Christmas Spirit

It has been such a busy season so far. And I wasn't sure if I would have much Christmas spirit. It is hard when you are missing family. I thank God some are with Him, but it is still hard to go on without them. And then you have my family... We barely speak! I know that is so sad.
I have been so busy with school programs, parties and get togethers. We were so blessed to get to go with the Girl Scouts to see the Nutcracker Ballet. It was so awesome!! The beauty of the dance, the costumes, the music, ... it was all so magical! Jon Jon, (2 1/2 years old) sat and watched the whole thing. He did point and holler "LOOK" a couple of times. And Nathaniel enjoyed it too, only 5 months old and he was staring at the ballet.  I recommend everyone see it at least once.
We had a Christmas party at my Brother-in-law's. We had good food, company and then we played Family Feud game. It was so much fun. I hope I wasn't too loud, but I did get carried away with the fun. My brother-in-law had built a box with the buzzers, lights and timer (over 30 years ago). It made the game even better. My brother-in-law and his wife are the directors of the drama, "This Man called Jesus". This weekend is the last weekend. Sure hope everyone gets to go. It is awesome!! I tried to pick my favorite part, but all of it is my favorite! I do love the last song! And every year they add too it. I hear the devil is not to be missed. We are going to the drama tonight, after our 4-H club Christmas party this afternoon.
Briana had a part in the chorus at school. She was upset she could not get a solo. I can't imagine doing a solo. She sang loud and clear, I could hear her voice over the others. I am proud of her.
We haven't had a warm night (except last night) to go to the zoo yet. Last night would have been perfect, except the drizzle. But we went to Christina's school for Around the World program and food. Christina had a birthday yesterday, she's 8 years old now. Hard to believe, just yesterday I was watching her be born. Time sure flies....
My girls were in a Christmas church program at Beulah this year, Christmas Hangups- they were ornaments, so cute!
And tomorrow, my girls have girl scouts Christmas party, caroling at L&B care home and then to Bubba's for a get together and Christina's birthday party. 
So busy!! But we all still need to take the time and remember the true meaning of this season-- JESUS!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Here are the patients and their Birthdays at L&B Care Home, 924 Barrwoods Road, Saluda SC 29138. You can send them a Christmas card and Birthday cards:1. Gail 3-25-29  2. Cynthia 4-28-35  3. Bernice 7-3-46  4. Mary Gibson 5-15-49  5.Annie Ruth 4-9-37  6. Beth 5-26-63  7. Lillie Mae 7-3-30  8. Hester 1-15-53  ‎9. Iza Mae 5-19-33 10. Mr. Stoner 6-29-19 11. Mr Pilarski 12-25-24 12. Mr. John 12-12-38 13. Mr Carol 8-14-43 14. Laura Bush 12-21-25 15. Laura Simmon 1-23-54 16. Marie 8-27-48 17. Jean 7-13-55 18. Emma 5-16-40 19. Patsy Moore 5-27-52 20. Doris 3-31-54 21. Ola Mae 10-5-55 22. Mr. Lewis 1-6-34 23. Aleta 8-22-60 24. Peggy 5-17-52


You can also send valentine, Easter and any other occasion.

Deck of Cards

Here is a new way to look at a deck of cards!!

Deck of Cards
It was quiet that day, the guns and the mortars, and land mines for some reason hadn't been heard.
The young soldier knew it was Sunday, the holiest day of the week. As he was sitting there, he got out an old deck of cards and laid them out across his bunk. Just then an army sergeant came in and said, 'Why aren't you with the rest of the platoon?' The soldier replied, 'I thought I would stay behind and spend some time with the Lord.' The sergeant said, 'Looks to me like you're going to play cards.' The soldier said, 'No, sir. You see, since we are not allowed to have Bibles or other spiritual books in this country,
I've decided to talk to the Lord by studying this deck of cards.' The sergeant asked in disbelief, 'How will you do that?' 'You see the Ace, Sergeant? It reminds me that there is only one God. The Two represents the two parts of the Bible, Old and New Testaments The Three represents the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. The Four stands for the Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John .The Five is for the five virgins there were ten but only five of them were glorified.
The Six is for the six days it took God to create the Heavens and Earth.
The Seven is for the day God rested after making His Creation.. The Eight is for the family of Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives -- the eight people God spared from the flood that destroyed the Earth. The Nine is for the lepers that Jesus cleansed of leprosy He cleansed ten, but nine never thanked Him.. The Ten represents the Ten Commandments that God handed down to Moses on tablets made of stone. The Jack is a reminder of Satan, one of God's first angels, but he got kicked out of heaven for his sly and wicked ways and is now the joker of eternal hell. The Queen stands for the Virgin Mary.
The King stands for Jesus, for he is the King of all kings.
When I count the dots on all the cards, I come up with 365 total, one for every day of the year.
There are a total of 52 cards in a deck; each is a week - 52 weeks in a year.
The four suits represent the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.
Each suit has thirteen cards -- there are exactly thirteen weeks in a quarter.
So when I want to talk to God and thank Him, I just pull out this old deck of cards and they remind me of all that I have to be thankful for..'
The sergeant just stood there. After a minute, with tears in his eyes and pain in his heart, he said, 'Soldier, can I borrow that deck of cards?'

