How Do you Spend Your Christmas Season

It is this time of year that everyone is so busy with the Christmas festivities. I for one am a very traditional person when it comes to Christmas......Every year my kids and I make many of our gifts. And we do the traditional baking and all the fun stuff that comes with it. I love Christmas. We read the Christmas story many many times through out the season. It is very important to me that my children know the true meaning of Christmas....It is not Santa , It is not the many gifts and stuff we get. It is about a beautiful little baby that was born many many years ago. Too many times with the rush and the business of the season, we tend to forget the real meaning of Christmas. We even sing Happy Birthday with my kids on Christmas day....after all it is Jesus's birthday. How do you spend your Christmas season? Do you have a traditional Christmas? Take time to stop and to breath and think. After all it is Christmas... Never in my heart will it be Xmas.
It is funny the many people who want to celebrate in christmas, But they do not belive in the reason for Chrismas.... Jesus. Without him we would not have christmas.

Thankyou God for sending us your son, so that we may have this wonderful day to celebrate his birth.

The Brighter Side

I received this little story today. I thought I would share it. It is so true we always seem to see it that we have things so bad when really there is someone off worse then we are. A positive attitude will bring you through anything. Not just that but sometimes things are bad because we make them bad. If we only could only look at things differently we would see that really it is not as bad as we think.


THE BRIGHTER SIDE

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked into the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.....Well" she said, " I think I'll braid my hair today?" So she did and she had a wonderful day.
The next day she woke up, looked into the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.......Hmmm' she said, " I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?" So she did and she had a great day.
The next day she woke up, looked into the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.....Well" she said, today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail, " So she did and she had a fun fun day.
The next day she woke up, looked into the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head....YEA!!!!" she exclaimed, " I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything!

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

The Master's Hands

Ecclesiates 3: 11 says. “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so; people can not see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.

Growing up, I remember one of the pastors of our church use to sing a song called, “The Touch of the Master's Hands”  This song was originally a classic poem by Myra Brooks Welch, It tells of an old violin being auctioned away. The crowd was thoughtless. The violin was battered and scared, and the auctioneer did not expect to get much out of this old violin. He started the bidding low. “A dollar, then two dollars. Only two dollars????

Suddenly from the back of the room, a gray haired man steps up to the stage. He takes the old violin in his hand. He starts to loosen the stings. He then begins to play the old violin. It is a melody of complete sweetness. An angelic sounds pours out of this battered old violin. The crowd is charmed and overwhelmed the sound of this old battered violin.

When the bidding resumed, the old violin sold that day for three thousand dollars.

The poem continues by saying, “ By many of man with a life out of tune, all battered and scared with sin. Has been auctioned off cheap to the thoughtless crowd. “

Have you seen such a person recently? All he needs it the touch of the masters hand. God is not willing to let anyone perish, but wants everyone to come to a place of repentance.
Next time you see someone all battered and scared do not turn away. Reach out in love. God wants to use us to touch those people's lives.

Lord help us to be your examples and to see the beauty in all things, even where we can't see any.

Giving Gifts

    I just celebrated my birthday recently. My children had set up a small party for me. I saw the joy in each of their faces as we went along the evening. The excitement of the gifts is always a great thing.. It is fun to pull off the ribbons or bows. Not to mention the ripping of the paper. And the joy of the gift once it is opened. But my most enjoyable thing is to watch the glow and light on my children's faces as I open a home made gift. The pride and the joy on each of their faces is the best gift ever to me. I love home made gifts. It is a gift from the heart and it was made from the heart. The thought that they have taken the time to sit and think about that gift. They have taken the time to make it. They loved me so much. They took the time, to help me feel special on my special day. It may not always look like what it should be. However it is made by them and it is the most treasured gift in the world to me. That expression of a young child giving a gift that they have made themselves. Is a gift in itself.
    In Paul's day the Christians living in Jerusalem were very poor and needed help. Paul worked very hard to collect money for the Christians living in other places. He talks about how some give very generously, not because they had to but because they wanted to. They were not rich people. But they did give. They even gave some more. They did it because they had learned the joy of giving and helping others.
2Corinthians 8: 1- 4
    It is important that we remember that joy of giving. It is also important to thank God for the many blessings. Both great and small. We need the love for others. We need to ask God to fill us over flowing for love of others and their needs. Maybe you don't have a lot of money. But your time is a very important way to offer a gift. Just like that gift that the little child gives their parent. It seems like such a small thing. However giving it to someone is the greatest joy ever.

