Stillness of Winter

Surely there is no better time to sit and contemplate God and His world than early in the morning while the house is quiet and there is a snowstorm going on outside.  What a reminder of His power and glory!  Snow turns the December landscape of browns and grays into a winter wonderland just as the forgiveness of Jesus purifies our hearts.

Snow erases the noise that distracts us from the beauty of nature's sounds.  Step outside after a snowfall and listen.  The silence is like no other.  You can almost hear Him whisper, 'Be still and know that I am God.'

Snow serves to slow us down.  We can't (or shouldn't drive as fast.)  We certainly can't walk as fast.  In a world that is obsessed with motion and going places, again we are reminded, 'Be still'.

Spend quiet time in reflection and prayer with your Lord.

Teresa Bell Kindred

More to view:

http://www.teresakindred.com/

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Just Five More Minutes/>
  by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground.

“That’s my son over there,” she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide.

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Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask "How are you?"
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done,
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
'Cause you never had time
To call and say "Hi"?
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

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This is awesome and puts our lives in perspective.    Click within the yellow.

It's in the Valleys I Grow

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"Tomorrow morning," the surgeon began, "I'll open up your heart..."

"You'll find Jesus there," the boy interrupted.

the surgeon looked up, annoyed "I'll cut your heart open," he continued, to see how much damage has been done..."

"but when you open up my heart, you'll find Jesus in there," said the boy.

The surgeon looked to the parents, who Sat quietly. "When I see how much damage has been done, I'll sew your heart and chest back up, and I'll plan what to do next."

"But you'll find Jesus in my heart. The Bible says He lives there. The hymns all say He lives there. You'll find Him in my heart."

The surgeon had had enough. "I'll tell you what I'll find in your heart. I'll find damaged muscle, low blood supply, and weakened vessels. And I'll find out if I can make you well."

"You'll find Jesus there too. He lives there."

The surgeon left.

The surgeon sat in his office, recording his notes from the surgery, "...damaged aorta, damaged pulmonary vein, widespread muscle degeneration. No hope for transplant, no hope for cure. Therapy: painkillers and bed rest. Prognosis: here he paused, "death within one year."

He stopped the recorder, but there was more to be said.. "Why?" he asked aloud.. "Why did You do this? You've put him here; You've put him in this pain; and You've cursed him to an early death. Why?"

The Lord answered and said, "The boy, my lamb, was not meant for your flock for long, for he is a part of My flock, and will forever be. Here, in My flock, he will feel no pain, and will be comforted as you cannot imagine.

His parents will one day join him here, and they will know peace, and My flock will continue to grow.."

The surgeon's tears were hot, but his anger was hotter. "You created that boy, and You created that heart. He'll be dead in months. Why?"

The Lord answered, "The boy, My lamb, shall return to My flock, for He has done his duty: I did not put My lamb with your flock to lose him, but to retrieve another lost lamb." The surgeon wept... The surgeon sat beside the boy's bed; the boy's parents sat across from him. The boy awoke and whispered, "Did you cut open my heart?"

"Yes," said the surgeon. "What did you find?" asked the boy.

"I found Jesus there," said the surgeon.

             ~ Author Unknown - Celebrate Jesus in 2009

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This bit should have been on the end of that below.Guess it was too long

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"I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship."

-Louisa May Alcott

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An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.

       -Henry David Thoreau

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Not only is the story heartwarming but it puts a little more faith in mankind, although it was definitely God that led the dog there.

http://www.pawnation.com/2009/08/11/lost-and-found-dog-saves-life-of-boy-with-down-syndrome/31#c20838394

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What an awesome poem, Kathryn!   Is it from ShaLynn?

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My daughter sent this to me today and I felt I should share it. It's a beautifully written poem by Langston Hughes.