Please let this be a reminder and take time to pray for all of our soldiers who are being sent away, putting their lives on the line fighting
Prayer for the Military.
Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them. Bless them and their families
I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Amen

When you read this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our servicemen and women all around the world.
Of all the gifts you could give a Soldier, prayer is the very best one.

Search and Rescue

Almost every week we see news about a search and rescue mission. It may involve a child who wandered away from a family picnic and is lost, or a hiker stranded on a mountain, or miners deep in the earth. In every case, the people at risk are unable to help themselves. Those who are found and saved usually have lasting gratitude for those who joined in the search and rescued them.
The account of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10 is a story of search and rescue. At first glance it may seem like a series of chance events--Jesus was passing through Jericho and a rich tax collector climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of the miracle-working teacher. But this encounter wit Jesus was not a coincidence. At the end of the narrative, Luke deliberately included Jesus' words to Zacchaeus, "Today salvation has come to this house..." for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost" (vv.9-10).
Jesus began His search and rescue operation on earth by His life, death, and resurrection. He continues it today through the power of the Holy Spirit, and He graciously invites us to participate with Him by loving those who are lost.

People can't believe in Jesus

If the gospel they don't hear,

So we must proclaim its message

to the world-- both far and near.    -Sper

TGIF

I read two devotionals in the morning before I leave the house. One is for me, with 365, one for each day of year. The other I received when we went on the marriage retreat, March 2009. It is only about 50 pages. It is for my husband. I read and pray for him every morning. I am not that great with math, I don't know how to figure the odds, but it was so amazing when both were from Isaiah 60:1 "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. I believe God is speaking directly to me on this one for sure.
I am a fall person. I love the colors. And when the sun shines on the reds, oranges, yellows and greens, it is so awesome, so beautiful. Can't hardly wait to get in the mountains and see the whole mountain covered like a giant patchwork quilt. God is so wonderful to give us such beauty to brighten our days. PRAISE GOD!!

I have a new grandson, Nathaniel Christopher

I have a new grandson, Nathaniel Christopher, 7 pounds, 14.8 oz, 19 inches long born 1:38pm, July 1, 2010. He is so beautiful!! Mother and baby are fine!
Now is the time to register for the state fair. You have this month only to register so you can put your items in the fair in Oct. scstatefair.org/competitive-exhib
Good luck to you all!

A Powerful Message

Bible teacher Lehman Strauss was brought to Christ through the power of the Word when he was young. At his girlfriend's suggestion, he read Romans 3:23, 5:8, and 10:13. As he did, he was convicted of his sin. He wept and believed.
When his son Richard was 7 years old, he asked his father how to be saved. Lehman used the same verses that his girlfriend (who was now his wife) had used years earlier. His son believed too, and eventually became a pastor.
God's Word has tremendous power! The first recoded time God spoke, He created light (Gen. 1:3). He spoke a promise to Abraham (17:15-19) and enabled his 90 year-old-wife Sarah to bear a child (21:1-2). God still speaks with power today, and all who hear and believe the gospel are save (Rom.1:16).
Yes, the message of Christ and His saving work on the cross can change the direction of a person's life. It has the power to reach the heart of that person you love and have prayed for many times.
So don't give up in your witness. Be consistent in your daily walk. Keep praying and sharing the gospel with others. It's a powerful message!

Happy Mother's Day!

Our children are a heritage,

A blessing from the Lord;

They bring a richness to our lives--

In each, a treasure stored. - Fasick

Happy Mother's Day!

