{"id":624,"date":"2025-12-16T22:42:12","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T03:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/?p=624"},"modified":"2025-12-16T23:05:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T04:05:15","slug":"purple-christmas-miracle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/16\/purple-christmas-miracle\/","title":{"rendered":"Purple Christmas Miracle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s been a while folks. But since we\u2019re ~10 days from the holiday that celebrates the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, I thought it is a good time to tell y\u2019all what I want for Christmas. A couple of weeks ago, I told my dad what I *REALLY* wanted for Christmas. For \u2018Pops\u2019: https:\/\/youtu.be\/pITei8irmMg<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gift? I hope everyone who reads this will do a \u2018random act(s) of kindness\u2019 for someone in need during this Christmas season. It does not need to be financial, but it can be. Leave a large tip, or change a tire for an elderly person who is physically unable. It can, and will, change the world if we all operate in this space. Clay Walker calls it \u201cChain of Love\u201d: I call it the \u201cbutterfly effect\u201d. https:\/\/youtu.be\/sTpiaE945To?si=<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Gospel\u2019 is defined as \u201cgood news\u201d, although the dictionary misses that aspect – what a pity. https:\/\/www.gotquestions.org\/what-is-the-gospel.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/gospel<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

~11-12 years ago, there was a \u2018Christmas miracle\u2019 which, although it made a media appearance, most of us seemed to have missed it. It involved Carlos Santana and one of his original band members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To set the stage – the lyrics to this song tell the story of Marcus before it happened. https:\/\/youtu.be\/0FmPg4lrBKc?si=<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story: notice Carlos asks Ted Turner (via the interview) to create a 24 hour \u201cgood news\u201d channel. https:\/\/youtu.be\/MKa5UsDz5kQ?si=<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funny how human nature is consistently unchanged. From the 1980\u2019s: https:\/\/youtu.be\/XTJcchmKhPw?si=<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, for the impetus of this post, one final story to complete the \u2018circle\u2019. As Pops and I were leaving for trivia tonight, I made an observation which I found to be incredibly profound – probably more profound than my vocabulary and ability to explain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most anyone from a rural area who is my age or older knows what poke salad is. Years ago, my grandparents\u2019 generation ate the leaves from the plant (after it was properly cooked). As I was entering Pops\u2019 truck, I noticed a poke salad plant at the corner of our house: the leaves are long gone, but the stalk and dark purple \u2018berries\u2019 were still there. As we traveled, Pops and I discussed how many white t-shirts we have stained with those berries over the years. They stain everything purple – from hands to clothes. I was reminded that, around Easter, Jesus is associated with the color purple – the color of royalty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For what it\u2019s worth, the wonderful film \u201cThe Color Purple\u201d was released on this day in 1985: there are no coincidences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So, where does this leave us? Well, there is a line in the Christmas song \u201cO Holy Night\u201d that sums it up best: \u201cTil He appeared, and the soul felt its worth\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/8UPar71vybk?si=<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus came and taught us we are all part of \u2018royalty\u2019, should we choose to follow Him. From ancient Tyrian dye, to the lowly, common poke berry. Used incorrectly, those berries are poisonous. Used correctly, they clothe us in the color of royalty. When dipped in the \u2018blood of Christ\u2019, we become \u201cwhiter than snow\u201d. As we \u201cpick up our cross and follow Christ\u201d, we are dyed from white to purple. I just find that symbolism incredibly beautiful. Do we need to wear a cross around our neck if we carry our cross on our back? I\u2019ll let the reader decide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d like to leave you with one final thought, then a challenge. The thought is this: miracles surround us every day, though most of us walk right by them without even noticing. Joshua Bell performed a social experiment – I\u2019ll let the song tell the story:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/l2ttaZlrK7Y?si=<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the challenge: change the world. See the miracles, be someone\u2019s miracle. Don\u2019t take the gift Jesus gave us for granted. Merry Christmas everybody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/q06AvQF5NOw?si=<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been a while folks. But since we\u2019re ~10 days from the holiday that celebrates the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, I thought it is a good time to tell y\u2019all what I want for Christmas. A couple of weeks ago, I told my dad what I *REALLY* wanted for Christmas. For \u2018Pops\u2019: https:\/\/youtu.be\/pITei8irmMg<\/p>\n

