Christmas in Baxter Springs

My wife and I flew into Tulsa last night from Phoenix and drove up to see Paige's family for the holidays. They live in Baxter Springs, Kansas, which is about an hour and a half north of Tulsa and an hour west of Springfield, Missouri. There's a lot of history here in Baxter Springs. There was a Civil War battle (or skirmish) fought here; the former Route 66 passed through the town; and baseball legend Mickey Mantle was first spotted by a Yankees scout as he hit 3 homeruns for the Baxter Springs Whiz Kids at a ball field in the tiny town.

It's beautiful here in the Ozarks; so green compared to Phoenix! We're hoping for a white Christmas; not too sure why, though, because snow usually doesn't make life easier.

Anyway, I hope you all have a very blessed Christmas. From what I hear, "it's the most wonderful time of the year." I'll let each individual be the judge of that! But one thing is for sure: it is the perfect time to meditate on Jesus Christ--the baby that was born to die for the purpose of saving sinners like me. What wonder and mystery are wrapped up in the thought of His virgin birth and the fact that God took on the nature of man in order to save men from His wrath and their sin. As I think about Christmas this year, I see it as the beginning of the story. It's the Introduction and first chapters of the story of Christ's life, a life which was lived and given entirely for others. He was born and lived 33 years in the shadow of the cross. He was the greatest example of true service, humility, and love. And most importantly, in the thankful words of Philip Bliss, "Hallelujah, what a Savior!"

“The Noblest King”

The noblest King was born in a stable;
A blessed baby boy would later die for His people.
Raised in Nazareth, He was the Savior.
Though killed and abused, He was Creator!

We sing of Jesus Christ
Born that glorious night!
From Bethlehem God brought us
The world’s only Light.
O Prince of Peace, the Mighty God,
The King from David’s line;
Emmanuel, our true Messiah—
We sing of Jesus Christ.

“Glory to God!” sang the angels from heaven.
Incarnate Deity from Mary, God’s servant.
From shepherds to sages, the start guided many
To the place where he lay: the holy baby.

We sing of Jesus Christ
Born that glorious night!
From Bethlehem God brought us
The world’s only Light.
O Prince of Peace, the Mighty God,
The King from David’s line;
Emmanuel, our true Messiah—
We sing of Jesus Christ.

Unimaginable love that hung on a cross!
He gave us His life by giving His own.
From a crying little baby to Redeemer of many,
The noblest King died to win victory!

We sing of Jesus Christ
Born that glorious night!
From Bethlehem God brought us
The world’s only Light.
O Prince of Peace, the Mighty God,
The King from David’s line;
Emmanuel, our true Messiah—
We sing of Jesus Christ.

© David J. Giarrizzo, 2002

Mr. First Amendment?

Can someone PLEASE keep this man away from the microphone?!

Ya know, Sean Penn--no matter what anyone thinks of him as an actor--reminds me of a rebellious and ignorant 14 year old who thinks he knows more than mom and dad.

His latest public episode came at the Creative Coalition's 9th annual Christopher Reeve Awards Gala on December 18th in New York City. Penn was honored by the Creative Coalition as the spotlighted recipient of the Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award. To read his entire acceptance speech, go to huffingtonpost.com. (Warning: Be sure to have a barf-bag close by!)

In typical Sean Penn style, he spewed what may sound like great, passionate political rhetoric to the common Leftist's ear. However, the Oscar-winning actor's not-so-subtle feelings toward Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield, and crew came across as loud and abnoxious as a giant-size chihuaha barking into a megaphone at 4 in the morning! And similar to the bark of a chichuaha, it's really difficult to understand what Sean Penn is really saying.

Yes, I know that he's pissed off about the war in Iraq. In fact, I think Sean Penn is the President of the anti-war club, a.k.a. "Hollywood."

And yes, he absolutely hates "Dubya" and "Trigger-finger Cheney" and the rest of the current administration.

And yes, he feels like a victim; most Lefties do.

But when it comes down to it, I don't think Sean Penn has a clue! He's all words--99.99% of which are based on conspiracy theories and personal opinions.

And who made Hollywood celebrities the political spokespersons of the Democratic party, anyway? To tell you the truth, if I was a sensible Democrat, I would cringe every time I saw another celebrity step up to a microphone to try to talk about politics. Especially Sean Penn! (If you're still confused about that which I write, just read for yourself: huffingtonpost.com.)

My conclusion is this: Sean Penn needs to leave!...

...(We just need to figure out how to get Michael Moore, Tim & Susan, and Cindy Sheehan to go with him!)

So what do YOU think?

Robot Rights

Here's the latest from our friends across the pond on the technological science front: Robots deserve the same rights as humans!

Check out the story here.

Amazing Grace Movie...

Coming to theaters February 23, 2007, the story of God's Amazing Grace in the lives of John Newton, William Wilberforce, and countless others!

Check out the official movie website and spread the word about the film's release in 2 months!

Mt. Hood Tragedy

To see the video of Frank James, brother of Mt. Hood victim Kelly James, making a formal statement regarding the identification of their brother's body, click here.

Let us continue to keep the remaining climbers and all of the family members in our prayers.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,236983,00.html

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