John tried to stop Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?"
Our gloriously deliberate God orchestrated the lives of two extraordinary men, born six months apart, to converge waist-deep in the waters of the Jordan River. For John the Baptizer, it was the beginning of the end. he had faithfully prepared God's way, and now God was preparing his.
For Jesus, it marked the end of the beginning. His life would descend on Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem like a desert Storm. That day in the river of promise, John baptized Jesus with water, and Jesus baptized the Jordan with glory.
Just imagine what was going on in the mind of Christ as He was walking to the river Jordan. I wonder if He stopped to watch the scene for a while, with the people confessing their sins. Did He watch this mighty servant of God preaching the Word with boldness? I'm just picturing the horizon and His figure overlooking the scene. He walks up to the shore, and John sees Him.
John had prepared for this all his life. When we set apart our lives unto Him, He will do wonders with us the likes of which were cannot imagine.
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. he laid His right hand on me, and said, "Don't be afraid!" - revelation 1:17

They were baptized by Him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. - Matthew 3:6
Picture John waist-deep in water with people streaming out to be baptized - baptizing them unto repentance,k preparing them to encounter the Savior. I believe they were quite specific confessing their sins. In all likelihood they were crying out these confessions, maybe even wailing, weeping over them.
Then came Christ. He was not coming to be baptized unto repentance. he was the spotless Lamb of God. Complete perfection. He was the only One who had no confessing to do that day in those waters. He came for John to baptize Him.
But I see something so precious in the fact that the people had confessed their sins standing in those same waters. He was baptized - drenched in the same waters where they had confessed their sins. Can you almost see Him wearing the sins they had confessed there?
Those of us who have already received Christ have been baptized into Him. How daily confession and repentance is like refreshment to our souls. We come away cleansed. Ready to be filled. Ready to walk in the Spirit.
It is I who seep away your transgressions for My own sake and remember your sins no more. - Isaiah 43:25.

It's a Boy!!

Yesterday I did not come to my shop, I went with my oldest daughter to her ultrasound. It was amazing, as usually! I sat and watched HIM kicking and punching. He did not want to be bothered. It showed him crying, poor baby. He kept kicking both legs out, and he looked like a frog. So, his nickname will be froggy for a while. Jonathan was peanut, and he is more like a butterball now. Although he is growing taller now, he is still pudgy. Isn't it wonderful to see them in the womb and hear their heartbeat, to watch them cry, breathe, etc. How can anyone say you are not alive until you are born? It sure makes me feel close to God to see my Grandson, kicking, moving... alive!

Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people. - Luke 2:52

People didn't just respect Jesus - they like Him. The word "favor" is undeniably related to the word "favorite." I don't believe we are stretching the text in the least to say that Christ was a favorite of many who knew Him.

Think for a few moments of the different characteristics of people who tend to capture your favor. Unless those characteristics are inconsistent with godliness, in all likelihood Christ possessed them. I can readily share a few of my favorite characteristics in people: godly, warm and personable, at least somewhat demonstrative, knowledgeable ion a specific area so I can learn from them, trustworthy, and funny!
I simply want you to be reminded that He was real. His sandals flapped when He walked down the road. His hair was misshapen when He awakened. He had to brush the bread crumbs off His beard after He ate. the muscles in His arms flexed when He lifted His little brothers and sisters. He had hair on His arms and warmth in His palms.
He was the son of God, and the Son of Man. Fathom the unfathomable.
The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God's grace was on Him. - Luke 2:40

Why were you searching for Me?

"Why were you searching for Me?" He asked them. "Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?" -Luke 2:49
Mary, understandably hurt that Jesus had chosen to hang back in Jerusalem and leave them to worry about His safety, asked Him a question: "Son why have you treated us like this?" Christ's response suggests He was as mystified that they expect to find Him anywhere else as they were mystified to find Him there.
In my opinion, Christ's response was quite interesting. I've searched every Greek translation I can find, and none of my resources have an original word that directly translates to "house" or "business" in verse 49. From what I can gather, a more precise translation of Christ's response might be: "Didn't you know that I had to be about my Father?"
That question implies the desire of my heart more than any other I can imagine. I just want to be about God. Not about ministry. Not about my own agenda. Not about writing books and Bible studies. Not about me at all. When all is said and done, I would give my life for people to be able to say, "She was just about God." That would be the ultimate legacy.
I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. -Philippians 3:8