<\/span>Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9IZKf-a4","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":526,"url":"https:\/\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/28\/flags-matter\/","url_meta":{"origin":624,"position":0},"title":"Flags matter","author":"jc","date":"September 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/nationalinterest.org\/blog\/reboot\/yellow-gadsden-flag-carries-long-and-shifting-history-175971https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/yellow-rose\/1443654910?i=1443656135https:\/\/ket.org\/program\/iconic-america\/the-gadsen-flag\/https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/News-Stories\/Article\/Article\/1075726\/meet-sgt-william-carney-the-first-african-american-medal-of-honor-recipient\/ Flags are powerful symbols - Sgt. Carney realized that: he took the (American) flag from the original bearer after the bearer was wounded and falling on the battlefield. {[< he made sure the flag did not touch the ground>]}. \u201cYellow Led-better\u201d Is there an ornithologist that can see if\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":580,"url":"https:\/\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/28\/flags-matter-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":624,"position":1},"title":"Flags matter","author":"jc","date":"September 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/nationalinterest.org\/blog\/reboot\/yellow-gadsden-flag-carries-long-and-shifting-history-175971https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/yellow-rose\/1443654910?i=1443656135https:\/\/ket.org\/program\/iconic-america\/the-gadsen-flag\/https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/News-Stories\/Article\/Article\/1075726\/meet-sgt-william-carney-the-first-african-american-medal-of-honor-recipient\/ Flags are powerful symbols - Sgt. Carney realized that: he took the (American) flag from the original bearer after the bearer was wounded and falling on the battlefield. {[< he made sure the flag did not touch the ground>]}. \u201cYellow Led-better\u201d Is there an ornithologist that can see if\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":581,"url":"https:\/\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/28\/flags-matter-2-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":624,"position":2},"title":"Flags matter","author":"jc","date":"September 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/nationalinterest.org\/blog\/reboot\/yellow-gadsden-flag-carries-long-and-shifting-history-175971https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/yellow-rose\/1443654910?i=1443656135https:\/\/ket.org\/program\/iconic-america\/the-gadsen-flag\/https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/News-Stories\/Article\/Article\/1075726\/meet-sgt-william-carney-the-first-african-american-medal-of-honor-recipient\/ Flags are powerful symbols - Sgt. Carney realized that: he took the (American) flag from the original bearer after the bearer was wounded and falling on the battlefield. {[< he made sure the flag did not touch the ground>]}. \u201cYellow Led-better\u201d Is there an ornithologist that can see if\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":582,"url":"https:\/\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/28\/flags-matter-2-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":624,"position":3},"title":"Flags matter","author":"jc","date":"September 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/nationalinterest.org\/blog\/reboot\/yellow-gadsden-flag-carries-long-and-shifting-history-175971https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/yellow-rose\/1443654910?i=1443656135https:\/\/ket.org\/program\/iconic-america\/the-gadsen-flag\/https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/News-Stories\/Article\/Article\/1075726\/meet-sgt-william-carney-the-first-african-american-medal-of-honor-recipient\/ Flags are powerful symbols - Sgt. Carney realized that: he took the (American) flag from the original bearer after the bearer was wounded and falling on the battlefield. {[< he made sure the flag did not touch the ground>]}. \u201cYellow Led-better\u201d Is there an ornithologist that can see if\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":588,"url":"https:\/\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/28\/flags-matter-2-3-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":624,"position":4},"title":"Flags matter","author":"jc","date":"September 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/nationalinterest.org\/blog\/reboot\/yellow-gadsden-flag-carries-long-and-shifting-history-175971https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/yellow-rose\/1443654910?i=1443656135https:\/\/ket.org\/program\/iconic-america\/the-gadsen-flag\/https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/News-Stories\/Article\/Article\/1075726\/meet-sgt-william-carney-the-first-african-american-medal-of-honor-recipient\/ Flags are powerful symbols - Sgt. Carney realized that: he took the (American) flag from the original bearer after the bearer was wounded and falling on the battlefield. {[< he made sure the flag did not touch the ground>]}. \u201cYellow Led-better\u201d Is there an ornithologist that can see if\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/img_4881.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":589,"url":"https:\/\/harmonybetweentheears.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/28\/flags-matter-2-3-2-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":624,"position":5},"title":"Flags matter","author":"jc","date":"September 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/nationalinterest.org\/blog\/reboot\/yellow-gadsden-flag-carries-long-and-shifting-history-175971https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/yellow-rose\/1443654910?i=1443656135https:\/\/ket.org\/program\/iconic-america\/the-gadsen-flag\/https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/News-Stories\/Article\/Article\/1075726\/meet-sgt-william-carney-the-first-african-american-medal-of-honor-recipient\/ Flags are powerful symbols - Sgt. 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