The NIght That Changed The World

The green hills near the town of Bethlehem, five miles to the south of Jerusalem, are dotted with caves, most of them man-made. Two thousand years ago, some of the caves were carved into the soft white limestone by shepherds. Here these outcasts of society made their homes and raised their families. Other caves were hollowed out as stables. These were dark, dank, filthy holes, fit only for the animals that inhabited them. In one of these unspeakably dirty hollows -- surrounded by sheep, donkeys, and maybe a camel or two -- the Son of Man was born of a virgin. It was a night that changed the world.

The Jews had been anxiously expecting a Messiah for 500 years before He actually appeared. The prophets of old had predicted it and, since Jews were indoctrinated in the Scriptures from childhood, nearly everyone knew the prophecies by heart. Yet, with anticipation came misconception. A king, they said, should be born into a palace surrounded by magnificence, not in a lowly stable. Furthermore the first announcement of his birth should have been made to the greatest men of Israel -- the chief priests of the Temple -- not to lowly shepherds.

But Christ did not come into the world to save just the rich and the powerful. He came to offer salvation to all. Could the lowliest of people have accepted Him had He been born into splendor and hobnobbed only with the rich?

The mistake of many people today, as it was then, is to expect God to conform to their expectations. The Jews expected a king, a great sword-wielding warrior who would be their salvation from the pagans of Rome. Instead, they got a gentle man of love and peace who taught that the way to salvation was repentance of sin and trust in God. What they got was totally unexpected, and Jesus went largely unrecognized by the powerful Jewish rulers except as a clear and present danger to their authority.

It was mainly the lowly and the humble who followed Him, who listened to His words and were ultimately saved. The powerful Jews of the Temple, with few exceptions, considered Jesus a dangerous, itinerate preacher from Nazareth who uttered blasphemy and, since He had so many followers, threatened to lure Jews away from Temple worship. All they saw was that Jesus was raining on their parade. The signs that the prophet Isaiah and others had predicted were largely ignored.

The fact that Jesus was miraculously born of a virgin proves that He was truly sent from God. His humble birth illustrates that He came to save all of mankind, not just the elite. His birth on that night of nights, in a humble cave in Bethlehem, began a chain of events that changed the world forever.

"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."   (Isaiah 7:14 NIV)

Things Not To Say When Hanging The Lights

Did you know that hanging lights on a Christmas tree is one of the three most stressful situations in an on-going relationship?

Page Six's Psychiatrist claims the other two danger zones are teaching your mate to drive and wallpapering. He is rarely wrong on these things.)

We rush to print with an emergency prompt list of Things Not To Say When Hanging Lights on the Christmas Tree.

... "You've got two red lights right next to each other, dummy.  You're supposed to go yellow, green, red, blue, not yellow, red, red, green, blue..."

... "Up a little higher.  You can reach it.  Go on, try."

... "What the heck do you do to these lights when you put them away every year?  Tie them in knots?"

... "Come away from that aluminum ladder, kids.  I'm going to fry that sucker."

... "If you're not going to do it right, don't do it at all.  Don't just throw them on, like you do the icicles.  You're worse than your father."

... "Give me that."

... "You've got the whole thing on the tree upside-down.  The electric pluggee thing should be down here at the bottom, not up at the top."

... "I don't care if you have found another two strings, I'm done, period!"

... "You've just wound 'em around and around -- I thought we agreed it shouldn't look like a spiral this year?"

... "Have you been drinking?"

... "Where's the cat?"

Who Started This Christmas Stuff?

A woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable; and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids. She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card. 

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot." 

From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't worry we already crucified Him." For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. 

Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be.

What Do You Want For Christmas?

A poem sent to Dear Abby from a couple who have too much stuff.

So many of you asked us (since Yuletide's drawing near)
"What do you want for Christmas? What can we give you this year?

If we say, "We want nothing!" you buy something anyway,
So here's a list of what we'd like; believe now what we say:

Pajamas for a little child, food to feed the poor.
Blankets for a shelter, and we ask a little bit more--

Perform good deeds and let us know, or volunteer your time.
These last are worth a fortune, and they needn't cost a dime.

We have to many things now, vases, candles, tapes and clocks. We have our fill of garments, ties, underwear and socks.

Candy is too fattening, crossword books we've more than 20. We don't need trays or plates or cups, and knickknacks we have plenty.

