🎄Merry
🎄Caturday
🎄Christmas!

:)

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In Abundance or Affliction

December 23, 2018

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. Job 1:21

Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts encourages readers to search their lives each day for what the Lord has done for them. In it, she daily notes God’s abundant generosity to her in gifts both large and small, ranging from the simple beauty of iridescent bubbles in the dish sink to the incomparable salvation of sinners like herself (and the rest of us!). Ann contends that gratitude is the key to seeing God in even the most troubling of life’s moments.

Job is famous for a life of such “troubling” moments. Indeed, his losses were deep and many. Just moments after losing all his livestock, he learns of the simultaneous death of all his ten children. Job’s profound grief was evidenced in his response: he “tore his robe and shaved his head” (1:20). His words in that painful hour make me think Job knew the practice of gratitude, for he acknowledges that God had given him everything he’d lost (v. 21). How else could he worship in the midst of such incapacitating grief?

The practice of daily gratitude can’t erase the magnitude of pain we feel in seasons of loss. Job questioned and grappled through his grief as the rest of the book describes. But recognizing God’s goodness to us—in even the smallest of ways—can prepare us to kneel in worship before our all-powerful God in the darkest hours of our earthly lives.

O God, You are the Giver of all good things. Help me to

recognize Your generosity in even the smallest ways and to trust You in seasons of loss and hardship.

Why not start a gratitude list? Watch how the regular practice of thankfulness changes your daily life.

INSIGHT

Job 1 captures the weight of why God allows suffering through two vividly contrasting portraits. First, we see the joy shared in Job’s family while he wholeheartedly served God. This image is followed by one of a still-devoted Job grieving the near-complete destruction of that life.

To learn more about why God allows suffering, visit christianuniversity.org/CA211.

Celine Dion~Ave Maria

Folk Angel~Come O Come Emmanuel

Jim Brickman~Do You Hear What I Hear

Placido Domingo~I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day

Josh Groban~O Holy Night

Bing Crosby~Silent Night

Chris Botti~Hark! The Herald Angel Sings

Have a blessed Christmas Season
God bless our troops!

~Christmas Joy To All At Amy's Place~

~Good Tidings Of Great Joy~ Luke2:1-20 ~ KJV
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
(And this taxing was first made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Blessings To All

Amen........

Have a Blessed Christmas

And May Your New Year Be Full Of The Joy Of The LORD.

"The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance..” Psalm 33 NASB

God Bless America!

ML/LTOS

Good morning and Merry Christmas to All

Merry Christmas!

Still no snow in Wisconsin.
Getting used to this easy winter.
Might snow on Christmas Day.

Cheers

Thank you for the Beautiful Pings & Posts, Dear FRiends.
(((((Love to Everyone, and God Bless)))))

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Ponder It

December 24, 2018

Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19

During Oswald Chambers’ years at the Bible Training College in London (1911–15), he often startled the students with things he said during his lectures. One young woman explained that because discussion was reserved for the following mealtime together, Chambers would frequently be bombarded with questions and objections. She recalled that Oswald would often simply smile and say, “Just leave it for now; it will come to you later.” He encouraged them to ponder the issues and allow God to reveal His truth to them.

To ponder something is to concentrate and think deeply about it. After the events leading to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, followed by the appearance of angels and the shepherds who came to see the Messiah, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). New Testament scholar W. E. Vine said that ponder means “to throw together, confer, to put one thing with another in considering circumstances” (Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words).

When we struggle to understand the meaning of what’s happening in our lives, we have Mary’s wonderful example of what it means to seek God and His wisdom.

When we, like her, accept God’s leading in our lives, we have many new things about His loving guidance to treasure and ponder in our hearts.

Father, guide us by Your Holy Spirit as we consider Your great love and embrace Your plan for our lives.

Allow yourself a few minutes of quiet during this busy season to sit and listen for what God might be saying to you.

INSIGHT

Shepherds were considered to be irreligious because their shepherding work prevented them from performing their religious obligations at the temple. Because they were in contact with dead animals, birds, and insects, they were rendered ceremonially “unclean” all the time (Leviticus 5:2–5; 11:4–43). It’s noteworthy that the birth of the Messiah—the Lamb of God (John 1:29) who is called our Good Shepherd (10:11)—was first announced to despised shepherds!

Merry Christmas!

Happy
Catsmas Eve
Madness!

Tiny 🎄 Christmas

“Where do the bugs spend Christmas, Dad?
Where do they go when it’s cold?
What do they give each other, Daddy?”
Then she sat, and she waited to be told.

So I sat down beside her and held her hand,
And I told her the Truth about Things.
That all of the good bugs have a party,
Where they wait for what Santa Claus brings.

All the fireflies get fresh batteries,
That will last them until the next year,
The butterflies all get new fancy designs,
They so like to be stylish, My Dear!

The ants will get pants that have pockets,
They must carry so much special gear,
They can pack a few nibbles to munch on,
While they’re working so hard through the year!

The nice bees will each get a compass,
To help them as they fly about,
And they all get the tiniest radio,
That’s to give one another a shout!

For when a bee finds some flowers,
She doesn’t just keep them herself,
She calls on her friends, and they help her,
To put honey jars up on the shelf!

So what they are doing in Winter,
Or when it’s too cold or too wet?
They all sit around writing letters,
And they send them to Santa! You bet!

Up at the North Pole there’s a section,
For the notes that are tiny and faint,
But that’s where the bugs’ tiny letters,
Get the message across to a Saint!

Then Santa makes sure that they get things,
With the help of each reindeer’s hoof,
Every stop that he makes for a chimney,
They sprinkle out dust on the roof!

And that dust settles down where the bugs are,
And then magically finds its way,
To the right kind of insect that needs it,
And it fills the bug’s stocking that day!

In the Spring, when you see a bright butterfly,
Or a bee zooming off on its task,
Just remember the good get rewarded,
But it’s also important to ask!

NicknamedBob . . . . . . . December 25, 2005

"A PUPPY'S CHRISTMAS"
Author Unknown

***
It's the day before Christmas
And all through the house
The puppies are squeaking
An old rubber mouse.
***
The wreath which had merrily
Hung on the door
Is scattered in pieces
All over the floor.
***
The stockings that hung
In a neat little row
Now boast a hole in
Each one of the toes.
***
The tree was subjected
To bright-eyed whims,
And now, although splendid,
It's missing some limbs.
***
I catch them and hold them.
"Be good", I insist.
They lick me, then run off
To see what they've missed.
***
And now as I watch them
The thought comes to me,
That their's is the spirit
That Christmas should be.
***
Should children and puppies
Yet show us the way,
And teach us the joy
That should come with this day?
***
Could they bring the message
That's written above,
And tell us that, most of all
Christmas is love.
***
Christmas Eve Blessings To All

Hi Meg! Have a wonderful Christmas. God Bless You.

TCP

Merry Christmas MEG33.

A Blessed and Merry Christmas to you, Dear MEG! :-)