%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R ] /Count 1 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 15 0 R /I2 16 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 17 0 R /GS2 18 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250314073332+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250314073332+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1832 >> stream xWK6ϯJ-)Ԍglk,oDA%xƩ1e_T+ڐO/|8=? lQh^)`%~RRJJ &"j7+~] 4)a7&bo0ލixcF%SPQHj;CˮosZR߮nCWK#/+2 Q{A>>foi0{'>~6=9IHi:~ f4?Y՛s< hP{㽔gz||Gw_\>?=:Ή6T6@_R4RI,Rҥ*KԡJgLRNUeqT2'XY]\LBPmleۂn-=B*GVSVJ0>[( '] &\/\K' %$JjN+#lGv7ΕRm*8lJrI۾BK[%DʌNf* hCo`i]ӉO\NDoG.aJ. {L8Pl|AVbΥhx v!壯s.04 L c)b!ҟYRga*>@Z^!)Cfgg\jb ySK2,E23ʀAX&Bd+̞k 0K[ui8Fm}s(,pXݮa\͑Dxv$$s` G,BuA(vQP]^@uҡ󽄃2N&TU]d>7 K',L9W.〽(6\0Ka(h%p, g%U{} usњ,vJSֲ48 w $g2$2s 9U-lwmg-3U5 zUHL֯QbkcA1o8B夂᝸HVK 6];l`Ѭ݃rB?P{|@!c:>1\^xr^_FRw`M?A/lֻ1=dZ0"{QռᅐwAar|Ҡ[t) i 7H)͊ih=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj xref 0 19 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000408 00000 n 0000000445 00000 n 0000000594 00000 n 0000000697 00000 n 0000002602 00000 n 0000002709 00000 n 0000002817 00000 n 0000002927 00000 n 0000003040 00000 n 0000003151 00000 n 0000003180 00000 n 0000003290 00000 n 0000008865 00000 n 0000009996 00000 n 0000010055 00000 n trailer << /Size 19 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[<86956b55a76b63eb79d8b5961d302921><86956b55a76b63eb79d8b5961d302921>] >> startxref 10114 %%EOF The only things in life really worth having...are the things we give away | Caring Magazine

Vol. #28

Grace Uncovered

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

The only things in life really worth having…are the things we give away

December 25, 2000
2 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

IN GLITTERING TINSEL AS IN HUMAN SENTIMENT IS INDELIBLY
 WRITTEN THIS UNDYING FACT

BY LLOYD DOCTER – 

The first Christmas was a family affair. This was a Christmas scene without trees, without tinsel or red and green lights, without stockings hung hopefully beside a cheerful fireside by laughing children. This was a Christmas scene without the hospitality, the kindness, the friendly remembrance of yule. But because of it, December 25th is now “Merry Christmas” not merely another date on the calendar of events in a year which would have been designated as 6004.

Because of it, civilization turned from east to west–from candlelight to electricity–from camel back to the speed of sound on wings in the heavens.

Because of it, slender spires reach to the sky, deserts blossom like the roses of Jericho and carillons sing Peace on earth, good-will to mankind.

What do you see bright star of eastern heavens? What do you see in the slumbering village of Bethlehem? No white hospital cot with sterile linen–no starched, trim nurses–no surgeons scrubbing up–no trays of silver instruments–no sterile gauze, nor clean cotton, nor willing hands trained to the task.

These you do not see, star of the east over Bethlehem. These good things came because of Him–to ease the pain and travail of millions yet unborn while she who bears Him trembles in the night.

What do you see, O star of Bethlehem? A shameful, sinful, tearful, lonesome world.

You see a stable, too–a dank stone cave that reeks with odors from the beasts that carry men’s load–neglected, dark, cob-webby, leaking barn open to wind and weather on one side–and only clean–the manger–where soft, sweet hay is placed to feed the patient burro and lowing ox. A cradle now for Him destined to bear the burdens of the world forevermore.

And thus, in Bethlehem on Christmas day Jesus of Nazareth was born–the sweetest, kindest Christmas gift this world has yet received–a gift of peace within the hearts of humanity–a formula for peace among the nations of the world.

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like