Dreams

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

Langston Hughes

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Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
   When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
   And you want to smile but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit
   Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Success is failure turned inside out,
   The silver tint on the clouds of doubt,

And you can never tell how close you are,
   It may be near when it seems afar.
So, stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
   It's when things go wrong that you mustn't quit

      ~ Author Unknown

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A truly lovely and inspirational short video.  A must see!

http://mayyoubeblessedmovie.com/presentation.html

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Lily and Nancy such awesome videos!   They touched both my heart and soul.   Thank you for sharing them!

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Without GOD, our week would be:

Sinday,

Mournday,

Tearsday,

Wasteday,

Thirstday,

Fightday &

Shatterday.

Remember seven days WITHOUT GOD makes
one WEAK!!

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Committing to excellence is not an act, it's an attitude. It's an attitude that is captured in this short thought titled: And Then Some...

"And then some...
These three little words are the secret to success.
They are the difference between average people and top
people in most companies.
The top people always do what is expected...
and then some.
They are thoughtful of others; they are considerate
and kind...and then some.
They meet their responsibilities fairly and squarely...
and then some.
They are good friends and helpful neighbors...
and then some.
They can be counted on in an emergency...
and then some.
I am thankful for people like this, for they make
the world a better place. Their spirit of service is
summed up in these three little words...
And then some."

If we carry the attitude of "And Then Some"...throughout our life, when our time on earth is almost gone, we will wait the results in peace.

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It's a Wonderful World

In spite of the fact we complain and lament

~And view this old world with much discontent,

Deploring conditions and grumbling because

~There's so much injustice and so many flaws

It's a wonderful world and it's people like you

~Who make it that way by the things that they do-

For a warm, ready smile or a kind thoughtful deed

~Or a hand outstretched in an hour of need

Can change our whole outlook and make the world bright

~Where a minute before just nothing seemed right-

It's a wonderful world and it always will be

~If we keep our eyes open and focused to see

The wonderful things man is capable of

~When he opens his heart to God and his love.

                 H. Steiner-Rice

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Lovely video and song, Nancy.....we sing it in church.

Living Bible

His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college.

He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college.

Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it.

One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair.. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat.

The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything.

Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet.

By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.

About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill.

Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do.

How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?

It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy.

The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes  are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.

And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won't be alone.

Everyone chokes up with emotion.

When the minister gains control, he says, 'What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget.'

Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read!' I asked the Lord to bless you As I prayed for you today. To guide you and protect you As you go along your way.... His love is always with you, His promises are true, And when we give Him all our cares, You know He will see us through.

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Think Rich:

Doris von Krappelhoff dreamed of becoming a dancer, but an automobile crash left her dreams in shambles.  So she turned instead to singing.  Along the way Doris changed her last name, borrowing from the song 'Day by Day'.  So Doris von Kappelhoff became Doris Day...and Doris Day became one of the biggest movie stars of the 1950's and 1960's.

Doris once said, 'Gratitude is riches.  Complaint is poverty.'  And her words apply to all of us.  Chronic complaining--a rather common malady that infects all of us from time to time--solves nothing. So let's give thanks for blessings past, present, and future.  As Doris von Kappelhoff proved, it takes great thoughts to make a great day.

You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining.  You make progress by implementing ideas.

Shirley Chisholm

More about Doris Day:

Doris Mary Anne von Kappelhoff (born April 3, 1922)is an American singer, actress and animal welfare advocate known as Doris Day. Able to sing, dance and play comedy and dramatic roles, she became one of the biggest box-office stars. Day has 39 films to her credit, over 75 hours of television and as one of the most prolific recording artists in history, has recorded over 650 songs. She is an Academy Award nominee, as well as a Golden Globe and Grammy Award winner.

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I was sent this video and it says it all if animals can except one another maybe one day we will do the same. Truly an inspiration of the word love

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Anyway
By: Mother Teresa

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

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Ohhh Vicky: I finally got it!!(posting music) yippeeeee.....

