24 DEC 2011 - 1528 CDT
Fellow Members of the ARRL Board Family:
Illinois Section Manager Tom Ciciora, KA9QPN, writes one of the
better
monthly Section Newsletters. The intro to this much published
Christmas
message demonstrates a tiny bit of his writing style and view of the
world.
Again, I wish all of you a Merry Christmas!
- Dick Isely, W9GIG
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From: "Tom Ciciora" <ttc2301@sisna.com>
To: <SNIP>
Subject: Merry Christmas
Date: Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:32:26 -0600
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I hope that this finds you all happy and healthy. A Merry Christmas to
all.
Tom Ciciora, KA9QPN
Christmas shouldn't be a quest to reclaim or revisit the holidays of our
childhood, nor a competition to exceed last year's gifts. Either
will
properly result in disappointment and a loss of real reason for pausing
with friends and family every December 25th. Besides, it's not your
birthday.
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In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that the whole
world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius
was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.
And Joseph too
went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of
David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of
David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While
they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave
birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid
him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there
were shepherds in
that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their
flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord
shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said
to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news
of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of
David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this
will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling
clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was a multitude
of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: "Glory
to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor
rests." When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds
said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this
thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So
they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the
manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been
told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been
told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on
them in her heart.
(Luke 2:1-20)