There’s a dragon in my nativity

 There’s a dragon in my nativity,

Dreadful and immense, The shepherds quake, the wise men shake And spill their frankincense. The cattle are a-lowing and The baby is awake, While Joe and Mary tremble, “Oh! This must be some mistake!’ There’s a dragon over Bethlehem, I don’t know how he came. I didn’t think a donkey Could have borne the dragon’s frame. I don’t believe the census, Had been called for such as him. And I’m certain that when Dragon knocked, No room was at the Inn. There’s a dragon by the stable, I don’t know why he’s there. He hasn’t brought a present And he only seems to glare. He hovers over David’s town, That still beneath him lies. Yet no-one’s sleep is dreamless, Underneath his piercing eyes. This dragon isn’t visible With ordinary sight. You cannot snap a selfie, Or televise his flight. Unseen, he stands for every power that stands against the earth, The death, disease and darkness Overshadowing each birth. This dragon is an enemy Of all that’s good and true. This monster lies and steals and kills — He’s coming after you. Above each crib the dragon hovers, Sure to swallow whole, Rulers, empires, beauty, joy — A flesh-and-blood black hole. But dragons always meet their match, They always meet their doom. A hero rises to the fight, To cast them into gloom. And so at this nativity, Arose another player. The baby wrapped in swaddling cloths — He was a dragon slayer. He’d come to fight through Herod’s plot, Through dangers big and small. He took on evil, sickness, death, And triumphed over all. A dragon or a baby — Just who would win the fight? It wasn’t really fair, you see, The Child was a Knight. From high above and long before, He knew what must be done. He knew the dragon waiting here, And still he chose to come. There’s a dragon in my nativity, A fierce and monstrous danger. But fiercer still the bravery And love within the manger.

I was led to this video and poem and post by the End Notes of something a friend texted me.
Here's this link: https://hebraicthought.org/apocalyptic-christmas-story-book-of-revelation/
"Rescuing Eagles and Baby-Eating Dragons: An Apocalyptic Christmas Story" By Amy Gabriel published on December 15, 2020.
It included hyperlinks, the first of which is actual part 2 of a two part podcast and it had a link to part 1.
So... here you go, if you're interested, part 1


At the bottom of the original article was: 

“There’s a dragon in my nativity,” writes Glen Scrivener, “Dreadful and immense.”22 But though the dragon may continue to rage, the nativity story reminds us that the infinite God has entered our finite world and has secured the final victory:

And so at this nativity, Arose another player.
The baby wrapped in swaddling cloths—
He was a dragon slayer.23

Here are those End notes

22. Glen Scrivener, “There’s a Dragon in My Nativity,” SpeakLife, YouTube video, “There IS a dragon at Christmas — John Lewis/Waitrose response,” November 21, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyC5RHKNBm4.

23. Scrivener, “There’s a Dragon in My Nativity.”




Christmas 🎄 2021

 by Francesca Battistelli listen here

 thank you, Tam Higgins 
 thank you,  Bob and Kerry Law
"Forceful confrontation with the problem of death, and through death, the meaning of life. It's also a sharp satire of the "false" modern middle-class lifestyle (embodied in the character of Ivan Ilych)." Source
"God Bless us, every one!" ~ Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol
Humphrey Chronicles  thank you

“Joy is dangerous. It fills me with secrets... It is all prayer.” Julia Cameron's "Jerusalem is walking in this world." read full poem here

"Labor of Love" by Andrew Peterson featuring Jill Phillips 

Matthew 1:23
"Not to know that any Christian spirit working kindly in its little sphere, whatever it may be, will find its mortal life too short for its vast means of usefulness. Not to know that no space of regret can make amends for one life's opportunity misused. "~ Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol"
O Holy Night by Josh Groban listen here
Puzzle gifts from three of my most favorite humans. One down, two to go..

Quiet days, evenings, night, early mornings...
Reading:
"Song For The King" by Michael W. Smith listen here
Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich, audio on YouTube 
"Unanimity, won-der-ful happiness!" ~ from A Christmas Carol (Stave 5).
Video (below) by Pamela Zagarenski is divine and a wonderful gift message from Ken xo
thank you , Brian Thornburg
eXquiste: "The WeXford Carol" by
Yo-Yo Ma, Alison Krauss, listen/watch here
Zagarenski  Sacredbee 

December 8-21, 2021

"the Audacious this-really-happened miracle of God taking on human skin, Arriving down at our level...every detail so deeply human and raw, And He was willing to go through it... All for one reason, to be with us." The Chosen "The Messengers"
Christmas Hallelujah - Caleb and Kelsey
Dad is Definitely with us, always xoxo
Emmanuel : God with us : Our Savior
Foretold: Lifepointe message: "Faith in God's Promises produces peace in my life." click here  source
Heaven's Hope..."Hope, peace, and love are an outflow of walking with Jesus through the lonely valley of death." ~ Boyd Bailey
"In a time of unnecessary noise, listening is the artist's way forward. " front flap The Listening Path 
John 8:12YouVersion Bible app 12/14/21
Ken's inspiration includes his photos,  grandchildren,  yoga and LOVE ❤ 
"My availability for God determines how much I hear from God." Lifepointe 2/19/21
"Part of doing in something is listening. To the sun. To the stars. To the wind." ~ Madeleine L'Emgle
"Questions for Thought and Prayer" each and every day with Wisdom for Living: A 40 Day Devotional by Boyd Bailey
Reading:  and
Sufganiyot: fried balls of yeast dough filled with strawberry jelly and dusted heavily with powdered sugar. The word sufganiyot can be traced back to the Greek word sufan, meaning “spongy” or “fried” 
Unto you is born this day in the city of David, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:
Violet helped Grampi paint Santa :)
"When they saw the star, they rejoiced 
eXceedingly with great joy." Matthew 2:10
Yaldā sunrise 21 December 21 Yaldā Night in here: Wikipedia
 
"Zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” Mark 7:36-37