We've no walls to hang more pictures; we have books we've not yet read; So please take what you'd spend on us and help the poor instead!

Just send a Christmas card to us and tell us what you've done; We'll open them on Christmas Eve, and read them one by one.

It won't cost as much for postage as a package sent would do,You'll need no wrapping paper, ribbons, ink or glue.

And we'll thank God you listened to what we had to say,
So we could be the instruments to help someone this way.

The True Christmas Spirit

Someone shared this story with me last year. Read it carefully and receive it's full impact.

It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas -- oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it like overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma -- the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, tie sand so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoe.

As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. it was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.  Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids -- all kids -- and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came.

That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition -- one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure.

The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope...

May we all remember the true Christmas spirit this year, and always.

The Light of Christmas

John 9:5 & 8:12 "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. - He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Christmas is a special time of year. I can't imagine what it would be like if we did not celebrate Christmas. What better time of year than Christmas, to teach our children the true meaning?

Christmas is not about lights, trees and presents, turkey dinners, or family gatherings. Oh yes. Those things are great, and "God has given us richly all things to enjoy." But more importantly, Christmas is about God's LOVE, about LIGHT. John 3:16 sums up the true meaning of Christmas, God s ultimate gift to EVERYONE His Son, the LIGHT of the world. God loved His creation, US, so much that in order to redeem us from eternal death, which we so deserves, He sent His Son to be the substitute for us.

I don t care that some say that the first Christmas was not observed at the birth of Christ, that it originated back in Rome to honor Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture, or some other theory that someone else might have come up with. To me, the first Christmas was the day that God sent LIGHT into the world.

I am glad that Sunday schools and churches put on pageants with the manger scene and the shepherds. What better way to teach a child about Christ and why He came to earth. I am glad that the authors of the Bible recorded that the humble shepherds celebrated on the night of Christ's birth, by leaving their sheep when the skies filled with LIGHT and the angels sang, and they went seeking for the Light of the world, JESUS. The wise men began their search for the King that same night because they saw a LIGHT in the sky a star in the East.

Does it matter that the usual scenario is of the wise men at the inn with the shepherds in these pageants? Is it really giving the children the wrong idea? Of course we know that the wise men came on the scene much later. The child will learn to put things in their proper order as he grows up. I did. So let the Sunday schools put on their pageants, with the wonderful Christmas scene of the shepherds and the wise men worshipping Jesus.

I don't care that research has shown that we do not know the exact day of Christ's birth. It does not matter whether it was not December 25th or some other day of the year. What matters is: Christ, the LIGHT of the world was born. And that He lived--as a man; suffered--as a man; died a cruel death on the cross--as a man; and rose again on the third day--as God, triumphant over sin and death, our REDEEMER, our SAVIOR, our LORD.

I don't care if they tell me that the exchanging of gift idea did not originate with the gifts that the wise men took to the child Jesus. To me, gift giving, 'though enjoyable, is not important. God's ultimate Gift is. If people get pleasure and comfort from giving and receiving gifts, then let them carry on with it. To me it does not detract from the true meaning of Christmas.

I don't care what they say about the Christmas tree--that it is a pagan symbol. To me that is not important. I have heard several opinions on this. Great that people get pleasure out of putting up and decorating a tree. It doesn't bother me a bit. In fact, if it uplifts someone from their humdrum existence, bringing light and giving them something to look forward to, at least once a year, let them put up a tree. To me this is not a distraction from the true meaning of Christmas. Perhaps it even adds to it. Christ came as the Light of the world: so let the lights at Christmas help remind people of this. Christ died on a tree for our sins: so let the tree be a reminder of this.

 

 

Thanks Helen Marjorie Dowd. You said exactly what I feel!

Thanksgiving Prayer

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl
when the alarm rings each morning, thank
you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many
who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes tightly closed
against the morning light as long as possible,
thank you Lord, that I can see. There are
many who are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off
the effort of rising, thank you, Lord that I
have the strength to rise. There are many
who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is
hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned,
and tempers are short, thank you, Lord, for
my family. There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks
like the pictures in magazines and the menu
is at times unbalanced, thank you, Lord for
the food we have. There're many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate
from day to day and wish my circumstances
were not so modest, thank you, Lord, for the
gift of life.

'Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving

'Twas the night before Thanksgiving and all through the kitchen;
I was cooking and baking and moanin' and gripin'.
I've been here for hours, I can't stop to rest,
This place is a disaster, just look at this mess!
Tomorrow I've got thirty people to feed,
They expect all the trimmings, who cares what I need!
My feet are both blistered, I've got cramps in my legs,
The dog just knocked over a bowl full of eggs,
There's a knock at the door and the telephone's ringing;
Frosting drips on the counter as the microwave's dinging,
Two pies in the oven, dessert's almost done;
My cookbook is soiled with butter and crumbs.
I've had all I can stand, I can't take anymore;
Then in walks my husband, spilling rum on the floor.
He heaves and he wobbles, his balance unsteady;
Then grins as he chuckles "The eggnog is ready!"
He looks all around and with total regret,
Say's "What's takin' so long? aren't you through in here yet?"
As quick as a flash I reach for a knife;
He loses an earlobe; I wanted his life!
He flees from the room in terror and pain,
and screams "MY GOODNESS WOMAN, YOU'RE GOING INSANE!"
Now what was I doing, and what is that smell?
Oh, GOODNESS, it's the pies! They're all black right down to the shell!
I hate to admit when I make a mistake,
But I put them on BROIL instead of on BAKE.
What else can go wrong? Is there still more ahead?
If this is good living, I'd rather be dead.
Lord, don't get me wrong, I love holidays;
They just leave me exhausted, all shaky and dazed.
But I promise you one thing, if I live 'til next year,
You won't find me pulling my hair out in here.
I'll hire a maid, a cook, and a waiter;
And if that doesn't work,
I'LL HAVE IT ALL CATERED!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Turkey Talk-Line

Over the years, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line staff have had their share of memorable calls -- inquiries that stand out from the crowd because they're heartwarming or amusing. We asked some of the veteran staff members to tell us their favorites plus, we rounded up a bunch of our own personal favorites from the Talk-Line archives. It's hard to beat the call from a trucker who planned to cook his Thanksgiving turkey on the engine of his truck ("Will it cook faster if I drive faster?"), but some of these come pretty close. Warning: do not attempt to adjust your screen -- these are real incidents, true stories -- from the front lines!

1. Home alone, a Kentucky woman was in the doghouse when she called the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. While preparing the turkey, her Chihuahua jumped into the bird's body cavity and couldn't get out. She tried pulling the dog and shaking the bird, but nothing worked. She and the dog became more and more distraught. After calming the woman down, the Talk-Line home economist suggested carefully cutting the opening in the cavity of the turkey wider. It worked and Fido was freed!
   
2. Birdie, eagle and turkey? Roasting a turkey doesn't have to interfere with the daily routine, so said a retired Floridian. He called "Turkey Central" for turkey grilling tips while waiting to tee off from the 14th hole.
   
3. Taking turkey preparation an extra step, a Virginian wondered, "How do you thaw a fresh turkey?" The Talk-Line staffer explained that fresh turkeys aren't frozen and don't need to be thawed.
   
4. Don't wait until the last minute! On Thanksgiving Day, a Georgian woman took the "Be prepared" motto to heart. She had just agreed to host Thanksgiving Dinner and called the Talk-Line a year ahead of time for turkey tips.
   
5. Happy Thanksgiving, President Obama! A Southern woman called to comment, "On Thanksgiving Day, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line is more important than the President. He can take the day off, but the Talk- Line staff can't." (The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line is open Thanksgiving Day, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Central Standard Time.)
   
6. Tofu turkey? No matter how you slice it, Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without turkey. A restaurant owner in California wanted to know how to roast a turkey for a vegetarian menu.
   
7. White meat, anyone? A West Coast woman took turkey preparation to extremes by scrubbing her bird with bleach. Afterward, she called the Talk-Line to find out how to clean off the bleach. To her dismay, she was advised to dispose of the turkey.
   
8. A young girl called on behalf of her mother who needed roasting advice. To provide approximate roasting times, the home economist asked what size the turkey was. Without asking her mother the little girl paused, then replied, "Medium."
   
9. A novice turkey-cooking chef wanted to know if the yellow netting and wrapper around the turkey should be removed before roasting. Envisioning a melted plastic turkey blob, the home economist responded, "Yes," then offered complete roasting directions.
   
