Return to Sender (December 27, 2021)

So Christmas is over, right? Not so fast! Traditionally the Church celebrated the joy of Jesus’s birth in the days after Christmas and after a hard couple of years, there are some very good reasons from God’s Word to pick that tradition up.

Because of Christmas

Merry Christmas! I love the 12 Days of Christmas as those who follow this blog know well. And, as has become my tradition, I have a new little devotional booklet to share with you in case you’d like to observe those wonderful days between Christmas and Epiphany with me:

During Advent, we all excitedly look towards celebrating Jesus’s birth. However, suddenly it is December 26 and the world resets to its ordinary preoccupations. That’s what is wonderful about observing the Twelve Days of Christmas: it helps us keep reflecting on God’s grace and the miracle of Christmas after the busyness of Christmas Day is past. Tim Butler has prepared a free devotional booklet for these next twelve days.

You can download Because of Christmas for free to begin this year’s devotional journey. There’s a companion Facebook Event where you can leave comments and I’ll be posting some additional reflections.

You can also purchase print or Kindle copies at Amazon (Affiliate Link) if you’d like. I mostly put it on Amazon to reach people who don’t know me and thus might stumble across it there while looking for something to celebrate Christmas with, but the link is there if you want it in those formats.

Christmas Eve at Little Hills (December 24, 2020)

Join us as Little Hills celebrates Christmas Eve! During the service we will share in the culmination of our journey through the Spirit’s Work at Christmas that we have been exploring over Advent. Jim Krenning, Joyce Neikirk and I will share from God’s Word and Melanie Haynes will lead us in a Christmas carol to celebrate that our Savior is born!

Procrastinator's Gift Guide

Still Christmas shopping and getting nervous? In the second OFB YouTube channel video, I look at four items still able to arrive before Christmas that make thoughtful and fun gifts for just about anyone.

How Can This Be? (December 20, 2021)

Zechariah and Mary both asked the question we often ask of God: “How can this be?” As we think about the Spirit’s work, we understand better the answer for both them and for us.

Advent Wreath Lighting (Week 4)

Jeff and Kathy Landis light the fourth candle as we continue through a special #52Verses52Books52Weeks journey through Advent. How does our excitement about the coming of the Savior impact others?

Das Keyboard 4 Professional for Mac

A Premium Board Squarely Aimed at Typists

I continue my series of reviews of mechanical keyboards by looking at one from Das Keyboard:

Nearly twenty years ago, the great mechanical keyboards of early computing were largely forgotten, spoken of in reverent tones by the faithful few who clung to them in a sea of mushy, but cheap successors. Das Keyboard stood out as a counterpoint, an attempt to offer a modern, mainstream-friendly board with mechanical switches years before the current resurgence took hold. Do its boards still hold up in a more competitive landscape? And, given that it is Christmastime, would a Das Keyboard make a nice gift?

The Lost Presents (December 13, 2021)

The Christmas Story is full of a special kind of gift giving. But have those gifts been misplaced?

Mevo Start Live Streaming Camera

A Live Streaming Exploration of Simple Made Simple, Complex Made Possible

I’ve talked about the Mevo live streaming cameras several times here on asisaid. They’re great for church and ministry functions and Logitech was kind enough to send a couple of their newest model units out to OFB so I could review them:

Live streaming continues to grow in influence while remaining complicated to do well. Mevo pioneered an easier path to quality live streaming a half decade ago with its original live streaming camera and the Mevo Start is the company’s latest entry into that line.

Advent Wreath Lighting (Week 3)

Jim Krenning lights the third (“Joy”) candle as we continue through a special 52 Verses, 52 Books, 52 Weeks journey through Advent. Jim takes us to the Gospel of John to think about the joy Jesus offers each of us as a free gift.