John the Baptist
Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of woman there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist... (Matthew 11:11).
John the Baptist was a miracle baby who, like Isaac, was given to an older couple who had passed child-bearing age. He had been filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb and later given the task of preparing the way for the Messiah. Not only did he fulfill the Old Testament prophecy, but Christ called him the greatest of all the prophets, and he had the privilege of baptizing his Lord.
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, And said unto his servants, this is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him (Matthew 14:1-2).
John was outspoken against Herod Antipas when he divorced his wife to marry Herodias, his brother's wife. It led to John being beheaded sometime around 32 A.D. Herod must have realized that John was special because when Jesus came to Herod's attention, the ruler said He must be John the Baptist raised from the dead. Perhaps his conscience was bothering him.
For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Phillip's wife. For John said unto him, it is not lawful for thee to have her. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.... And he sent, and beheaded John in prison (Matthew 14:3-10).
John was related to Jesus and also had the great privilege of presenting Jesus to the world and preparing the people of Israel to receive him (Luke 1:5; 7:18-28). What a special person John must have been, and yet, it was necessary for him to pray, as well as teach his disciples to pray. Prayer is the key to a spirit-filled life, and John is just one biblical example of this.
(Parts taken from
Prayer 101 by Warren W. Wiersbe)
_______________________________________________
High Priest - Jesus is our perfect mediator with the Father.
Of course, some of the legends about the forerunners of Santa Claus were set in cold climates where reindeer dwell. The most famous event that solidified the reindeer as part of Christmas, however, came in 1823 when the well-known poem, "A Visit from Saint Nicholas," by Clement C. Moore came out. The poem also became known as " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas." In this poem, eight reindeer pulled the sleigh, and they are given by name: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder (usually known as Donner), and Blixem (Blitzen).
An author wants the reader to be emersed in the story and invested in what happens to the main character(s). This is the mark of a great read. Rough text, mistakes, and a number of other problems will pull the reader out of the story, and make them consider how the book is written rather than what is happening in the story.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS (Luke 1:30-31).
However, she was promised from the very beginning that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and I'm sure He was with her through all that she would face ahead, and she faced some trials. Not long after Jesus was born, the family would have to flee to Egypt to escape Herod's jealous wrath. And I can't even imagine watching the child you had birthed and raised be abused and crucified. 
Mary served the Lord. Anything He asked of her she would do -- even this astounding request of a virgin birth. She must have known she would face ridicule and rejection. She could have even been stoned to death, but she trusted God and wanted His will to be done. We should do the same and be just as faithfully committed to God as this teenager was. There are many important lessons to be learned throughout the Christmas story.
I am thrilled to announce my historical novel, Mountain Storms, is now available on Audible. The other two in the series will follow soon. But keep in mind, all my books are also standalones. In Mountain Storms, Aileas Douglas's family situation worsens, and she runs away, however, she’s unprepared
for the rugged Wyoming mountains. A friendly dog leads her to safety, but his master might just present the most danger of all, especially to her heart. 
Ian MacGregor had been wounded in the Civil War and deserted by his betrothed because she didn't want a scarred husband, so he becomes a recluse
in a remote cabin in Wyoming Territory. When Aileas appears beside his sickbed, he thinks she might be an angel, but even later, he’s drawn to her in ways he
doesn’t understand. However, no woman would ever be interested in him now, and
he needs to protect himself from another heartbreak. But is this even possible
where Aileas is concerned?
Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of woman there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist... (Matthew 11:11).
John the Baptist was a miracle baby who, like Isaac, was given to an older couple who had passed child-bearing age. He had been filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb and later given the task of preparing the way for the Messiah. Not only did he fulfill the Old Testament prophecy, but Christ called him the greatest of all the prophets, and he had the privilege of baptizing his Lord.
In fact, I've toyed with the idea of publishing a collection of poetry. I know poetry doesn't sell anymore, but that's not the main reason I write. I am a writer; it's what I do. It fulfills me. I haven't felt the time is right, but if and when I do, I would like to release a book of poetry. Who knows? There may be a resurgence in the popularity of poems sometime in the future.
