Remember that old movie classic, Miracle On 34th Street? It’s about an elderly gentleman that presents himself as the real Santa Claus. The original movie came out in 1947. A remake also came out in 1955, 1973 and again in 1994. The film won three Academy Awards and is shown on television every Christmas.
       The movie is all about Kris Kringle. In the story--as tradition would have it--Macy’s is getting ready to present their annual Thanksgiving parade. Just as things are about to get started, the store Santa 

becomes drunk and unable to carry out his role. So they hurriedly try to find a replacement and spot a bearded, elderly man who seems perfect for the part. Doris, the store supervisor, pleads with him to take the job. He agrees and introduces himself as Kris Kringle. He does so well in the parade that he is immediately hired to be Macy’s store Santa for the holidays.
       The children come to meet him and tell him their Christmas wishes. They soon begin to believe that Kringle is the real Santa, but Doris is having second thoughts about his hire. In an effort to be kind, this deluded St. Nick starts sending customers to shop elsewhere when they can’t find the items they need at Macy’s. Doris is amazed when Mr. Macy embraces the idea, thinking it’s a great customer-service “gimmick”.
       Kris finds a place to live during his off-duty hours. He ends up sharing a room with lawyer, Fred Gailey, who is sweet on Doris. Kris hopes to bring the two together, and also hopes he can lift Susan’s spirits, (Doris’s little girl), as she has experienced many Christmas disappointments.
       Meanwhile, Kringle’s antics at the department store call for an evaluation by a psychologist who 

declares him to be a lunatic and should be locked up at Bellvue. So his lawyer friend, Fred, ends up 

defending him at a court hearing. What follows is a very interesting case about how it is that Kris Kringle actually could be the real Santa Claus. Ah, yes. It is truly a heart-warming story. It would be so wonderful if movies like this were still made.
       Christmas is a favorite time of year for many folks. It’s a time when hope and faith seem to be 

renewed in our hearts. Just like the young girl in the story, Miracle On 34th Street, we too can believe in miracles, because the greatest miracle of all was given to us 2000 years ago: the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
       God sent His only begotten Son. He was born of the virgin, Mary, surrounded by lowly farm animals. He was laid in a manger-trough in the inn keeper’s stable. And yet He was a King. He was the living Son of God who became a man for a season. He was born to serve and to die for all mankind, so that 

anyone who believes in Him would not die, but would live and have eternal life.

       When a person accepts Christ’s sacrifice for their sins and receives Christ into their heart, they become born “anew” or born-again. Anyone who has had their life changed through the miracle of salvation knows that God is a God of miracles. And God is still in the miracle business today. Will you seek Him this Christmas? Will you surrender your heart to Him? You, too, can experience the wonderful love God . . . and that my friend is so much greater than anything “Santa” could offer. For help with “How To Become A Christian, visit: https://kathyveer.com/become-a-christian

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_on_34th_Street

       Giftedness seems to descend through family lines. Wouldn’t it be great to be gifted at organizing, or running a business, or drawing and art work, or singing? Remember the well loved crooner, Bing Crosby? You’ll never guess who he descended from: the great Fanny J. Crosby.
       Miss Fanny was very musical. She learned to play piano, organ, harp, and guitar. But you need to know one more thing . . . she was blind.
       When Miss Fanny was just six weeks old, she caught a cold and developed inflammation of the eyes. In those days–the early 1800s--folks did the best they could. So they applied mustard poultices to her eyes, hoping to relieve the discharge, but the treatment seemed to have damaged her optic nerves 

instead. Modern doctors believe her blindness was congenital.
       Crosby said, “It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for allowing it. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and 

