Today In History; December 25 & Merry Merry Christmas To ALL !

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Merry Christmas, Good Morning and God Bless To Everyone !!!

Today is December 25, the 359th day of 2013 and there are 6 days left this year in which it is a pleasure to be here at work for our Lord at:

For God’s Glory Alone Ministries !!!

I pray everyone is enjoying this glorious day while we celebrate the birth of our Lord & Saviour Jesus.

Here in Albuquerque it is another blessed and beautiful day outside with God’s precious sunshine beaming down on us!

I apologize for today’s ‘history’ being a little late this morning. We had everyone over for our Christmas dinner last night so that my precious & Godly wife Sandy wouldn’t have to cook today except for her special Christmas Morning Breakfast for us all since she has to go back to work tomorrow. We’ve had a wonderful morning where we started with a prayer with the Grandchildren for the Baby Jesus and then we were off to the Christmas Tree. It is such a pleasure when the Grandchildren understand the meaning behind Christmas and ‘gift giving’ while being brought up in a Christian manner! What a JOY!!!

For me, I am so very, very thankful to God for allowing me yet another Christmas day with them all as I continue to recover from heart issues and stage 4 cancer. It just makes it all even more meaningful than it was before!!!

I do however, ask everyone to spare a minute or two for all the Christians around the world living under tyranny and persecution for their Christian faith and for our service men & women around the world who are sacrificing their Christmas Day at home with their family and loved ones in order that they may maintain our freedom to do just exactly that ourselves. Out of my 22 year navy career, I was able to attend only two Christmas Day’s at home and understand the hardship of doing what they are doing for us.

Now, one would think that it being Christmas Day, that would be my feature item today. Every Christian around the world knows what we are celebrating today and I wish not to start any disagreements concerning the varying origins of different customs held throughout the world. I’m simply going to refer you to The Greatest Best Seller Ever Written – The BIBLE! It’s God’s Word direct to each and every one of us and he’s far, far better an author than I am!

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So, What Happened Today In 1914:

Legendary World War I Christmas Truce

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Just after midnight on Christmas morning, the majority of German troops engaged in World War I cease firing their guns and artillery and commence to sing Christmas carols. At certain points along the eastern and western fronts, the soldiers of Russia, France, and Britain even heard brass bands joining the Germans in their joyous singing.

At the first light of dawn, many of the German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across no-man’s-land, calling out “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick, but seeing the Germans unarmed they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. The men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings and sang carols and songs. There was even a documented case of soldiers from opposing sides playing a good-natured game of soccer.

The so-called Christmas Truce of 1914 came only five months after the outbreak of war in Europe and was one of the last examples of the outdated notion of chivalry between enemies in warfare. In 1915, the bloody conflict of World War I erupted in all its technological fury, and the concept of another Christmas Truce became unthinkable.

Other Memorable Or Interesting Events Occurring On December 25 In History:

336 – 1st recorded celebration of Christmas took place in Rome, Italy;

498 – French King Clovis baptised himself;

597 – England adopts the Julian calendar;

800 – The Pope crowns Charlemagne;

1066 – William The Conqueror is crowned King of England;

1100 – Bounouin I of Boulogne crowned King of Jerusalem;

1223 – St. Francis of Assisi assembles the 1st known Nativity scene in Greccio, Italy;

1492 – Columbus’ ship Santa Maria runs aground & sinks in Hispaniola, present day Cap-Haitien, Haiti;

1642 – Sir Isaac Newton, English mathematician & scientist who enunciated the ‘laws of motion & gravity’ is born;

1651 – Massachusetts General Court ordered a ‘five-shilling’ fine for anyone “observing any such day as Christmas”;

1758 – 1st return of Halley’s Comet sighted by Johann Georg Palitzsch;

1776 – General George Washington crosses the Delaware River with 5,400 troops hoping to surprise a German mercenary force celebrating Christmas at their winter quarters in Trenton, New Jersey;

1818 – “Silent Night” written by Franz Gruber & Father Joseph Mohr is publicly performed for the 1st time at Christmas Mass at The Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria;

1831 – Louisiana & Arkansas are 1st states to officially observe Christmas as a holiday;

1868 – President Andrew Johnson grants an unconditional pardon to all persons involved in the southern rebellion that resulted in the Civil War;

1869 – 16-year-old John Wesley Hardin, angered over a card game dispute, shoots & kills James Bradley in the street. Although less famous than Billy the Kid, Jesse James or Wyatt Earp, Hardin is believed to hold the gunslinger’s record for killing the most men in the shortest period. From his 1st killing in 1868 until he shot his last victim 10 years later, Hardin is known to have murdered more than 20 men;

1880 – Layne Hall is born in Mississippi. When he died in November 1990, he was the oldest licensed driver in the U.S. while still driving his 1962 Cadillac Sedan de Ville to the grocery store, doctor visits & even on an occaisional date and is recorded as such in the Guinness Book of world records. During his nearly 75 years of driving he never got a speeding ticket or citation of any kind;

1896 – “Stars & Stripes Forever” is written by John Philip Sousa;

1941 – British garrison in Hong Kong surrenders to Japanese Forces in WWII;

