Wow! We made it to 2020! We are all enjoying improved vision now that we see 2020. My key word for this year is HOPE.
A retired man visiting a hospital plays his keyboard, tells some jokes and sings. When he finished he says, 鈥淕oodbye. I hope you get better." One patient replies, "I hope you get better, too."
Can you guess which entertainer in the last century was great at singing and telling jokes, who entertained the troops for 50 years, who made movies with Bing Crosy, advocated for the release of Viet Nam prisoners of war, and worked to improve the lives of military service men?
A hint for those who are younger: Addressing the troops one Christmas he said, 鈥淗ope springs eternally. For cover!鈥� I still recount some of Bob Hope鈥檚 jokes. Hosting the Academy Awards he quipped, 鈥淎t our house we call this the Passover.鈥�
Though he never won a best actor award, Hope did win five Honorary Academy Awards including a Humanitarian Award. Another of his movie jokes I recall whenever we hit a large Saskatchewan pothole. 鈥淚f we hit another bump like that, there鈥檒l be two rear ends dragging!鈥�
New Years 2020 liturgical readings in my church include Numbers 6:22-27, which include a blessing of God on the Israelites.
鈥淭he LORD bless you and keep you!鈥═he LORD let his face shine upon鈥▂ou, and be gracious to you!鈥═he LORD look upon you kindly and鈥╣ive you peace!鈥浓赌�
Psalm 67 continues the blessing and adds joy and gladness for the Lord鈥檚 guidance of the nations on earth.
鈥淢ay the peoples praise you, O God;鈥╩ay all the peoples praise you!鈥∕ay God bless us,鈥╝nd may all the ends of the earth fear him!鈥浓赌�
And one of the greatest blessings we have is expressed in Galatians 4:4-7: We are no longer听 slaves but heirs, through God. And to reiterate the promise and joy of the incarnation, Luke鈥檚 Gospel 2:16-20 tells us how the shepherds came to Bethlehem, saw and went out glorifying God and spreading the word which has now reached billions of people.
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This is our cause to celebrate another year of Grace 2020! Hope fills us even surrounded by earth鈥檚 problems and mankind鈥檚 troubles. The Kingdom will continue to come, and Jesus is among us.
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To underline the joy that HOPE brings us, I will share a few of Bob鈥檚 best quotes: 鈥�.鈥� 鈥溾�浓赌�
And for those who are making dietary resolutions for the new Year Hope says: 鈥溾��
And just for fun here are some comments on life:
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鈥淎 bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it.鈥�
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God Bless you and have a New Year filled with love and hope and smiles.
