We trust you had a joyful Christmas and will have a safe and delightful New Year! So far, it sounds like you've heard His voice in responding to His work around the world: Southern Baptist churches continue strong giving to Lottie Moon.  Thank you for sacrificial giving and please join our family in doubling this year's gift in 2006.

At the end of this page is a great story I hope you'll share with others.

I'm glad to have you with us. I wish for you an awesome week, filled with joy and abundance! May God find us listening more attentively to His voice this week as I am,

+ As Jasmine finished school, Scott asked that he would take advantage of this opportunity to invest even more time with her so she could 'see' the things he has been sharing from Scripture... a Baptist Press article was encouraging [Influencing your child’s career decision.] but, wow, were these some tough days :-(

+ Jasmine was to be off from school for two and a half weeks, and you began praying that Jasmine could focus more on reading and her other homeschool material... the 'sentence' has been prolonged by a week and, as you might tell, she has done just about everything except focus. We've had ample break time and have even offered her the structure she's asked for.

+ You joined us in praying for Jasmine's Christmas play to explain to the audience what Christmas was all about... hmm, outside of a few songs from her class the play was, um, not quite on the meaning of Christmas.

<T H I S  W E E K><

<>< Scott had a rough week with the IPCJ CD and needs your intercession to see 'feedback copies' flawlessly made this week.

<>< Shirin asks for your coverage as she starts another week of homeschool with Jasmine.

<>< Jasmine's greatest prayer need is for focus and concentration on her schoolwork.

<* Pray for the Korean of North Korea.><

CALENDAR UPDATES

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21, Pray for Jasmine to do well on her end of term evaluations as her studies pay off. May she finish well!

* She feels she finished well and thanks you for praying!

22, May we tell of His birth at Jasmine’s party

* What a joy it was to share His story with Jasmine's friends.

23-24, May the next 17 days be restful as the local school takes a break.

* Well, those seventeen days materialized into twenty-four with a change in her school schedule :*-)

25, Merry Christmas!

* We hope you had a great day!

26-27, Jasmine continues with homeschooling and asks for your prayers to do well.

* Oh, how your intercession is needed!

The Innkeeper

By John Piper (http://www.desiringgod.org/)

Jake's wife would have been fifty-eight

The day that Jesus passed the gate

Of Bethlehem, and slowly walked

Toward Jacob's Inn. The people talked

With friends, and children played along

The paths, and Jesus hummed a song,

And smiled at every child he saw.

He paused with one small lass to draw

A camel in the dirt, then said,

"What's this?" The girl bent down her head

To study what the Lord had made,

Then smiled, "A camel, sir!" and laid

Her finger on the bulging back,

"It's got a hump." "Indeed it does,

And who do you believe it was

Who made this camel with his hump?"

Without a thought that this would stump

The rabbi guild and be reviled,

She said, "God did." And Jesus smiled,

"Good eyes, my child. And would that all

Jerusalem within that wall

Of yonder stone could see the signs

Of peace!" He left the lass with lines

Of simple wonder in her face,

And slowly went to find the place

Where he was born.

Folks said the inn

Had never been a place for sin,

For Jacob was a holy man.

And he and Rachel had a plan

To marry, have a child or two,

And serve the folk who traveled through,

Especially the poor who brought

Their meal and turtle-doves, and sought

A place to stay near Zion's gate.

They'd rise up early, stay up late,

To help the pilgrims go and come,

And when the place was full, to some

Especially the poorest, they would say,

"We're sorry there's no room, but stay

Now if you like out back. There's lots

Of hay and we have extra cots

That you can use. There'll be no charge.

The stable isn't very large

But Noah keeps it safe." He was

A wedding gift to Jake because

The shepherds knew he loved the dog.

"There's nothing in the Decalogue,"

He used to joke, "that says a man

Can't love a dog!"

The children ran

Ahead of Jesus as he strode

Toward Jacob's Inn. The stony road

That led up to the inn was deep

With centuries of wear, and steep

At one point just before the door.

The Lord knocked once then twice before

He heard an old man's voice, "‘Round back!"

It called. So Jesus took the track

That led around the inn. The old

Man leaned back in his chair and told

The dog to never mind. "Ain't had

No one to tend the door, my lad,

For thirty years. I'm sorry for

The inconvenience to your sore

Feet. The road to Jerusalem

Is hard ain't it? Don't mind old Shem.

He's harmless like his dad. Won't bite

A Roman soldier in the night.

Sit down." And Jacob waved the stump

Of his right arm. "We're in a slump

Right now. Got lots of time to think

And talk. Come, sit and have a drink.

From Jacob's well!" he laughed. "You own

The inn?" The Lord inquired. "On loan,

You'd better say. God owns the inn."

At that the Lord knew they were kin,

And ventured on: "Do you recall

The tax when Caesar said to all

The world that each must be enrolled?"

Old Jacob winced, "Are north winds cold?

Are deserts dry? Do fishes swim

And ravens fly? I do. A grim

And awful year it was for me.

Why do you ask?" "I have a debt

To pay, and I must see how much.

Why do you say that it was such

A grim and awful year?" He raised

The stump of his right arm, "So dazed,

Young man, I didn't know I'd lost

My arm. Do you know what it cost

For me to house the Son of God?"

The old man took his cedar rod

And swept it ‘round the place: "Empty.

For thirty years alone, you see?

Old Jacob, poor old Jacob runs

It with one arm, a dog and no sons.

But I had sons . . . once. Joseph was

My firstborn. He was small because

His mother was so sick. When he

Turned three the Lord was good to me

And Rachel, and our baby Ben

Was born, the very fortnight when

The blessed family arrived.

And Rachel's gracious heart contrived

A way for them to stay—there in

That very stall. The man was thin

And tired. You look a lot like him."

But Jesus said, "Why was it grim?"

"We got a reputation here

That night. Nothing at all to fear

In that we thought. It was of God.

But in one year the slaughter squad

From Herod came. And where do you

Suppose they started? Not a clue!

We didn't have a clue what they

Had come to do. No time to pray,

No time to run, no time to get

Poor Joseph off the street and let

Him say good-bye to Ben or me

Or Rachel. Only time to see

A lifted spear smash through his spine

And chest. He stumbled to the sign

That welcomed strangers to the place,

And looked with panic at my face,

As if to ask what he had done.

Young man, you ever lost a son?"

The tears streamed down the Savior's cheek,

He shook his head, but couldn't speak.

"Before I found the breath to scream

I heard the words, a horrid dream:

‘Kill every child who's two or less.

Spare not for aught, nor make excess.

Let this one be the oldest here

And if you count your own life dear,

Let none escape.' I had no sword

No weapon in my house, but Lord,

I had my hands, and I would save

The son of my right hand . . . So brave,

O Rachel was so brave! Her hands

Were like a thousand iron bands

Around the boy. She wouldn't let

Him go and so her own back met

With every thrust and blow. I lost

My arm, my wife, my sons—the cost

For housing the Messiah here.

Why would he simply disappear

And never come to help?"

They sat

In silence. Jacob wondered at

The stranger's tears.

"I am the boy

That Herod wanted to destroy.

You gave my parents room to give

Me life, and then God let me live,

And took your wife. Ask me not why

The one should live, another die.

God's ways are high, and you will know

In time. But I have come to show

You what the Lord prepared the night

You made a place for heaven's light.

In two weeks they will crucify

My flesh. But mark this, Jacob, I

Will rise in three days from the dead,

And place my foot upon the head

Of him who has the power of death,

And I will raise with life and breath

Your wife and Ben and Joseph too

And give them, Jacob, back to you

With everything the world can store,

And you will reign for evermore."