{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://roby.house.gov/column/sharing-blessing-hope-christmas", "Sharing the Blessing of Hope this Christmas", "2014-12-19", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "AL", "Martha Roby", "R000591", "roby.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season. This is such a special time of year \u2013 a time of joy, a time of hope, a time of giving.\nIt is easy to get distracted in all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season \u2013 the family to visit, the food to cook, the gifts to buy. But Christmas is a time to celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ and to share His message of hope in a troubled world.\nHere is an account of the shepherds\u2019 reaction to seeing Jesus from the Book of Luke:\nAnd it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, \"Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.\"\nAnd they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.\nWhen they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,\u00a0and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. \u00a0But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.\u00a0\nThe shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.\nWhat a blessing to recall this Holy Night as told in the Bible. Despite the distractions the holidays can bring, let\u2019s remember the \u201creason for the season\u201d and share it with others\u00a0just\u00a0like the\u00a0shepherds did.\nChristmas is also a time when we should make sure to remember those who are struggling and do our part to lend a helping hand. Many are having a hard time financially, are battling an illness, or have emotional struggles. And for some, the holiday season can be the loneliest time of all.\u00a0\nLet's remember to give back this year by helping those in need. Whether it is giving of your time by volunteering or giving of your money to help a worthy cause, let\u2019s share the joy of this Christmas season with those less fortunate.\u00a0\nI hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday. May we all share the joy and hope of this special season.\u00a0\nMerry Christmas!", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://roby.house.gov/column/sharing-blessing-hope-christmas"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.669582910835743, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}