Welcome to Our World

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Luke 2:6-7 (NKJV) ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Celebrating Christmas

Hark the Herald Angels Sing!

“Hark the herald angels sing” Christmas Carol was written by Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley founder of the Methodist church, in 1739. A sombre man, he requested slow and solemn music for his lyrics and thus “Hark the herald angels sing” was sung to a different tune initially. Over a hundred years later Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) composed a cantata in 1840 to commemorate Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press. English musician William H. Cummings adapted Mendelssohn’s music to fit the lyrics of “Hark the herald angels sing” already written by Wesley.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

1 Chronicles 16:8 (NIV) Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.

Thankful Thursday - 11/19/09

Wow! Can you believe it? Next week is Thanksgiving! NEXT WEEK!!!! I've decided not to post next week for Thanksgiving and want to do a little something different this week. Normally, and according to the rules, I post five things for which I am thankful. This week, I'd like to share a poem God impressed upon me several years ago. It is just as timely today as it was then. I pray you are blessed by it as I am.

I'm thankful for so many things

It's hard to pick just one;

But if I had to choose,

It'd be salvation through God's Son.

The past is now behind me,

I only look ahead

The fulfillment of God's promises

To the place I'll rest my head.

Some say there is no God

Or He didn't create the earth,

But I am living proof you see

God still creates in new birth.

So when you give your thanks today

And you're not sure what to say,

Look around at all the wondrous works

God has brought your way.

The sun, the moon, the heavens and earth,

The flowers and the trees,

The food upon your table,

The child upon your knee.

I'm thankful, Lord, Your grace abounds,

You pardon, You set free,

I'm thankful, Lord, You loved and forgave

An unworthy sinner - me.
Author SusanD

God's blessings to you, your family, and your friends as we enter into the precious holiday seasons ahead. Be sure to tell them today, This Day, how much you love them and how much they are loved by Jesus.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Psalm 1:1-2 (NIV) ¹ Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers  ² But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Random Dozen - 11/18/09

1. If you could master one sport, what would it be? Dancing. Some probably don't consider dancing a sport, but have you watched Dancing w/the Stars? Those people work hard every week to perform.

2. When you make a major purchase, do you go with your gut instinct, or do you do research to make an informed decision? I usually do some research on it thru Consumer's Report. It helps me make a good choice.

3. There is an old kids' game that says you can find out what your movie star name would be by using your middle name as your first name and the name of the street you grew up on as your last. What is your movie star name? Diane Blairs

4. Would you rather give up your favorite music or your favorite food? You always throw in a tough choice question like this one. I'd have to choose my favorite food. I'd give up chocolate before I'd give up Christian music. Just sayn.

5. There are two types of banana preferences. One is pristine yellow, almost to the point of being green; the other is spotty and more ripe. Which is your preference? More ripe. The banana flavor is more developed and it's softer; plus I can make banana bread w/toasted walnuts. Well....looky there....a new favorite food. lol

6. Your favorite tree is? The evergreen.

7. On a scale of 1-10, how tech savvy are you? I'd give me about a 6

8. Has H1N1 touched your family? Nope. But there's still time.

9. Are you an analytical person, or do you just accept things the way they are without questioning or scrutinizing? I think you'd better ask my husband that question. lol

10. Is your personality more like that of a dog, cat, or Koala?  I'm gonna go w/the cat here. They are more independent than dogs, somewhat more cryptic, and fastidious about their hygiene. Don't really go along w/the sleeps a lot tho.

11. Do you keep in touch with friends you made years ago? There are a couple people I stay in touch with who I went to jr and sr high school. I have made some friends through the years and I stay in touch w/them too. So, I guess that's a yes.

12. You are checking out at a grocery store. In the express lane, there are more people than the regular lanes, but of course, their load is less than those in the regular lanes. Which lane do you choose (assuming you qualify for the express lane) and why? I do a mentally tally and choose based on if I'm on a deadline. (Did you read #s 2 & 9?) lol 

If you'd like to join in on this fun quiz, just copy the questions, post your own answers, and link up at Linda's by clicking on the icon at the top of this post. Thanks for stopping by today, This Day!

