Christmas Spirit

 

Wouldn't life be worth the living,
Wouldn't dreams be coming true,
If we kept the Christmas spirit,
All the whole year through?
~Author Unknown

 

Positive...

Thought for Today

An Inspirational Short Story :-)

Two frogs!

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
This story teaches two lessons:
1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them.
Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words... it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

Author Unknown

“Let Every Day Be Christmas”

“Let Every Day Be Christmas”
by Norman Wesley Brooks

Christmas is forever, not for just one day, for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf. The good you do for others is good you do yourself. Peace on Earth, good will to men, kind thoughts and words of cheer, are things we should use often and not just once a year. Remember too the Christ-child, grew up to be a man; to hide him in a cradle, is not our dear Lord’s plan. So keep the Christmas spirit, share it with others far and near, from week to week and month to month, throughout the entire year! written December 17th 1976 by Norman Wesley Brooks U.S. Design Engineer (1923–2002)

Words of Wisdom

For You

'She looked back..."

She looked back and marveled how far she had come ... she didn't wonder how she had made it ... she already knew the answer .... only by God's help had she powered through .... for without His strength she could do nothing.

Inspiration

A Woman's Heart

So True....

Choice.....

Beautiful♥

Nature

There is pleasure in the pathless woods, 
there is rapture in the lonely shore,
there is society where none intrudes,
by the deep sea,
and music in its roar;
I love not Man less,
but Nature more.

Lord Byron

Stay Positive

Thought for Today

Faith

RAIN

A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in a shopping center. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the center.

We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in.

"Mom, let's run through the rain," she said. - "What?" Mom asked.
"Let's run through the rain!" she repeated.
"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.

This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain,"
"We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said.
"No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm. "This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"
"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 
'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!"

Now the entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.

And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories... So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday.
 

To Everything There Is A Season And A Time To Every Purpose Under Heaven! 
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Bob Perks

Kindness

At the right time,

a kind word from a stranger,

or encouragement from a friend,

can make all the difference in the world.

Kindness is free, but it's priceless.

It's Always The Right Time.

Strength

Love

Respect

The Best Day Of Your Life

Inspiration

Be faithful in small things because it is in them 

that your strength lies.

Thought for Today

“Too many people are thinking 

the grass is greener 

on the other side of the fence,

when they ought to just water

the grass they are standing on.”

Inspiration

Beautiful!

Promise Yourself

Promise Yourself

Promise yourself to live every day to the max;

 To dream big and see every glass as half full; 

To set high expectations for 

yourself and for those around you;

To get things done rather

 than talking about them; 

To say you’ll try rather than 

complaining why you can’t; 

To lead by example rather than through control; 

To win with integrity rather than at all costs;

To make work fun rather than a chore; 

To face challenges head-on rather than surrendering 

your dreams to fear; 

To raise your hand rather than pointing fingers;

and to learn from mistakes rather than covering them up.

During your journey, promise yourself to do 

your best and nothing less; 

To make people feel good about themselves 

and proud of their accomplishments;

And to be as excited about the 

success of others as you are about your own.

If you promise yourself anything less, 

you’ll be letting yourself down.

After all, a promise is a promise.

Wisdom

Wonderful!

The Farmer - An Inspirational Story

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the 4 pups, and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard.

As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt tug on his overalls.

He looked down into the eyes of a little boy.

"Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your puppies."

"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat of the back of his neck, "these puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money."

The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket,
he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. "I've
got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?"

"Sure," said the farmer. And with that he let out a whistle. "Here Dolly!" he called.

Out from the doghouse and down ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur.

The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight.

As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed
something else stirring inside the doghouse.

Slowly another little ball appeared, this one noticeably smaller.

Down the ramp it slid. Then in a awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up....

"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the runt.

The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would."

With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe.

Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands."

With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy.

"How much?" asked the little boy.

"No charge," answered the farmer, "There's no charge for love."

Grateful

Quote for Today

It always seems impossible until its done. 

                                                                                                                                                         Nelson Mandela

Faith

Those who thank God even in trials,

turn the burden into blessings.

So keep your faith close to your 

heart and God will provide.

Beautiful People

Inspiration, Nature

All those who love Nature she loves in return, and will richly reward, not perhaps with the good things, as they are commonly called, but with the best things of this world-not with money and titles, horses and carriages, but with bright and happy thoughts, contentment and peace of mind.

JOHN LUBBOCK, The Beauties of Nature

Strong Women Quote

“I want to do is because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.” - Amelia Earhart

The Smiling Pansies

Happiness is: 
1. Falling in love. 
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts. 
3. A hot shower. 
4. No lines at the supermarket. 
5. A special glance. 
6. Getting mail. 
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road. 
8. Hearing your favourite song on the radio. 
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside. 
10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer. 
11. Chocolate milkshake ... (or vanilla ... or strawberry!) 
12. A bubble bath. 
13. Giggling. 
14. A good conversation. 
15. The beach
16. Finding a 20-dollar note in your coat from last winter. 
17. Laughing at yourself.
18. Eye contact with a hot member of the opposite sex.
19. Midnight phone calls that last for hours. 
20. Running through sprinklers. 
21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all. 
22. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful/good looking. 
23. Laughing at an inside joke. 
24. Friends. 
25. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you. 
26. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep. 
27. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner). 
28. Making new friends or spending time with old ones. 
29. Playing with a new puppy. 
30. Having someone play with your hair. 
31. Sweet dreams. 
32. Hot chocolate. 
33. Road trips with friends. 
34. Swinging on swings. 
35. Making eye contact with a cute stranger. 
36. Making chocolate chip cookies (and eating them...!). 
37. Having your friends send you homemade cookies. 
38. Holding hands with someone you care about. 
39. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change. 
40. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you. 
41. Watching the sunrise. 
42. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day. 
43. Knowing that somebody misses you. 
44. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply. 
45. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

A Para- What?

