“We glorify God for answered prayer — the remaining 12 hostages are FREE!” Christian Aid Ministries said in a statement. “All 17 of our loved ones are now safe.” The Haitian National Police confirmed to the Associated Press that all hostages have in fact been released. At one time the 400 Mowgazi Gang were demanding $1 million ransom for each hostage. We do not know if any ransom payments or other arrangements were made. Read the full story via Christian Index.

You may recall two religious groups that figure into early American history. The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. They were separatists who left the Church of England in search of religious freedom. They wanted to be left alone to practice their faith. The Puritans tried to stay in the Church of England and fix what was wrong. They were eventually expelled. The Pilgrims left, the Puritans were kicked out. It was the strictly religious group that got kicked out that banned the celebration in Massachusetts.

Mary’s Boy Child, 1956, Jester Harrison – Sometimes our hymns are steeped in theology. Sometimes the theology is questionable and at other times outright ridiculous. I heard a complaint this week that Mary’s Boy Child is off the mark for saying we will live forever because of Christmas Day when it is Christ’s death and resurrection that make that possible. Of all the modern carols and questionable Christmas hymn theology out there, I rise in defense of this one. Click here to read the full lyrics if you’re not familiar.

Christmas is more than a celebration of Christ’s birth. In the past it involved the feast of the incarnation. Isaiah 9:6 lists the names and titles of the coming Messiah: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah chapters 7 and 9 prophesy the birth of the Messiah, chapter 53 paints a graphic picture of the crucifixion. Prophecy is not just God’s best guess at what will happen. He exists outside of time and what we call the future is as solic to him as yesterday is to us. God’s plan of salvation is from before the foundation of the world. The birth of Jesus was the beginning of a series of events that would lead to the cross. Consider the gifts the wise men brought. Myrrh is an example of foreshadowing. An incense used to anoint the dead for burial, it made a strange gift to a newborn.

We celebrate Christmas not just as Jesus’s birthday but as the moment heaven moved near and touched the earth. The incarnation was the moment God became God with us. The death, burial and resurrection took place because the Son of God came to seek and to save the lost. We can live forevermore because of Christmas Day. The song takes a high view of the holy day that I believe is appropriate.

If you watch The Flintstones you will see the modern stone-age family use devices such as telephones, televisions, record players and dishwashers. They drive cars, punch a clock at work, eat out and go to drive in movie theaters. If the celebration of Christmas is the only anachronism you’ve noticed…

This is a white Tibetan yak. I showed this pic to my daughter and now she wants one.

Took a screenshot of this ad from my newsfeed. I have tried this product and the coffee is not as noticeable as the cinnamon flavor in the Cinnamon Coke of 2019. If your reaction is something like “Ew, gross” I get it. It’s not that bad; not great (like Cinnamon Coke, rest in peace) and a little bit pricey. Back in 2003 I started my first teaching job. 7th and 8th grade general math classes. I had a travel coffee mug I came in with pretty much every morning. It had a wide base so it was less likely to tip over and was wrapped in a faux black leather. Students were not allowed to have soft drinks – in Kentucky they call everything pop – before lunch. I may have been allowed but didn’t want to start that fight. So when my coffee was gone I would pour a 12 oz Diet Coke into my coffee mug. My students never knew the difference. If there were a few drops of coffee left that affected the Diet Coke flavor, that was okay too. So I’m going to be this guy: I was drinking coffee with Coke before coffee with Coke was cool.