The spirit of Christmas is a joyous thing to have. We love the special feeling that we get during the Christmas season. It is the one time a year that we focus on someone other than ourselves. My grandmother was the first one to show me that unconditional love all year long. And that is what the spirit of Christmas really is, unconditional love. It took awhile for me to learn that what I needed and wanted was that unconditional love. God gave His best when He sent Jesus to earth. But we see this unconditional love in other people and recognize it as the love of God. That is why as a believer I am an example of God’s love on this earth. Do people see that unconditional love in you? If not, why not? We want the world to be a safer and kinder world. Well, are you the example that God wants on this earth all year long? Only you can answer that question. To the non-believers, Jesus is our example and one we should all look to. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, our lives are changed for better, and we know the unconditional love our Father God has for us. It is not complicated at all. Unconditional love is very simple. God loves us all the time, no matter what. This love will not save you from hell unless you accept this love in your heart. The Bible says that the goodness of God leads us to repentance. Therefore, the reason for the Christmas season is Jesus. He is the epitome of the unconditional love of God. And we can be the example of that unconditional love, the spirit of Christmas, in the lives of other people. The we can bring the Christmas present to the future.

I want to wish everyone a Joyeux Noel, Merry Christmas, and a Bonne Annee.

This is the link to my book.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

The riddle is: What starts out the same, is made to be different and ends up the same? And why?

The Answer is the Heart of Man. When we are born we are the same. As we grow up, we learn from our parents, family, schools, and the world in general. We become individuals. We are different as night and day. But when we face death, we become the same. We have to face God and give an account of our life. Everyone has to go through this process. Hopefully by the time we die, we have surrendered to God and will go home to heaven.

We face a New Year and don’t know exact what is going to happen. Through hope and faith in God, we can face every new thing that comes our way. it is the uncertainty that makes us apprehensive. God doesn’t remove the uncertainty. He provides the way in which we walk through. So, we can look forward to the new year with joy. I hope you have been blessed by my blog and continue to read it. Thank You.

This is the link to my book.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

I want to wish everyone a joyous and blessed Christmas day. Jesus came to earth for us and the love of God was shed abroad in our hearts to find our way home. Merry Christmas.

I have something different today. A Christmas riddle. See if you can figure it out. I’ll give you the answer tomorrow.

What starts out the same, is made to be different and ends up the same? And why?

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

This is the link to my book.

I’m listening to Joseph1637 | the Christmas Story on Podbean, check it out! https://www.podbean.com/ea/pb-zd4dm-1162791

What was your favorite Christmas present? Was it a fishing rod or shotgun, maybe it was a bicycle? Whatever the present was, I want to ask you a question. Did the Christmas present change your life? I do not mean for a week or even a month. I mean did the present change your life for the better. When we were young, we wanted to collect things in our life. We thought that the things would make us happy. We would earn money or finagle our way to a certain thing. And if we did not get this thing, our life was over. Does this sound familiar? It probably does because the idea carried over into adulthood. What that saying, the only difference between men and boys are the size of their toys. The amount of things in our life does not make us happy or change our lives for the better. My grandmother was probably the poorest person I knew. My mom and her two sisters would help pay for my grandmother’s bills. But my grandmother was the most unselfish person I knew. She also could find shopping deals and the right present for each of us for Christmas. When I would go to her house, she would always ask if I was hungry. She helped people all of her life. Because it was the right thing to do. I miss that kind spirit she had. My grandmother had the spirit of Christmas all year long. She would reach out to anyone in need and helped. This is the Christmas present that we all want and need. Having this attitude, not just at Christmas, but all year long. This is the Christmas present that we all need.

