Thanksgivings Past

Thanksgiving comes but once a year

it is a time that most hold dear

Family gathers from near and far

to eat together and share their hearts

Turkey's good and potatoes too

but oh what we wouldn't do

If only we could have a bite

of Mama's pumpkin pie...delight!

Then snow starts falling on the ground

wind is blowing all around

Inside we snuggle by the fires

telling stories that once inspired

We think of all Thanksgivings past

and wonder how it went so fast

The memories we still hold dear

are really all that matters here

So...

After all the stories have been told
and new memories made for all to share...

Have some pie from Mrs Smith

cool whip topping Ohh...what bliss!

Throw the paper plates away

lay down and nap...it's been a day!

Get Your Smile Back

Proverbs 17:22 (New Living Translation)

 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
 but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.

We all have days and sometimes a whole week that is just rough for us. When that happens for me I tend to get quiet and don't talk much. Sometimes, I even lose my smile. The bad part is, I don't even realize I'm not smiling or talking. Last week was one of those kinds of weeks for me. It was hectic and stressful and everyone wanted a piece of my time. On Thursday morning two people pointed out to me that they had noticed my smile was missing. That really made me stop and think...

My main goal at work is to somehow let the people I work with see GOD through me. I am nobody special and I don't always do the "right" thing. But...I do have the ONE who is special living inside of me and I need to reflect HIM to the people around me. So my first thought was...what kind of a testimony had I been being all week? When people know that you are a Christian, sometimes you have to just suck it up and keep that smile on! What we portray to those around us is important. What people see on our faces, and hear from our lips, reveals what's in our hearts. GOD doesn't expect us to be perfect. But, as soon as we know things seem to be going downhill for us we should pause and just whisper a prayer and ask the LORD to help us. I believe when we take the time to whisper a prayer GOD listens. Our main focus should always be on HIM, not on our circumstances. The LORD will give us the strength we need for any situation when we ask HIM too.

Psalm 105:4 (New Living Translation) Search for the Lord and for his strength;
continually seek him.


So...I took an early lunch and went to my car and talked to GOD. Then I read my Bible for a few minutes and went back to work. I'll be honest. I didn't immediately feel like smiling. But...when I took the first step towards a new attitude...GOD helped me. Nothing had changed except that I let GOD help me with the issues in front of me...and I "put on" a smile. Before long I didn't have to "put it on", it was just there. That was GOD!



What ever your situation is, GOD can give you your smile back too. Take the first step and ask HIM to help you. Adopt a new attitude and start smiling. You will be amazed at how things will turn around for you . Before you know it, you won't be "putting" the smile on...it will just be there. Let GOD help you be the witness you need to be so everyone in your life can see HIM.

Choose To Resist

Morning starts early for me...4:30 a.m., and I like it that way. This time of year it's usually cold outside but most of the time the sky is filled with sparkling stars. Even when the clouds are there it's good...GOD made them all beautiful! Usually I like to stop and look up into the sky and think about HIM. Thank HIM for everything HE has done for me. Sometimes I think about what it will be like when one day soon JESUS appears in the sky to take us home with HIM. It's generally all good. But...sometimes I am not so cheery. Sometimes, even that early, I'm thinking about things that aren't good. Now and again, like many of you reading this, I stop listening to the LORD and I start listening to the other voice that likes to push it's way into my thoughts. You might say that my thoughts turn a little dark. Why?...

Because everyday we walk around in a world filled with darkness. Why? Because satan is the ruler of darkness and he is roaming the earth trying  to get us to walk away from all that we as Christians know is right. And...for those in the world that aren't Christians...he is trying to keep them buried down in the muck and mire of everything he rules over. The really sad thing is...sometimes we let him into our heads and we start listening to his lies. What does that lead to? Our own private pity party! It just goes on from there! I could go on and talk about a lot of negative things but...I'm NOT going too! Why?...

Because everyday we can "choose" to walk around in the LIGHT! That's right! We can "Choose"!! We can run from everything that is evil. That's what Paul tells Timothy in...

1 Timothy 6:11-12 (New Living Translation)

But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.

