A Child Is Born to Us

(Original Letter: December 21, 2003)
“Letters from my Sojourn”
© 2008 by Peter Allan C. Mariano

To my dear friends in Christ;


Greetings my friends!!! I hope all is fine with every one of you back there. It has been a while since I have last sent an installment to these “Letters from my Sojourn” series. The Eid Holidays after the month-long Ramadan came…. and went away… giving some short interlude to our work here in Saudi Arabia….but after that… working time again! Now, it is your turn back there to have your holidays with the coming Christmas season. I can only do a few touch-up jobs here to make my room have some holiday decoration with whatever materials I can get my hands on.

Christmas doesn’t mean much here…. in fact, it doesn’t mean anything at all… except for the Christian workers here, mostly Filipinos, and probably a handful from other races as well. It does, however, signal the Mutawa, or the Saudi Religious Police, to be more vigilant in catching merrymakers who want to celebrate Jesus’ Birthday with a bottle or two of the forbidden sadike, the homemade liquor which is very famous here (underground)… which caused quite a little too many headaches, hangovers…. and perpetrators who got caught being sent to jail. Ouch!

The way these so-called “Christians” here in KSA celebrate Christmas is not unique. I bet that this is the same throughout the globe whatever race a “Christian” may be. As for my villa mates and me, we just try to keep a Christmassy atmosphere by having some good food, minus the forbidden drinks, and play a little bit of Christmas-oriented games.

I was watching “Home Alone 2 : Alone in New York” the other day and aside from the fact that two full-grown and very dangerous thieves got beaten-up by a ten-year old kid, the movie oozed with it’s theme on giving and the importance of being with your family. And one dialogue from Kevin struck me the most : that “Christmas, won’t be Christmas without a Christmas tree”. But not one instance was the REAL REASON why we celebrate Christmas was ever mentioned.

I didn’t say that giving and family values and merrymaking during Christmas are bad. But where is CHRIST in all these? Where have we placed the Real Reason for the Season? Have we ever stopped and prayed during these holidays and thanked Jesus for another year that He has given us? Another “Christmas”? Like Kevin, we tend to focus on the Christmas Tree, with all its glittering trimmings and gifts wrapped in brightly-colored ( nowadays its metallic) paper… and forget what the “tree” stands for.

“ The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death,
a light has dawned.”
Isaiah 9:2 NIV


It’s amazing to think that I’m in a land in close proximity to the area referred to in the passage above. The Middle East… an area in the world where everything is at the extreme… and not only the weather. The people there have lived in darkness for several centuries… spiritual darkness… finding hope only in the words of long-dead prophets, but never really understanding what was written for them. This darkness lasted on and on…. until the coming of the Light… until a virgin said “yes” to God… and conceived through the Holy Spirit.

“ For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the
government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6 NIV

This barren piece of the globe was truly blessed for when the world was still enveloped in this deep, seething, and gnawing darkness… the Light came upon them. But in their pride and spiritual blindness, they didn’t recognize the Light as who He truly is… and they rejected Him…. even nailing Him to the cross! But were they able to extinguish the light? By no means! Like the bright star that shone on that one holy and glorious night… He gave Himself up, so that the rest of the world can see his brightness… so that we too can receive the Light.

I was the first in my family to be Born Again and joined the Couples For Christ Family Ministries. It was way back in 1996 when I joined Singles For Christ in Amkor/Anam. I became the Team Leader during the next Christian Life Program after the one I attended, and eventually became the Unit Head. My wife, Jing, was also a member of SFC and we were on the same batch, although I only came to really know her during my batch’s first outside-get-together in Talisay, Batanggas. I was the “Daddy” of the group…. and when we got engaged, Jing became “Madrasta” or stepmother (I will just tell you all about it on my next letters)… and when we were married, and moved on to Couples For Christ… she became “Mommy Jing”. My parents later joined CFC, and the rest of my family followed suit.

Since then, some of my most cherished moments are when the whole family got together during Christmas Eve and celebrate the Lord’s Day. Amidst overflowing tears of joy, each member of the family would thank the Lord for what He has given us during the past year, and would pray for His continuing guidance and providence for the coming year. The eating spree that follows…. and even the opening of the gifts… would not even come close to dimming the joy that I felt during the Lord’s Day celebration.

It’s the second year of my sojourn here in Saudi Arabia… the second Christmas that I’ll be celebrating on my own, away from my family… and one thing I truly missed is the Lord’s Day celebration on Christmas Eve that I have just described. But even when we are leagues apart… on different parts of the globe… I know that come Christmas Eve, our hearts will again be as one when we pray to our Lord Jesus and give thanks for every blessing that He has given us.

Brothers and Sisters, if you haven’t tried it yet, why not invite your family and loved ones to come and celebrate the Lord’s Day prayer before you have your Noche Buena this coming Christmas Eve? If they’re not members of the CFC Family Ministries, it would be something new for them… who knows, it could be the first step in evangelizing them. If you have family members who are already in the renewal, then this could be a great opportunity for you and your family to thank the Lord… as one.

Don’t let the glitter and glamour and all the materialistic aspects that this world is showcasing blind you and make you not see nor recognize the Light that has come down upon us. Don’t let yourselves revert to what we were once… a people who walking in darkness… a people living in the valley of the shadow of death.

