The Many Faces of Christmas

How many are there? For me, I only know of one which is the blessed celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Oh, I know. There is also Santa Claus. But, what is behind Santa Claus? Do we celebrate Christmas because Santa brings gifts? Is that really a celebration worthy of the time spent shopping, wrapping, driving and standing in line?

Santa represents a giving spirit that was in a man centuries ago. It is a remembrance of a man (now dead) who gave presents to the needy. Is that really what we do when we give gifts to each other? Where are are hearts for the needy? Where are we taking the time to even notice the needy?

It is because we are mere mortals, who cannot save even ourselves. We cannot save others because we lack the ability. Sure, we can offer a short term solution to this one and that one, but can we really change their lives so much that they turn away from the life that leads them downward to a life of misery?

The true celebration of Christmas is the deliverance of humankind by God. Peace with God that was accomplished through the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without this reconciliation, man is doomed to be bound in the chains of our sins.

It is this Christmas, this Jesus, this celebration that gives us the reason for the season.

Jesus, the Name above every name and greatly to be praised. Praise Him this Christmas and every Christmas after until He returns and hope becomes unnecessary, for we shall see Him face to face.

Amen and Merry Christmas in Jesus Name!!!!!!!

Yay!!!! It's coming December 8

The Chronicles of Narnia
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Dig In Your Toes

"Before we can walk on water, we need to learn how to walk on dry land."

I had heard this on the radio Sunday morning. How true it is!

During times of pain, sorrow, fear, anxiety and many more trials, where is our faith? These are the days that prepare us for what comes ahead. For disease, sickness, divorce, abuse and others will come against us. These things forge our faith to enable us to withstand the tempest of the tide.

How can we expect God to let us walk on the water or enjoy the good times when we aren't able to lean upon Him during the problems of a season.

Many times when you're suffering, it's easier to run to another person for assurance and comfort. Even if that person is another Christian, their faith cannot hold us up. We need to lean on the Everlasting Arms and know that whatever may come He is our strength and will carry us through.

Dry land also means times of without. Without money, food, health or even times of falling for satan's charms are when we should be looking to the Fountain of Refreshment for our parched lips.

Raise up your voice! Sing to the Lord a New Song of hope in Him! He is beside us at all times, waiting to hear from our tongue the hope and assurance that lies within us. He WILL answer for He alone is God.

The Lord is my refuge and strength.
Saves me from the flood.
Pulls me up from where I've fallen.
Carries me to safety.

The Lord is mercy and grace.
My sins, all behind me.
Never does He remind
Always leads me on.

The Lord is love.
Living within me.
Teaching compassion.
Granting forgiveness.

Summer's End

One by one they scurried, driving down the macadam road. They piled, fitted and angled their cars for just the perfect closest spot. In the distance, the young soccer players practiced on the fields. The soon-to-be-closed pool had a few stragglers.

A prelude to the three-day September fair, this last outdoor concert would be replete with empty stomachs and parched souls. Free food could be the biggest reason for the crowd but I would like to think the community needed this last lovely evening before fall chills would cut them short.

Most of the visitors brought their own folding chairs and 80% had graying heads. Everyone positioned themselves towards the pavilion where the band members arranged their instruments. Rectangular tables joined together held the contributed eats and volunteers organized the meats and drink.

The aromas filled the air, tempting our taste buds and rumbling our stomachs. Charcoal broiled burgers and hot dogs combined with the fresh breezes off the nearby river. Newly mown grass and rocks still warm from the sun offered seating for those without chairs.

The signal given, the herd (I mean people), approached the laden tables, filled their plates and returned to their seat. The air hummed with pleasant conversation, light joking and teasing.

Soon, everyone had their fill. Garbage collected, the crowd settled back for a tickling of their ears. A short speech from the town supervisor and the band started to play. A young dancer requested Riverdance and we were treated to a lovely performance of tap; gangling legs skipping and jumping to the beat. Bluegrass, country and a little lighthearted jingle were the mix.

The lead guitarist paused for a moment to dedicate a song to his recently deceased father. He related his hope in a future re-uniting with his father in heaven. The song he chose was "How Great Thou Art". As we swayed and sang, we couldn't help but feel that God looked down and smiled. What joy to express praise under a canopy of still green maples and the blue of grace sky!

We tasted a bit of heaven and harmony, forgetting the cares of the world and tribulations of life. Time stood still and blessings were counted. All else seemed naught but God's love surrounded. Another memory of this life, another glimpse of life to come.

