In the "NICK" of TIME 120709

Encore performance originally sent on
S&P 2005 "In the Nick of Time" 12-06-05
updated for h2o devos sj 120709
In the "Nick" of Time
Saint Nicholas Day, Bishop of Myra, c. 342

"It's Christmas time again New Year's 'round the bend
There must be something more than give and take
What it's all about turns you inside out
'Till you finally see the difference you make
This Christmas this Christmas
There's a gift that only you can give
This Christmas this Christmas
Give yourself to...
Love is in short supply such an obvious demand
Shouldn't be so hard to understand
We hang the lights for hope look for the star to follow
Peace on earth for what it's worth is in our hands"

This Christmas by Peter Mayer, Jim Mayer and Mac McAnally
http://www.petermayer.com/AUDIO/SPA/ThisChristmas.mp3




Whenever I get dismayed by the commercial aspects of this season I listen to Peter's song, This Christmas. So as you might expect, I listen to it a great deal. In fact, several times a day. For me it's like a lyrical and Biblical version of "It's a Wonderful Life." What this song does better than anything else is that it provides a clear, distinct, simple answer to the complex question, "Does it matter?" May I have the envelope, please? The answer is, "YES!" "Yes, it does matter." And what matters even more because of the birth of the babe in Bethlehem, you matter and so does everyone else.
"There's a gift that only you can give
This Christmas this Christmas

Start with the best of you
Followed by the rest of you
The things you say and the things you do
This Christmas"
Lend a heart, lend a hand
Make a start, understand
Lend an hour, lend a day
Wrap yourself to give away"

Yesterday was St. Nicholas Day. You can learn more about him by checking out the sermon from yesterday, ADVENT DREAM


It seems to me that you and I both have the opportunity for the next 18 days of giving to make our presence the present.

As Peter sings,
"Wrap yourself to give away"

Just in the "Nick" of time,

RTG