I Take off the MASK!

For I know the thoughts that I think towards you,” says the LORD, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. – 2 Corinthians 5:17, WEB-BE

“Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away… Behold, I am making all things new.” – Revelations 21:3-5, WEB-BE

“Don’t remember the former things,
and don’t consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing.
It springs out now.
Don’t you know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert.
-Isaiah 43:18-19, WEB-BE

“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets. – Acts 3:19-21, WEB-BE

“Behold, the days come,” says the LORD,
“that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel,
and with the house of Judah:
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt;
which covenant of mine they broke,
although I was a husband to them,” says the LORD.
“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,”
says the LORD:
I will put my law in their inward parts,
and I will write it in their heart.
I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
They will no longer each teach his neighbour,
and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD;’
for they will all know me,
from their least to their greatest,” says the LORD:
“for I will forgive their iniquity,
and I will remember their sin no more.”
-Jeremiah 31:31-34, WEB-BE

It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed,
because his compassion doesn’t fail.
They are new every morning.
Great is your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul.
“Therefore I will hope in him.”
-Lamentations 3:22-24, WEB-BE

…put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit; and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth. – Ephesians 4:22-24, WEB-BE

Even the youths faint and get weary,
and the young men utterly fall;
But those who wait for the LORD will renew their strength.
They will mount up with wings like eagles.
They will run, and not be weary.
They will walk, and not faint.
-Isaiah 40:30-31, WEB-BE

But to you who fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings. – Malachi 4:2, WEB-BE

I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. – Ezekiel 36:26, WEB-BE

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. – 1 Peter 1:3-5

“Don’t be afraid; for you will not be ashamed.
Don’t be confounded; for you will not be disappointed.
For you will forget the shame of your youth;
and the reproach of your widowhood you shall remember no more.
For your Maker is your husband; the LORD of Armies is his name.
-Isaiah 54:4-5, WEB-BE

“You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted,
behold, I will set your stones in beautiful colours,
and lay your foundations with sapphires.
I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
your gates of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.
-Isaiah 54:11-12, WEB-BE

For last year’s words belong to last year’s language
And next year’s words await another voice.
– T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets

The year is about to end. Put away your worries, put away your regrets. You can only carry so much with you, why not allow your many burdens to fall? Let them fall away one by one.

Forgive yourself, and forgive those who have hurt you. Not that you don’t believe in justice, but that it is no longer just to bind yourself to your hurts. Let God impose the justice you so deserve.

Let go of your anger. It does nothing to heal you, but robs you of your job.

Let go of envy. You don’t have to compare what you have with what others have. God has made you unique and special and He will provide for everything you need to live a blessed life.

Let go of greed if there is any. It takes you away from things that can truly make you satisfied.

Let go of insecurity and pride. It’s such a heavy burden to bear and gives you nothing back.

Be free. Start anew and let go of everything else that has wounded you.

You can find peace again. You can be whole and pure and strong.

Let go of all the things that hinder you from receiving the gifts God wants you to have – hope, faith, happiness and love.

I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. – Ezekiel 36:26, WEB-BE

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. – Isaiah 7:14, WEB

The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and give birth to a son, and will call his name ‘Jesus.’ He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High.” – Luke 1:30-32, WEB

“The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God. – Luke 1:35, WEB

“Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She shall give birth to a son. You shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:20-21, WEB

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child,
and shall give birth to a son.
They shall call his name Immanuel”;
which is, being interpreted, “God with us.”
-Matthew 1:23, WEB

The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.” Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest,on earth peace, good will towards men.”
-Luke 2:10-14, WEB-BE

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who lived in the land of the shadow of death, on them the light has shined… For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:2,6 WEB-BE

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
being small amongst the clans of Judah,
out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel;
whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.
-Micah 5:2, WEB-BE

A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse,
and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit.
the LORD’s Spirit will rest on him:
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
-Isaiah 11:1-2, WEB-BE

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. – Matthew 2:10-11, WEB-BE

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. – John 3:16, WEB-BE

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh, and lived amongst us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:1,14 WEB-BE

Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord.
My spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour,
for he has looked at the humble state of his servant.
For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.”
-Luke 1:46-48, WEB-BE

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.” – Matthew 2:1-2, WEB-BE

“Now you are releasing your servant, Master,
according to your word, in peace;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared before the face of all peoples;
a light for revelation to the nations,
and the glory of your people Israel.
…Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against. Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” – Luke 2:29-35, WEB-BE

It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas when its mighty Founder was a child Himself. -Charles Dickens

I’m going to tell you a secret: we don’t really grow old, we just pretend we’re no longer like little children!