1971

Yep. The year I graduated, married, worked in a nursing home and moved to another state to follow my navy husband. And this played on the radio:

Top 100 Hits of 1971 / Top 100 Songs of 1971
1. Joy To The World, Three Dog Night - Best dancing song
2. Maggie May / (Find A) Reason To Believe, Rod Stewart - one of those you can't get out of your head songs
3. It's Too Late / I Feel The Earth Move, Carole King - AWESOME SINGER
4. One Bad Apple, Osmonds - NOPE
5. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, Bee Gees - So sad!
6. Indian Reservation, Raiders - Excellent beat
7. Go Away Little Girl, Donny Osmond - Too cutsie
8. Take Me Home, Country Roads, John Denver - Learning to play on my mandolin
9. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me), Temptations - Don't remember
10. Knock Three Times, Pawn - Silly song
11. Me And Bobby Mcgee, Janis Joplin - Oh, yeah!
12. Tired Of Being Alone, Al Green - nope
13. Want Ads, Honey Cone - nope
14. Smiling Faces Sometimes, Undisputed Truth - okaaaaay
15. Treat Her Like A Lady, Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose - I remember
16. You've Got A Friend, James Taylor - A classic
17. Mr. Big Stuff, Jean Knight
18. Brown Sugar, Rolling Stones
19. Do You Know What I Mean, Lee Michaels
20. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Joan Baez
21. What's Going On, Marvin Gaye
22. Uncle Albert-Admiral Halsey, Paul McCartney
23. Aint No Sunshine, Bill Withers
24. Signs, Five Man Electrical Band
25. She's A Lady, Tom Jones
26. Superstar, Murray Head and The Trinidad Singers
27. I Found Someone Of My Own, Free Movement
28. Amos Moses, Jerry Reed
29. Temptation Eyes, The Grass Roots
30. Superstar, Carpenters
31. My Sweet Lord / Isn't It A Pity, George Harrison
32. Sweet And Innocent, Donny Osmond
33. Put Your Hand In The Hand, Ocean
34. Chick-a-boom, Daddy Dewdrop
35. For All We Know, Carpenters
36. Help Me Make It Through The Night, Sammi Smith
37. Rainy Days And Mondays, Carpenters
38. If You Could Read My Mind, Gordon Lightfoot
39. Gypsy, Tramps And Thieves, Cher
40. Never Can Say Goodbye, Jackson 5
41. Rose Garden, Lynn Anderson
42. Don't Pull Your Love, Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds
43. It Don't Come Easy, Ringo Starr
44. Mr. Bojangles, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
45. I Love You For All Seasons, Fuzz
46. Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get, Dramatics
47. That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be, Carly Simon
48. If You Really Love Me, Stevie Wonder
49. Spanish Harlem, Aretha Franklin
50. I Don't Know How To Love Him, Helen Reddy
51. Yo-yo, Osmonds
52. Bridge Over Troubled Water, Aretha Franklin
53. Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted, Partridge Family
54. Draggin' The Line, Tommy James
55. Proud Mary, Ike and Tina Turner
56. Beginnings / Color My World, Chicago
57. Stay Awhile, Bells
58. Sweet City Woman, Stampeders
59. Me And You And A Dog Named Boo, Lobo
60. Another Day / Oh Woman, Oh Why, Paul McCartney
61. If, Bread
62. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology), Marvin Gaye
63. One Toke Over The Line, Brewer and Shipley
64. She's Not Just Another Woman, 8th Day
65. Bring The Boys Home, Freda Payne
66. I Just Want To Celebrate, Rare Earth
67. Never Ending Song Of Love, Delaney and Bonnie and Friends
68. Easy Loving, Freddy Hart
69. Liar, Three Dog Night
70. Stick-up, Honey Cone
71. Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep, Mac and Katie Kissoon
72. Love Story (Where Do I Begin), Andy Williams
73. Wild World, Cat Stevens
74. When You're Hot, You're Hot, Jerry Reed
75. Funky Nassau, Beginning Of The End
76. If Not For You, Olivia Newton-John
77. Groove Me, King Floyd
78. Watching Scotty Grow, Bobby Goldsboro
79. Woodstock, Matthews' Southern Comfort
80. Amazing Grace, Judy Collins
81. I Hear You Knocking, Dave Edmunds
82. Lonely Days, Bee Gees
83. Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again, Fortunes
84. Won't Get Fooled Again, Who
85. Trapped By A Thing Called Love, Denise Lasalle
86. Mama's Pearl, Jackson 5
87. Timothy, Buoys
88. I Woke Up In Love This Morning, Partridge Family
89. Theme From "Shaft", Isaac Hayes
90. If I Were Your Woman, Gladys Knight and The Pips
91. I Am...I Said, Neil Diamond
92. Wedding Song (There Is Love), Paul Stookey
93. Don't Knock My Love, Pt. 1, Wilson Pickett
94. Love Her Madly, The Doors
95. Here Comes The Sun, Richie Havens
96. Sweet Mary, Wadsworth Mansion
97. Right On The Tip Of My Tongue, Brenda and The Tabulations
98. One Less Bell To Answer, Fifth Dimension
99. Riders On The Storm, The Doors
100. It's Impossible, Perry Como

