Commun ty Matters Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor
December 2017
Dial-A-Devotion The most excellent gift
By Wayne Rector, resident Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor
When I was a small lad, I would greet my grandmother on Christmas day with the greeting “Merry Christmas,” and she would respond, “Christmas Gift.” At the time I thought she was referring to the presents which we exchange at Christmas time. In later life I realized that she was referring to the most excellent gift of all, the one who gives us reason to celebrate – God’s gift of himself to mankind through his son, Jesus Christ. It was a priceless, incomparable gift that will not wear out or lose its luster. It is a life-changing gift which, when accepted, will change the recipient’s life forever, giving joy beyond all measure. As the gift of the birth of our savior was heralded by the angels and received with joy by the shepherds, each Christmas is a replay of that glorious message heard around the world, “Joy to the world! The Lord is come.” Christ came down at that first Christmas and is coming again. Each Christmas is a check mark on heaven’s calendar until He comes again. May you joyfully await that Gift of all Gifts – Emmanuel, God with us.
A brunch gathering to say thank you to the staff and residents of Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor who have served in the armed forces.
Honoring our veterans
Thanking all veterans for their service and commitment In 1945,World War II veteran Raymond Weeks had the idea to celebrate all veterans on Nov. 11 (Armistice Day), not just the ones who had served in World War I. He along with then-Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower led the way to create a nationwide holiday in remembrance of all veterans.With a strong following of supporters who believed as he did,Weeks held the first unofficial Veterans Day in 1947 in his home state of Louisiana. He continued to celebrate Veterans Day every year until his death in 1985. With the unofficial holiday gaining traction around the country, more and more people were celebrating Nov. 11 as a day to recognize all living veterans. A U.S. representative from Emporia, Kan., saw how meaningful and important the day of recognition was to not only veterans but also civilians and launched a campaign to make Veterans Day an official holiday recognized by the federal government. He presented a bill that would redefine Armistice Day as Veterans Day, and on May 26 President Eisenhower, another Kansan, signed the bill into law. A few days later, Congress renamed made Veterans Day an official federal holiday. VETERANS, continued on page 2