Showers of Blessing

There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
Daniel Whittle

I will make them and the area around My hill a blessing: I will send down showers in their season--showers of blessing. 
Ezekiel 34:26

Wind and Waves

Even the wind and the waves obey Him!

Mark 4:41

This pond adjoins the property where I live. I saw so many flocks of birds today even with the very strong wind we had. I cannot imagine being out on the sea in wind and high waves. It reminded me of the story of Jesus calming the sea.

Kaedyn's Pics

My granddaughter takes lots of pics when she visits me. She aims for really unflattering pics of me most of the time LOL. This one is through a water bottle she had just emptied. I think it is kinda cool!

I thought this was a good one: Christmas lights reflected in the window at twilight.
My little decorator is going to be mad next week when she comes to visit and all the decorations are gone! We may have to decorate early for George Washington's birthday!!

Prayer for America's New Leaders

Christmas is behind us now and we start counting down to 2017 and the U.S. inauguration January 20. This is a time to really pray for the transition ahead.

Father God, Please put new hearts and a new Spirit into all of our leaders. Take away the hearts of stone and give them hearts of flesh that are sensitive, tender and responsive the the Word of God. My our leaders recognize the voice of the Shepherd - the King of Love - and discern and expose the deceptions of the enemy,

I pray that our leaders will follow in the footsteps of King Josiah. When they hear the Word of God, it will grip their hearts. They will obey it and will declare it to the nation. [2 Kings 23]

Blessings

Lord, be gracious to us.

We long for You.

Be our strength every morning,

Our salvation in time of distress.

Isaiah 33:2

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make His face to shine on you

and be gracious to you.

The Lord turn His face toward you

and give you peace,

Numbers 6:24-26

God's Hand

credit

If I climb upward on the rays of the morning sun

or land on the most distant shore of the sea

where the sun sets,

even there your hand would guide me

and your right hand would hold on to me.

Psalm 139:9-10 

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Son of Righteousness

Light and life to all He brings,

Risen with healing in His wings.

"Hark the Herald Angels Sing" was written by Charles Wesley, the 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley. He was born on December 18, 1707.

Bill Federer has written an interesting article about the origins of favorite Christmas carols published on Charisma News.

http://www.wnd.com/2016/12/extraordinary-origins-of-everyday-christmas-carols/

Good News

Hark how the heavenly anthem drowns

All music but its own

I bring you good news

of great joy!

White as Snow

When I was substitute teaching in public school, I noticed that God is left out of the conversation. I was instructed not to sing any Christmas songs with the children, not even Jingle Bells.  But, thankfully, one little first grader was okay with praising the Lord at school. As we were going out to recess, we saw a few snowflakes sifting down. She burst out in song, "Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus!"

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Robert Lowry

The Song the Angels Sing

For lo, the days are hastening on,

By prophet bards foretold,

When with the ever circling years

Comes round the age of gold;

When peace shall over all the earth

Its ancient splendors fling,

And the whole world give back the song

Which now the angels sing.

The word 'SING' appears 121 times in the Bible.
The most recorded command in God's Word is
 'SING TO THE LORD".

There is an eternal song of rejoicing in Heaven.
We can choose to sing along.

Imagine the day
when the whole world gives back the song
which now the angels sing.

Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace among men
with whom He is well pleased.
Luke 2:14

The Best Gift of All

Jesus said: 

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. 

And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.

 So don't be troubled or afraid.

John 14:27 NLT

The Gift of the Present

Someone said that continually bemoaning the past, or dreading the future, is just a way to get out of hearing and obeying God right now....Ouch.

Lord, Thank you that you have given me the gift of the PRESENT! Help me to enjoy Your presence and love the people who cross my path today - one at a time.

Loving My Neighbor

I love this picture of two birds NOT of the same feather sharing a twig in the snowstorm. Does it seem like when stormy weather comes that people pitch in and help one another...neighbors who may have never even stopped to chat in good times?

Christmas is for Receiving

Did you ever know someone who would not receive a gift from you?  I had an MIL who would not accept gifts from me, even if I went to great lengths to get the very thing she said she wanted. It made me feel awful. There was an episode on "Everybody Loves Raymond" where Ray discovers Christmas gifts from years past piled in his parents' basement, still in the original unopened boxes, because they "couldn't understand high tech stuff like tape players". It was funny on the sit com, but hurtful in real life.

It made me think about the fact that Christmas is a time for RECEIVING as well as for GIVING.
How must God feel when people refuse the wonderful gift of His Son?

I read this beautiful quote from Dale Evans Rogers:
"Christmas is giving. But Christmas is also receiving. In the Bible it says, 'As many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God...' As many as received Him! When we understand that, we understand that receiving can be even more important than giving - at Christmas!
When we receive Christ, we experience completely the gift that is Christmas."

Imitation

Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.
Ephesians 5:1-2 Message

There was a man in our worship band at church who played the guitar with his little four-year-old son right beside him on the platform every week playing his toy guitar. It was sweet to see that the son had all his Dad's moves down, and even his facial expressions.

Let me be a shadow in Your light

Just a small reflection of a greater love

Let me be a shadow in Your light

That falls on the lost and the lonely

Lenny LeBlanc

I saw this photo online and I had to share it!

The caption said: Hen comforts kittens in storm.