Let us Remember

    How exactly do you remember November 11th? There are many of us that remember this day as the occasion that we remember all those soldiers that fought and died for us, without reservation. We remember those men and women that still fight for us everyday. We honor them for their sacrifices. We are thankful for our freedom. We think of the families that have lost loved one that fought and have fallen. We think of the families that have someone still fighting. We pray with them for their loved ones safe return. Maybe you have a family member or friend that has fallen and you think of them today. I am thankful for these soldiers not jsut to day but everyday. This is a day to remember, however we should be thankful everyday.  Without these brave men and women, where would we be today?

    I remember as a child November 11th was a big occasion. School's and business's closed. It was a day that everyone got together for a service to honor the soldiers. I remember looking at the great wall with all the fallen soldiers. I also remember looking for many men that were in my family and feeling very proud of them as I read their names. They had fought so I could be free. I remember the stories my mom would tell me as we sat together. The hard times and the scary moments too. The way that these men and woman were so greatly impacted after the wars were over. I also remember the many veterans. You could see the age of experience on each of their faces. I was so proud of them as a young girl.. This day has not changed much. I will take time to think and honor these soldiers. And I am still very proud of each and every one of them.

   Today and every day,  I don't just think but I also pray. I pray for the many men and woman that fight everyday. I pray for their safe return. I pray that God will protect them as they fight this great fight. I pray for the families of these soldiers. In my last words I want to say Thank you to the many veterans and the many soldiers. Thank you for your bravery and your commitment to protect us. Lord help us not to forget our veterans of today and yesterday.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly.

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Resist Temptation

Have you ever found that after a great blessing comes the temptation. I remember going to a youth convention a few years back.. Ok maybe it was more then a few years ago. We had just had the most amazing time and a great outpour of God's spirit.. Our lives had been changed and when I got home, as soon as I got into my ex boyfriends car, He dropped a bomb shell on me. I was devistated and crushed.  I can think of many more times when I have had the greatest blessings only for Satan to try and take that blessing away. Satan has a way of wanting to ruin our lives. He came to steal, kill and to destroy us. Temptations come in many different forms. Satan wants to draw us away by tempting us to disobey God's word. Many times when we fall into temptation, Satan plays on our emotions and our guilt. I have also found that he temps us and strikes us when we are down.  Temptaion is the best way to try and get us away from God. Even Jesus himself was tempted. (Luke 4:1-13)

It is important that we realize who is tempting us. The bible says that Satan is the mastermind behind all temptation. (Ephesians 6:10-12)

The bible also says Resist the devil and he will flee from you.( James 4:7)

God promises that he will always provide a way out. ( 1 Corinthians 10:13)

How do we know a way out? By studying and memorizing his word. When Jesus was tempted he used the word of God to chase Satan away. Memorizing the bible is the most important thing that you can do to fight Satan and his games that he plays. It allows us the answers to fight back. Through temptations and trials we also grow stronger in our spiritual and our daily walk. As we allow him. God will show us the answers and be by our sides. God is always with us and he never allows us more then we can handle. Just remember if God brings us to it.. He will get us through it.

How will you stand?

    My oldest came to me today very upset. She had just had a disagreement with the boy that lives in our complex. Her and a friend had just been sharing about their churches and why they loved it so much.

    This boy had overheard them and he turned to them and said “So tell me.... Do you believe in God?” Yes we do they had said. He then turned to them and said you guys are crazy. We evolved from money's. At that point both little girls started to tell him he was indeed the crazy one. He has it all wrong. He soon answered back yea.. well if your God exists why is there sickness and death in this world. Why did your God create all this evil. See he don't exist. My daughter spent several minutes after this fact trying to prove her point and aimlessly she had failed. The boy still fought her no matter what she said. Finally she turned to him and said ok we odiously have our own beliefs. And that is what makes this world go around. So lets look at the facts. If you are right and God does not exist. What have you got to gain? The boy said well nothing really.. Then she said ok. Now if you are wrong what do you have to loose? The boy sat there not able to answer her. She said to him you have everything to loose. For the wages of sin in death. And we will all be judged one day and the ones that do not believe will be thrown into Hell. So in the end who will loose you or me. And she walked away.

    We had a talk and I explained that God gives us our own mind to believe and to think as we wish. However it is sin that makes this world evil and it is through sin that we have sickness and death. But the good news is we can live on when we know Jesus as our Savior. He died to spare us having to pay the price. I also told her that she had planted that seed. I also told her that I was very proud of her as she stood her ground.

    How many times do we as adults stand our ground. When we are out in public do we still stand for God? Or is a Sunday ritual? Do we act the same way around the unbelievers as we do the believers? If you where put on a trial and it was for Jesus.

The bible says “ If anyone is ashamed of me and my word in this adulterous and sinful generation, The son of man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his father's glory with the holy angels.” ( Mark 8:38)

How will you stand?