May the Lord continue to bless you all this Christmas and in the years to come. May His perpetual Light shine upon you and your loved ones and give you peace. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!!!

We praise you… the Son that has been given us! We praise you… Wonderful Counselor! Mighty God! Everlasting Father! Prince of Peace! Light of the World… shine down upon us all!!!


Shalom,
Brod Pete


“Letters from my Sojourn”
© 2008 by Peter Allan Mariano


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The Greatest Gift of All

It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas---oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it overspending ... the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma---the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

 

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.

 

As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.

 

Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids --- all kids --- and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.

 

On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition --- one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters, to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.

 

The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure.

 

The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad.

 

The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

 

May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always. God bless---pass this along to your friends and loved ones.

 

-- Author Unknown

 

 

======

Peter Allan C. Mariano

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Why Jesus Is Better Than Santa Claus

 

Santa lives at the North Pole ...
JESUS is everywhere.

 

Santa rides in a sleigh ...
JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.

 

Santa comes but once a year ...
JESUS is an ever present help.

 

Santa fills your stockings with goodies ...
JESUS supplies all your needs.

 

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited ...
JESUS stands at your door and knocks, and then enters your heart when invited.

 

You have to wait in line to see Santa ...
JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.

 

Santa lets you sit on his lap ...
JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

 

Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, what's your name?" ...
JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.

 

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly ...
JESUS has a heart full of love.

 

All Santa can offer is HO HO HO ...
JESUS offers health, help and hope.

 

Santa says "You better not cry" ...
JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you."

 

Santa's little helpers make toys ...
JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.

 

Santa may make you chuckle but ...
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.

 

While Santa puts gifts under your tree ...
JESUS became our gift and died on a tree.

 

It's obvious there is really no comparison.
We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.
We need to put Christ back in CHRISTmas,
Jesus is still the reason for the season.

 

Yes, Jesus is better, he is even better than Santa Claus.

 

-- Author Unknown

 

======

Peter Allan C. Mariano

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The Christmas Ten Commandments

1. Thou shalt give thy heart to Christ. Let Him be at the top of thy Christmas list

2. Thou shalt prepare thy soul for Christmas. Spend not so much on gifts that thy soul is forgotten.

3. Thou shalt not let Santa Claus replace Christ, thus robbing the day of its spiritual reality.

4. Thou shalt not burden the shop girl, the mailman, and the merchant with complaints and demands.

5. Thou shalt give thyself with thy gift. This will increase its value a hundred fold, and he who receiveth it shall treasure it forever.

6. Thou shalt not value gifts received by their cost. Even the least expensive may signify love, and that is more priceless than silver and gold.

7. Thou shalt not neglect the needy. Share thy blessings with many who will go hungry and cold unless thou are generous.

8. Thou shalt not neglect thy church. Its services highlight the true meaning of the season.

9. Thou shalt be as a little child. Not until thou has become in spirit as a little one art thou ready to enter into the kingdom of Heaven.

10. Thou shall not forget to share your joy, peace and faith with those around you.

-- Author Unknown

======

Peter Allan C. Mariano

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Two Babes In A Manger

 

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of  Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words:

 

It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.

 

Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city.

 

Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States.

 

The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously.

 

For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately...until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift.

 

So I asked Jesus, "If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?"

 

And Jesus told me, "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me."

 

"So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him...for always."

 

As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed.

 

The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him...FOR ALWAYS.

 

I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.

 

-- Author Unknown

 

 

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Peter Allan C. Mariano

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What Do You Want for Christmas?

So many of you asked us (since Yuletide's drawing near)
"What do you want for Christmas? What can we give you this year?
If we say, "We want nothing!" you buy something anyway,
So here's a list of what we'd like; believe now what we say:

 

Pajamas for a little child, food to feed the poor.
Blankets for a shelter, and we ask a little bit more--
Perform good deeds and let us know, or volunteer your time.
These last are worth a fortune, and they needn't cost a dime.

 

We have to many things now, vases, candles, tapes and clocks.
We have our fill of garments, ties, underwear and socks.
Candy is too fattening, crossword books we've more than 20.
We don't need trays or plates or cups, and knickknacks we have plenty.

 

We've no walls to hang more pictures; we have books we've not yet read;
So please take what you'd spend on us and help the poor instead!
Just send a Christmas card to us and tell us what you've done;
We'll open them on Christmas Eve, and read them one by one.

 

It won't cost as much for postage as a package sent would do,
You'll need no wrapping paper, ribbons, ink or glue.
And we'll thank God you listened to what we had to say,
So we could be the instruments to help someone this way.

 

-- Author Unknown

 

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Peter Allan C. Mariano

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The Best Gifts This Season

To a Friend - Loyalty
 

To an Enemy - Forgiveness
 

To your Boss - Service
 

To your Child - A good example
 

To your Father - Honor
 

To your Mother - Gratitude and Devotion
 

To your Spouse - Love and Faithfulness
 

To Yourself - Respect
 

To All Men - Charity
 

To God - Your Life!!

 

-- Author Unknown

 

 

======

Peter Allan C. Mariano

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