10. Thanksgiving Dinner on the run. A woman called 1-800-323-4848 to find out how long it would take to roast her turkey. To answer the question, the Talk-Line home economist asked how much the bird weighed. The woman responded, "I don't know, it's

Signs Your Overdoing Thanksgiving

1. Hundreds of volunteers have started to stack sandbags around you.
   
2. Doctor tells you your weight would be perfect for a man 17 feet. tall.
   
3. You are responsible for a slight but measurable shift in the. earth's axis.
   
4. You spill more food on you than the local soup kitchen dispenses.
   
5. Paramedics bring in the Jaws of Life to pry you out of the EZ-Boy.
   
6. Your after dinner moans are loud enough to signal Dr. Kevorkian.
   
7. The "Gravy Boat" your wife set out was a real 12' john boat!
   
8. The potatoes you used set off another famine in Ireland.
   
9. Your "Big Elvis Super-Belt" won't even go around your waist.
   
10. You receive a Sumo Wrestler application in your e-mail.
    
11. You set off 3 earthquake seismographs on your morning jog Friday.
    
12. Pricking your finger for cholesterol screening only yielded gravy.
    
13. You have 5 TV sets side-by-side to catch all the football games.
    
14. That rash on your stomach turns out to be steering wheel burn.
    
15. Your wife wears a life jacket at night in your water bed.
    
16. Representatives from the Butterball Hall of Fame called twice.
    
17. You consider gluttony as your patriotic duty.
    
18. It looks like the left-overs are gonna last until Christmas.
    
19. Your arms are too short to reach the keyboard & delete this.
    
20. A guest quotes a Biblical passage from "The Feeding of the 5000."

'Twas The NIght Of Thanksgiving

'Twas the night of Thanksgiving - I couldn't sleep.
I tried counting backwards, I tried counting sheep
The leftovers beckoned --- The dark meat and white,
But I fought the temptation with all of my might.

Tossing and turning with anticipation
The thought of a snack became infatuation.
So I raced to the kitchen, Flung open the door,
And gazed at the fridge full of goodies galore.

I gobbled up turkey and buttered potatoes,
Pickles and carrots, beans and tomatoes.
I felt myself swelling so plump and so round,
Till all of a sudden, I rose off the ground !!

I crashed through the ceiling. Floating into the sky...
With a mouthful of pudding and a handful of pie,
But I managed to yell as I soared past the trees ...
HAPPY EATING TO ALL! PASS THE CRANBERRIES PLEASE!

Changing Your Story

Here is a story, that I heard many years ago.

A young girl is watching her mother prepare a ham for Thanksgiving. Before she puts the ham into the pan, she cuts about six inches off of the end of it, and throws it away. The daughter asks the mother why she cuts the end off the ham. She replies; I'm not sure, but that is how my mother did it.

So, knowing that all the family is gathered in one place, she approaches her grandmother. She asks her grandmother why she cut the end off the ham, before preparing it. Her grandmother replies; I'm not sure, but that was how my mother did it.

In one final attempt, the young lady approaches her great grandmother. She asks why she cut the end of the ham, before cooking it. Her great grandmother replies; We only had one pan to cook with in our day. I had to cut the ham, so it would fit in the only pan we had.

An unknown writer said; You can't do much about your ancestors, but you can influence your descendants enormously.  Some did not grow up in a Christian home. Their parents did not grow up in a Christian home. And their parents did not grow up in a Christian home. For a multitude of reasons why this is the case for many; You had no control over that. But, here is what you do have control over: "...but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Would you change your story this Thanksgiving, and serve the Lord?

A Sacrifice Of Thanksgiving

Psalm 50:23 "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me."

 

What do you do when your life is going south?  What do you do when it is “THANKSGIVING” and you have just lost a loved one, or your job, or your marriage?  Surely you cannot be expected to give thanks can you?

 

Sometimes thanksgiving is a sacrifice.  Sometimes we must thank God through clenched teeth and chocked back tears.  Thanksgiving in the midst of a terrible storm brings tremendous joy to His heart.  It shows the Lord that we really trust Him regardless of the adverse circumstances we are facing. 

 

Perhaps you are one this year who is having trouble finding good in your life.  Look no further than Jesus.  He never changes.  Despite everything you might be facing, you can rejoice in Him.  You can give thanks for Him and His love and care for you.  You can give thanks that He promised to work all things together for good. 

Train yourself to give thanks in everything.  Remember a sacrifice of thanksgiving brings honor to the Lord.  Thank Him for that trial you are facing.  Thank Him for that sorrow.  He will use your thanks for His glory and your ultimate good!

Thanksgiving 1

Colossians 2:6, 7 "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."   

