romans 14:11)

Dec 18

After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

~Matthew 2:9-10

God promises that if you seek Him, you will find Him. (Deut 4:29, Prov 8:17) No matter what you find under the tree this Christmas, nothing will give you more joy than finding Christ and allowing Him to be the Lord of your life.

Dec 19

So [the shepherds] came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.

~Luke 2:16-17

The shepherds did not keep the good news to themselves and neither should you. Share the joy of Christmas with everyone you meet!

Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.

Dec 20

And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

~Luke 2:18-19

Think about what Mary had gone through: an angel told her she would be the mother of Jesus; a 90 mile trip, at 9 months pregnant, to Bethlehem; giving birth in a stable; a visit from some shepherds. Now, as she watched her baby sleeping in a manger, Mary could DO nothing, but she did TREASURE and PONDER all that had happened.

As we celebrate this Christmas, let us treasure and ponder all that God did for us 2,000 years ago.

TREASURE: 1. to collect and store up (something of value) for future use : hoard; 2. to hold or keep as precious : cherish, prize.
PONDER: 1. to weigh in the mind : appraise; 2. to think about : reflect on.

Dec 21

[Jesus prayed] "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, ... that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

~John 17:1-3

This was the beginning of Jesus' prayer before before being betrayed and crucified.

The only reason Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth was to die for our sins, giving eternal life to all who come to Him. (John 3:16, 6:40; 1 John 5:11; Romans 6:23)

Dec 22

After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

~Matthew 2:11

The maji presented three gifts. The value of gold is obvious, but what about frankincense and myrrh? In ancient times, frankincense and myrrh were commonly used together to relieve postpartum pain and anxiety, lessen postpartum depression, and reduce bleeding after delivery. Whatever was left over could be burned as incense.

The wise men traveled about 800 from Persia to Jerusalem searching for the newborn king. Camels can travel about 20 miles a day, but allowing only 10 miles a day they would have made their journey in about 80 days (or as little as 40 days). The gifts of frankincense and myrrh were very practical gifts for a new mother and her child.

Dec 23

By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.

~John 4:9

When I was young and didn't know what to get as a gift for someone, my parents would say "pick something you would like to receive." Have you ever purchased a gift for someone because it is something you would like to receive? Have you ever received a gift you really like, then turned around and given it to someone else who is less fortunate than you? It can be very hard to give away something the really like, want, need, etc.

God gave us the gift of his Son, his ONLY Son. Why? Because we (mankind) needed Him. We were sinners, and only by sending His Son to die for us could we received the ultimate gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Dec 24 (Christmas Eve!)

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
~2 Corinthians 9:15

I remember singing this song as a child:

Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul.
Thank you, Lord, for making me whole.
Thank you, Lord, for giving to me.
Thy great salvation so rich and free.

There are no words to describe what God has given us. Whether it is friends and family, financial blessings, or even talents, it is impossible to properly express our gratitude in words. "Thank You, God" just doesn't seem enough! When it comes to the gift of His Son, I can only bow on my knees and cry "Holy is the Lord!"

Dec 25 (Christmas Day!)

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
~John 3:16

We celebrate Christmas because God sent His Son, Jesus, as a little baby. But God was actually looking ahead in time to when His Son would died for the sins of the world. God's love for us was so great He was willing to give His Son.

Let us all rejoice this Christmas! Jesus, born of a virgin, died on a cross so we could live with Him forever.

Yours, Mine, and Ours - an 1850 blended family

Starting in 1850, the U. S. Census recorded the names of every person in each household. However, from 1850 to 1870 there was no indication of family relationships (i.e., wife, son, daughter, etc.). Therefore information about family makeup taken from these early census records cannot always be taken at face value.

Look at this example taken from the 1850 census of Long Creek, Carroll County, Arkansas. (Note: Elizabeth, is my 3d great-grandaunt, sister of my 3d great-grandmother, Margaret GOLDEN GRAHAM.)

•  John MAY, age 50 (abt 1800)
• Elizabeth MAY, age 25 (abt 1825)
• Catherine MAY, age 14 (abt 1836)
• John MAY, age 12 (abt 1838)
• Nancy MAY, age 9 (abt 1841)
• Houston MAY, age 7 (abt 1843)
• William MAY, age 3 (abt 1847)
• Martha J MAY, age 0 (abt 1850)

There are two adults and six children, all with the same last name and at first glance it appears to be a “normal” family. But notice Elizabeth is 25 years younger than John, and Catherine is 11 years younger than Elizabeth. Two, of many possibilities, are:

John’s wife may have recently died (note Martha’s age) leaving him to care for the children. Elizabeth may be the oldest child and the next several children between her and Catherine (if any) have either died or married/moved away).

Or, John's first wife died several years ago and he married a much younger Elizabeth who bore some of the younger children.

There are any number of possibilities, however the correct one is:

John’s first wife (name unknown) had Catherine and John (and perhaps more children). His wife died sometime between 1838 and 1846, when John married Elizabeth. However, Elizabeth was the widow of William PHARRIS who died in 1844, leaving Elizabeth with two children: Nancy E PHARRIS, born 1841, and Doctor Houston, born 1843. John and Elizabeth were married in 1846 and had two more children, William in 1847 and Martha Jane in 1850.

If the census taker had correctly recorded the names, there would be no confusion. Chances are he asked for the children's names and assumed they were all John's children.

Moral of this story: Don't rush to create a family where there already are three.