Saturday, December 24, 2011

The real work of Christmas


















The Real Work of Christmas
When the last present has been opened
and the last mouth fed.
When weariness lays like a blanket over all mankind - 
The real work of Christmas begins:
To seek the lost
To support the lonely
To feed the starving
To shelter the homeless
To console the broken
To love the unlovely
To pray for peace 
To...
LOVE.


(c) Liz Babbs

Friday, December 16, 2011

Celtic Christian Spirit Radio - a real gem!















I thought you might like to meet my Californian friend, Keltic Ken, who is a professional radio presenter and broadcaster. Here I am with him, a few months ago, outside KRDU Radio in Fresno, CA. Now Ken, as well as being famous for his sense of humour, also runs a unique Celtic Christian radio service called Celtic Christian Spirit Radio and it's free via the internet. I even listen via the Live 365 app on my iPhone and iPad! He's playing a lovely Christmas selection at the moment. As CCS is a Celtic treasure, I thought I'd ask him a little more about it:

1. What is Celtic Christian Spirit Radio?
It’s Christian music with a Celtic (and sometimes world-beat) sound. Think Riverdance or Enya with Christian lyrics. This is the “best music you’ve never heard” and “Christian music with a Celtic accent.”

          2. How do folks access it?
Go to www.celticchristianmusic.com where there is a link to listen right from the home page. It’s free to listen (with commercials). You can become a VIP member for a nominal fee on Live365 to listen commercial free. There is also a free 365 app for mobile devices for listening anywhere.
 
3. Why might we want to listen to your radio station?      
Broadcast Christian music has become increasingly homogenized and a cranked out formula. This music is more adventuresome, most of the artists are indie artists, not like what you’ll hear on your local Christian music radio station.
 
4. Why this Christmas selection?
It is a natural to go to Christmas music this time of year, but the good thing is instead of duplicating what everybody else does there is a wealth of Celtic music suited to this season. Including some ancient carols and music you’ve probably never heard before. I don’t rely on computers to chose the music. I listen to each song one-by-one and select the songs that fit my music station.


 

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Hope in Darkness this Advent

Advent is a season of waiting...of preparation...of promise. God is announcing: 'Behold, I make all things new' (Revelations 21:5). But it can be hard to glimpse or even imagine the new when you're stuck in a dark tunnel. And that is many people's experience at this time in the lead up to Christmas. Christmas and New Year can spotlight and heighten the difficulties in our lives and lead to a sense of hopelessness.

But for such a time as this, God gave us Jesus. 'We walk by faith, not by sight' (2 Corinthians 5:7), so despite the darkness and apparent absence of hope, we must hold onto the fact that Jesus, The Light of the World, Emmanuel, is here with us now illuminating a pathway through the darkness. There really is light at the end of the tunnel.

While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. John 9:5

 ‎'The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.' John 1:5