~ CHRISTMAS SPOKEN HERE ~
John Killinger

One day I was staring through the window of a beautiful little Christmas shop.  It was packed with Christmas items, even though Christmas was still six months away.  There were exquisite crèche scenes from Italy, Germany, and Norway.  There were fuzzy-faced elves and jolly old Santa Clauses, sleighs and reindeer of every size and description, bells and trees, and music boxes. There were nutcrackers and candles and electric lights, angels and wise men and little drummer boys, stars and snowmen and gingerbread cutouts.  The little shop was fairly bursting with Christmas, and a loudspeaker broadcast a medley of Yuletide tunes. It was infectious, even in the summertime.  And down in the corner of the front door, where no one could miss it, was the neatest touch of all. It was a small sign that said: “Christmas Spoken Here.”

~ FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE EVERYTHING ~
John Killinger
 Christmas Spoke Here

It is a commentary on our situation in life that the biggest problem most of us has with our Christmas shopping, aside from finding time to do it, is that most of the people we shop for already have everything they need.  This year I’m fresh out of ideas.

We can imagine the scene in a fairly average household on Christmas morning.  When all the expensively wrapped gifts have been opened and the room looks like an explosion in a paper-goods factory…

It is rather obvious that a typical American family has everything.  They have helped keep the economy on an upward spiral, gratifying both the local merchants and the administration in Washington, and they have cluttered their household with many more things that are destined for the school auction or the garage sale when they move or find that their home is simply too overladen for living.  They could not possibly want for anything they don’t have.

Are they people who have everything or people who need everything?

What do they really need this Christmas?

They need simplicity, time for sorting out their lives, time for being together, time for getting to know one another, and time for sharing themselves at the deepest levels of human communication.

They need holy time, a sense of life’s deeper dimensions, of eternal mysteries breaking in upon finite existence, of the God of righteousness whose being conveys meaning to all of life’s actions and relationships, and the blessing of a world that wants to bless us if we’ll only let it.

They need space for seeing life as it is, for seeing the millions of people in the world who are starving to death and the millions who are dying of simple diseases, for realizing how shallow life is when it is lived merely for the pleasure of the moment without any regard to the future or its consequences, for standing back and looking at their own lives, so that, like Scrooge when the ghosts of Christmas Past and Christmas Present and Christmas Future whisked him away, they will have a chance to mend their ways, to become wholesome, to become worthy, and to become children of God.

They need the Christ of Christmas and renewal of their inner spirits.  That is what it all comes down to, isn’t it?  They need to hear and receive the message of Christmas, that God has entered the human arena to dwell with us, that His presence is consequently here and available to us now, that we are not alone, spinning out our destinies…, and that all our days are spent before the Holy One of Israel who poured all that He was and is and will be through the funnel of a miracle into the child born in the manger of Bethlehem.  They need to surrender their lives to Christ, who is the real Gift of Christmas, and in the end He so overshadows all others as to be the only one.

In a sense, I am talking about all of us.

That is the way it ought to be for us at Christmas.  Most of us have been lost in the busyness of our existence, trying to cope from day to day, and have quite forgotten who we are or whose we are .… and then we, who thought we had everything, realize we have nothing, and, realizing we have nothing, stand ready to receive everything.  For He is our joy and peace.

In all the frenzy and noise of the season, O God, help us to find our way home; and, having found it, let us never lose it. Through Christ, who was born to show us the way.  Amen.

Let’s approach Christmas with an expectant hush, rather than a last-minute rush.
~Anonymous 

Bless you all!  Remember tomorrow, to have a  …..



