Hoping for snow...

The view outside of my room during my stay in Shotley, Suffolk, England on Christmas Eve morning. I was peeking outside the window as early as 7.00 am to see if there was any snow, I've not seen snow falling off from the sky throughout my entire lifetime...lol. No white Christmas for me during my stay though, but it doesn't mean that it was any less amazing.

Until the next picture...

Adios, May God bless us all...

Joshua

My Christmas 2011

Had a great Christmas in England. This is the Christmas Tree where I spent Christmas, lovely people, lovely food, bless them all. Thank you for having me over for Christmas, Howell family! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Now, the Lunar/Chinese New Year, Year of the Dragon will be on 23rd January 2012 and will be eating more...more calories and hopefully more laugthers to burn those calories off...haha.

Take care everyone.

Joshua

Blessed Christmas & Happy New Year

Blessed Christmas & Happy New Year

The above picture is my Christmas Tree 2011.

Want to wish everyone a safe, joyous and peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year. May each home and heart be filled with the warmth love of God, family and friends.

Joshua





Christmas time is near

Christmas, a time where we all should focus on things that truly matters in life...
May your Christmas, be like the joy of the angels proclaiming the first Christmas Day.

May your Christmas, be like the faith of the wise men as they journeyed to where Jesus lay.

May your Christmas, be like the the awe of the shepherds as they followed a voice from above.

May your Christmas, be like the blessing of Christmas and always the gift of His love.

At the joyful season, wishing you a life made beautiful through the blessing of His love.

May your home be filled with the warmth love of God, family and friends forever and always...

God bless us all during this holy and joyous season...
Joshua

Travelling to the United Kingdom for Christmas...



Will be spending my first Christmas overseas after over a quarter century...and that will be the United Kingdom but what makes it beautiful will be able to spend quality time with my dearest friends in life, who had and still are showing me the true meaning of friends and nevers fails to inspire and encourage along my journey of life...My dearest friends, thank you for being my friends and I thank God everynight for people like you in my life...:)

Friends come and go in your life, some leaves you footprints and went on the other ways but some are never far away from your heart, always a special place in your heart and I am blessed with quite a few friends that always have a special place in my heart forever and always.

Maude, Lin and families, looking forward to see you next week for Christmas and New Year! :)

God bless us all.

Joshua

Christmas Tree

My room and Christmas tree for Christmas 2008. The Christmas tree has its history back to the pagan tree worship, usually the Oak tree in Europe (German) centuries ago. Now, the Christmas tree is one of the most popular traditions that is related to Christmas.

An angel or a star is usually placed on top of the tree to symbolizes the angel of heavenly hosts or the Star of Bethelehem.

The tradition of setting up a Christmas tree can be traced back into 16th Century Germany. It's most widely accepted origin begins with Boniface, a patron saint and missionary to Germany. The missionary halted a pagan tree worship when a child was to be sacrificed to an Oak tree. Boniface, destroyed the tree and days later a small fir (evergreen) tree sprang up from the debris where the destroyed oak tree was. Boniface declared: "This humble tree's wood is used to build your homes: let Christ be at the centre of your households. Its leaves remain evergreen in the darkest days: let Christ be your constant light. Its boughs reach out to embrace and its top points to heaven: let Christ be your Comfort and Guide."

S0, the fir and the pine trees (evergreens) are most often used as Christmas trees. To some, Christmas tree also symbolizes the beauty of thre Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden or the beauty of the cross after the resurrection of Christ.

While there are numerous theories on the origin of this tradition, and some even dismissed the tradition as unecessary and heretic. However, I am not going to debate whether or not a person should or should not set up a Christmas tree.

That's all for this blog.

Joshua