IS 9:1-6

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Kayleigh McEnany Twitter @PressSec

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

This post is based on one I’ve done in the past, but I’ve updated it some. I hope you enjoy it again.

The Secret Sam was my favorite Christmas present as a child. I still have it, and I will keep it, or perhaps pass it on to a grandchild. Oh, how I was excited and hoping the year I asked for my own Secret Sam. My mother told me it was a boy’s toy, but I was never a Barbie doll girl.

That was my spy year, my year of intrepid adventures around the neighborhood. It was one of my last Christmases as a child, I think, wanting toys and dreaming of adventures. Not too many years later, perhaps even the next one, my Christmas gifts would be stereos and albums, bell bottom jeans and paisley print turtlenecks.

Perhaps that is why the memory of it is such a treasure to me.

This year my grandchildren will be blessed with the breathless anticipation of what might be under the tree Christmas morning. They will be late to bed, too excited to sleep easily, and early to rise, rushing to the living room in all the excitement and wonder a child can have.  (more…)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Kayleigh McEnany Twitter @PressSec

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

President Trump has pardoned Roger Stone and Paul Manafort along with 24 other persons in a wave of clemency orders on Wednesday.

♦ Paul Manafort—Today, President Trump has issued a full and complete pardon to Paul Manafort, stemming from convictions prosecuted in the course of Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation, which was premised on the Russian collusion hoax. Mr. Manafort has already spent two years in prison, including a stretch of time in solitary confinement – treatment worse than what many of the most violent criminals receive.

As a result of blatant prosecutorial overreach, Mr. Manafort has endured years of unfair treatment and is one of the most prominent victims of what has been revealed to be perhaps the greatest witch hunt in American history. As Mr. Manafort’s trial judge observed, prior to the Special Counsel investigation, Mr. Manafort had led an “otherwise blameless life.” Since May, Mr. Manafort has been released to home confinement as a result of COVID-19 concerns.

♦ Roger Stone— Today, President Trump granted a full and unconditional pardon to Roger Stone, Jr. President Trump had previously commuted Mr. Stone’s sentence in July of this year. Mr. Stone is a 68-year-old man with numerous medical conditions.

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From the Treehouse crew to soldiers, sailors, and all who serve and protect us from harm, especially those far from home and family. You are valued and we pray for you and your family.

No matter where your service has taken you, we pray you find the warmth and love of the season, that your heart is filled with the joy of the Incarnation, God become man. May the picture of the Christ child in the stable with Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and angels fill you and keep you this season as we all wait and pray for your safe return home.

Many of you older Treepers remember praying for my grandson Conner five years ago last fall when he was a baby undergoing open heart surgery at Vanderbilt. The two holes in Conner’s heart were easily repaired and he is now a healthy little boy.

He and his older brother are autistic. Last year I posted The Christmas Pumpkin, the story of my first adventure making a special gift for Conner. Copying part from that post last year, here is the story behind the Christmas Pumpkin. Incidentally, if I remember correctly, the original story was my most popular post ever according to the WordPress stats.

Conner’s great love is pumpkins, all year round. He loves every single pumpkin, big or small, real or artificial. A few months ago he told me that all pumpkins are his, every one of them. So, if you had a pumpkin on your porch or decorating your Thanksgiving table, say a prayer of gratitude that Conner let you borrow it! (more…)