Christmas Program 12-21-21

The Christmas Program show begins

with children singing Christmas hymns

below the shining star.

From 1 year old's to upper teens,

they bring alive those Christmas scenes.

How cute those children are!

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Memorized lines,

each face still shines.

The donkey even smiled.

It's good to know

those children show

a love for manger child.

They had such fun.

Program was done.

And so, was time to go.

Through many years,

through many fears,

I watched those children grow.

Through God above

I show my love.

I've little else to give.

They grow so fast

and hugs are past.

They have their lives to live.

My prayers are such,

they are worth much,

much more than earthly things.

For lost, a shame

each day's the same...

Joy is what Christmas brings.

Those memories,

they come to please.
Such love has grown for years.
Then much more love
pours from above
that brings me to my tears.

Though great or small,

forgiveness all,

God's gift, forever gives.

Love's in my eye.

For kids, I cry.

Yet Christmas Program lives.

©2021 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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The Smallest Ornament 12-16-21

I'm just a little ornament here hanging on the tree.

They put me in the very back and I can hardly see.

The wall is here right next to me and I don't have a view.

My paint has faded quite a bit and some has flaked off too.

So no, I'm not the prettiest, nor biggest one on here.

This big ol' tree does not need me and my last days are near.

This just might be the last time you will see my faded shine.

I'm just too old to show to you my obsolete design.

For days and weeks I'm stuck back here. The time goes by so slow.

I wish I was quite different - to have something to show.

I also have a crack or two but they are very small.

I wish I was the wiser so that I could hang, not fall.

My confidence would come back strong and courage would be mine!

I'd show them I could be the best. I'd show this big ol' pine!

But reflection in another ornament, I could see.

I saw my true unvarnished face and it was really me..

Decided I, to give all up. For it was time to quit.

My pity-party started as I childishly had a fit.

Just then I heard a tender voice. A child, I'm sure because,

the voice was of an angel. A girl of nine, she was.

She carefully had took me down and placed me in her hand.

At first, I was quite fearful but soon, I'd understand.

She set me on a table and she glued each little crack.

And then she took such special care to clean me front to back.

She painted me with special paints that made the glitter shine.

She made me look like I was new with such a grand design.

And then she placed me on the tree- but not next to the wall.

She placed me right in front where I could greet you, one and all. 

I felt like I had life anew and it sure gave me joy!

I smiled each time they looked at me- ev'ry girl and boy.

That little girl had loved me so and her, I can't repay.

Now too, I have that special love to show in ev'ry way.

Yes, Jesus does for you just what the girl had done for me.

He cleans you up, forgives your sins and makes you wholly free.

The next time you walk past a lovely, big ol' Christmas tree,

look for the smallest ornament ...and you might find it's me.

©2021 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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1 Corinthians 13:13

"But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

This Fragile Snowflake 12-15-21

"Ouch!" had screamed this fragile snowflake, on sad and frightful day.

I wanted so, to cry sad tears, but knew I'd melt away.

So stayed, I did, pressed right between some others who were crushed

under heel of rubber boot that stomped through snow's upper crust.

Complaining started one by one among this doom and gloom.

Complaints crescendoed even more, "Move over!  Give me room!"

But prayed I did so quietly ignoring all who screamed.

Then anger overtook them all, I prayed for days, it seemed.

I knew that rubber boot had started this whole wickedness,

but also knew that we, now one, began to coalesce.

They then supported one another, each and everyone,

but I, a loner, kept my place until they all were done.

We froze together into one thick block of solid ice.

But then the snow around us now was not so very nice.

They scoffed and laughed and scoffed and laughed at all us frozen here,

laughed and pointed fingers at- and then would cruelly sneer.

Harassment, we call it.  Certainly, harassment it was.

However, this snowflake ignored it.  And maybe just because

my Savior lived through suffering- and so much more than this.

So I enjoyed His sunshine, His radiance and the bliss.

The day had turned to nighttime, then nighttime again to day

and this is what then happened- happened this ironic way.

The sun got hotter- and while melting the defenseless snow,

we were iced tightly together and weathered it so slow.

Now we, iced together, were pointing and laughing at them!

And all we would do was to angerly judge and condemn.

But I didn't bother.  I simply prayed and prayed and prayed,

that we would soon learn forgiveness, just as Jesus displayed.

Did God send that wicked boot- to ice us all together

so we would not succumb to the sun's bright, warmer weather?

Most snowflakes don't know of God's blessings.  They don't have a clue.

But this fragile snowflake sees His greatest gift.  I sure do.

©2021 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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Luke 23:34

“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do..."

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This fragile snowflake will soon be gone,

but we all knew this all along.

There's a time to live and a time to die.

It's in God's plan and He knows why.

So pray that God's Will, will be done,

from night to night and sun to sun.

Enjoy each day that God has giv'n

until we meet again in Heav'n.

~louis gander ©2021

Until We Meet Again 12-15-21

This fragile snowflake will soon be gone,

but we had known this all along.

There's a time to live and a time to die.

It's in God's plan and He knows why.

So pray that God's Will, will be done,

from night to night and sun to sun.

Enjoy each day that God has giv'n

until we meet again in Heav'n.

©2021 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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ECCLESIASTES 3

"1There is an appointed time for everything.

And there is a time for every event under heaven—

2A time to give birth and a time to die;

A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

3A time to kill and a time to heal;

A time to tear down and a time to build up.

4A time to weep and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn and a time to dance.

5A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

6A time to search and a time to give up as lost;

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

7A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;

A time to be silent and a time to speak.

8A time to love and a time to hate;

A time for war and a time for peace...."

From A Lowly Manger 12-11-21

A manger is a feeding trough.  A manger is not clean.

But this is where the Baby laid and this is what was seen.

Why would the God of all Creation send His Son to lie

in such a crude, repulsive place with purpose still to die?

Just maybe it was just a hint on how we are to serve

unselfishly to others in a way they don't deserve.

No one deserves the sunshine or the growth from many rains.

And none deserve the better things, but rather chains and pains.

We live a life of comfort with such pills that kill the pain,

but yet we go on living lives that make us go insane.

For sin has bound us mentally and we have not a clue.

We think we live a perfect life but "know not what we do".

We say we go to church and pay a tithe each Sunday morn.

We say we judge our neighbors not and treat them without scorn.

But buy, we do, for us the best and still complain enough

that prices are too high on all the poor substandard stuff.

"Reward us not with newest cars for we deserve them not.

Nor house, dear Lord, that's much too large despite the 'toys' we've got."

If we could be as humble as the Lord that saved our souls,

then maybe we could learn a bit and set some Godly goals.

Our God of all creation knew exactly how to plan

a way of full salvation from a feeding trough to Man.

The Lord, from lowly darkened tomb, from sinful man would leave,

seen ascending through the clouds, yet most still don't believe.

From His life, don't be a stranger.  Hold His loving hands.

For coming from a lowly manger, Jesus understands.

©2021 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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