interesting things about me.”
       Fanny Crosby was an only child, born March 24, 1820, about 50 miles north of New York city. From the age of ten, she memorized five chapters of the Bible each week; by age fifteen, she had memorized the four Gospels, the Book of Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, the first five books of the Law known as the Pentateuch, and many of the Psalms.
       Miss Fanny married Alexander van Alstyne, Jr. In the summer of 1843. In 1859, they had a daughter named Frances who died in her sleep soon after birth, probably from SIDS. It is said that Crosby's hymn, Safe in the Arms of Jesus, was inspired by her death.
       Crosby is one of the most well known hymn writers in history. In fact, she was known as the “Queen of Gospel Song Writers” and the “Mother of modern congregational singing in America”, with most American hymnals containing her work. She wrote more than 8,000 hymns and Gospel songs. Books containing her lyrics sold over 100 million copies and Crosby donated most of her royalties to worthy causes.
       Some publishers were hesitant to have so many hymns by one person in their hymnals, so she used nearly 200 different pseudonyms during her career.
       Miss Fanny, in describing her hymn-writing process said, “It may seem a little old-fashioned, always to begin one’s work with prayer, but I never undertake a hymn without first asking the Lord to be my 

inspiration.” She aimed to reach a million people for the Lord, and prayed her hymns would bring men and women to Christ.
       Throughout her life, Crosby was described as having “a fear of wealth”. She never set prices for her speaking engagements and "what little she did accept she gave away almost as soon as she got it". 

She and her husband also organized concerts, with half the proceeds given to aid the poor. She said, “From the time I received my first check for my poems, I made up my mind to open my hand wide to those who needed assistance.”
       Some of Crosby's best-known songs include, Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior, Blessed Assurance, 

Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home, Praise Him, Praise Him, Rescue the Perishing, and To God Be the Glory.

       Crosby met and was praised by John Quincy Adams, President James K. Polk, and President Grover Cleveland. She died at Bridgeport, February 12, 1915 after a six month illness resulting in a cerebral hemorrhage. She was 94. Her family erected a very small tombstone at her request which carried the words, “Aunt Fanny: She hath done what she could; Fanny J. Crosby”.
       Fanny J. Crosby was a true hero for Jesus. Her testimony serves to challenge every believer to 

dedicate and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. When Christian believers do the work of God, people’s lives change. Are you a Christian? If so, how are you serving Him today?

       Let’s go back to the last century. In 1903, a most unusual person was born with the nickname, Watchman Nee; his actual Chinese name was 

Ni Tuosheng. He was born in Shantou, of the Qing dynasty, a city on the eastern coast of Guangdong, China.
       Nee’s father was an officer in the Imperial Customs Service. His mother was educated in an American-staffed Methodist mission school. His grandfather was a gifted Anglican preacher.
       An article at Wikipedia describes Nee’s conversion:
       “In the spring of 1920, when Nee was 17, Dora Yu was invited to hold ten days of revival meetings in the Church of Heavenly Peace in Fuzhou. After Nee's mother attended these meetings, she was moved to apologize to her son for a previous incident of unjust punishment. Her action impressed Nee so much that he determined to attend the next day's evangelistic meetings to see what was taking place there. After 

returning from the meeting, according to Nee's own account:
       “On the evening of 28th April, 1920, I was alone in my room, struggling to decide whether or not to believe in the Lord. At first I was reluctant but as I tried to pray I saw the magnitude of my sins and the reality and efficacy of Jesus as the Savior. As I visualized the Lord's hands stretched out on the cross, they seemed to be welcoming me, and the Lord was saying, "I am waiting here to receive you." Realizing the effectiveness of Christ's blood in cleansing my sins and being overwhelmed by such love, I accepted him there. Previously I had laughed at people who had accepted Jesus, but that evening the experience became real for me and I wept and confessed my sins, seeking the Lord's forgiveness. As I made my first prayer I knew joy and peace such as I had never known before. Light seemed to flood the room and I said to the Lord, "Oh, Lord, you have indeed been gracious to me."
       — Watchman Nee, Watchman Nee's Testimony.
In 1936, before a group of fellow workers, Watchman Nee outlined the commission of his ministry:
       “From the time I was bedridden by illness until the time I was healed by God, I was being shown more clearly the kind of work God wanted me [to do]: literary work . . . meetings for the overcomer . . . building up local churches . . . and youth training . . . In the future my personal burden and work will generally comprise these four aspects. May all the glory be to the Lord.”
       — Watchman Nee, Watchman Nee's Testimony.
       Nee began to write and publish at the age of 20. His articles and books were moving and deeply spiritual. He wrote about the Christian walk and how to be completely surrendered to God.

