FReeper Canteen ~ Sunday Chapel ~ WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET ~ 14 December 2014

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

 

 

 

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET

The poet wrote, "Two men looked out through prison bars: one saw mud; the other saw stars." Commenting on this, Father John Powell once wrote:

"In the pursuit of the fullness of human life, everything depends on this frame of reference, this habitual outlook, this basic vision which I have of myself, others, life, the world, and God. What we see is what we get."

Don't you find that to be true? There's a lot about our world that isn't the way we would want it to be: cruelty, hatred, injustice, jealousy, deceit, evil.... it's what theologians call "the problem of evil". "How can a loving, merciful, and just God," they ask, "allow such things to exist?" I don't know anyone who has ever arrived at a satisfactory answer to that question. And if we focus only on what's wrong, disillusionment and despair are almost inevitable. But those same theologians point out that "the problem of good" is equally puzzling. If human nature is flawed, and our tendency is toward evil, how is there so much that is good? But how many people ever ask such a question? Maybe it's because, despite our seeming skepticism and suspicion, most of us really do expect more out of life.

Remember the old question of whether the glass is half empty or half full? Both answers are correct. The choice of perspective is ours. We can either "complain that rose bushes have thorns or rejoice that some thorn bushes produce roses".

Noted pastor and author Charles Swindoll comments:

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way...we cannot change the inevitable. I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes."

Perhaps that's why the Apostle Paul once advised, "...Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things." (Philippians 4:8) Paul knew what it meant to be rejected, ridiculed, even reviled and persecuted. But he chose not to "live" there. It was a matter of focus. As another author (unknown to me) phrased it: "Life can't give me joy and peace; it's up to me to will it. Life just gives me time and space; it's up to me to fill it". If you accept the Bible's message, it’s not even a matter of creating those conditions, just a willingness to accept what God is already waiting to provide -- even in the middle of an imperfect world.

Be careful where you focus your attention today. "What you see is what you get."

CAPT J. David Atwater, CHC, USN

 

[left that other site]

Hi Everybody!

((((HUGS))))

[ConorMacNessa]

Good Evening, Kathy!

***HUGS***



A Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours! Thank you very much for tonight’s Sunday Chapel thread.

"Dia shábháil ar fad anseo!"

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[PROCON]

Happy Lord’s Day Ma!

[Soaring Feather]

Good Sunday morning, Kathy.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Dear God:
I ask that no Airman, Coast Guardsman,
Marine, Sailor, Soldier, Reservist, National Guardsman, or Merchant Marine
feel alone or forgotten.

O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is loving kindness,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
And He will redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.

Psalm 130:7 & 8

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...a Blessed Lord’s Day and Shavua Tov to you and yours.

Lessons today? Choir rehearsal?

Is Lynn-Dah finally back in good health?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Angels We Have Heard On High

Away In The Manger

We Three Kings

Mary Did You Know

Silent Night

Beautiful Star of Bethlehem

Joy To The World

Oh Du Frohliche

Mizerna Cicha, Stafenka Licha

The First Noel

O Holy Night

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Angels We Have Heard On High

Away In The Manger

We Three Kings

Mary Did You Know

Silent Night

Beautiful Star of Bethlehem

Joy To The World

Oh Du Frohliche

Mizerna Cicha, Stafenka Licha

The First Noel

O Holy Night

O Little Town of Bethlehem

[left that other site]

hey kathy!

Lynn-dah is her old self again, Praise God!

Big Biker funeral today, hundreds attended.

I played guitar while my pastor gave the service.

[Kathy in Alaska]

A Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours, Ms Feather...((HUGS))

Still bitter cold? We might get some snow tonight and tomorrow...I sure hope so.

[The Mayor]

Freep mail me to be on or off the Daily Bread ping list

A Special Birth

December 14, 2014

Read: Isaiah 7:10-15

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. —Isaiah 7:14

Bible in a Year:
Joel 1-3; Revelation 5

In the pages of Scripture, several baby-boy births stand out. Cain, the firstborn after creation. Isaac, the hope of Israel’s future. Samuel, the answer to a mother’s fervent prayer. All extremely important. All joyously expected. And all described exactly the same by the chroniclers of Scripture: In each case, we are told that the mother conceived and bore a son (Gen. 4:1; 21:2-3; 1 Sam. 1:20).

Now consider one more baby boy’s birth. The description of this arrival was much more greatly detailed: a few words were clearly not enough to tell of Jesus’ birth. In Micah, we were told where He would be born—Bethlehem (5:2). In Isaiah, that His mother would be a virgin (7:14), and that He was coming to save people from their sin (ch.53).

In the New Testament, we were given such key information as what His name would be and why (Matt. 1:21), where He was born in fulfillment of prophecy (2:6), and how both His birth mother and His adoptive father were part of God’s plan (1:16).

Jesus’ birth stands above all births. His coming changed the world and can change our lives. Let’s celebrate Him!

Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth. —Wesley

Christ is the greatest gift known to man.

Insight

Scripture tells the story of God’s rescue of humanity from the curse and consequences of sin, which was accomplished by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Isaiah’s prophecy is just one of many that predict His coming and the events of His life. The first prophecy of redemption comes as soon as the need for rescue is pronounced. In Genesis 3, God delivers the devastating news of the consequences of Adam and Eve’s actions. However, He does not leave them hopeless; the promise of a redeemer is included (v.15). What the Old Testament prophets predicted about the Redeemer, the New Testament says is fulfilled in Jesus Christ (see Luke 24:44).

[SandRat]

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hello Veterans, wherever you are!!

A Blessed Lord's Day and Shavua Tov to you.

[ConorMacNessa]

THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT
14 December 2014



"St. John The Baptist In The Desert"
Tiziano Vecelli (Titian)

"On Jordan's Bank The Baptist's Cry"
Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
(Click)

This is the Arabic character "nun" – the first letter of the word "Nazarene." I post it as my avatar in solidarity with people of all faiths suffering persecution at the hands of Islam. Many of them are members of the oldest of our Christian Communities, dating from the days of the Apostles. They endure cruel, merciless and unrelenting persecution. They are Orthodox and Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical, Coptic, Pentecostal, and Baptist. To the persecutors they, and we, are all "Nazarenes."

[Soaring Feather]

Thank you, and to you and yours.

We are having a thawing and warm up, eaves are dripping- very encouraging.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mac...*HUGS*...and a Blessed Lord’s Day for the MacNessa family.

Busy day? Hope you are feeling better....ready to sing in the choir.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Pro...((HUGS))...a Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

Army played a good game today.

[luvie]

Nathaniel Ladies Ensemble~Thanks To God

Statler Brothers~Sweet Beulah Land

Casting Crowns~Praise You In The Storm

Providence~O Come Angel Band.wma

Bill Gaither/Velstal Goodman~The Lighthouse

The Trevecca Madrigalians~It Is Well With My Soul

Jeff Beck~Amazing Grace

Have a blessed Sunday

[Kathy in Alaska]

Oh my....prayers of peace for everyone. Glad you could provide music.

[left that other site]

Thanks...He was a bike shop owner who helped everybody, regardless of their affiliations.