Virtual Travel

Whew! What a trip! Easter Island, ever hear of it? Over 2200 miles from anywhere, it's the world's most remote island in the south Pacific ocean. I've been doing research for All About God about the island and its history. What a fascinating place. I doubt that they'll have a Survivor series there, though. The only potable water is in the one town and there's not much to eat unless you have your own garden. What I found fascinating were the giant stone statues. HUGE! The first island residents came from Polynesia. They used all the natural resources, stripping the island bare of the wonderful forest of trees to transport the statues to the outer rim of the island. Eerily they stare blankly out to sea, as if to warn intruders or to alert ships as to their inhabitation! No one knows! Here's a culture who put their faith into something they carved out of volcanic rock and in the process destroyed its ecosystem. How amazing is it that people make idols out of something that can't do anything except exist! Some people have even build an idol out of the same wood they cast into the fire to warm themselves. I would much rather place my faith in the one true God, who lives and breathes, whose promises are 'yea and amen', will never leave me nor forsake me, who speaks to my spirit and is my salvation! You may not be able to make a cast idol of His image, because no one has seen Him and lived, but you may be sure that His presence will change your life forever. He's promised me. AMEN!

Who?

Who is it lurking

On the edge of time

Ever just out of reach?

At the corner of my eye

A passing shadow

I turn...but where?

A scent on a breeze

Stirs a memory of my soul

I turn...but where?

A soft touch

On the apple of my cheek

I turn...but where?

An elusive wisp of thought

Circling in my mind

I turn...but where?

A melodic note

From some song

I turn...but where?

Who is it just afar

A step away beyond the touch?

I turn...it's Jesus!

Fair Season

Cock-a-doodle doo!!!!!!

Hi all! I just came back from the Harford Fair, in Harford, Penna. Oh, the lights, the sounds, the people...

Say hi! to my friend.

This fair is a good old-fashioned time! My husband and I love the fresh cut french fries. We had two helpings apiece. We wandered over to the funnel cakes. Yep! We split one and of course, we had to have a drink. Guess what we found...

Old-fashioned root beer floats!

It's a cryin' shame that the fairs ain't what they use to be. Sure, you still have the all of the livestock that are judged. The horse stalls displayed beautiful red, blue and white ribbons that signified their winnings. The poultry barn, stuffed with all kinds of hens and turkeys, had a small cage outside where someone had dyed four chickens just like Easter eggs! Yup! blue, pink, yellow and green. Never saw that before!

Sheep, goats, rabbits and ducks displays their beautiful coats of fur and feathers. Farming tractors, racing tractors, four-wheelers, and buzz saws were available for purchase. In the center arena were the four-wheeler races. Some of the kids had helmets bigger than themselves!

Each time you walked around a building or stand your senses would be assaulted with the odor of fried peppers and onions, blooming onions, cotton candy, candied apples, and roasted nuts.

Children adorned with the latest boots and hats scampered merrily towards the rides and games.

My husband and I finally strolled towards the exit, both feeling like stuffed sausages. We only do this once a year and let me tell you, that's enough!

On Fire!

I just got off the phone with a person I met a year ago. His name is Roy Fields and is he ever on fire for the Lord! Now, he's into music more than ever and taking it on the road to spread the message of the Lord wherever he can!

http://www.royfields.com

We all need a word of encouragement, especially in these trying days. So if you get a chance, please pass along a word. Thanks!

Jesus Loves Me

Yes, He does! He doesn't have to prove it, I just know. Just like the nursery rhyme.

