Tue, Dec 20th - 7:52PM
Smokey at Christmas
Comment (3)
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Thu, Dec 15th - 8:12PM
The King and His 4 Wives
Read this carefully, very powerful thoughts:
Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.
He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another.
He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.
The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her!
One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, "I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone. "Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I have loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!", replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.
The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!", replied the 3rd wife "Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to remarry!" His heart sank and turned cold.
He then asked the 2nd wife, "I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!", replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." Her answer came like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.
Then a voice called out: "I'll leave with you and follow you no matter where you go." The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was so skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect. Greatly grieved, the King said, "I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"
In truth, we all have 4 wives in our lives:
Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.
Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.
Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.
And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world. However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity.
Original Author unknown
Comment (3)
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Wed, Dec 14th - 9:14PM
Invited?
As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated.
During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that my birthday is getting closer and closer.
It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me. As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago.
At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration.
Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don't know the meaning of the celebration. I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped gifts.
But, do you want to know something? I wasn't invited.
I was the guest of honor and they didn't remember to send me an invitation.
The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in my face . and I wanted to be with them and share their table.
In truth, that didn't surprise me because in the last few years all close their doors to me. Since I wasn't invited, I decided to enter the party without making any noise. I went in and stood in a corner. They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a grand time.
To top it all, this man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying: "Santa Claus, Santa Claus" as if the party were in his honor!
At midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug me and do you know no-one hugged me.
Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if , maybe, there was one for me. What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one?
I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly left. Every year it gets worse. People only remember the gifts, the parties, to eat and drink, and nobody remembers me.
I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life. I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the cross, to save you.
Today, I only want that you believe this with all your heart.
I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party. I'm still making the final arrangements..
Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest book. Only those on the guest list will be invited to the party.
Those who don't answer the invite will be left outside. Be prepared because when all is ready you will be part of my great party.
See you soon. I Love you!
Jesus
Comment (1)
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Mon, Dec 12th - 12:31AM
If Jesus is the reason for the season then where is He in your house?
From an e-mail I recieved
Once there was this very wealthy young man. He lived in a great,
elaborate house with dozens of rooms. Each room was more comfortable
and more beautiful than the one before it. There were paintings and
sculptures. Crystal chandeliers, golden, ornate railings on the
stairs. More beauty that most have ever seen.
One day he decided to invite the Lord home and stay with him. When the
Lord arrived, this young man offered him the very best room in the
house. The room was upstairs and at the end of the hall. "This room is yours,
Jesus! Stay as long as you like and you can do whatever you want to in
this room, remember Jesus, its all yours." "Thank you" the Lord
replied, and with that the man shut the door and went about his daily
business.
That evening after he had retired for the night there came a loud
knocking at the front door. The young man pulled on his robe and made
his way downstairs. When he opened the door he found that the devil had
sent three of his demons to attack the man. He quickly tried to close the
door but one of the demons kept sticking his foot in the door. Sometime
later, after a great struggle, he managed to slam the door shut and returned
to his room totally exhausted.
Can you believe that! The man thought. Jesus is upstairs in my very
best room sleeping while I am down here battling demons. Oh, well, maybe he
just didn't hear. He slept fitfully that night.
The next day things went along as normal and, being tired as he was,
the young man retired early that evening. Along about midnight, there came
such a terrible ruckus at the front door that the young man was sure
that whatever it was would tear the door down. He stumbled down the stairs
once again and opened the door to find that there were dozens of
demons now trying to get into his beautiful home.
For more than three hours he fought and struggled against the demons
from hell and finally overtook them enough to shut the door against their
attack. All energy seemed to fail him. I really don't understand this
at all. Why won't the Lord come to my rescue? Why does he allow me to
fight all by myself? I feel so alone. Troubled he found his way to
the sofa and fell into a restless sleep.
The next morning he decided to inquire of the Lord about the
happenings of the last two evenings. Quietly he made his way to the elegant
bedroom where he had left Jesus. "Jesus," he called as he tapped at the door.
"Lord, I don't understand what is happening. For the last two nights
I have had to fight the demons away from my door while you laid up here
sleeping. Don't you care about me? Did I not give you the very best
room in the house? He could see the tears building in Jesus' eyes but
continued on, "I just don't understand. I really thought that once I
invited you in to live with me that you would take care of me and I
gaveyou the best room in my house and everything. What more can I do?"