     Here is an excerpt form his book of Daily Meditations: A Table in the Wilderness:

     October 2
     “Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it,” (Luke 17:32, 33; (KJV).
      If I mistake not, this is the one passage in the New Testament that tells of our reaction to the rapture call. In that moment we shall discover our real heart’s treasure. If it is the Lord Himself, there will be no backward look. It is so easy to become m ore attracted to the gifts of God than to the Giver–and even, I may add, to the work of God than to God Himself. But he that is on the housetop is not to go back for his goods. Let me illustrate. I am engaged in writing a book. I have finished eight chapters and I have another nine to write, about which I am seriously exercised before the Lord. Now, suppose the call “to come up hither” were to come and my reaction were to be, “What about my book?” Is it not possible that the precious thing which I am doing downstairs in the house, as it were, might be enough to pin me down, a peg that could hold me to the earth? The question at issue is always, Where is my heart?”
       Nee wrote 19 books during his lifetime. Each one is a rich treasury of the Christian faith. I greatly encourage you to pick one up and read it. You will be truly blessed.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchman_Nee
Nee, Watchman. (1978). A Table in the Wilderness: Daily Meditations; October 2. Tyndale.

     This would be a good place to end the story, but there’s one more twist that shows just how amazing God is. Jonathan returned with his “shofar” (horn) to this same spot, years later after he had been in ministry. He found the same rock where he was saved and celebrated that decision as he spent time with the Lord. Later, he was telling his congregants about it, and they informed him that this particular spot had been dedicated to Satan and was a meeting place for witches. The rock was their altar! Suddenly, Jonathan remembered some graffiti he saw there that said, “No Jew shall enter these sacred grounds.” Jonathan said, “For 2000 years, you [Satan] haven’t wanted Jews to come to Jesus, (because he knows when that happens, that’s it for him) . . . Too late Satan. It’s

       Did you know there’s actually a committee that gets together to name hurricanes and cyclones? And did you know they already have all the names picked out through to the end of 2029?’
       Furthermore, according to Wesh.com, a powerful hurricane named Helene formed near the coast of the Carolinas in 1958. So, yes, they do reuse these names.
       While there is no one named “Helen” mentioned in the Bible, there was a “Queen Helena” documented in early church history. We know about her through the writings of the historian, Josephus. She lived during the turn of the first century and died around 50 A.D. She was Queen Mother in a place called Adiabene, which was part of Assyria and partially governed by Iran.
       Queen Helena was known far and wide for her generosity. Near the end of her life, there was a famine in Jerusalem. She purchased grain and dried figs from Egypt to distribute among the hungry.
       So what does “Helene”mean? It is a French variant for the female name, “Helen”, originating from the Greek language. (The English often spell it, “Ellen”.) According to BehindTheName.com, it means “torch”. Other sites describe the name as “light” or “bright”.
       Considering the fact that we, here in the South Eastern United States, have just come through possibly the worst hurricane in history, there is certainly nothing “bright” about our current situation. As of this writing, NBC News reports that At least 223 people have died and hundreds are unaccounted for in the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene since it made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26. More than a week later, some residents and communities remain isolated, hundreds of thousands are without power, and spotty service has made communication difficult.
       Disasters like this war against our faith in God. Many are wondering when help will come. The Bible says, “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth,” (Psalm 121:2; ESV). “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea . . .” (Psalm 46:1, 2; KJV).
       Over at FaithInTheDivine.com, there are some well written points worth mentioning. I pray these words will encourage you in your journey, especially if you are struggling through difficulties at this time.
       “Tragedy has a way of testing our faith and challenging our beliefs. It can leave us feeling spiritually adrift, unsure of how to find hope and comfort amid the pain and confusion. This is precisely why holding onto our belief in God becomes so crucial during these times. Faith provides us with a source of strength and resilience that can help us endure the darkest moments of our lives . . .
       “During times of tragedy, we might feel distant from God, questioning His presence and goodness. However, faith reminds us that God is always with us, even in the midst of our pain. Embracing this belief can provide the strength needed to face each day with renewed hope . . .
       “The journey of grief can be overwhelming, but faith can be a guiding light during this process. It allows us to process our emotions and find solace in the knowledge that God understands our pain and sorrow.”

