WINTER SOLSTICE

Happy First Day of Winter, December 21, 2024. It occurred at 4:21 am EST when the sun is at its most southern position of the year, directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. It is always on December 21st or 22nd. 

It's common to hear it called the shortest day of the year. It's not. Whatever the season, all days are 24 hours long.

The Winter Solstice is the day that has the least amount of daylight and the longest amount of darkness or night.

Starting the next day, the amount of daylight increases by 1 minute. "It doesn't sound like much, but after just two months, or around 60 days, we'll be seeing about an hour more of sunlight." (CBS News, December 21, 2024, 9:19 am EST

GREATEST LOVE STORY OF ALL TIME

 Someone asked Google, "What is the greatest love story of all time?" Google's answer is the most popular and most memorized Bible verse of all time, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 KJV). 

Are you as surprised as I was that Google gave this answer to this question? I was. They absolutely nailed the best answer. What a lovely thought to meditate on as we approach our celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ.

The angel Gabriel told Mary to name her expected son “Jesus,” which means “the Lord is Salvation." "Christ" means  "Messiah" or the "Anointed One." It is a tile, not a last name.