From Matthew 2:10-12: “When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they knelt down and paid Him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
With lyrics crafted by noted English hymnwriter, William Chatterton Dix, “As with Gladness Men of Old” offers a marvelous image of the Epiphany message. Dix is best-remembered for writing the lyrics to “What Child is This?”
The word of the world; yes it has much to say . . .
. . . You have planning, and shopping, and shopping some more.
Then comes cooking, and wrapping and baking galore.
It’s a hustle and bustle that grows every day.
The snowball grows larger and rolls where it may.
You just can’t stop it, so watch out . . .
GET OUT OF THE WAY!
Watch out:
The word of the Lord, yes it has much to say . . .
. . . Rest your body and spirit, and then rest in me.
There’s a reason and meaning, a meaning to see.
It’s not parties or Santa behind that one day.
Go slowly and stop now, the star leads the way.
Some may have missed it, so watch out . . .
HE SLEPT ON THE HAY!
Such a small gift; so humble and so dear.
Could you possibly give it?
Could you be that bold?
Such a rich gift; so special and so near.
Could you possibly share it?
Could the truth be told?
Watch out:
The word of your life, yes it has much to say . . .
. . . Wrap the gift of the baby who brought us God’s grace.
Give His love to the world and to all you embrace.
Tell the world that this baby grew to be the way.
Go slowly and stop now, to hear Jesus say.
Don’t let them miss it, so watch out . . .
MY CROSS WAS THE WAY!
Watch out:
The word of the world; yes it has much to say . . .
. . . Still the word of your life can be of much more worth.
If you share with the world to celebrate His birth
Tell the world it’s not Santa, but Jesus who says.
Go slowly and stop now at my cross today.
Salvation is there, accept it . . .
I LOVE YOU ALWAYS!
Such a small gift; so humble and so dear.
Could you possibly give it?
Could you be that bold?
Such a rich gift; so special and so near.
Could you possibly share it?
Could the truth be told?
(All photos courtesy of Pinterest.)
This guest poem is written by the real Mrs. Buckeye. My wife, Colleen, is the author, and this poem will be included in her upcoming book, Bits ‘n’ Pieces of My Heart. The book is written for young families, and it will include devotions, poetry, short stories, and activities. She expects to publish it sometime in 2024.
This series of poems (written in the German-inspired style of Elfchen or Elevenie) shares a total of eleven words in each poem, with a sequence by line of one, two, three, four, and one words.
Every day we live is a priceless gift of God, loaded with possibilities to learn something new, to gain fresh insights.
From Isaiah 43:18-19: “Do not remember the former thingsor consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing;now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wildernessand rivers in the desert.”
Dale Evans (1912-2001) was an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She also just happened to be married to one of the most famous of Hollywood cowboys, Roy Rogers.
Christians are to be like rivers, not stagnant lakes. The blessings God gives us are to be shared instead of hoarded.
From 2 Corinthians 9:6-8: “The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not regretfully or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.”
From Luke 2:10-11: “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.'”
From Galatians 5:22-24: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
From Genesis 1:1-5: “When God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”
From 1 John 4:9-12: “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.”
Big Sky Buckeye 