DECEMBER

December is my favorite month, it ushers in winter and brings the sounds of Christmas, which are laughter and songs of joy and peace unto men. We see Christmas programs at the local churches and in schools and the excitement in the children’s eyes as the 25 of December draws nearer. December usually brings the first good fall of snow and cold weather causing the drinking of hot chocolate and marshmallows floating on top, my favorite brew. Yes, December with the sounds of Christmas in the air and warm smiles seen on faces everywhere, my favorite month, I do declare, DECEMBER!

Favorite Thanksgiving Quotes

He who thanks but with the lips
Thanks but in part;
The full, the true Thanksgiving
Comes from the heart.
~J.A. Shedd


Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day.  ~Robert Caspar Lintner

The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!  ~Henry Ward Beecher

Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.  ~Theodore Roosevelt

Lord, 'tis Thy plenty-dropping hand
That soils my land,
And giv'st me for my bushel sowne
Twice ten for one.
All this, and better, Thou dost send
Me, to this end,
That I should render, for my part,
A thankful heart.
~Robert Herrick

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.  ~Cicero


But see, in our open clearings, how golden the melons lie;
Enrich them with sweets and spices, and give us the pumpkin-pie!
~Margaret Junkin Preston

For what I give, not what I take,
For battle, not for victory,
My prayer of thanks I make.
~Odell Shepard

In Touch with Charles Stanley

In Touch with Charles Stanley

Hi my friends!
It is 7 AM and very cold outside, the stars are still shinning brightly and reminds me of my childhood when my brother and I would rise early on Christmas morn and walk down the road to our friends about this same time. There was always lots of snow back then and chances were we would always have a white Christmas. It is about this time every year, around Thanksgiving I start dreaming of a white Christmas, maybe just maybe my dream will come true again this year.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread:

'via Blog this'

Old Bread

I love looking at OLD DAILY BREAD  writings and would like to share these words from the past with you in the now from  Nov.16, 1994.

 Have you heard about the man who took his old car to a dealer and asked him to sell it for him? When the dealer asked how many miles were on it, the man replied, “It’s got 230,000.” The salesman replied, “It’ll never sell unless you turn back the mileage.” So the man left.

When the car salesman hadn’t heard from the man for several weeks, he called him. “I thought you were going to sell that old car.”

“I don’t have to anymore,” came the reply. “It’s only got 77,000 miles on it now. Why should I sell it?”

This story illustrates a spiritual truth. Too many people today are only fooling themselves if they think they’re pleasing God by just changing their external behavior. What they need is a new heart.

The old car still had a sick engine, bad rings, and a transmission that slipped. Turning back its odometer had not changed that! In the same way, people who try to please God by living a good life without first trusting in Christ are like the Pharisees who were clean on the outside but still filthy on the inside (Mt. 23:25).

Good works can’t change your heart. Only personal faith in Christ brings cleansing inside and out. Then your good works and righteous life will be pleasing to God.

We cannot earn new life in heaven
By word or work or worth;
But when we trust in Jesus Christ,
He’ll give to us new birth. —Anon.

Friendship Quotes

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be.  ~Douglas Pagels


Most of us don't need a psychiatric therapist as much as a friend to be silly with.  ~Robert Brault, 


Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things.  ~Author Unknown


A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world.  ~Leo Buscaglia


Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty.  ~Sicilian Proverb


The antidote for fifty enemies is one friend.  ~Aristotle


In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out.  It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being.  We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.  ~Albert Schweitzer

Great Old Hymns

Hi my friends! I have stated before how I like looking back at hymns of the past, golden oldies, the gospel in song etc. Today I am going to share a few verses from one of them and they go like this:

O GOD OF LOVE, O KING OF PEACE

Remember Lord thy works of old,
the wonders that our fathers told;
remember not our sin's dark stain.
Give peace, O God, give peace again!

Chorus
O God of love, O King of peace,
make wars through - out the world cease;
the wrath of sin - ful man restrain.
Give peace, O God, give peace again!

Whom shall we trust but thee, O Lord?
Where rest but on thy faithful word?
None ever called on thee in vain.
Give peace, O God, give peace again!

Chorus

O God of love, O King of peace,
make wars through - out the world cease;
the wrath of sin - ful man restrain.
Give peace, O God, give peace again!

Where saints and angels dwell above,

all hearts are knit in holy love.

O bind us in that heavenly chain!

Give peace, O God, give peace again!

Chorus

O God of love, O King of peace,
make wars through - out the world cease;
the wrath of sin - ful man restrain.
Give peace, O God, give peace again!

Favorite Scripture Verses

The Apostle Paul is one of my favorite writers in the Bible and the book of Romans is my favorite. I love this chapter found in Philippians, chapter four.

Philippians 4

New King James Version (NKJV)

4 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.

Be United, Joyful, and in Prayer

² I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. ³ And^[a] I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
⁵ Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Meditate on These Things

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever thingsare 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. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippian Generosity

¹⁰ But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. ¹¹ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: ¹² I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ^[b] who strengthens me.
¹⁴ Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. ¹⁵ Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. ¹⁶ For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. ¹⁷ Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. ¹⁸ Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. ¹⁹ And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.²⁰ Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen

I trust you like this chapter and are blessed by reading it!

In my distress, anxiety, and fear, Lord, teach
me to rely on You and draw close to You. Then I
know I’ll be able to stand strong in Your power
and won’t be dependent on my own strength.

Prayer is the bridge between panic and peace.

Poems of the Past

 I love writing and reading poetry! I have an old poem book of my mother's that she got through Back to The Bible many years ago. Mother is pasted now, in 1991, but I can share some of the poems she loved by posting them for others to see and enjoy.

THE  WORD  OF  A  FRIEND
The soul who's undergoing strife
and finds but little joy in life,
may find the soft word of a friend
when spoken gently at day's end
will bring some comfort to his breast,
and in a night give sweeter rest.

--Arva Morris --

Jakeswords: SOUNDS

Jakeswords: SOUNDS: SOUNDS I love the sound, of the morning dove, when he calls his mate in love; I love the sound, of the distant loon, as he s...

SOUNDS

SOUNDS
I love the sound, of the morning dove,
when he calls his mate in love;
I love the sound, of the distant loon,
as he sings his mournful tune;
I love the sound, of the gentle breeze,
as it moves and rustles the leaves;
I love the sound, of the falling rain,
as it strikes against the window pane;
I love the sound, of the babbling brook’
as I sit and dangle my kook;
I love the sound, of the lullaby,
as the mother soothes her child’s cry.
I love the sound, all creation gives,
and shouts the news, our creator lives;
I love the sound, of God’s Holy word,
and the great message it gives to be heard,
salvation and great hope for the lost,
comes from God at great cost.
If this great truth they believe,
eternal life they shall receive.
There is a sound, I am waiting for,
the sound of a great shout,
and a trumpets blare,
when the Saints will meet,
Christ in the air;
We will be ushered to Heaven above,
because of His amazing grace and eternal love.

—- Winston Staples —-