Isaiah 9.6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given...

And He will be called Wonderful Counselor,  

                         Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Merry Christmas, Friends.

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;

Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.

In the bleak midwinter, a stable place sufficed

The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, Whom cherubim, worship night and day,

Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;

Enough for Him, Whom angels fall before,

The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,

Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;

But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,

Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give Him... give my heart.

The song is really beautiful, and her soulful voice moves me every time I hear her croon ‘what can I give Him, poor as I am?’  Really, though, what can we give to the King of Kings?  Pick up a Brookstone or Sharper Image catalog, and you may see a page headed with, “For the man who has everything. . .” followed by gift-giving suggestions, that they can, of course, supply. 

The wise men who brought gifts to Jesus brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh—all valuable, significant, and individually symbolic.  But if we are ‘wise men’ today, we will give Jesus our hearts, our wills, and our loyalty.  This beautiful time of year gives us pause to think of how the Son of God took off his royal robes, and chose to be born in the humblest of settings as a helpless babe . . . so that we might individually ‘gift’ him with ourselves. 

Yes, Lord, you are our Wonderful Counselor,  

                          Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

                                                   What can I give you?  Give you my heart.

Christine