Hugs,
Deborah <><

I found this list and wanted to share it with you … it comes just in time for the busy holiday season!  Why 36 I don’t know, but if you have a way that you de-stress this time of year, please feel free to leave it in your comment!  I trust you’re all having a good week!  We had a great weekend at my niece’s for our early Christmas dinner.  My younger niece just had a baby girl 6 weeks ago, and they had to rush her to the hospital the day before because of pneumonia!  They spent a little time at dinner with us, then went to pick up Savannah.  She was doing much better when she left the hospital Sunday night.  Your prayers are so appreciated!  Then Sunday we had a great morning/afternoon at church!  After the service, there was lots of delicious food and fellowship!  We had a time of prayer, and I felt refreshed after coming away from there at 3:30 in the afternoon!  Hey, it was good!!  There is a taped seminar starting in January with John Bevere.  I’m blessed whenever I hear him, or his wife Lisa, speak!  Yes, I have photos that I’ll be working on this week and posting soon!   Are any of you getting the winter storm they are predicting?  We just have an icy, rainy mix, but that can be dangerous in itself!   You enjoy your Tuesday, and stay safe … 

Hugs,
~ Deborah <><

1. Pray.
    
2. Go to bed on time.
    
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
    
4. Say “No” to projects that won’t fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
    
5. Delegate tasks to those who are capable.
    
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
    
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
    
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
    
9. Pace yourself.  Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don’t lump the hard things all together.
    
10. Take one day at a time.
     
11. Separate worries from concerns.  
    If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. 
    If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it.
     
12. Live within your budget; don’t use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
     
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
     
14. K.Y.M.S. (Keep Your Mouth Shut). 
    This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
     
15. Do something for the “Kid in You” everyday.
     
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
     
17. Get enough rest.
     
18. Eat right.
     
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
     
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
     
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
     
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
     
23. Having problems?  Talk to God on the spot.  Try to nip small problems in the bud. 
    Don’t wait until it’s time to go to bed to try and pray.
     
24. Make friends with Godly people.
     
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
     
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good “Thank you Jesus.”
     
27. Laugh.
     
28. Laugh some more!
     
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
     
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
     
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
     
32. Sit on your ego.
     
33. Talk less; listen more.
     
34. Slow down.
     
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
     
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you’re grateful for that you’ve never been grateful for before.
    
    God has a way of turning things around for you.
    
    “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
    
    He has not made us for nought; He has brought us thus far, in order to bring us further, in order to bring us on to the end.  He will never leave us nor forsake us; so that we may boldly say, “The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.  “We may cast all our care upon Him who careth for us.”   What is it to us how our future path lies, if it be but His path?  What is it to us whither it leads us, so that in the end it leads to Him?  What is it to us what He puts upon us, so that He enables us to undergo it with a pure conscience, a true heart, not desiring anything of this world in comparison of Him? What is it to us what terror befalls us, if He be but a hand to protect and strengthen us?  ~ John Henry Newman
    
                                                                                        

                                

The Shield of Faith
Ephesians 6:13-17
Beth Moore 

Today’s Treasure: “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” (Ephesians 6:16 KJV).

Among the strategically prescribed pieces of the armor of God, why “above all” do we need to learn to use our shield of faith?  Because the shield is the armor’s armor. If the ancient warrior received a direct hit on any of the other defensive covers it could still stun and bruise even if it didn’t wound.  The warrior’s goal was to extinguish any oncoming dart with his shield in order to diffuse all potential damage.  When the warrior’s shield was down, the other pieces of armor were vastly more vulnerable.

The same is true in our warfare.  Our toughest battles will invariably concern matters of faith—times when we’re tempted to think God’s Word and His ways won’t work for us, that He has abandoned us, let us down, or failed to come through for us.  If Satan can get us to drop our shield of faith, he knows we can’t remain standing for very long.  Firsts have great importance in Scripture.  Do you know the first recorded words that ever came from the serpent’s mouth? “Did God really say…?” (Gen. 3:1).

He used the spade of deceit to sow doubt. Satan, posing as the serpent, couldn’t keep Eve from believing in God, so he did the next best thing.  He baited her, tempting Eve not to believe God or trust His motives.  Her walk was crippled, her doubt was contagious, and the couple lost the land God had placed under their feet.  You see, when Eve dropped her shield of faith, every other piece of spiritual armor became vulnerable.  Satan knew she wouldn’t remain standing for long.  When she fell, she fell hard.  I know the feeling.

“Above all,” you and I need to learn to take up our shield of faith.  We also desperately need to know the Word of God and wield the Sword of the Spirit so that when the enemy slyly suggests “Did God really say…?”, we can know the answer emphatically.  When we respond to attacks of doubt, distortion, and deceit with the truth of God’s Word, the fiery dart is extinguished and the enemy takes another hit. I owe him a few. Do you?

