SKU: WD.080689648144

UPC: 080689648144. Orchestrated by David Shipps.

We can get so swept up in the hustle and bustle of buying presents and planning for guests that we forget the one true reason for the season! This beautiful arrangement of Just Another Christmas reminds us all to rejoice in the birth of our Infant Savior and King, and allows us to reflect on His majesty, asking God to make Him the center of the holiday and our lives.

SKU: HL.2050293

UPC: 797242885594. 6.75x10.5x0.351 inches.

The truly blessed are those that can see the miraculous in what others see as mundane. Even more so are those that never lose the wonder of the awesome impact of the sacred. It is part of our nature to allow the most wonderful things in our lives to seem commonplace at times - to take tremendous blessings for granted. King David's prayer, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” (Psalm 51:12) speaks to us in the times and seasons of our own lives.This musical is about the importance of remembering. On the eve of His trial and execution Jesus made it clear that we were to remember Him and His sacrifice. He instituted the sacrament of the Last Supper to be a central part of the Christian faith - a time to gather as His Body and remember.We cannot stand in the distance and casually observe the sacrifice of the Cross. We cannot pretend it did not happen - that it is less than it is proclaimed to be - that it does not touch us or our lives. The Cross is not something that we get used to - not something that we can get comfortable with - not something that we can ever take lightly.Jesus Christ, the Son of God, by His own choice died nailed to a Cross for the sins that you and I committed. May we never forget His sacrifice, may we never fail to fall to our knees in thanksgiving for that kind of love, may we never lose the wonder - the wonder of the Cross.

SKU: BT.GOB-000712-010

The Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep IV, better known as Achnaton, was the second son and successor of Amenhotep III.
He reigned the New Kingdom from 1353 until 1336 BC.
Achnatons lack of interest in the economic well-being of Egypt ushered ina revolutionary period in Egyptian history.
His harsh reign induced much suffering under the population.
During this period when it was customary for a pharaoh to have many wives, he had taken his cousin Nefertete to reign as queen at hisside.
An elegant and very beautiful woman, she used her influence to ease the turmoil caused by Achnaton.
Combined with her grace, her presence at public functions led to a greater popularity among her subjects than the pharaoh enjoyedhimself.
Being mostly preoccupied with religious questions, he declared that all the other gods did not exist. There was only one god, the Aten, and it was the sun itself.
It was now necessary to change his name: ‘Amenhotep’ meaning ‘the god Amun is satisfied’, because he didnt want to be associated with Amun or any of the other deities.
He renamed himself ‘Achnaton’ which means ‘servant of the Aten’ -- a much more appropriate title!
In the sixth year of his reignAchnaton also moved the capital to a brand new city called Achet-Aton (‘the Horizon of the Aten’) which was where Tel el-Amarna stands today. He did this to further isolate himself from the ‘old’ religion, since the previous capital Thebes was thecentre of worship of Amun.
This new religion created an up rise among the population and high priests. In spite of Nefertetes influence, the falling economy and religious conflict resulted in the decline of the Egyptian empire.
Hoping toforget it ever happened, people later tried to eradicate all traces of Achnaton and his successors rule by smashing their statues, mutilating their mummies, and ruining their relief carvings.
From that moment on he was remembered as the‘heretic king’.

This composition was partially funded by the ‘Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds’.

De Egyptische farao Achnaton was de zoon en opvolger van Amenhotep III en besteeg de troon als Amenhotep IV.
Hij regeerde van 1353 tot 1336 voor Christus.
Achnaton was nauwelijks ge?nteresseerd in politiek en handel waardoorhet Egyptische rijk onder zijn bewind in economisch verval raakte. Hij regeerde per decreet waaronder de bevolking zwaar te leiden had.
In die tijd was het gebruikelijk dat de farao’s meerdere vrouwen hadden waarvan hij eréén tot zijn hoofdvrouw koos waarmee hij zijn rijk regeerde.
Nefertete was de uitverkorene. Een zeer mooie, elegante vrouw, die met haar invloed op het harde beleid van Achnaton nog voor enige verlichting zorgde. Dit en haar aanwezigheidbij openbare presentaties leidde ertoe dat zij bij de bevolking een veel grotere populariteit genoot dan de farao zelf.
Achnaton hield zich vooral bezig met religieuze vraagstukken. Hij brak met het idee dat er meergoden zouden bestaan. Volgens hem was er slechts één god, namelijk de zon. Deze zonnegod noemde hij Aton.
Nadat deze gedachte zich bij hem had geopenbaard veranderde hij zijn naam van Amenhotep in Achnaton, hetgeen in het Egyptisch“Aton welgevallig” betekent.
In zijn zesde regeringsjaar stichtte Achnaton de nieuwe regeringszetel “Achet-Aton”, ver van de bewoonde wereld in de woestijn.
Deze stad, het huidige Tell el-Amarna in Midden-Egypte,stond geheel in het teken van de zonnegod. Deze nieuwe godsdienst stuitte op veel weerstand bij de bevolking en de priesters. De godsdienststrijd die hierdoor ontstond gekoppeld aan het economische verval zorgde, ondanks de invloedvan Nefertete, voor de ineenstorting van het Egyptische rijk als grote mogendheid.
Na de dood van Achnaton werd de regeringszetel “Achet-Aton” gebruikt als steengroeve. Zijn naam werd verwijderd van de alle bouwwerken en herinneringszuilen.