1941 – “White Christmas” written by formidable composer and lyricist Irving Berlin receives its world premiere on Bing Crosby’s weekly radio program, “The Kraft Music Hall”;

1962 – “To Kill A Mockingbird”, a film based on the 1960 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by the same name opens in theaters across the country;

1972 – Operation Linebacker II resumes in the evening following a 36 hour Christmas stand down since Hanoi had sent no word that it would return to the peace talks;

1989 – Ousted Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu & his wife Elena are executed following a popular uprising;

1990 – 1st successful trial run of the system which would become the ‘World Wide Web’, (WWW:), or internet is performed;

1996 – 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey is killed in her Boulder, Colorado home. The murder is still unresolved today;

2000 – In Luoyang, China a Christmas party at an unlicensed disco is the site of a tragic fire that kills more than 300 people;

2002 – University of New Mexico junior place-kicker Katie Hnida attempts to kick an extra point in a game against UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl. The kick was blocked but she became the 1st woman to play in a Division I football game;

2003 – Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf survived a 2nd assassination attempt in 11 days but 17 other were killed;

2009 – Northwest Airlines flight 253 lands in Detroit as passengers foil an attempt to blow the plane up by over powering a man who tried to set off explosives in his underwear;

2010 – 1st snowfall in the last 128 years occurs in Atlanta, Georgia. 500 airline flights are cancelled.

Now, Off To The Fun Stuff:

(Today I’m doing ‘Fun Stuff’ but I’m not doing ‘Silly’ Stuff – It’s just not a silly day!)

Today’s Verse:

Luke 2:11 – “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Today’s Christian Quote:

“It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you… yes, it is Christmas every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand.” — Mother Teresa

Today’s Christmas Music Video:

A Christmas Celebration medley by Celtic Woman –   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDki7Vj0oIA

And:

Merry Christmas, by Rev. Kelly Wright of Fox News with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra –   https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&ved=0CEkQtwIwBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DxL2GRmhZEmc&ei=Kw67UqDCB8jMyQHu0IG4DQ&usg=AFQjCNFAf0uXOVy_M9uKF30b6361oQ-lGg&bvm=bv.58187178,d.aWc

Today’s Remembrance To Our Service Men & Women, Past, Present & Future & Their Families Who Provide Us With Our Blessings Of Freedom:

The Path Of The Warrior –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKqT0-3JV5E&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Today’s Wreath’s Across America:

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Volunteer Dotti Parker lays holiday wreaths at graves at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., Saturday Dec. 14, 2013, during Wreaths Across America Day. Wreaths Across America was started in 1992 at Arlington National Cemetery by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester and has expanded to hundreds of veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond.

Today’s ‘The Reason For Christmas’:

The story of Jesus birth was told by the apostles Luke and Matthew.  The prophets Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Hosea, and even the great leader Moses were all used by God to foretell of the birth of Christ centuries before the actual event.  God forbid Adam and Eve to eat from tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  He told them they would die if they did.  They fell into to temptation by Satan and ate of its fruit anyway.  This single event literally condemned mankind as children of Satan rather than children of God.  You can read about this fall of man in the first parts of Genesis, and especially in verses 3:9-20.  From the very moment that God lost His children he set in motion plans to regain back His family.  Many years later in Genesis chapter 17, God formed a contract with a man name Abraham.  To bind this contract Abraham offered on an alter His only son Isaac as a sacrifice to God (Genesis 22:9-18).  By doing so, God, vowed with Himself that Abraham would be the father of many nations.  Out of Abraham’s obedience God was now obligated to offer His only son as a sacrifice to mankind.  This perfect sacrifice would be the final payment for all the sins ever committed against God.  The birth of Jesus Christ sets the stage for an unmatched drama with the our personal spiritual lives weighing in the balance.  God Himself came into our midst to regain His family; to regain you.

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UNTIL TOMORROW – GOD BLESS TO ALL AND EVERYONE AT FGGAM WISHES YOU ALL A VERY, VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!

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After serving in the United States Navy for 22 years I retired from the service late in 1991. Having always loved the southwest, shortly after retiring, I moved to the Albuquerque area where I have resided since. Initially I worked as a contractor for approximately 6 years doing cable construction work. That becoming a little dangerous, at an elevated age, I moved into the retail store management environment managing convenience stores for roughly 16 years. With several disabilities, I am now fully retired and am getting more involved with helping Pastor Dewey & Pastor Paul with their operations at FGGAM which pleases my heart greatly as it truly is - "For God's Glory Alone". I met my precious wife Sandy here in Albuquerque and we have been extremely happily married for 18 years and I am the very proud father to Sandy's wonderful children, Tiana, our daughter, Ryan & Ross, our two sons, and proud grandparents to 5 wonderful grandchildren. We attend Christ Full Deliverance Ministries in Rio Rancho which is lead by Pastor's Marty & Paulette Cooper along with Elder Mable Lopez as regular members. Most of my time is now spent split between my family, my church & helping the Pastors by writing here on the FGGAM website and doing everything I can to support this fantastic ministry in the service of our Lord. Praise to GOD & GOD Bless to ALL! UPDATED 2021: Rick and Sandy moved to Florida a few years ago. We adore them and we pray for Rick as he misses Sandy so very, very much!

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