This is the link to my book.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

The last Sunday before Christmas is about the joy of the Lord. Joy is different from happiness. Happiness is for the moment. Joy is what sustains us through everything. It is taking happiness to a much greater level. Jesus faced the cross and all its pain and misery with joy. When the Israelites came back from Babylonian captivity, the priests began to read the word of God. The people starting weeping and crying because of what they had done to God. Nehimiah quieted them. He said this was a celebration and they were not to cry or moan. He said that the joy of the Lord was their strength. Joy is a strength that we can rely on in the good times and the bad. How do you get this joy? We receive this joy by accepting God’s promise Jesus and let the Holy Spirit come into our hearts. He brings the love and joy of God into us. Then we can face any obstacle that presents itself. Looking to the second coming of Jesus, we can have joy until we go home to heaven, or He arrives here on earth. What I have been talking about in the last four blogs is the four Sundays of Advent to Christmas. I wanted to show what their true meaning was and how it applied to all of us. Christmas is coming up and I hope and pray that you and your family have a blessed and holy Christmas and Bonne annee.

This is the link to my book.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

During the Christmas season, you hear seasonal music. A lot the music reminds me of home and holidays when I was young. My entire family gathered for either Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter at my home or one of my Aunt and Uncle’s. My family would fill our homes. The men would gather in the living room for football and politics. The ladies were in the kitchen cooking and the kids were outside playing. More than not , I was in the kitchen, taste testing the food. We all thoroughly enjoying the holidays even though you could hear people complaining. But I think we miss those days more as adults than children. Both my parents are gone and all my aunts and uncles. And I miss that simple time in my life. But you know what I have found out as I have grown older, my life has become simpler. I would like to go back to that time, but we can’t. The time hasn’t changed. We have. It is still about what you believe. And if you don’t believe in those ideas of the past. We can always go back to those cherished dreams and believe. Faith and hope are ours to have. Just like Jesus said He would never leave us or forsake us. Both faith and hope He gave to us to cherish. Jesus said if you have lost faith or hope, what you have to do is go back to the beginning and remember where you started and start again. The Christmas you remember in the past, can be the Christmas you have today. Christmas this year is in 10 days. And it is not to late. All you have to do is believe and if you need help Jesus is ready, willing and able. Your Christmas past can be your Christmas present.

This is the link to my book.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

            This Sunday is about the love of God. There are over one hundred scriptures about the love of God. When God repeats Himself, He is trying to tell us something. What God is saying is that He loves us unconditionally. God made us in His image and likeness and loved us from the beginning. The Bible that He knew each of us before we were born. God has been loving us since the foundation of the world. And to prove that love, God sent Jesus to die for our sins. Then He raised Jesus from the dead and made Him King of kings and Lord of lords. God did this so we would have an advocate for us to our Father God. God planned all of this out before we existed. This is what love is about and how it works. Love is not about just feeling good. Love does not break the bonds between two people just because they do not like each other. God has had plenty of opportunity to get rid of us if He wanted to. But God has kept us through it all. And loved us no matter what. As we accept the love of God and form the bond between us and Himself and Jesus, we are justified before God. And we can share in the love of God that keeps until we go home to heaven. Therefore, we celebrate the love of God that shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Taste and see that the Lord is good and when we trust in Him, we are blessed.

This is the link to my book.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

The second Sunday before Christmas is about the peace of God. There was and is only one person who could bring the peace of God to mankind and that was and is Jesus. The first Sunday was about the hope of Jesus’ return, the second coming. The second Sunday is about the peace of God that Jesus brought to mankind. There was only one way that Jesus could bring the peace of God to man. Jesus had to die for our sins. God require a perfect sacrifice to forgive us of our sins and Jesus is the only one. Jesus abolished the enmity, the requirements of the law, in His death. He made a new man and thereby brought the peace of God to man. (Ephesians 2:15). And the peace of God that passes all understanding shall keep your heart and mind through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7). If you do not understand how much peace with God is worth, just read in the Old Testament Accounts of God destroying nations. Jesus is our peace offering to God for our sins. To maintain this peace with God, we have a part to play. The gift that God gave to man is up to us to accept. When we accept Jesus in our hearts, we have peace with God. We all know what it is like to live without the peace of God. We can remember how our lives where miserable and lacked peace. I turned to Jesus and asked for forgiveness and the peace of God flooded my soul. So, in this Christmas season, let us remember how God provided peace to us through Jesus Christ.

This is the link to my book.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com