Abounding in grumbling may be the more accurate phrase to describe of the world's disposition of late. We’ve all grumbled about the weather, traffic, leaves, the terrorists attacks and a myriad of other things. None of this grumbling, however, has been constructive. And, most importantly, it’s been sinful, because grumbling can't change anything.

To help combat this steady bombardment of grumbling get your family together for a time of thanksgiving. You’ve probably practiced this exercise many times as well: go from person-to-person and highlight things you’re thankful for (it’s tough to grumble when you pause to consider the many blessings in your life).
 
All will voice gratitude for God generally, but most will fail to highlight specific attributes of God that cause them to “abound in thanksgiving" to Him. Ask yourself this question: “What is it about God that I am most grateful for?”

Maybe it's the fact of His providence—the fact that He orchestrates everything in my life for His glory and my good. It’s the promise of Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Indeed, all of our circumstances God uses as a means of our sanctification. We began to abound in thanksgiving as we visualize God as the great conductor over our circumstances, using them as an instrument for our growth in grace.
 
This Thanksgiving holiday I want my family to be “abounding in thanksgiving.” And for this to happen I know being thankful for God in a merely general sense will not suffice. We'll need to meditate on some particular glories of our great God; not least of which is His sweet providence over our lives. For this I am most grateful.

Take a moment this Thanksgiving and ask yourself, “What specific attribute of God am I grateful for?” Perhaps you’ll recall His love or mercy or grace or forgiveness or patience or wrath or providence. Challenge your mind to meditate on, and prayerfully consider, some particular glory of God as a means of abounding in thanksgiving

What Is A Veteran?

Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them, a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg - or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul's ally forged in the refinery of adversity.

Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a vet just by looking. What is a vet?

-A vet is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run out of fuel.

-A vet is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th Parallel.

-A vet is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang.

-A vet is the POW who went away one person and came back another - or didn't come back at all.

-A vet is the drill instructor who has never seen combat - but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account punks and gang members into marines, airmen, sailors, soldiers and coast guardsmen, and teaching them to watch each other's backs.

-A vet is the parade-riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand.

-A vet is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by.

-A vet is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.

-A vet is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket - palsied now and aggravatingly slow - who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares come.

-A vet is an ordinary and yet extraordinary human being, a person who offered some of his life's most vital years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.

-A vet is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more that the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.

So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say, "Thank You." That's all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.

Again, two little words that mean a lot to any Veteran: "THANK YOU."

John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

What KIds Say About Love

1. "Love is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way."
   
2. "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
   
3. "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth."
   
4. "Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
   
5. "Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
   
6. "Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings."
   
7. "Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
   
8. "Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
   
9. "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
   
10. "When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more."
    
11. "Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day."
    
12. "Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
    
13. "During my piano recital, I was on a stage and scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."
    
14. "My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."
    
15. "Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken."
    
16. "Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
    
17. "Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."
    
18. "You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."

 

A Woman Of Strength

-A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape, but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape.

-A strong woman isn't afraid of anything, but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear.


-A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her, but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone.


-A strong woman walks sure footedly, but a woman of strength knows God will catch her if she falls.


-A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face, but a woman of strength wears grace.


-A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey, but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong.

Philippians 4:3 "And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life."

One Of Those Days

Have you ever had "one of those days"?

You know, the kind of day that begins with the ear piercing sound from an alarm clock? You just want to sleep a little longer. Just ten more minutes. You can't hit the snooze button because, afterall, that only gives you seven more minutes of rest. Suddenly you awake and realize forty-five minutes have passed. You should have been out the door and on your way to work by now. You scramble around the house muttering how stupid you are. Run out the door to your car and hope traffic is light, only to end up behind a car whose driver insists on going five miles below the speed limit. Now you are really upset. You think words that you would punish your child for saying. You say to yourself, "the whole day is shot" and you spend all day trying to make up for those forty-five minutes of rest. By day's end you are exhausted, and wonder was the extra sleep worth it.

We've all  had days like that. Days that we've have been so exhausted both physically and mentally, we could and have cried. It's on those days we learn as well. We learn that when we feel overwhelmed with work and self-pity, we can turn to God. On those days we ask Him to open our eyes, so that we may see what is really important in our lives. Our family, friends, and health. We think about His creation-The sweet song of a bird, the vastness of the ocean, and the beauty of the mountains. When we begin to think about all of His glorious creation that surrounds us how insignificant our problems then seem to be. How wonderfully blessed our days become when we glory in HIs presence and not in the trials of the moment.