Where do I sense the enemy targeting his fiery darts? 
What lies am I believing about God?
What Scriptures could help me combat attacks of doubt, distortion, and deceit?

Father, thank You for providing armor for my protection.  I pray to wear and use every piece.  Give me strong arms to wield the sword of the Spirit and take up the shield of faith.  Be mighty through me, to the praise of Your glorious name. Amen. 

                           
 

I read this devotional today, and it really spoke to my heart regarding the spiritual battles that we are so often up against!  Beth Moore has always blessed me with her teachings.  If any of you are in a battle now, I trust this helps you as well! 

I hope you’re having a great weekend!  Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet … ha … I’ve barely begun mine!  We did have a great day yesterday over at my niece’s, celebrating an early Christmas, and both my sister’s, and my great niece’s birthdays!  Pattie had her 50th birthday, and it would be such a blessing to her if you would go wish her a Happy Birthday!  She’ll be updating with pictures … she got a new little camera and put it to good use yesterday!  I hope to get around to all of you very soon, and I need to be making more changes here myself, (as the song goes … ‘we need a little Christmas, right this very minute’ … I’ve gotta get rid of these leaves … trade it in for some snow!)  I’ll also be posting some of my pictures, as well!

Well, you all be blessed, and have a wonderful Sunday … and don’t forget that Shield of Faith!  I was going to put a picture up at the top of this devotional that went along with it, but I couldn’t upload it …. Xanga had a notice posted saying that their ‘server maintenance’ was working on it, but they did thank me for my patience … well, at least they noticed!  Lol!! 

Hugs,
              ~ Deborah <>< 

 

THANKFUL THURSDAY

Count Your Blessings

Psalm 103:2-5

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Isn’t it great to look back and see the victories that Christ has given you?  If you keep a prayer journal, take a look back at the recent months to remind yourself of God’s favor and blessing.  Even if you don’t keep a written journal, take some time today to remember what God has brought you through.  It’s exciting to see God’s favor at work in your life.  Why wouldn’t you trust Him for the days ahead after you’ve experienced His faithfulness in times past?  And beyond just remembering and thanking God for past blessings, be excited and expectant because He is still in the business of blessing! Thank Him for what He has done, and be ready for Him to do a whole lot more!

A Prayer for Today …

God, thank You for Your faithfulness to me in so many situations.  Give me great expectations for what You will do in the future!  In Jesus’ Name. Amen.




I’ve really missed being able to visit and comment to you all!  I will be back soon to share with you about Ian’s visit, and other things that have been happening in our lives!  I so appreciate your comments and prayers for direction and peace about the things I shared in the last post!   We are still praying about the ‘move’, and the answer we seem to be hearing, with the way things seem to be falling into place, is that it’s time to make that move … we are sensing He has something better for us!  I so appreciate your continued prayers for His leading in this!  God is taking me through a season of growth right now, it’s not easy, but I know that as long as I keep focused on Him, not looking to the right, or to the left, He will see me through, and accomplish all that He has begun in me!  I am crying out to Him for His perfect will in my life … I was reading the scriptures yesterday, and there is so much power in His Word … at the time, I was feeling fearful and anxious, but as I was reading, a peace came over me that dispelled all of those negative feelings of fear and anxiety … the peace that passes all understanding seemed to fall ever so gently on me … His perfect peace!  It lasted all that day, but how do we hang onto that … how do we walk in that peace consistantly, no matter what is happening at the time?  We get so caught up in our everyday lives that it can be crowded out … I want to get to a place where I walk, totally immersed, in that same peace that I felt yesterday!  So today, Thursday, let’s be thankful for that gift He so graciously gave to us!  Let us purpose in our hearts to seek His most perfect peace, in and through, every situation in our lives!  It’s an awesome feeling … that peace that passes all understanding!

I pray you all have a wonderful day, and I’ll be around to see what you’re all doing very soon!  Oh, and I need to ’rake leaves’ here {on my site}, and decorate for Christmas!  Anyone have a leaf blower!  :o)

Hugs,
~ Deborah <><