Which question would you want most to be answered?

The top 3 questions with the most number of votes will be answered next month!

If you think you have an answer to any of the below questions, send them to us at contribute@ymiblogging.org, we’d love to hear from you!

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“Come thou long expected Jesus!”
1024 x 768 | 1280 x 800 | 1366 x 768 ]]> http://ymiblogging.org/2011/12/wallpaper-for-christmas/feed/ 1 http://ymiblogging.org/2011/12/the-essence-of-christmas/ http://ymiblogging.org/2011/12/the-essence-of-christmas/#comments Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:01:32 +0000 YMIblogging http://ymiblogging.org/?p=7131 Submitted by Cioloca Tabita, 16, Romania

No colored twinkling lights, no tinseled decorated Christmas trees, no Christmas carols, no Santa Claus. That was the first Christmas in the world. Jesus, the Son of God was born into our world in a stable because there was no room for Him in the inns. The world did not anticipate an event that would change history or life. On that night, more than 2000 years ago, God did something that remains beyond our full comprehension. He brought hope to our sin-ridden world.

Prior to receiving God’s gift of salvation, I, like many of my friends look forward to Christmas for the gifts we would receive. When I became a Christian, I began to understand the significance of Christmas—it is the day where God gave mankind the greatest gift of all.

John 3:16 takes on a deep meaning when read in the context of Christmas: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son . . ..” Because of His overwhelming love for each one of us, God gave His Son, Jesus Christ. Recently, our Sunday Service speaker spoke on compassion and charity. He reminded us that compassion is different from charity. Compassion is continuous unlike charity, which is a one-time act. As I thought over it, I realized that it was God’s compassion that brought forth Christmas’ joy. Today, His compassion still goes on. As such, we who have experienced God’s love and compassion need to spread this Christmas joy to those who have not yet beheld God’s grace.

Let us run to the altar, catch the fire of God’s compassion and decide to make a difference in the lives of those outside the four walls of our church not only this Christmas, but also every day. Christmas must go on throughout the year. As we do that, we will enjoy a truly blessed Christmas!

“I drew Mary and Joseph wearing Ulos Batak textile.”

Ulos Batak is a traditional hand woven Batak textile. It is hand made on a body tension (back strap) loom using hand dyed thread and natural dyes are used in combination with commercial dyes.

The Batak people of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, have a history of weaving Ulos ni tondi (Cloth of the Soul) for ritual & ceremonial purposes that dates back to their earliest history.

Download Wallpaper Here

“Christmas has become a season about everything but Christ. In Kenya, there has even been an argument about whether the tree that we dressed up on this special season should be called a holiday tree or a Christmas tree. As such, I think it is vital for us to go back to the fundamental reason for this season. When we understand it, then we can celebrate it meaningfully. Someone once reminded me that the basis of our faith is conviction not convincing. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will convict us of the purpose of this season.”

YMI Note:
This poem was written in Bahasa Indonesia. We have translated it into English for you.

One of the first entries submitted for “Joy of Christmas” contest!
Zhichuan has kindly made his artwork available for download as wallpapers too.

Download Wallpaper Here

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Update about the flood situation: (as of 11 Nov 2012)
Though the threat of tidal flooding has receded, Thailand’s worst floods in five decades are still sweeping closer to central Bangkok, causing more and more residents to evacuate their homes and flee to drier land. Bangkok’s governor has declared 16 of the city’s 50 districts as evacuation zones, but the water continues to flow southward, attempting to drain into the Gulf of Thailand.

On Sunday, the waters reached the northernmost point of the city’s rail system. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) ordered residents to evacuate in all zones of Chatuchak, home to tourist landmark Chatuchak Market. The market was flooded as of late Sunday and essentially closed for business, though you could still find a few brave vendors trying to earn their living.

The major concern now is contamination of floodwater caused mainly by uncollected garbage which is widespread.

Bangkok’s Health Ministry of Medical Sciences has warned of possible leptospirosis in flooded areas. In their recent survey of 21 food samples, collected in four flooded provinces including Bangkok, results yielded food poisoning manifestations, while 17 out of 57 samples of drinking water possessed germs which caused diarrhoea. It has been known that this bacterial disease will usually be present even three weeks after the floods have receded. There is already a case of leptospirosis being reported.

In the “Christmas in _____” Photography Contest, we invite you to send in photos that show how Christmas is celebrated in YOUR part of the world. Fill in the blank by sending us your best picture which captured Christmas in YOUR part of the world and a short caption.

View the entries here!!

Send in your photos to contribute@ymiblogging.org now! Submission Deadline: 30 November 2011



Guidelines
Images must be in jpg or jpeg format.
Image size should be 5 MB or smaller.
Images should be at least 1600px wide for a horizontal image, OR 1600px tall for a vertical image.
Do include your name, age and country when you submit your entries.

While in Chile for a Bible conference, I was resting at the hotel when a rugby match came on the television. Though I don’t fully understand rugby, I enjoy it, and admire the courage it takes to play such a dangerous game. During the game, one of the French rugby players was injured and had to be taken to the sidelines. As the trainers worked on him, the camera showed a closeup of his shoes, where, with a black marker he had written, “Habakkuk 3:19” and, “Jesus is the way.” Those expressions of faith and hope were a strong testimony of that young athlete’s priorities and values.

The verse cited on his shoes, Habakkuk 3:19, is not just one of heavenly hopes and long awaited faith, however. It is one of practical value—especially to an athlete dependent upon speed for success—for it says, “The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.” Not just in sports, but in all of life, we need the strength and supply of our God. He alone can give us “feet” that are swift when we need them and strong when we need them. He alone can equip us for all the uncertainties of life, for He alone is our strength.

Previously published on Sports Spectrum.

Reflect:
How have you grown in your relationship with God and others through this study? Which of the six lessons had the most impact on your life? Why?

I just returned from two weeks in Australia and New Zealand, where I once again had the opportunity (or challenge) to try and understand Australian Rules Football, or “Footy” as it is called down under. There is definitely more “foot” in Footy than there is in American football (which Aussies call “Gridiron”), but there is also lots of running, punching, tackling and other stuff. One game ended with a score of 110-106—which sounds more like an NBA game! I like rugby pretty well, and I love soccer (especially with the World Cup on the horizon), and of course I love college and NFL football here in the States. But, Footy? I just cannot seem to figure that one out. It is just a different game. A very different game.

In a sense, that is true of prayer. For those who grow up exposed to religion or going to church, prayer is part of the mechanics and ritual. It’s just what you do. Sometimes it is reciting the Lord’s prayer. Sometimes it is merely a part of the liturgy. Sometimes it is a desperation cry from the fox-holes of life. It is just part of the program. Then, you come to Christ and prayer becomes a totally different game. It is now a conversation between a loving Father and His beloved child. It is the sharing and unburdening of the heart. Far from mere form or function, it becomes so necessary to our survival that it is like the very breath we breathe. We hear the word prayer thrown around a lot in our culture, but when a person has entered into a relationship with the God of the universe, prayer is a different game altogether. It is life. So:

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrew 4:16)

Previously published on Sports Spectrum.