A Few of FR's Finest ... Every Day ... Christmas Poetry and Potpourri .... 12/20/05

12-20-05 | JustAmy

[JustAmy]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!

~ Billie, Dutchess, DollyCali, Mama_Bear ~

To Be Our King

As shepherds watching flocks just saw,
And stilled their fears to stand in awe,
While miracles rained down again,
The Son of God has come to men.

The wise men of a distant land,
Have journeyed far to be at hand,
To witness what has been foretold,
By prophecies in days of old.

The age of Love and Peace thus starts,
With a Child’s sweet smile to melt our hearts.
And softly all the voices pray,
God’s Will be done on this Thy day.

God’s will be done. God’s will be done.
For we have seen His promised Son!
God’s will be done. Oh, let us pray!
God’s will be done, on this Thy day!

A Babe has come to be our King,
A gentle, humble offering,
The Angels have borne tidings of,
A gift of God to show His Love.

And what a gift He lets us see,
Example of what we should be,
A child in heart, and innocence,
And thus our lives for him commence.

Let us surrender what we seek,
And bow to Him as children meek,
For God loves children, it is shown,
By Sacrifice that you have known.

God’s will be done. God’s will be done.
For we have seen His promised Son!
God’s will be done. Oh, let us pray!
God’s will be done, on this Thy day!

NicknamedBob . . . . . December 16, 2005







The Star and a Humble Cowboy

Lord, you cared so much for the shepherds,
you sent the glad news first to them --
Before the kings and the wise men,
so you might just speak again

To some other humble herdsman
out here on the range abiding --
A brilliant star, an angel choir
proclaiming "Peace! Glad tidings!"

The shepherds were common people
who slept in the fields near their flocks;
Their clothes might be dirty and ragged
and rugged and rough their talk.

So, Lord, I needn't apologize
for my appearance or my words.
I know you're right here beside me,
and it seems that I've just heard

The shepherds hastening, excited,
Extolling the star they had seen,
A baby born in a manger;
Not to some great king and queen,

But to people who do the menial tasks
That housewives and carpenters do,
And farmers and desk clerks and waitresses --
Just people like me and you.

But famous rich men brought presents,
Which should prove what I know to be true --
Christ came for shepherds and wise men
And kings and cowboys too.

Dee Strickland Johnson ...... © 1996







Hickory Nut Pound Cake

1 2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick margarine
6 eggs
2 cups plain flour
1/2 to 1 cup hickory nuts

Cream butter, sugar and shortening together with electric mixer. Beat in eggs with mixer one at a time, add vanilla. Fold in flour then fold in lightly floured nuts. Grease and flour tube or bundt pan and pour in batter. Bake at 350 degress for 1 hour. Check at 50 minutes.


Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 stick butter
1/3 c. hickory nuts
1 box of powdered sugar (4 cups)
1 tsp vanilla flavoring

09-27-05 ~ Hall of Fame #13

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 12-19-05 Military Monday

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[JustAmy]

[JustAmy]

Welcome to more poetry and potpourri at the Finest, Finest Friends.

[JustAmy]

[JustAmy]

Aqua ..... thank you for sharing your Hazelnut Pound Cake Recipe.

[JustAmy]

MamaBear ... thank you for the wonderful graphics and
all your help with today's thread.

[JustAmy]

Bob .... Thank you for another great NnB original.

[Mama_Bear]

You're welcome. I love making graphics and you are so easy to please. :-)

Speaking of graphics, that shoe with the roses is very pretty. Thank you.

It is wonderful to have you posting again! See you tomorrow night.

[NicknamedBob]

Thanks, Amy!

You did a stunning, beautiful job!

[JustAmy]

Good night, all.
I'll be back in a few hours.

[ST.LOUIE1]

Good morning, ((((((Sis)))))!

It's so nice having you with us again. Beautiful thread, you haven't lost your touch. : )

[GailA]

Good morning All.

[The Mayor]

December 20, 2005

A Tale Of Two Slaves

Read:
Acts 1:1-9,17-18

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle. —Romans 1:1

Bible In One Year: Titus 1-3

Spartacus is not just a film legend but a historical figure. Historians say that he was likely a Roman soldier who deserted, was recaptured, and then sold into slavery as a gladiator.

While at the gladiatorial school at Capua, Spartacus led a rebellion. This act of defiance attracted massive numbers of slaves, growing to an estimated 70,000. Initially, Spartacus' slave army enjoyed spectacular victories. But they were eventually defeated, and the captured rebels were crucified along the road to Rome.

What a contrast to Spartacus is the apostle Paul. Saul of Tarsus (as Paul was also known) was born a free man and yet was destined to become a slave. Acts 9 records the fateful day when Saul came face to face with the Savior he sought to oppose. From that time on, he served Jesus wholeheartedly.

