Your Angel, Your Blessing

 

 

A thousand little angels

Dancing on a pin—

One slips away to your house;

Won’t you let him in?

He has a message for you;

He will ring it in your ear.

If you’re ready there’ll be blessings

For all that you hold dear.

If you don’t receive your angel,

He will go back to his dance;

And you many never ever know

That on you he took a chance.

That blessing of success

Or special bud of love

May never come back to you

From the angels’ treasure-trove.

So smile on every visitor;

Examine every thought.

Some may come from angels;

Some of them may not;

But by the grace of God

A thoughtful man can see

If a thought came as a blessing

Given absolutely free.

 

Edwina Williams

 

 He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you.

Deuteronomy 7:13

 

Two Boxes

 

 

I have in my hands two boxes
which God gave me to hold.
He said, “Put all your sorrows in the black
and all your joys in the gold."

 

I heeded His words, and in the two boxes
both my joys and sorrows I store
but though the gold became heavier each day
the black was as light as before.

 

With curiosity I opened the black
I wanted to find out why
and I saw in the base of the box a hole
which my sorrows had fallen out by.

 

I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud,
"I wonder where my sorrows could be?"
He smiled a gentle smile at me,
"My child they’re all here with me."

 

I asked, “God, why give me the boxes,
why the gold and black with the hole?”
“My child the gold is for you to count your blessings,
the black is for you to let go.”

 

- Contributed by LMMyers

 

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Psalm 20:7



On Santa's Team



My grandma taught me everything about Christmas. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," jeered my sister. "Even dummies know that!"

My grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her world-famous cinnamon buns.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me.

"No Santa Claus!" she snorted. "Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad. Now, put on your coat, and let's go."

"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second cinnamon bun.

"Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days.

"Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.

I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church.

I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobbie Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobbie Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough; but all we kids knew that Bobbie Decker didn't have a cough, and he didn't have a coat.

I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobbie Decker a coat. I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that. I didn't see a price tag, but ten dollars ought to buy anything. I put the coat and my ten-dollar bill on the counter and pushed them toward the lady behind it.

She looked at the coat, the money, and me. "Is this a Christmas present for someone?" she asked kindly. "Yes," I replied shyly. "It's ... for Bobbie. He's in my class, and he doesn't have a coat." The nice lady smiled at me. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons, and write, "To Bobbie, From Santa Claus" on it ... Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy.

Then she drove me over to Bobbie Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially one of Santa's helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobbie's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk.

Suddenly, Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."

I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his doorbell twice and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobbie. He looked down, looked around, picked up his present, took it inside and closed the door.

Forty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my grandma, in Bobbie Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: Ridiculous!

Santa was alive and well ... AND WE WERE ON HIS TEAM!

Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.

Deuteronomy 15:10

Old Friends Forever



I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, and my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avant garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.  

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 & 70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.

They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.

So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore.

I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).

Author Unknown

"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

Proverbs 18:24 ESV

BE THANKFUL

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.

- Unknown

Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Psalm 106:1

Whatever Dreams You're Dreaming



Whatever dreams you're dreaming,
May each one of them come true.
Whatever plans you're making,
May they all work out for you.
And may you have more happiness
Than any words can tell.
Not only on this day,
But all the year as well.
May you have a little sunlight
to guide you on your way.
May you discover, little by little,
happiness that's here to stay.
May you grow a little stronger
and a little wiser with each dawn
May you have a little time to
believe in dreams to dream upon
May all the joy your heart desires
find its way to you.
And may the blessings that brighten up your days
keep on shining through.

Author Unknown

"And the Lord said to them, “Now listen to what I say:
“If there were prophets among you,I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams."Numbers 12:6

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED

Yesterday I gave you GREAT TRUTHS THAT KIDS HAVE LEARNED.  Today I give you what adults have learned.  The lessons are different, of course, but I believe that age doesn't make that much difference--young or old, we are all God's children and we CHOOSE to be and see what we will, we choose to laugh at life or not.  I choose to laugh---most of the time.

1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.


2) Wrinkles don't hurt.


3) Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts.


4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.


5) Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.


6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the

toy.

Pass this on to someone who could use a laugh.



Always remember to forget the troubles that pass your way;


BUT NEVER forget the blessings that come each day.



Have a wonderful day with many *smiles.*

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting.   
Job 8:21   

 
 

The Trouble With Stretching the Truth Is That It's Apt to Snap Back



A Sunday school teacher once told her adult class, "Next Sunday I am going to teach a very important lesson.  I want you all to read Chapter 17 of St. Mark's Gospel in anticipation of it."  The members of the class nodded, indicating a willingness to do as the teacher requested.

The following Sunday the teacher asked the class, "Those who read Chapter 17 of St. Mark's Gospel during this past week, please raise your hands."  Nearly all the people in the room raised their hands.

The teacher then said, "That's very interesting.  The Gospel of Mark had only 16 chapters.  But at least I know that my lesson is going to hit its mark.  Today I'm going to teach what Jesus had to say about lying."

Perhaps the greatest punishment for lying is not that a person gets caught in the lie, but rather, the "hidden" punishment that a liar can never truly believe what anyone else says.

Tell the truth!  You'll suffer far less embarrassment and be much healtheir emotionally.  Even if truth-telling brings temporary pain, God will honor your courage and bless you for doing the right thing.

A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.

Proverbs 19:5

You Should Never Let Adversity Get You Down

Except On Your Knees


Many people see abundant spring rains as a great blessing to farmers, especially if the rains come after the plants have sprouted and are several inches tall.  What they don't realize is even a short drought can have a devastating effect on a crop of seedlings that have received too much rain.

Why?  Because during frequent rains, the young plants are not required to push their roots deeper into the soil in search of water.  If a drought occurs later, plants with shallow root systems will quickly die. 

We often receive abundance into our lives--rich fellowship, great teaching, thorough "soakings" of spiritual blessings.  Yet, when stress or tragedy enters our lives, we may find ourselves thinking God has abandoned us or is unfaithful.  The fact is, we have allowed the "easiness" of our lives to keep us from pushing our spiritual roots deeper.  We have allowed others to spoon feed us, rather than to develop our own deep personal relationship with God through prayer and study on His Word.

Only the deeply rooted are able to endure hard times without wilting.  The best advice is to enjoy the "rain" while seeking to grow even closer to Him.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life , nor angels, nor principalities, not powers, nor things present, nor things to come shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38,39

The Grass May Be Greener on the Other Side



But it still has to be mowed.


Several years ago, a newspaper cartoon was drawn of two fields divided by a fence.  Both were about the same size, and each had plenty of lush green grass.

Each field had a mule whose head stuck through the wire fence, eating grass from the other's pasture.  The neighboring field seemed somewhat more desirable--even though it was harder to reach.

In the process, the mules' heads became caught in the fence.  They panicked and brayed uncontrollably at being unable to free themselves.  The cartoonist wisely described the situation with one caption:  "DISCONTENT."

Like the mules, when we focus on what we don't have we become blinded to the blessings which surround us.  There is nothing wrong with desiring something, but to think life is easier in someone else's pasture may not be true.  Besides, no matter whose pasture we are in, we will always have to deal with the attitudes of our own heart.

Be content with such things as ye have.

Hebrews 13:5