All those who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and His answers. - Luke 2:47
Left behind at the temple, seated with the Jewish teachers, we don't know if God allowed the twelve-year-old Christ to exercise His full omniscience or to unleash just enough wisdom to astound His listeners. But we do know that not only did He listen and ask them questions, He answered them!
There are several examples in Scripture of Jesus posing a question that only He could answer. He certainly uses that method with me.
Sometimes He;ll cause me to dig through Scripture for question He seemed to initiate. Other times the question may come as a personalized whisper in my heart: "why are you acting that way?" Often my honest answer is, "I don't know, Lord. Can You tell me why?" If I really search His heart, He'll sooner or later give me insight into my reactions. He answers me, so that I don't have to live off my own answers.
If the boy Christ could answer difficult questions, surely we can trust the immortal One seated at the right hand of God to make intercession for us an give us new understanding.
They were astonished at His teaching because His message had authority. - Luke 4:32

When the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. -- Luke 2:22
Each of the steps Mary and Joseph took after Christ's birth was typical of devout Jewish parents. What made it atypical is that their infant would ultimately fulfill the prophetic representation of each of these rituals.
When Jewish parent presented their firstborn son to the Lord, they were symbolizing the act of giving him up by saying, "He is Yours and we give him back to You." Then they should immediately redeem him or, in effect, buy him back with their offerings.
How interesting, though, that the New Testament tells us Christ came to fulfill for us the very rite Mary and Joseph observed as they presented the Christ child to the Lord.
The Word made flesh first entered the temple wrapped in a baby blanket. His earthly parents lifted Him to His Father and, in essence, purchased Him from Heaven -- for awhile -- for a lost world.
One day that baby would buy them from earth for the glory of heaven. Wow.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. - Ephesians 1:7

January 29,2010

My Mother-in-love passed away last night. Please remember our family in your prayers. We know she is with Jesus! We know she is out of pain, and she has a new body! We just have to deal with our emotions, our memories and our lost. Thank You.

Church last night was awesome! I saw chains breaking, and shackles falling off... you should have been there. ...these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit searches everything even the depths of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10
But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. -Luke 2:19
She closed her eyes and listened, stealing time like a hidden metronome, as high and as wide as she dared to think, but she still could not begin to comprehend. She, a common child of the most humble means who had never read the Scriptures for herself, was embracing the incarnate Word. The fullness of the Godhead rested in her inexperienced arms, sleeping to the rhythm of her heart. She hummed a song she did not know, a song being sund by the choir oa angelshovering over her head but hidden from her carnal senses. The deafening hallelujahs of the heavenly host were silent to mortal ears except through the sounds of a young woman's voice who had unknowingly given human notes to a holy score. The tiny baby boy had robbed her heart. "So, this is how it feels to be a mother," she mused.
She crept back into the stable, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in the manger. Just down the path, the sun peeked gently over the roof of an inn full of barren souls who had made Him no room.
May my meditation be pleasing to Him; I will rejoice in the Lord. - Psalm 104:34

Holy Spirit at Hobby Lobby

I went to Hobby Lobby in West Columbia on Wednesday, and I was so blessed by Joann who cut my clothe. She is annointed. She helped me with my walk. She told me things, God has been telling me for sometime. So, I surrender to the Holy Spirit, God have your way with me, lead me, teach me, mold me! Anyone who needs a blessing should go be and talk with Joann. And please remember her in your prays. Most of you know, New levels, new devils. But we can overcome! And Wednesday night at Praise Church was awesome! Phil filled in for Pastor Tom who has gone to the mountain again. And Phil did a great job, and he keeps us laughing too. Phil showed us in Bible verses that after we are saved from our sins, God will show them to us and we will loath ourselves because of the sin. But it is to keep us from getting all high and mighty because we are saved from our sins, we are the chosen ones. Read Ezeikel.
God has chosen the world's insignificant and despised things -- the things viewed as nothing -- so He might bring to nothing the things that are viewed as something. - 1 Corinthians 1:28

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. -Luke 2:6
The time. The time toward which all "time" had been ticking since the kingdom clock struck one. These words in Luke 2:6 refer to the most important segment of time since the first tick of the clock. The second hand circled tens of thousands of times for thousands of years, then finally, miraculously, majestically-- the time came. God's voice broke through the barrier of the natural realm through the cries of an infant, startled by life on the outside.
The Son of God had come to earth, wrapped in a tiny cloak of human flesh. "She wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough--because there was no room for them at the inn" (Luke 2:7)
Father God, You have brought all things together in Christ--things both in heaven and on earth. Therefore, we who have put our hope in Jesus our Messiah praise His glorious name (Eph. 1:10, 12). Obedient to Your call, He has met us in our deepest need... just when we needed Him most.
But when the completion of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law. _ Galatians 4:4-5