       Notice it said, “faith can be a guiding light”. Queen Helena was a provider and a comforter in a time of need, thus the meaning of her name, “torch, light, bright”.
       More so, turning to Jesus as our Great Shepherd and to the Holy Spirit as our Comforter will restore our hope. At times like this, though we want to declare the opposite, we must agree with the Scriptures that say:
       “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’” (Lamentations 3:22-24; NKJV).
       “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful,” (Hebrews 10:23; NKJV).
       “For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 8:38, 39; AMPC).
       Let us continue to pray for all those affected by hurricane Helene. May the Lord bring healing and restoration to all.

References:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/other/how-did-hurricane-helene-get-its-name-meteorologists-explain/ar-AA1rgSjy
https://www.wesh.com/article/hurricane-helene-1958-2024/62398413
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_of_Adiabene
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helene_(name)
https://www.behindthename.com/name/helen
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/live-blog/hurricane-helene-live-updates-rcna173973
https://faithinthedivine.com/how-to-believe-in-god-after-tragedy/#:~:text=To%20believe%20in%20God%20after%20tragedy%20strikes%2C%20here,Reflect%20on%20God%E2%80%99s%20character%20Find%20meaning%20and%20purpose

      We know that Duane Chapman’s mother did not name her son “Dog” so, how did he acquire that nickname? According to The U.S. Sun, “Chapman told the media outlet: ‘When I was in a motorcycle gang I was made sergeant of arms. [The sergeant of arms is] the smallest guy with the biggest mouth who starts all the fights. The club president called me God spelled backwards because I spoke about God and I was man's best friend. In the bounty hunter world it turned into this dog can hunt.’"
     Well, our friend, Dog, succeeded in the “gang world’ but he had a rough go of it in his early years. While his mother helped raise him as best as she could, his father was cruel to him.  Brent Furdyk posted an article at NickiSwift.com where he reprinted an interview with Chapman on CTV News. Chapman said, “‘As a young boy, I never knew that other kids didn't get hit by their dads ... From the then-youngster's perspective, experiencing domestic abuse was a normal rite of passage that all sons had to endure. I simply didn't know anything different,’ he continued, admitting he couldn't remember any long stretch during his childhood when he wasn't being beaten. The Dog the Bounty Hunter star went on to write, ‘Just thinking of the abuse I endured can make me cry ... I was expected to take it like a man. But I wasn't a man. I was a young boy looking for love and approval from my father. I was desperate for his affection, so I ignored the pain.’"
     Even more disappointing was a truth that surfaced only eight years ago: It turns out his dad wasn’t his biological father. That was another heart-break for Chapman, noted in his book (pg. 8).
     At age 23, Dog hooked up with a few of his pals and paid a visit to a local drug dealer. According to an article by Billy Hallowell at Faithwire.com, they broke into the man’s house looking for marijuana. They also planned to rob him that night. While Dog and another man waited outside, the third man shot and killed the dealer. They were all arrested; Dog, was named an accomplice and was sentenced to five years in prison but only served eighteen months.
     He said his prison experience is what led him down the road of change. He went from felon to bounty hunter; he went from being a criminal to catching criminals as well as sharing Jesus with them. Through his work as a bounty hunter, a reality TV program, Dog the Bounty Hunter, developed that ran from 2003 to 2012.
     The Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it,” (Proverbs 22:6; NKJV). Chapman’s mother was a prayer warrior and she brought her son to church every Sunday, growing up. So, he knew better than to live the life he did. Through his mistakes and failures, however, he has come back to God, having learned many of life’s lessons the hard way.
     Talia Wise writes at CBN.com, “Chapman and his wife, Francie, appeared on The Kellie Show alongside Katie Souza to share how their supernatural journey with the Lord has not only changed their lives but also made them ministers to people from all walks of life. Chapman, who served time in prison before giving his life to Christ, spent years chasing down convicts. He knows what a hard-core criminal looks like. He said that believers today need the supernatural empowerment of God to overcome the demonic evil facing the world.”