Spartacus was forced to serve a Roman taskmaster. But Paul, in response to God's grace, voluntarily became a slave to Jesus Christ.

In the believer's heart rages a spiritual war between sin and righteousness. We can obey the slave-master of sin, or we can say yes to the God of grace who has made us free (Romans 6:16; John 8:34). Our greatest liberty lies in serving the One who created and redeemed us. —Dennis Fisher

Christ broke the bonds of sin, that I
Might know His strong eternal tie;
This blood-bought liberty I bring
To be Your bond-slave, Master-King. —F. Hess

True freedom is found in serving Christ.

FOR FURTHER STUDY
What Does It Take To Follow Christ?

[DollyCali]

I want to wish each of you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a wonderful new year to come! You are all special to me and I appreciate and love each and everyone of you!!!

But especially, my heartfelt thanks goes out to all those who have taken their time and trouble to send me "forwards" over the past 12 months. Thank you for making me feel safe, secure, blessed, and wealthy.

Extra thanks to whoever sent me the one about rat crap in the glue on envelopes cause I now have to go get a wet towel every time I need to seal an envelope.

Also, I scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.

Because of your concern I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans.

I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.

I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.

I no longer use deodorant! Since it causes cancer, even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone might drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer receive packages from nor send packages by UPS or FedEx since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.

I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan.

I no longer eat KFC because their "chickens" are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.

I no longer have any sneakers -- but that will change once I receive my free replacement pair from Nike.

I no longer have to buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.

I no longer worry about my soul because at last count I have 363,214 angels looking out for me.

Thanks to you, I have learned that God only answers my prayers if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl who is about to die in the hospital (for the 1,387,258th time).

I no longer have any money at all - but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special email program.

Yes, I want to thank you so much for looking out for me that I will now return the favor!

If you don't send this copy/paste & e-mail this to at least 144,000 people in the next 7 minutes, your car’s transmission will fall out on the expressway in a ice storm stranding you for 3 days over Christmas weekend. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beauitician.

MERRY CHRISTMAS from the DollyCali household!!

[DollyCali]

Strange Christmas Facts
(of course they are true(???) came from internet)

Saint Nicholas of Myra, the original Santa Claus, was the patron saint of
children, thieves and pawnbrokers.

Based on previous surveys, 17 percent of you will embarrass yourselves in
some way at your office Christmas party.

A Mongolian wild ass can run 8 mph faster than a reindeer.

It's Donder, not Donner.

Christmas pudding should be stirred from east to west.

56 percent of Americans sing holiday carols to their pets.

53 percent of Americans plan to "re-gift" this year.

1 in 3 men will wait until Christmas Eve to finish their shopping.

1 in 6 men would like to get rid of all the "gift-giving nonsense."

A traditional Christmas dinner in early England was the head of a pig
prepared with mustard.

On Christmas Eve in 2001, the Bethlehem Hotel had 208 of its 210 rooms
free.

It's "God rest ye merry, gentlemen," not "God rest ye, merry gentlemen."

There are 1.76 billion candy canes produced every year.

Kris Kringel, a man in his 40s, lives in North Pole, Alaska, and delivers
pizzas for a living. He drives a 1984 Ford Tempo.

Based on a 1999 estimated population count of North America and Europe,
on Christmas Eve of that year Santa Claus had to visit 42,466,666 homes
in a 12-hour period -- that's 983 homes per second.

[silent_jonny]

I don't usually salivate over poundcake, much less a recipe for poundcake :-P

[silent_jonny]

Kris Kringel, a man in his 40s, lives in North Pole, Alaska, and delivers pizzas for a living. He drives a 1984 Ford Tempo.

That's funny and sad :)

[snugs]

Christmas Party tonight at local hotel in Ashford, if pictures come out OK will post some on the finest tomorrow.

[GodBlessUSA]

This is a beautiful thread you created JustAmy! :)
I'm not the best in the kitchen but I may just have to make this Hickory Nut Pound cake. Sounds delicious. With Cream Cheese frosting, yum! ;)

[Aquamarine]

The graphics and presentation on this are so well done and Nicknamed Bob's poem is beautiful.
The icing you posted for the hickory nut pound cake looks so good that I think I'll try it on my pound cake this year.

Pinging Carlo as promised.

[Pippin]

Good Morning GEEBEE!

Next Monday I'll be 49!

Hey, I'm not afraid or ashamed to admit my true age.

I celebrate each and every year that's come, gone, and is yet to come.

God is good!

He also has a sense of humor since I was born the day after Christmas! LOL!

Wat are you planning for Christmas this year?