“So it is written: ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.” _________1 Corinthians 15:45-47 NIV

                                                      Second Adam From Above
At Christmas time as I was growing up we always sang the old Christmas carols….all the verses. I have been blessed with a good memory, maybe not always a blessing, however. I remember the words to most the old hymns and listened carefully to the preacher. I figured the Lord put me there for a reason, so I’d better listen. I still believe that and act on it.
Back to the old carols. A favorite was “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” which I sang with enthusiasm.

However, I always wondered the meaning of one line in one of the refrains: “Second Adam from above.”

Charles Wesley’s original words penned in 1739:
“Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface;
Stamp Thy image in its place.
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the life, the inner Man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.”

Many years later and after much Bible study I learned the meaning: Jesus Christ is the Second Adam from above, or “the second man from heaven” as translated in the New International Version of the Holy Bible. I was touched and impressed with this profound doctrinal message. I checked the hymnal being used currently at our church and that verse was no longer there. I don’t know why it was removed.
Nevertheless, I can still sing that verse from memory and rejoice in the meaning. Jesus Christ came to this earth to “reinstate us” in God’s love, which had been lost in the Garden of Eden by the first man, Adam. Jesus Christ imparted Himself into each believing heart.

Now that is a Christmas gift far, far beyond compare. Glory!
Merry Christmas!

……..Just stay home!
Yeah, actually those three words are my best advice about Christmas shopping. Trust me, I know these things! After sixty-one (now 62) years of marriage and the age that implies, I have tested all methods of Christmas shopping. Of course, that was before online shopping, which I love. Back to the subject.
I first published this blog last December 2, 2013. This morning I realized I was beginning to have the same thoughts about Christmas shopping and suddenly remembered my own Excellent Advice. So here it is again.

I love numbers. After my husband served 6 years in military service; after 5 years of his undergraduate studies; after many years of his graduate studies; after 3 children, (all this time with 0 discretionary funds), I finally began to notice a singular truth about my shopping: If I went out of the house I would spend money! That’s it! It was as simple as that! To resist the urge to shop, I would make a cup of coffee, grab a cookie, and wait for the urge to pass….and it would pass. Yay! Just think how much money I saved today, I would think. Perhaps the thought of taking three little children along with my shopping trip had something to do with deciding to “…just stay home.” Maybe.

Fast forward to today with the convenience of online shopping at my fingertips. Remember I said that I love it. Well, I’ve learned something about that, too; If I fill out all the necessary information in the Shopping Cart…i.e. the mailing address, credit card number, on and on, I’ll probably make a mistake and have to delete the whole thing. I’m usually so aggravated and bored by that time, I go find something else more fun to do. Yay! Just think how much money I saved today.

Recently while shopping online at a fancy store website, I came to the final bottom line stating the cost, it was really low….yes LOW! I thought how can that be? I just ordered some expensive items, jackets, sweaters, etc. I pondered this for a while and decided to start over by going back to the home page of the store. Oh! I see it now….in big bold letters it read “EVERYTHING 70% OFF TODAY.” That answered my question and confirmed my growing suspicion that I am the world’s worst shopper. Yes, I started over and bought all the same things I wanted as before. Oops! I didn’t save any money that day.

You might also find it helpful to know that if you are traveling with all your children and you are on a tight budget……don’t stop the car……ever! It will cost you money if you do. I’ve tested that theory before, in fact, we’ve lived it. However, I’ll admit it is a little difficult if you are trying to get to Lubbock, Texas from Houston, Texas in one day. At last count it is almost 600 miles.

Friends, that is the extent of my shopping advice gleaned through hard-earned experience and a lot of fun. Get a cup of coffee and a cookie….and wait.

Our tiny kitchen Christmas tree!

“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.”
John 1:14

Merry Christmas!