      It seems every hardship contained a stepping stone for Chapman. His previous wife and love of his life, Beth, lost her fight with cancer in 2019. It was a painful experience for Chapman, but he was even more determined to go on with God. At ChristianLearning.com, Christel Berns quotes Chapman: “‘I know God is absolutely real . . . I know that God told me years ago … I’m going to show you miracles beyond [anything] that you could imagine, think, or want.’”
     And that’s just what he and his wife Francie do to this day; they operate in the realm of the miraculous. Talia Wise continues, “Chapman is not retiring from bounty hunting. While on the show, he announced plans for a new TV program called, Dog the Bounty Hunter and the Essentials.
     "’We're going after child molesters, child predators, guys that kill women, guys that beat women," he explained. "Right now in America, it's about the only people they leave in jail. So we are going after the worst of the worse and we're bringing them in, in Jesus' name . . .’”
     Francie added, "’We've been praying a lot about what's next. We know that God brought us together for a specific reason and for a powerful reason and to bring glory to His Kingdom, everywhere we go and we want to do that and that's our heart.’"

References:

https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/3762789/how-did-dog-the-bounty-hunter-get-name/

https://tinyurl.com/54ztmwb2

https://www.nickiswift.com/196883/the-tragic-real-life-story-of-dog-the-bounty-hunter/

https://www.faithwire.com/2022/05/06/we-need-supernatural-help-how-dog-the-bounty-hunter-went-from-imprisoned-criminal-to-crime-fighting-reality-star-on-fire-for-christ/

Chapman, Duane. Nine Lives and Counting, Thomas Nelson, 2024.

      There’s been a lot of “buzz” lately about an independent film, 

released July 4th of this year called Sound of Freedom. It is based on a true story and was created and produced to expose the evils of sex-trafficking, going on in this country and around the world
  The film depicts the incredible true story of former federal government agent, Tim Ballard, turned vigilante who quits his job and 

embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue hundreds of children from sex traffickers.
       In a CBN interview, Tim Ballard explains, “Nobody was talking about human-trafficking and I was telling people these stories of things I was coming across and no one believed me. And it was like, ‘These are real kids.’
       “And really it was my wife on this . . . she grabbed me by the 

collar and said, ‘I will not let you jeopardize my salvation.’ [the 

actress during this scene said, ‘You quit your job and you go and rescue those kids.’] . . . I really put it into perspective: why are we here on this earth?
       “And then we jumped in and the operation--as the movie depicts--was extremely successful . . . it was actually bigger than Sound of Freedom was able to show.
       The star, Jim Caviezel, (the actor who played Jesus in The Passion of the Christ), explains, “It is the fastest growing international crime network that the world has ever seen. It has already passed the 

illegal arms trade and soon it’s going to pass the drug trade.”
       The horrors of what is happening to these children and adults alike can hardly be grasped. The website, Human Trafficking Research states that individuals are exploited “. . . through threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, and/or deception . . . and include the practices of forced labor, debt bondage, domestic servitude, forced marriage, sex trafficking, child sex trafficking, and the recruitment and use of child soldiers . . .”
       There are also reports about people being used for organ harvesting, adrenochrome collection through torturous fear tactics, and medical experimentation. But of course there is push back among the elites who say such ideas are no ore than conspiracy theories. Even so, many are talking about these issues and more of these operations are coming to light each day in spite of the “woke”.
       And just to show how “woke” our society has become, Wikipedia reports that, “Sound of Freedom was completed in 2018 and a distribution deal was made with 20th Century Fox. However, that studio was purchased by the Walt Disney Company, which shelved the film. The filmmakers reportedly spent years trying to get the distribution rights back from Disney and take it to theaters.
       “[Producer] Verástegui approached Angel Studios with the release rights. Angel presented the film to an online group of 100,000 investors in its past projects called the Angel Guild, which gave it a "yes" vote within days. On March 30, 2023, Variety reported that Angel Studios had acquired the worldwide distribution rights . . . On May 12, it received a release date of July 4, 2023.”