SEASON'S GREETINGS

This is my little cabin in the Ozark Mountains of south central Missouri.  I call it LITTLETHICKET, partly because that seemed appropriate, and partly just because I just love to say Littlethicket.  Try it! It's not yet winter here, but ya can't tell that from the photo!

Our hearts go out to the people of Malaysia, and all those worldwide who face hardship and deprivation as we approach the close of 2013. I wish you health, happiness and hope in the New Year, and peace and brotherhood throughout the years ahead. May God Bless all the children of the world, and give them hope for a bright and prosperous future. Your sympathetic friend, Shannon

Sincere and heartfelt wishes for a happy, healthy 2014

Shannon

stcasebeer@gmail.com

Happy Holidays to all people of good will, everywhere. Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God, and respect the right of others to walk with theirs. And God Bless us every one.

Hold tight to your faith

Through the darkest hour our brightest hope is faith.

Faith burns most brightly

when all other hopes are spent.

SC

The precious, incomparable gift of Christmas

This time of year we hear many disparaging comments about Christmas.  People despair over its commercialism, the financial strain it tends to create for some, and the anxiety and depression it causes in others. We’re told of its origins in pagan tradition, and how Christmas trees and Christmas gifts and all the traditional trappings of Christmas were swiped from various archaic cultures down through the ages. We’re told by wise and learned experts that it can be conclusively determined that Christ wasn’t even born in December.  What are we to think?  I’ll tell you what I think.  I think that for myself and many others, our memories of Christmas past and our hopes for Christmas future may well be the very essence of what makes our lives worth living. For us, the spirit of Christmas and everything that the true meaning of Christmas represents is a fundamental element in our faith, our happiness, our very existence, and everything we treasure in our lives. It’s our memories of Christmas past that strengthen our resolve to keep Christmas vital and alive, and see to it that children for generations to come can experience the joy we knew on those cherished mornings long ago, when we gathered together with precious souls we miss with all our hearts, and shared the precious, incomparable gift of Christmas. SC

I'm going way out on a limb here, but it's never a mistake to reach out to others.  Would you like to feel better about yourself this Christmas?  Get on your knees, tell God you're sorry and you'll try harder, and then get up and hug somebody, if possible, someone who doesn't deserve a hug. See if that doesn't make you feel better. If you can't find anyone else, hug me. If you can't hug me, at least email me. I'd love to hear from ya.

Merry Christmas

stcasebeer@gmail.com