Advent Meditation for Christmas Day

Joy to the World! The Lord is Come
Scripture: Psalm 98

The psalmist said: Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music . . . The hymn says: Joy to the World! The Lord is Come.

The waiting was over; the long-awaited Saviour has come. Emmanuel, God with us, had been born to the Virgin Mary. Nothing would be the same again. Nothing has been the same. Today we rejoice once more at the coming of Jesus Christ.

Let us all remember that He rules the world with truth and grace. His word is truth and in Him is the manifestation of God’s grace. No more do sin and sorrows grow. Instead, joy fills the hearts and lives of those who believe that the Saviour reigns.

Words to ponder: Does Jesus reign in your life? Name the ways knowing Jesus brings you joy. Share them with your loved ones on this special day.


It has been a really long day! I was awakened at six a.m. by a nurse calling to tell me that they had moved Tom to a bed closer to the nurses' station. You can imagine my emotions when I looked at the clock, just as she identified herself. I guess if I had been on duty since seven the night before, I wouldn't have thought much about calling so early either. When I arrived at the hospital a couple of hours later, Tom was restless and basically giving anyone who came near him a hard time. I was able to calm him some and fix some of the problems, but nothing would help the hallucinations he had all day. I was able to talk with the doctor and the neurologist he sent later in the day. Apparently, infections and being as sick as he is makes any Parkinson's syptoms worse and on top of that, the medication he takes to deal with hallucinations has not been given to him for two days. I'm the lay person; they are the professionals, but I have learned that often the patient or the patient's spouse knows more than the professional. As the day wore on, he got calmer, but he never stopped talking to or about people/situations that were only in his head. Tonight I talked with the nurse on duty and impressed upon her the absolute necessity of giving meds on a set schedule at specific intervals. She promised to try to get things straight.

We had a 5:30 Candlelight Communion service at Humboldt. It was beautiful! Afterwards I went back to the hospital and there Tom was, all worked up again. I stayed until after they gave him his bedtime meds, then went to Tommy's to eat some supper. The smell of cookies overcame me as I walked into the kitchen. I had to have one! Then I realized that I had not eaten anything but a package of nabs and some of my cousin's "to die for" cheese straws all day.

I believe that Tom will remain in the hospital through the weekend and then be discharged to a skilled facility where he can receive physical therapy "in house" for a few weeks. He definitely will need some help regaining his balance and strength after this stay in the hospital. We are still taking things one day at a time.

It isn't the Christmas we envisioned, but we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child all the same. He is God's greatest gift to us! Enjoy your day and bless the Lord.

Blessings,
Pastor Margaret