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Every human life is a tapestry of events: some grand, some not so grand.  When we reach the mountaintops of life, praising God is easy.  In our moments of triumph, we trust God's plan.  But when the storm clouds form over head and we find ourselves in the dark valley of despair, our faith is stretched--sometimes to the breaking point.  Yet we can take comfort: wherever we find ourselves, whether at the top of the mountain or the depths of the valley, God is there.  And because He cares for us, we can live courageously.

You can call upon your Creator in our hour of need and find comfort.  Whatever your challenge, whatever your trouble, God can handle it. 

Our future may look fearfully intimidating, yet we can look up to the Engineer of the Universe, confident that nothing escapes His attention or slips out of the control of those strong hands.

~Elizabeth Elliot

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This was sent to me from a friend and it is very beautiful so I thought I would share it.

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Very lovely video, Lily....thank you for sharing it with us. 

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 Lily A.
I Loved you best Friday, 11:44 PM

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God Bless you, Vicky

Kurt Carr

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Very pretty video, Nancy.  Thank you. 

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The  Spirit of Joy

There is a difference between joy and happiness.  Joy is the emotional response to God's presence in our lives, happiness is the emotional response to our circumstances in life. 

There is little in this world that can bring us lasting joy.    We all want to be joyful but we can't seem to find the source.

That's where God comes in.  In this study, we will see that joy is something that comes into our lives when we ask Jesus into our lives. 

We are brought to the point of joy when we view a sunrise over the eastern horizon and when we hold a newborn baby for the first time.  We experience joy when we hear children playing and laughing. 

As we make this journey together, look for opportunities to let God renew your joy.  In the end, people will be drawn to God because they  see His characteristic of joy in your life.

The Joy of Creation:

Genesis 1: 1 - 5

 ¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

 ² Now the earth was  formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

 ³ And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

In the first week of the world's existence, God created the heavens and the earth.  And on the first da of that week-there in the middle of dark chaos--God created light.  What a wonder!  Light!  Splitting dead nothingness like a laser instrument, driving maligant darkness from the universe.  Light!  Travelling at 186,00 miles per second at the very command of God--light--light!  Bringing things that could not be seen to eyes as yet uncreated.  God breathed the words fiat lux ("let there be light") and smiled at this instantaneous pheomenon of both science and grace.  God smiled because He knew that the power of His gloirous first light would be in time make vision possible.

God saw the light and smiled, for it was good.  Light is spiritual.  God created light because darkness is hopeless stuff.  He created light so that despair will have no place to hide.  When God said, "let there be light," the angels must have broken into glad hallelujahs.  For when light comes the natural response of all who behold it is joy.  Joy cannot survey the marvels of God's creation and keep silent.  The angels must  been hushed by the sight of the beauty of all God had created.  But those angels, at first awed by all He made.

Joyful, Joyful:

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A Little Fellow Follows Me

A careful man I ought to be,
A little fellow follows me.
I dare not go astray,
For fear he'll go the self-same way.

I cannot once escape his eyes,
Whatever he see me do, he tries.
Like me, he says, he's going to be,
The little chap who follows me.

He thinks that I am good and fine,
Believes in every word of mine.
The base in me he must not see,
That little fellow who follows me.

I must remember as I go,
Thru summers' sun and winters' snow.
I am building for the years to be,
In the little chap who follows me.

~ Author Unknown

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Heartprints

Whatever our hands touch-
We leave fingerprints!
On walls, on furniture
On doorknobs, dishes, books.
There's no escape.
As we touch we leave our identity.

Oh God, wherever I go today
Help me leave heartprints!
Heartprints of compassion
Of understanding and love.
Heartprints of kindness
And genuine concern.
May my heart touch a lonely neighbor
Or a runaway daughter
Or an anxious mother
Or perhaps an aged grandfather.

Lord, send me out today
To leave heartprints.
And if someone should say
"I felt your touch,"
May that one sense Your Love
Touching through me.

~Anonymous 

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'Go through life with soft influences breathing around thee. Keep thy heart high above the many-colored mist of earth and above its storm clouds.'

Jean Paul Richter

'If I say, I will forget my complaining, I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer.'

Job 9:27

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