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The Word Became Flesh - John 1

(1) In the beginning was the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was with God in the beginning.

(3) Through him [Jesus Christ] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (4) In him was life, and that life was the light of men. (5) The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

(6) There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. (7) He came as a witness to testify concerning that light [Jesus Christ], so that through him all men might believe. (8) He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. (9) The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

(10) He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. (11) He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. (12) Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— (13) children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

(14) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(15) John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" (16) From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. (17) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (18) No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

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As a child, and even a teenager, I never understood from the church I grew up in where our Lord Jesus Christ came from. They did, however, explain His virgin birth and how He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit--that He had no earthly father. But that didn’t help me understand where He was before He was born. They also explained that after His death on the cross He rose again. So I automatically assumed He was born about 2,000 years ago and still alive today. In other words: I assumed He had a beginning but He doesn’t have an end.

It wasn’t until my late teens, thanks to Dr. Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries, I understood that our Lord had no beginning just as He has no end. And that’s why I chose John chapter one to include for this Christmas shot. I will leave you with Oswald Chamber’s words:

My Utmost for His Highest, December 25, 2008
His Birth and Our New Birth

‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’ —Matthew 1:23

His Birth in History. ". . . that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it. He did not emerge out of history; He came into history from the outside. Jesus Christ is not the best human being the human race can boast of— He is a Being for whom the human race can take no credit at all. He is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate— God coming into human flesh from outside it. His life is the highest and the holiest entering through the most humble of doors. Our Lord’s birth was an advent— the appearance of God in human form.

His Birth in Me. "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you . . ." (Galatians 4:19). Just as our Lord came into human history from outside it, He must also come into me from outside. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a "Bethlehem" for the Son of God? I cannot enter the realm of the kingdom of God unless I am born again from above by a birth totally unlike physical birth. "You must be born again" (John 3:7). This is not a command, but a fact based on the authority of God. The evidence of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that "Christ is formed" in me. And once "Christ is formed" in me, His nature immediately begins to work through me.

God Evident in the Flesh. This is what is made so profoundly possible for you and for me through the redemption of man by Jesus Christ.

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PS: This photograph is of a house near where I used to live that its owner really knows how to it house for Christmas! You can actually see the front of the house on the top right part of the photo.

(Exposure blending. Toronto, ON; winter 2008.)

"Valentine Mary" was born February 12, 2005 to Clarice and a male goat that "visited" Clarice "before" she was purchased as a "yearling" to come live on "Grandpa's Goat Hill"....

Bambi and Clarice were the "first" goats to live on "Grandpa's Goathill"....

Not a single soul would have thought that Clarice was expecting....

Bill Balls was soon the next to come live on GGH...soon arriving after Bambi and Clarice. Bill was going to be the "breeding buck"....He was so young and oh so adorable.

The breeding process began. Bambi soon started showing signs that she had successfully been bred to Bill Balls. Clarice was still so small and remaining the same in size.

Well....the end of January rolled around and Clarice started filling out more. "Possibly" thinking that she had successfully been bred.....the watch was on.

Bambi was getting larger and larger....Clarice growing just a little.

To everyone's surprise on February 12, 2005....this little bundle above arrived......SO CLOSE to Valentine's Day. How could she NOT be named Valentine ?? Clarice did not even look very pregnant at all......everyone thought for sure Bambi was due first...

Clarice had been bred to the "breeding buck" of the farm where she came from. The little baby, Valentine looked IDENTICAL to the buck....her Daddy. WHAT A SURPRISE.....EVERY little marking was identical to that beautiful buck where Clarice had been purchased.

This little baby almost did not make it.....she was in the barn standing shivering for quite a few hours before being discovered. Her Mama did not know how to care for her, neither did "Aunt Bambi".....Clarice and Bambi were sisters.

The trip to Walmart to get supplies.....caused a lot of stares. This little baby could not be left alone......so off we went. Her head remained in the baby afghan ( I had tons from my two kids )....but the customers and cashiers could see her little black head sticking out. Naturally she had to be uncovered and got all kinds of "oohs and awes"......

Val got a special treat that day. Her little hat that says "It's A Girl".....it fit so nicely on her tiny black head. She let me do anything to her.....dress her up...take her everywhere I went....as long as I had a baby bottle waiting. Oh gosh do they ever go crazy for those warm baby bottles.

Her first night of Karo and Mother's colostrum....and a TON of TLC saved her. She truly was "head back, tongue out and looking like a dead deer"......I did NOT think she would live through the night and neither did anyone else. She was just like a limp little rag.

Bambi delivered twins, Tinkie and little Bub ( named after the Uncle )...on March 7, 2005. Bill Balls, this time...thanks to Bambi, was indeed a first time Daddy. They all THREE were brought home and bottle fed. WHAT A CHORE......almost like triplets.

Valentine had a rough first year....if anything was to ail her....it did. She had a lot of bouts with "the runs"...."pink eye"....and just stayed so small.

Val is now one of the healthiest goats around.....with the most beautiful shiny coat. She is a prize winner in the eyes of me.....her Mommy.