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Bible Readings for Saturday, December 24th, 2012

– Christmas Eve Day *Click on each bible passage to expand the text. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 A Time for Everything

1. There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

2. a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3. a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4. a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5. a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6. a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7. a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8. a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace. James 1:17-18 17. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

A Time for Everything

I first wrote this post exactly a year ago today. Little did I know how exactly right-on it was! There is a time for everything, and it’s not always the happy-nice-stuff, either. But looking back on it, this last year was full of exactly the stuff I needed. To grow, to change, and to become more like Christ.

The biggest lesson this year had in store for me? The lesson of learning to forgive.

I don’t know if I could have really taken that lesson to heart before this year, nor if I had the maturity of experience to carry it out. It takes great strength and perseverance to forgive.

This year was the perfect season to learn to forgive.

Turn, turn, turn…

1. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 2. a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3. a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4. a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5. a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6. a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7. a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8. a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

May this Christmas Season and coming year bring you nothing more, and nothing less, than exactly what it is the season for!

Have faith, that no matter what that may be, it is exactly what you need.