Whenever satan starts putting thoughts in your head that are not GODLY...Run the other way. Remember all of the good changes the LORD has brought into your life! Pursue the things of GOD and only think "Light" thoughts...not dark ones.

Philippians 4:8-9 (New Living Translation)
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

It's true what verse 9 says. When you do this...the GOD of peace will be there. As long as you entertain the thoughts that satan puts in your head...you will have a dark mind set and attitude. But, as soon as you throw the "liar" out a calmness will come over you that you won't even be able to explain.

Philippians 4:7 (New Living Translation)
Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Your dark thoughts, agitation, wanting to revert back to your old ways...will just be gone! The moment you surrender yourself...your will, mind and heart...back to GOD...HE will take it and make you whole again!

Do I write from experience? Yes, I do. More experience than I even share on this blog. By my own admission, I am obviously a slow learner. The good part about all of it is...the LORD doesn't give up on me. I may give up on myself at times, but HE doesn't. HE takes us with all of our problems that we bring with us from our past and just keeps giving us more of HIS love. Isn't that amazing? Isn't GOD Awesome?!!

Maybe you have a past like mine. Maybe not as bad and maybe even worse. Then again...maybe just different. What ever it is in your past, he will try his best to get you to go back to it. As a Christian you need to stay strong. Resist satan. What you have with the LORD is so much better than anything else you used to have in your life.

Ephesians 6:10 (New Living Translation)
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

James 4:7 (New Living Translation)

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Fighting

In the middle of all darkness
surrounded by a shroud
Searching for the answer
you are one amongst the crowd

You seem to be enveloped
by thoughts that once were gone
That dread has come upon you
the pain that had moved on

You do not know how to stop
that knife that twists inside
It is headed for your heart
you want to run and hide

Your thoughts are all but broken
scattered like the leaves
You are looking for the answer
that might bring some sweet relief

You have played it all before
the scene that is in your mind
That momentary pleasure
will bring no peace you will find

You are trying hard to cope
with everything you feel
It never seems to stop
it has all become so real

You know all you can do
is try to close your mind
To what you think you need
and cry out one more time

The only one to help you
is waiting for you now
Will you call His name
or are you lost somehow

Throw It AllDown

You need to stop running
There's no where to hide
You know he can't catch you
When in God's word you abide

There lies the problem
Right in front of your eyes
If you'd pick it up and read it
You could hit him between the eyes

Oh! You say
It's not working for you
Have you really stuck to it
To His word been true

You know when you don't
Do as you should
That liar comes calling
He'll scare you but good!

He's waiting for you
To really mess up
Fall on your face
And never!! get up

I've been there too
My head such a mess
Thought I'd never get up
Out of all my distress

Well friend let me say
God's word is still true
Call on Him now
He's waiting for you

He won't ever leave you
Where ever you are
If you're fighting a battle
Or wounded and scarred

Just throw it all down
Fall at His feet
He will pick you up
You won't suffer defeat

He loves you so much
He died just for you
His love is amazing
His grace is for you!

Which Is For You

Light or Darkness
Blackness or White
Which will you choose
What is your plight

What does surround you
Where will you hide
Can Darkness come in
Where Light doth abide

Look for it now
Hold to it tight
Push away Blackness
Keep White by your side

Darkness is fighting
It's trying to find
The hold that it had
It once gripped your mind

Light is right there
Calling to you
Which will you choose
What will you do

Decisions to make
Fear of the known
Don't look back now
Darkness still roams

White is right there
Beckoning to you
Your hearts crying out
Light wants to shine thru

Where will you turn
What will you do
Snuff the Black out
The Light is for you

Reminder

Sometimes I just need a reminder. My old life is dead and my life now is new! It is with Jesus and for Jesus. When I need reminded, this is a good passage to read. There is also a video on You Tube titled..."The Inheritance for Men and Women". Watch it. It's very good!!

Colossians 3

He Is Your Life

 ^1-2 So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.  ^3-4Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.
 ^5-8And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That's a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It's because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn't long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it's all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.
 ^9-11Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.
 ^12-14So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
 ^15-17Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.