the first words of christmas
TRANSCRIPT
We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals.
Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving
back. On Tuesday, December 3, 2019, charities, families,
businesses, community centers, and students around the world will
come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity
and to give.
Designed as a day for unselfish giving, the first Tuesday in
December (this year it’s December 3rd), #GivingTuesday gives
people an opportunity to refocus their giving after Black Friday and
Cyber Monday.
Fire Rescue Support is excited to be part of #GivingTuesday 2019.
You can learn more about the work we do among fire rescue
personnel by going to our website (www.firerescuesupport.com).
Then, on December 3rd, you’ll be given the opportunity to financially
give to support this work.
The First Words of Christmas
December 2019
sending His Son? Have you fully allowed Him to enter your world?
What about the angel's promise of a sign? Do you find yourself searching to see evidence of God in your midst? Will you accept and follow Him by faith? Or are you struggling to hear God's voice during a season of silence where you haven’t heard from Him?
The first words of Christmas were for all the people. That included shepherds and wise men. It also includes you and me.
"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."
(Continued on page 3)
W hat are the first words that come to your mind
when you think of Christmas? They may be single words such as joy, fun, mistletoe, or stress, debt, tired. They may be words linked together as a phrase such as Happy Holidays or Jesus is the Reason for the Season. Perhaps song titles come to your mind: “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas,” or “The First Noel.”
But before any of these words were spoken there were the words of an angel. For four hundred years, God had not spoken to Israel. Not since the days of the prophets had
any word been heard from God. But the silence was broken one evening in Bethlehem. This angel had been sent with an announcement that split history in two. All that Israel had been waiting for had arrived. These truly were words of great joy!
Can you imagine what this group of shepherds thought when their peaceful evening was interrupted by this heavenly visitor? No wonder the first words the angel spoke were, "Do not be afraid." 2,000 years later, does this angelic announcement rattle you? Is it somewhat startling to know what God has done in
The following
firefighters died in the
line of duty during the
month of October
11/2
Brian Serdynski
Union Grove, WI
11/6
Dwain S. Bradshaw
Pensacola, FL
11/11
John Sing
Boys Town, NE
11/13
Jason Menard
Worcester, MA
51 firefighter have died
in the line of duty
in 2019
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Let these be the first words of Christmas for you this year.
(Continued from page 2)
Living out faith in the fire service can be challenging! Can you be a follower of
Jesus while being a Big Tough Fireman? How do you live out biblical truth in a
Type-A culture?
Each Monday at 9:00am, firefighters from Marion County Fire Rescue and Ocala
Fire Rescue meet to discuss these questions and more. We meet at the Dunkin’
at 5457 SE Maricamp Road (just west of Baseline).
There’s room at the table for you! Click here to view your invitation.
P A G E 3
CISM Training Assisting Individuals in Crisis AND
Group Crisis Intervention
For more information and to register visit
www.firerescuesupport.com
Want to host CISM training at your agency?
Contact Joe at 352-425-1643 or
There is a lot of conversation these days about PTSD in the fire service. And that’s a good thing! For years, PTSD was only discussed as an issue for our military. More recently, however, we have become aware that police officers and firefighters are also susceptible to challenges resulting from unresolved stress.
Click here to see a video from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue that gives a great overview on PTSD.
Each month we’ll discuss a
topic related to crisis
intervention. We hope this
will serve as a refresher for
those who have been
trained, as well as
something to create interest
for those who have not.
Oxnard, CA - Jan 10-11, 2020
Ocala, FL - March 24-26, 2020
PTSD
Amazon Donates to Charity P A G E 4
For eligible purchases at Amazon Smile, the Amazon Smile
Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to the
customer’s selected charitable organization. You can make Fire
Rescue Support your organization by clicking here. Then every
time you order through the Amazon Smile website you’ll be
helping Fire Rescue Support continue its mission of supporting
fire rescue personnel before, during and after the call.
Thank You! Thanks for your partnership with Fire Rescue
Support. Because of you, we have the opportunity
to support fire rescue personnel before, during and
after the call. Visit www.firerescuesupport.com for
more information or to donate. You can also find
us on Facebook and Instagram. And please don’t
hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance
personally or professionally. You can reach me at
Connect with Fire Rescue Support
12647 SE 102nd Avenue
Belleview, FL 34420
352-425-1643
www.firerescuesupport.com
E very day the men and women who serve
as fire rescue personnel put their lives on
the line for their communities. The work
they do is full of unique challenges like
dealing with extreme physical conditions and
coping first hand with human tragedy. Often
these challenges take a toll on their well-being
and put incredible strain on their relationships.
In addition, the people that fire rescue
personnel serve are many times experiencing
the worst day of their lives. As they struggle
through their personal tragedies, they are faced
with the task of rebuilding their lives and going
forward.
I magine an organization committed to one
task – supporting fire rescue personnel.
From their work in the field to their lives at
home, picture an organization working to
equip these first responders to be more
successful on the job and in life. Envision an
organization that extends the support of those
serving in fire rescue by offering care and
comfort to the people they serve. Finally,
picture an organization that would impact
emergency services workers all across the
country. That organization is Fire Rescue
Support – supporting fire rescue personnel
before, during and after the call.
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