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Psalm 119:105 (NIV) Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path

Thankful Thursday - 11/12/09

Last week I missed Thankful Thursday. Why? Well, let me tell you.....we were moving boxes out of the storage unit. It took most of the day to carry the boxes out of the storage unit and into the trailer, stack the boxes in the trailer, haul the trailer to the house, carry the boxes out of the trailer, and stack the boxes in their new location in the house.  Let me just say, I have not been lacking in exercise. Some boxes were carried downstairs to the basement, some boxes were carried upstairs to the second floor, and some boxes were carried to the main floor. Whew! Are you worn out from all this yet?

So let's get to the five things I'm thankful for this week. They can be serious or silly, big or small because God honors them all.

1. I'm thankful for my wonderful husband and the 24 years he served our country in military service. America is the home of the free because of brave men and women like him who have served and continue to serve our great country.

2. I'm thankful to have all of the boxes out of storage. I can finally see an end to having stuff scattered. The disarray is driving me a little crazy. Ok....maybe a lot crazy. Ok...maybe just crazier. lol

3. I'm thankful for so much information available on the internet. I've spent most of my day yesterday working on a research project for a paper. Without the internet, I'd have spent my day at the library pouring through journals and periodicals to find the information that is readily available at the click of the mouse.

4. I'm thankful for the time spent last weekend at a Beth Moore conference with one of my dearest friends. We sang, praised, prayed, learned, and rejoiced.

5. I'm thankful for the strength and stamina to carry and move all the boxes and other treasurers; that we have a trailer and truck to haul all those treasures; and that we have friends to help us with the heavier items.

If you'd like to participate in Thankful Thursday, please hop on over to Sonya's blog Truth 4 the Journey. She is our gracious host. Please leave a comment and tell me what you are thankful for today, This Day. You'll feel joy unspeakable and....it's the right thing to do.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Colossians 1:9 (NIV) For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

History of Veterans Day


World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.
The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and
Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and
Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Today, This Day, please join me in remembering and honoring the men and women who have served and are serving in our armed forces. God bless each and every one of them and their families. All gave some...some gave all.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Job 37:5-6 (NIV)⁵ God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. ⁶ He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'

My Hope

Random Dozen - 11/4/09

1. It's early morning, about 2:00AM, and you're driving home. You come to a red light and sit there. There is no one in sight for miles around. Do you wait it out or run the light? I wait it out.

2. If you had the chance to re-do the last 24 hours, would you change anything? Maybe not eat as much junk food.

3. When you reply to someone's comment on your blog, do you reply in your comments or go to her blog and comment? (Or email her) I've done all three. Is there proper etiquette for this?

4. Your favorite Disney movie is: Sleeping Beauty

5. Do you recycle? Yes.

6. Games of strategy or games of chance? Chance.

7. Do you have any recurring dreams? Not anymore.

8. What did you learn from your first real job? That I wanted a better second job.

9. Do you buy or borrow most books? Buy.

10. What fashion trend of the past did you say you'd never wear again but did? A vest.

11. When do you start Christmas shopping? The day after Christmas.

12. Have you ever been so happy that you literally jumped up and down for a few seconds? If so, what was the occasion? Nope, but there's still time.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

2 Corinthians 3:6 (NKJV) who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Carrots, Eggs, and Coffee

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil.

In the first boiling pot she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see?'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting; however, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you... When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Romans 13:1 (NIV) Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Dance in the Rain

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived at the hospital to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

 

The nurse took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.
The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.

He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. 

He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'

He smiled As he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me,  
But  I still know who she is.' 

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, True love is neither Physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the best of everything they have.  'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, But  "How to dance in the rain."  

  

This is the kind of love Jesus has for each of us. It doesn't matter what we've done, where we've been, what we have, and what we have not. This is the kind of love Jesus wants us to show to others. Is there someone near you who you can show this kind of love to today, This Day? Reach out to someone with the love of Jesus and watch the miracle.

Peace and Joy,

Susan

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.