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. -Luke 2:1
I have heard the questions thousands of times: Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25? How do we know when the birth of Christ took place? Why celebrate Christmas at a time originally set aside for ancient pagan celebrations? In the Jewish calendar, the fourteenth day of the first month is called the day of conception. If our God of perfect planning and gloriously significant order happened to overshadow Mary on the fourteenth day of the first month of His calendar, our Saviour would have been born toward the end of our December. We have absolutely no way of knowing whether or not He did. But I would not be the least bit surprised for God to have sparked His Son's human life on one Passover... and ended it on another. I am a hopeless romantic when it comes to celebrating Christmas, the birth of my Savior. Until a further "Hear ye! Hear ye!" comes from heaven, December 25 works mighty fine for me.
Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. - Nehemiah 8:10

From now on all generations will call me blessed, because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and His name is holy. - Luke 1:48-49
Mary had probable been too scared to celebrate before, but Elizabeth's confirmation of God's miraculous work set her free! Whether or not young Mary began physically jumping up and down with joy and excitement, her insides certainly did!
I am totally blessed by the thought. Nothing is more appropriate than getting excited when God does something in our lives. I think He loves it!
Scripture draws a picture here of a reflective young woman with an unusual heart for God. Her statement that"all generations will call me blessed" was not voiced in pride but from shock. God seems to love little more than stunning the humble with His awesome brand of intervention. Please don';t lose the wonder of this. Marvel with me at the fact that Mary was plain, simple, and extraordinarily ordinary. I always felt the same way growing up. Still do, deep down inside.
That's part of the beauty of God choosing someone like you and me to know Him and serve Him. May we never get over it.
There is no one holy like the Lord.
There is no one besides You! And there is no rock like our God. - 1 Samuel 2:2

Holy Spirit

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. - Luke 1:41
The two women had one important predicament in common - questionable pregnancies, sure to stir up some talk. Elizabeth hadn't been out of the house in months. It makes you wonder why. As happy as she was, it must have been strange not to blame her sagging figure and bumpy thighs on the baby. And to think she was forced to borrow maternity clothes from her friends' granddaughters. But maybe Elizabeth and Mary were too busy talking between themselves to pay much attention. Can you imagine their conversation over tea? One too old, the other too young. One married to an old priest, the other promised to a young carpenter. One heavy with child, the other with no physical evidence to fuel her faith. But God had graciously given them one another with a bond to braid their lives forever.
Women are like that aren't they? We long to find someone who has been where we've been, who shares our fragile places, who sees our sunsets with the same shades of blue.
He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. -2Corinthians 1:4

Mary asked the angel, "How can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?"
-Luke 1:34
I wonder if Mary knew when He arrived in her womb. Brothers in the faith might be appalled that I would ask such a question, but female minds were created to think intimate, personal thoughts like these! I have at least a hundred questions to ask Mary in heaven. And no doubt Mary will have some interesting stories to tell. Part of the fun of heaven will be hearing spiritual giants tell the details of the old, old stories.
Mary certainly wouldn't have thought of herself as a spiritual giant, would she?
Could a teenager have fathomed that she was to give birth to the Son who was the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being?
Oh yes, the news was good. The best. But the news was also hard. When the winds of heaven converge with the winds of earth, lighting is bound to strike. Seems to me that Gabriel left just in time for Mary to tell her mother. And I have a feeling Nazareth was about to hear and experience a little thunder!
For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God. -John 16:27

Jesus

You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name JESUS. - Luke 1:31
Do you realize this was the first proclamation of our Savior's name since the beginning of time?
Jesus- the very name at which every knee will one day bow. The very name that every tongue will one day confess. A name that has no parallel in my vocabulary or yours. A name I whispered into the ears of my infant daughters and son as I rocked them and sang lullabies of His love. A name by which I've made every single prayerful petition of my life. A name that has meant by absolute salvation not only from eternal destruction but from myself.
A name with power like no other name.
Jesus.
What a beautiful name. I love to watch how if falls off the lips of those who love Him. I shudder as it falls off the lips of those who don't.
It has been the most important and most consistent word in my life. Dearer today than yesterday. Inexpressibly precious.
Jesus.
You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and be the spirit of our God. - 1 Corinthians 6:11

January 5, 2010

He is Jesus.
The One and Only.
Transcendent over all else.
To know Him is to love Him.
To love Him is to long for Him.
To long for Him is to finally reach
soul hands into the One true thing
we need never get enough of.
Jesus.
Take all you want.
Take all you need.
Till soul is fed.
And spirit freed.
Till dust is dust.
And Face you see.
Jesus Christ.
He's all you need.