Good King Wenceslas

One of my favorite Christmas Hymns, 'Good King Wenceslas' is a great metaphor for Jesus care for those outside His Kingdom, His care for those in His service, and His love for all people.

Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night, tho' the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight gath'ring winter fuel.

"Hither, page, and stand by me, if thou know'st it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain;
Right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring me flesh, and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither:
Thou and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither."
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together;
Through the rude wind's wild lament and the bitter weather.

"Sire, the night is darker now, and the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how, I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, good my page. Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter's rage freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing.

May we all walk in His footsteps this Christmas season, and all the year to come!

Merry Christmas!

-Andrew

Little Update...

Hey! More AThoughts coming before too long..

I had my two bottom wisdom teeth pulled this past Thursday. Still recouperating, but definately getting better. Thanks to all you who were praying!

I also wanted to point out a couple cool resources I have come across recently.

First, is a bookmark service called Del.icio.us. It allows you to share your favorite websites with anyone and everyone, and I am assuming, is a really fun resource to find new websites. Anyway, my bookmarks can be found at This Link.

Secondly, a handy website for all you bloggers and blogreaders out there,
Bloglines.
Bloglines allows you to moniter all of your favorite blogs from one page, which can be handy if you have more than one or two! Our good friend Tim Griffin put Dad and I onto this.

Thirdly (one more than a couple), I would encourage you to check out Dad's new and improved eWorldPhotos. He's been posting a new picture from his extensive archive almmost every day... Fun stuff.

I guess a little more news won't hurt anyone...

Been attempt to get back on track after a hectic couple of weeks, and an imbalanced couple of months. I am trying to rediscipline myself to consistantly do what I know is right, both inside and outside, as well as snap out of my lethargic funk. I think that the two are interconnected, and that when I reconnect my spiritual loose ends, my discipline and attitude will fall into place a lot easier than they are now.

I've been meditating on this Psalm when I get the chance:

¹ Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
² But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

⁴ The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
⁵ Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

⁶ For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

-Psalm 1, NKJV (biblegateway.com)

Lord, help me to be a man who delights in Your law, and sets an example for others.

Only 14 days 'till Christmas, and 19 days 'till Egypt!

Isau wa salaam! (Jesus' peace to you)

-Andrew