 A Father's Joy
By Amber Schamel I was in the hospital nursery the other night when a nurse came in followed by a new father holding a small bundle in his arms. I could not help but watch as one of those small everyday miracles occurred. The nurse unwrapped the child and set it beneath the warming light. The father sat down in a chair next to the little bed and stared at his newborn son. Even I, as a spectator could feel the awe that this new father felt as he looked upon his child. There was something in his face, something he had not known before tonight. Ever so gently, he placed his finger inside of the little hand. It was as if this small little creature, harmless as it may be, had cast a spell upon this large man. Before long, soft sniffling sounds came from his corner of the room as gentle tears trickled down his cheeks. He sat there for several minutes in silence, so many emotions running through his young mind. He felt responsibility he had not felt before; he felt a love he had never before experienced. This small little baby, who seems to anyone else no different than any of the other babies in the nursery, means the world to him now. You can see it in his face, that mysterious glow that says “I would give my life for this little one.” As if he had completely forgotten about the outside world for a moment, the father suddenly came back to himself and pulled out his cell phone and the awaited announcement was made to all the world “I have a son!” Watching this all unfold gave me a warm feeling in my heart. Tears nearly came into my eyes as I watched the indescribable joy of a father over his newborn child. For it is a beautiful parable of Christ’s love for us. The same type of miracle takes place in heaven as the Father looks down upon a newborn Child of God. The same joy and love, gentleness and care, provision and protection are all given to the child. There may be days where the Father must chastise the son, but it is out of His unspeakable love that this chastisement comes. The cross stands as an everlasting proclamation, resounding through the heavens and earth, “This is My child, and so great is My love that I will give My own life for theirs.” To think that the Lord of the Universe could have such a love for us is more than my human mind can comprehend.
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Here is an old favorite that I wrote in January of 2008. Hope you enjoy! 
A Quiver Full of Arrows
By Amber Schamel Robin Hood took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow. He should've picked a lighter disguise! He had come to this archery competition undercover. The sheriff, his worst enemy, had forced him to do so. Even now he could hear him conversing with his friends. “We scarcely would've seen better competition if Robin Hood was here!"said one of his companions. "Hmm, I thought he would be here, but even with his bravery, he didn't dare." The sheriff boasted. Robin could hardly contain his laughter." You'll soon see, Sheriff, that Robin Hood is here." He laughed to himself. The match had come down to William of York and himself. "Give up! Red Jacket!" William's friends shouted! "You can't beat our William!" Robin glanced down at his red jacket. "It is rather ugly."He thought, "I'll have to buy a new one. No matter, their teasing will soon come to an end." Fresh targets were set up, much farther away than they had been before. William of York shot first. His first arrow hit dead center of the bulls-eye. William smirked then drew another arrow from his quiver. His shot was not far from heart of the target. He turned to "Red Jacket" expectantly. Robin was not impressed. Robin Hood stepped up to the marker. He eyed his target. Then he shot so quickly that the second arrow was in the air before the first hit the target. Both arrows hit dead center of the bulls-eye one on top of the other. For a moment the throng was silent. Then the crowd roared! He had won the prize! Yet no one knew, that this hero was Robin Hood! As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth. ~Psalm 127:4 Let's take a close look at this scripture. There are several aspects to this verse. 1) Children are a blessing. In today's culture, Children are looked on as a curse, or a burden. But, this is not how God meant it to be! When God wanted to bless Abraham, his faithful servant, He promised him: Children! This verse shows us that children are one of the greatest miracles He can give! Where would Robin Hood have been if his quiver were empty? 2) God wants us to study. Arrows can be very deadly, But only if we know how and when to use them. “Mighty Men"must know how to hit their mark. This will take instruction and practice. God wants us to learn the best way to raise our "Arrows" 3) We have a responsibility. God wants us to know that along with the blessing comes a great responsibility. We will be held accountable not only for our own actions, but for the actions of our children. Eli was cursed for failing to properly raise his sons, even though he was in the service of the Lord. Our mistakes will affect our children possibly even more than it does us. And finally God wants us to use our arrows. As in the parable of the talents, God does not want us to keep our children locked up in the house for safekeeping. Although we do need to protect our children, we should be using them to touch the lives of others. My brothers helped one of our neighbors move. THUNK! Bullseye! I had the opportunity to stay the night with my Great Grandmother after she had an operation on her eye. THUNK! My Father's arrow hit its mark. That's the way it is supposed to work. God designed it this way so that, the mighty man and the arrows working together, can win the prize for Christ. Who could ask for a higher calling? |
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Many Christmas stories have been told...
but this one has remained hidden in the fabric of time.
AuthorAmber Schamel was born in Littleton, CO and has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and the Holy Land. She was raised in a family of 11 children, home-schooled through education and currently works with their 10 family businesses. Amber is a multi-published author and currently lives with her family outside of Colorado Springs, CO.. 
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