HOPE for the Holidays - Day 20

My father, Cpt. W. W. Watson
New Guinea, World War II

"Three things will last forever - faith, HOPE, and love - and the greatest of these is love. 
(1 Cor. 13:13)

        During World War II, while Daddy was overseas, my parents wrote one another letters of love everyday. Daddy said that the mail sometimes got detained for weeks. So the longed-for mail-calls brought other duties to a screeching  halt, allowing the soldiers "time" with their loved ones through written words. 

My Dan, U.S. Marines
Operation Iraqi Freedom

            Sixty years later, this mama would be writing letters of love  everyday to my son while he trained at the US Marine Corps' Parris Island in preparations for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The greatest letter of love ever written, however, was composed over a period of approximately 1,600 years through 40 different  scribes. Yes, God wrote His great letter of love - the Bible - to every tribe, tongue, and nation in the world. From Genesis to Revelation, the Heavenly Father's message of love heralds forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

"For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government shall be upon His shoulder.

And His name shall be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

(Isa. 9:6)

"...the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin...whose name was Mary...Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High!" (Luke 1:26-32)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life!" (John 3:16)

"Moreover, brothers and sisters, I declare to you the gospel...by which you are saved, if you hold fast the Word...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures..." (1 Cor. 15:1-4)

 O Father, I pray that my viewers from every tribe, tongue and nation will read Your letter of love - the Bible-  and believe that it was written personally to them. I pray that faith in You, HOPE, and love will abide in them today and forevermore!