I’m not certain what has happened through the years that made us choose to grow old. Old and tired and afraid. In fact, we grew so old we could no longer remember how we were as children.

As little children we were so full of life and joy. Our eyes were filled with wonder! Our hearts beat with hope.

Who could have stopped us from peeking to find out whether Santa Claus was real? Who could have dared to tell us Christmas won’t be there anymore?

We used to look forward to Christmas. We used to believe in Christmas.

And it’s not just the gifts we wanted. Not just the good food or the new clothes to wear. Somewhere deep within our hearts, we felt that kind of joy which Christmas has brought us. We felt its warmth. We felt its wonder.

And if we could only cast away our fears, we can feel that wonder again. We can be like little children again who’s not afraid to play or to open presents. We can be as children who can truly celebrate Christmas in our hearts!

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child,
and shall give birth to a son.
They shall call his name Immanuel”;
which is, being interpreted, “God with us.”
-Matthew 1:23, WEB

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.– Laura Ingalls Wilder

Joy is the true gift of Christmas, not the expensive gifts that call for time and money….Let us pray that this presence of the liberating joy of God shines forth in our lives.-Pope Benedict XVI

A Christmas candle is a lovely thing;
It makes no noise at all,
But softly gives itself away.
-Eva Logue

My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that? – Bob Hope

Christmas is sights, especially the sights of Christmas reflected in the eyes of a child.- William Saroyan

The only real blind person at Christmas-time is he who has not Christmas in his heart.- Helen Keller

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. – Roy L. Smith

For the spirit of Christmas fulfils the greatest hunger of mankind. – Loring A. Schuler

And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans–and all that lives and move upon them. He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused–and to save us from our foolishness, from all our sins, He came down to earth and gave us Himself. – Sigrid Undset

When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things – not the great occasions – give off the greatest glow of happiness. – Bob Hope

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.- Hamilton Wright Mabie

Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.- Eric Sevareid

Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart…filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.- Bess Streeter Aldrich

Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home.- G.K. Chesterton

Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and desires of little children; to remember the weaknesses and lonliness of people who are growing old; to stop asking how much your friends love you, and to ask yourself if you love them enough; to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear on their hearts; to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you; to make a grave for your ugly thougts and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open? Are you willing to do these things for a day? Then you are ready to keep Christmas!– Henry van Dyke

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. – Burton Hillis

At Christmas, all roads lead home. – Marjorie Holmes

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month. – Harlan Miller

What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.- Agnes M. Pharo

May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope; the spirit of Christmas which is peace; the heart of Christmas which is love.- Ada V. Hendricks

Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given–when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes.- Joan Winmill Brown

Fail not to call to mind, in the course of the twenty-fifth of this month, that the Divinest Heart that ever walked the earth was born on that day; and then smile and enjoy yourselves for the rest of it; for mirth is also of Heaven’s making. -Leigh Hunt

There are no strangers on Christmas Eve. – Mildred Cram and Adele Comandini

The earth has grown old with its burden of care,
But at Christmas it always is young….
-Phillips Brooks

It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas when its mighty Founder was a child Himself. -Charles Dickens

Whatever else be lost among the years,
Let us keep Christmas still a shining thing;
Whatever doubts assail us, or what fears,
Let us hold close one day, remembering
Its poignant meaning for the hearts of men.
Let us get back our childlike faith again.
-Grace Noll Crowell

Even as an adult I find it difficult to sleep on Christmas Eve. Yuletide excitement is a potent caffeine, no matter your age. -Terri Guillemets

Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends. -Margaret Thatcher

Christmas – that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance – a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved. -Augusta E. Rundel