"My precious child," Jesus spoke so softly. "I do love and care for
you. I protect all that you have released into my care. But when you
invited me to come here and stay, you brought me to this lovely room and you
shut the door to the rest of your house. I am Lord of this room but I am
not Master of this house I have protected this room and no demon
may enter here." "Oh, Lord, please forgive me. Take all of my house
-it is yours - I am so sorry that I never offered you all to begin with. I
want you to have control of everything. "With this he flung open the
bedroom door and knelt at Jesus' feet. "Please forgive me Lord for
being so selfish." Jesus smiled and told him that He had already forgiven
him and that He would take care of things from now on.
That night the young man prepared for bed he thought to himself, " I
wonder if those demons will return. I am so tired of fighting them
each and every night." But he knew that Jesus said that he would take
care of things from now on..
Along about midnight the banging on the door was frightening. The
young man slipped out of his room in time to see Jesus going down the
stairs. He watched in awe as Jesus swung open the door, no need to be afraid.
Satan stood at the door this time demanding to be let in.
"What do you want, satan?" the Lord asked. The devil bowed low in the
presence of the Lord, "So sorry, I seem to have gotten the wrong
address." And with that, he and the demons all ran away.
There is a moral to this tale. God wants all of you, not just a part.
He will take all that you give Him but nothing more. How much of your
heart have you given to our Father? Are you keeping a portion of it away
from Him? The attacks are coming more and more each day so why not let the
Lord fight the battles for you. He is always victorious.
AMEN:
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Sat, Dec 10th - 3:17AM
last minute Christmas shopping????
Top Ten Reasons For
Last Minute Christmas Shopping
http://graceland.gentle.org/topten/chr2002.html
- Let's face it, all wives snoop around the house blatantly looking for their presents, so what choice do we have but to hold off on our shopping?!
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- By ignoring the shopping frenzy until the last possible moment, we men are better able to focus on the true meaning of Christmas!
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- Life is so stressful these days because we have to constantly make choices. Why not look after ourselves and beat the holiday stress by limiting our choices to what's left in the local pharmacy at 6:30 pm on Christmas Eve?
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- Like a fine stallion, or a world-class runner, most men put in their best shopping performances just under the clock!
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- The best shoppers are those who examine the trends to see what gifts are "in" for this year. Obviously, the longer we wait, the more definitive the trend. Is it our fault that we are so through in our study that the "in" gifts are sold out when we go to buy them? NO! It is the greed of the big corporations and their heartless grab for cash that are to blame!
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- By perpetuating the stereotypical myth of men being uncaring, last-minute shoppers, we are, in fact, making women feel better about themselves. Our last minute scrambles, therefore, show us to have great concern and sensitivity.
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- At 6:30 pm Christmas Eve, whatever remains unbroken on the store shelves has proven its durability!
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- If you buy your present too soon, you may lose the receipts--or not be able to locate the guy selling stuff out of the trunk of his car!
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- How better to enter into the Christmas experience and share in Joseph's feeling of panic when he found out there was no room in the inn, than to hear: "There is no more stock on the shelves?"
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- And the number one reason
for last-minute Christmas shopping is:
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- It's a hunting and gathering, survival of the fittest, genetic thing! We're, therefore, just celebrating how God our Creator has made us!
Comment (2)
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Fri, Dec 9th - 7:55PM
Jesus is better than santa
For those of you who asked, the previous entry ICorinthians 13 a Christmas version was not written by me. I either found it on line or got it in an e-mail years ago. I don't remember.
Now here's another one I found online. WHY JESUS IS BETTER THAN SANTA CLAUS Santa lives at the North Pole ... JESUS is everywhere. Santa rides in a sleigh ... JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water. Santa comes but once a year ... JESUS is an ever present help. Santa fills your stockings with goodies ... JESUS supplies all your needs. Santa comes down your chimney uninvited ... JESUS stands at your door and knocks, and then enters your heart when invited. You have to wait in line to see Santa ... JESUS is as close as the mention of His name. Santa lets you sit on his lap ... JESUS lets you rest in His arms. Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, what's your name?" ... JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads. Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly ... JESUS has a heart full of love. All Santa can offer is HO HO HO ... JESUS offers health, help and hope. Santa says "You better not cry" ... JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you." Santa's little helpers make toys ... JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions. Santa may make you chuckle but ... JESUS gives you joy that is your strength. While Santa puts gifts under your tree ... JESUS became our gift and died on a tree. It's obvious there is really no comparison. We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about. We need to put Christ back in CHRISTmas, Jesus is still the reason for the season. Yes, Jesus is better, he is even better than Santa Claus.
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Wed, Dec 7th - 1:08AM
I CORINTHIANS 13 - A CHRISTMAS VERSION
If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling
lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just
another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at
mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all
that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits
me nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but
do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china
and table linens.
Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful
they are there to be in the way.
Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but
rejoices in giving to those who can't.
Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never fails.
Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will
rust, and be broken, but giving the gift of love will endure
Comment (3)
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Mon, Dec 5th - 7:15PM
The story of "Silent Night"
December 25, 2002
The Broken Organ
(The Story of 'Silent Night')
Charles Colson
If I asked you who Josef Mohr and Franz Gruber were, chances are you'd
be stumped. But if I asked you to sing "Silent Night," the hymn Mohr
and Gruber wrote one long ago Christmas Eve, I'm willing to bet you could
sing two, if not all three verses. The circumstances surrounding the
birth of "Silent Night" offer a valuable lesson about trusting God to
meet our needs.
The setting is Oberndorf, Austria, a tiny Alpine village near Salzburg.
It was December 23, 1818, and the new village priest,
twenty-six-year-old Josef Mohr, had a problem. The organ in his church
had broken down*and the repairman was not due to arrive until after
Christmas.
As Evelyn Bence recounts in her book, Spiritual Moments with the Great
Hymns, the broken organ represented a real crisis. "As planned and
practiced," Bence writes, "the music for the Christmas Eve service fell
apart if the organ fell silent. The service*the liturgical highlight of
the winter*was in shambles. What to do now?"
Mohr had just twenty-four hours to solve the problem. But that night he
decided to put his problem aside for a few hours, while he attended a
Nativity pageant put on by a neighboring town.
As Mohr watched the amateur actors reenact the simple Christmas story,
he was deeply inspired. Afterward the young pastor hiked into the hills
to a favorite spot overlooking Oberndorf. As Mohr beheld the lights of
the slumbering village below, his mind began filling with the words he
would fashion into a poem: "Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all
is bright."
Mohr quickly made his way home. That night, working by lamplight, he
wrote three stanzas to a hymn he titled "Stille Nacht."
The next morning, Mohr showed the poem to the church organist, composer
Franz Gruber. Gruber quickly composed a melody, writing his arrangement
for guitar.
As Henry Gariepy says in his book, Songs in the Night, "Mohr and Gruber
sang their hymn that Christmas Eve to the accompaniment of Gruber's
guitar and a choir of young girls. . . . Little could the simple
worshippers imagine the miracle of song taking place . . . that night.
It was reminiscent of a birth, centuries before, that also took place
in the humblest of villages, ultimately to have an impact upon the whole
world."
When the organ repairman arrived, he was so taken with "Silent Night"
that he asked for a copy. He spread the hymn throughout neighboring
villages. Folksingers carried "Silent Night" across Austria's borders
and around the world.
The broken organ that had caused Mohr so much anxiety led directly to
the creation of the most beloved Christmas carol of all time. It's a
reminder that, as Paul tells us in Philippians, God will supply our
every need according to His riches. And that includes the need for
Christmas music when the organ breaks down.
Do you and I have the faith to trust God to meet our needs*even when
disaster threatens?
Jacob Mohr and Franz Gruber did. And ever since, their last-minute hymn
has glorified the "holy infant, so tender and mild."
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For further reading:
Evelyn Bence, Spiritual Moments with the Great Hymns (Zondervan, 1997).
http://link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.asp?A1.25.9529.1.1011271
Comment (2)
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Thu, Dec 1st - 9:43PM
Where Ya Been John?
This is one of my favorite stories about why you need to be in church
The story is told of a man named John who had once
been faithful to attend his church regularly, but had
grown lackadaisical recently. The Pastor knew that he
hadn't seen the gentleman in a while, so he went for a
visit.
John greeted the Pastor and welcomed him in, directing
him to the chair beside the fireplace. He asked the
Pastor what brought him to visit, but the Pastor
didn't say a word... .he simply grabbed the fireplace
tongs, picked up a hot coal from the fire, and set it
away from the fire, out on the hearth. Both men then
watched the coal.
While the fire roared on, the coal which had been red
hot began to lose it's heat. It gradually lost it's
red color, and then cooled off so that it became cool
to the touch. The Pastor picked up the coal, and
handed it to John for a moment... neither man said a
word.
Then the Pastor reached out and took the coal back
from John, and returned it to the roaring fire... and
in just a few short moments, the coal once again
glowed red hot, as the pile of flaming coals caused it
to heat up again.
The Pastor then got to his feet, put his hat on, and
shook John's hand. At that point, John looked at the
Pastor with tears in his eyes, and told him "Thank you
for coming, Pastor, and I'll be back in church this
coming Sunday!"
author unknown / from the internet
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