MaritimeMercy.com

A s the afternoon settled down to give room to the evening, white flakes of snow fell from the sky of Van to please those who dreamed of a white Christmas. Snow in East Texas happens once or twice each year staying on the ground just long enough to make a snow man or an angel. This morning the city woke up roof tops, walk ways and lawn covered with snow. The dream of a white Christmas became reality. It was a white Christmas after all. 

North Texas woke up this morning with a white Christmas, but here in East Texas the day began with much needed rain. Either way through rain, sleet, or snow, which eventually becomes liquid, any form of moisture is welcome right now. But independent of the weather it is Christmas day. Some open the presents Christmas evening, others Christmas day. As I said before those who give reflects God’s giving heart. The more they give, more they have to give.   Serving on the Mercy Ships Anastasis I met Daryl, a man from the Canadian Coast Guard in Victoria, Canada. He asked me if he could fix my bicycle, which was old and rust by the salt of the sea stored on the aft deck. I didn’t see any problem with it, but I let him take it to “fix”. A week later he brought it back with new breaks, new chain, new bearings, new handle, and a paint job. Then he said: “I did not know if this was your favorite bicycle or I would buy you a new bike for the money I spent fixing this one.” We were div...

One of the things I love about Christmas is the celebration of the gift of life. New life is exciting, fostering expectation and hope. There is the certainty that thinks will not be the same anymore. New life points to a better future even when the present is not clear; it stimulates the imagination to dream of a better tomorrow. Isn’t this what the birth of Jesus is all about? God came to earth in the form of a new born baby to give us life and life abundant. But what is life? Life has been defined from many perspectives, philosophically, biologically, and through religion. However, from God’s perspective life is his son Jesus Christ. Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He is life; he came to give us life. The Apostle John says that God loved the world (cosmos) that he gave his son, his son is life. Therefore, God gave life. At Christmas we have the opportunity to celebrate life. Life is here, he is the gift of God, the Emanuel; God in form of man. Are you ready t...

Family is what makes Christmas significant, not the gifts, the food, or the Christmas tree. There is always a gift you dream about and want desperately receive.  When you receive it at Christmas day you feel the luckiest person the whole world.  Nevertheless, what makes the gift memorable is the expectation at the family gathering waiting for your turn to open your gift, unwrap the packet and show to others what you got. In his infinite wisdom God found family the right place for his Son to born, to grow and to develop. Joseph and Mary were the perfect parents for Jesus. The witnessed the miracle of Divine conception, a coir of angels, shepherds and far-east kings bringing gifts to a child born in a stable. Can you imagine what went through Joseph and Mary’s mind as they went through all those events only to be warned to flee to a foreign land to save their lives That is what family is all about. Joseph and Mary were there to hear angelical voices singing praises, bu...

Christmas is a joyous season, a time of giving and receiving, a time of celebration and rejoicing, and a time of loving and receiving love. I don’t have to get into deep reflection to recognize that my parents, and grandparents didn’t have much earthly possessions in order to give lavish gifts to us, but one thing I know they made it meaningful and memorable, even in my teen years when everything family was not cool.  Whether by tradition or by a heart that recognizes that the giving of gifts to other is a reflection of God’s gift to mankind, his son Jesus Christ, people all over the world celebrates Christmas. They give gifts to others and even volunteer to serve a nice Christmas dinner to those in need. It is easy to fall in the trap that Christmas has become commercialized and it is not worth to celebrate it, that the manger has not to do with rain deer and Santa dropping presents through the chimney, and others argue that Christmas should be observed every day. I don’...

“Brazil lost today one of his geniuses” said Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff about Oscar Niemeyer who died Wednesday at the age of 104. Among a long list of modernists which architectural work ranged from the government buildings of Brazil’s capital, Brasilia, to the United Nations complex in Manhattan. With Niemeyer modern architecture moved from plainly functional to form follows beauty. Follow the link to read The New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/world/americas/oscar-niemeyer-modernist-architect-of-brasilia-dies-at-104.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Mercy Ships press release highlights the acquisition of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Equipment used for Safety Training. A self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is a device worn by rescue workers, firefighters, and others to provide breathable air in an IDHL (Immediate Danger to Life and Health Atmosphere). The equipment is to be used on the Basic Fire Fighting class. Click here http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/12/prweb10188275.htm to see full article.