Not Nearly

Two elderly ladies were standing in the grocery store catching up on old times. The first one jokingly asked her older friend how old she was now. The older lady answered loudly and to everyone’s delight: "Honey, I’m not nearly as old as I used to be." 

I realized when I heard that statement that I'm not nearly as old as I used to be either.

-I'm not nearly as old as I used to be when I constantly worried about my bills and how I was going to pay them. Now I just trust in God and I always seem to have more than enough.

-I'm not nearly as old as I used to be when I fretted about my weight and my thinning and graying hair. Now I just look in the mirror and smile. The body may look a little older, but the soul on the inside is younger than ever.

-I-m not nearly as old as I used to be when I was always judging others, being angry with them, or worrying about what they thought of me. Now I just do my best to judge none, love everyone, and share my joy with the world. Life I have found is too short to live any other way.

You don’t have to be as old as you used to be either. God made all of us both ageless and forever young. By choosing love, joy, and oneness with God you can always keep growing younger and younger on the inside. By sharing that love and joy you can give your youth, energy, and vitality to the world. By living from your soul you can stop counting your birthdays, start living for eternity, and always know that you will never again be as old as you used to be.

Reason, Season, or Lifetime?

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do. 

When someone is in your life for a reason, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a season it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy, but, only for a season.

Lifetime relationships teach you lifetime lessons-those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (any way); and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

Some of you are more than friends, you are family. And some of you are more than family, you are friends.

Thank you for being part of my life.

Listen With Your Heart

What are you listening for in this life?

-Are you listening for the latest lottery numbers to be announced or are you listening for the sweet songs of the birds in the morning?

-Are you listening for the newest gossip people are saying or are you listening for the happy sound of your children’s laughter?

-Are you listening for the shouting voices of anger and hatred in this world that try to fill our ears and hearts with their poison?

-Or are you listening for the gentle voice of God whispering to you: "I love you My Child. Come work with Me and we will shower the world with love and joy together." 

Either way what you listen for is what you will hear. Open your ears, mind, heart, and soul then listen with them for all this world’s joys. Listen with them for the loving voice of God within you. Listen with them and delight in the glorious music that is life. It could be the sound of a baby's first cry or the wind blowing thru the autumn leaves. It could be the voice a phone line of a long forgotten friend or the first words spoken by a child.

What you listen for is what you will hear. Hear with peace in your heart and you will receive peace in your life.

Applause That Makes A Difference

"Do you think my hair is soft and shiny?" Jessica asked Josh one moonlit evening.
Josh answered, "Yep."
"And are my eyes bright and beautiful?" she continued.
"Yep," he replied. 
After a few minutes Jessica forged ahead, "Josh, do you think my skin is smooth and clear?"
"Yep."
At this, Jessica smiled brightly and declared, "Oh, Josh, you say the sweetest things!"
Lucky for Josh, he got a little help!

No relationship can be built on flattery, but sincere compliments smooth over many rough edges. A thoughtful compliment is a way of saying, "I care enough to notice." Even relationships that are not romantic in nature will benefit from well-placed compliments.

Granted, some people feel suspicious, embarrassed, or defensive when complimented. They sometimes suspect that fine words might be part of a manipulative design. And quite often, people respond to compliments with mixed emotions rather than plain gratitude, primarily because they find the sincerity behind them suspect.

But most often, sincere encouragement can bolster self-confidence and cement friendships. In love relationships, thoughtful compliments can help keep the fires of romance burning vigorously.

One marriage counselor says, 'Compliment your spouse at least once every day." He cautions against flattery by adding, "It should be sincere. Then point out something new you appreciate about him or her every week. Make sure it is something you have never mentioned before. You'll be surprised at what it does for your marriage."

Sincere compliments cost nothing and can accomplish so much. In any relationship, they are the applause that refreshes.

The Value Of A Penny

1 Corinthians 1:27 "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;"

Several years ago, a friend and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. The woman was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and my friend was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants.

Knowing she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, she was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of his guests. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.

There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.

He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. "How absurd!" she thought. What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She causally mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?

"Look at it," He said. "Read what it says."

She read the words "United States of America."

"No, not that; read further."

"One cent?"

"No, keep reading."

"In God we Trust?"

"Yes!"

"And?"

"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!"

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.