Even when the day goes all wrong, not at all like I'd planned, I know that He's with me and will never leave nor forsake me.

Praise be to Him, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings! I will praise His name in the morning and think of Him in the night.

He loves me even though, I forgot to follow the speed limit. I also didn't say thank you to everyone I met today. I even yelled at my best friend. But that's OK because she yells back! That's Bonnie. You can check out her blog with the link on the sidebar.

We love because He first loved us. Isn't that amazing! I can hardly wrap that around my brain. How to compare the love He has for us? Impossible! For none are like Him and none can compare.

Yes, Jesus, I shout out to the roof tops, hills and dales, the next town, city and country...to the world! I LOVE YOU JESUS!

Wedding Fashion or NOT!

The gowns these days! It blows my mind what girls are wearing! And choices! Have you been in a bridal shop lately? I'll bet for every bride they have at least 100; strapless, spaghetti strap, halter, off-the-shoulder, cap sleeved, and one-shoulder, even!

How's a girl to make up her mind?

And who do they bring with them? Mom, maid of honor, five bridesmaids and even the flower girl's opinion is important on the first visit. Now, in a salon that has only 1200 square feet, picture five of these bridal parties. Is sardine in your mind?

Maybe that's why more and more brides are turning to Ebay and online stores to make their purchases. Sure, you can buy without pressure. Peruse the styles in your housecoat or less, 24/7! You can even purchase the gown and quite possibly send it back if you don't like it. What do the internet stores care? They don't have a brick and mortar store to support. They don't even have to deal with crowded dressing rooms, cleaning up the gowns that have been wiped out with mascara and lipstick, vacuumming, dusting, smiling and caring customer service!

I'm always amazed when someone comments "Oh, I loved that store! It's too bad they closed. I haven't been there in ages and it's only around the corner or across town! I've been getting better deals on the net!" Like, what!

Take responsibility for your actions!

Do you want to shop for everything on line? Then that's all we'll have...just a bunch of warehouses.

Do you want to shop down the street, around the corner or across town? Then do it! Support your local community! Don't complain when the job market declines because of poor support from customers. Don't complain when manufacturing closes, leaving your town high and dry because of overseas competition.

Do you realize how much we purchase from Asia, how much they are imbedded in our economy? Do you know what would have if we stopped letting the ships dock on the west coast to unload the foreign merchandise?

Oh, excuse me. It's not foreign. Nope, our own companies own the factories over there, so that couldn't happen.

Wake up, America! They..are..not..on..our..soil. Those factories are at the mercy of those governments.

Excuse the tirade. I've been simmering for some time. I just festered and POPPED!

Choose your neighborhood and town wisely. Invest in your community. It's the only one you have at any time!!!!!!!

P.S. Just this week, several past customers blessed my day by bringing in the newest additions to their unions. I cherish the thought that they considered me an important part of their wedding memories. That's what it's all about...

...showing your family your gown in a nice salon, with nice salespeople, for one of the most important days of your life...priceless!

Wedding Blues

Did you realize that August is the new bridal month? It use to be June, years ago, but this month has captured the new brides as 'the' month to be married in.

Do you know why? It's because of the new generation of brides. Most girls wait until they finish college these days. And yes, it's a good idea to wait till marriage to have the kids, too. Anyway, August is good because if you have a teaching degree and get hired, school starts in September. The final vacation before work begins.

When I grew up (now I'm telling my age) normally we graduated, got married, had kids, jobs and then a new house when you could afford it.

Now, graduation or kids, then job, house and career in somewhat of that order. It's like the food pyramid, now it's upside down that's right! What is this world coming to?

Do you have thoughts on this dilemna? What do you seriously think?

Sun Filled Day of the Field

One of my business acquain- tances sent me this photo of her husband's and daughter's field of flowers...sun, that is.
It's breathtaking beauty captures the essence of August and predicts the harvest to come.

Peeking out is the lone figure in the center...a true sun flower. God's creation for us to enjoy! Hope this print brings you a little amazement for the beauty freely given for us. God bless you.

Guess what I am?

The wind captures me. You can see through me darkly. I'm used as a covering. My length is short or very, very long but not as wide. I signify purity.

Blogger Newbie

Hey world! I'm here! This is my first post on my first blog. Ooh! That word sounds like blah! Well, I hope my writings don't make you blah on my blog! I welcome your comments on my musings. Maybe they will make your day a little brighter, clearer and happier! Please smile! I like you, too!