Paraprosdokians: (Winston Churchill loved them) are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous. Enjoy!
1. Where there’s a will, I want to be in it.
2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it’s still on my list.
3. Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
4. If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
6. War does not determine who is right – only who is left.
7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit.. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
8. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
9. I didn’t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
10. In filling out an application, where it says, ‘In case of emergency, Notify:’ I put ‘DOCTOR’.
11. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.
12. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
13. I used to be indecisive. Now I’m not so sure..
14. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
15. You’re never too old to learn something stupid.
16. I’m supposed to respect my elders, but it’s getting harder and harder for me to find one now

Wonderful Inspiration

Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won’t either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could.
– Louise Erdrich

Inspiration

Inspirational

The Elephant Rope

As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped,
 confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being 
held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. 
No chains, no cages. 
It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, 
break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, 
“when they are very young and much smaller we use the same 
size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. 
As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot 
break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The man was amazed. These animals could at any time
 break free from their bonds but because they believed
 they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life
 hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, 
simply because we failed at it once before?

Failure is part of learning; we should never give up 
the struggle in life.

Live a humble life that pleases God not men

Quote

There is a wisdom of the head,

 and... a wisdom of the heart.

~Charles Dickens

Inspiration

Inspirations

Different, but Best Friends

Smile

SMILE!!!!!

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger...
The smile seemed to make him feel better...
He remembered past kindnesses of a friend
And wrote him a thank you letter...
The friend was so pleased with the thank you
That he left a large tip after lunch...
The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,
Bet the whole thing on a hunch...
The next day she picked up her winnings,
And gave part to a man on the street...
The man on the street was grateful;
For two days he'd had nothing to eat...
After he finished his dinner,
He left for his small dingy room...
He didn't know at that moment
That he might be facing his doom...
On the way he picked up a shivering puppy
And took him home to get warm...
The puppy was very grateful
To be in out of the storm...
That night the house caught on fire...
The puppy barked the alarm...
He barked till he woke the whole household
And saved everybody from harm...
One of the boys that he rescued
Grew up to be President...
All this because of a simple smile
That hadn't cost a cent...


Written by: Barbara Hauck

Who is Jesus?

I have had this article in my pc for several years, sometimes print it out for a friend who wants a copy.

 Hope you will read it as Easter is near.

 God Bless, Kerry

Who is Jesus?

On any account, Jesus of Nazareth is the most influential person who has ever walked the globe.

Finding the real Jesus these days, however, is a bit like trying to choose what to eat at the food court. There are so many different versions of ‘Jesus’ on offer that the choice can be overwhelming. A quick Google image search turns up most of the basic options: there’s the ‘meek and mild’ Jesus of the children’s picture books, the ‘holy’ Jesus of the stained glass windows, Dan Brown’s ‘wise teacher’ Jesus from the Da Vinci Code, and Mel Gibson’s bloodstained Jesus from The Passion of the Christ, just to name a few. If we want to find the real Jesus, however, the best place to start is with Jesus’ own words about himself in the four most ancient Christian Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These four books are our earliest and most reliable historical records for the life of Jesus.

Jesus lived a remarkable life. He was born to Jewish parents in Palestine around 5BC, when the mighty Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean world. His miraculous birth was surrounded by scandal. In infancy, he became a refugee when his family was forced to flee from Herod the tyrant. As an adult, he faced persecution from the self-appointed religious authorities of the day. And in the end, he was betrayed by one of his closest associates. Jesus was then condemned by the conspiracy of his opponents, and executed by crucifixion at the hands of Roman soldiers. He died hanging between two anti-Roman terrorists on a cross outside Jerusalem.

In the midst of all this, Jesus spoke a remarkable message. He announced that the time had come for God to enter history in a new and decisive way. This God, Jesus said – the God who made us – handcrafted the universe like a great masterpiece, and designed the world to be a place of life and peace, brimming with potential and hope. This same God, Jesus said, breathes life into the world every day, making the sunrise, sending the rain, and showering good gifts on all of us. Despite this, Jesus explained, all of us human beings – right from the very beginning – have turned our backs on God. The result is that we have cut ourselves off from our Creator, brought heartache into our relationships with each other, and led the planet into ruin.

The good news Jesus announced is that God still loves us. He remains committed to the world he made. For this reason, the time had come for God to act. God, Jesus said, was about to begin the great work of reclaiming his masterpiece and restoring his broken world. Jesus, in fact, saw his own life and work as the beginning of that great restoration project. He spoke of God as the Father who had sent Jesus his Son on a mission to love the world and to call us back to himself. So Jesus welcomed the outcasts of society and ate with them. He healed those who were sick. He taught many about the love of God. He explained the wisdom of living according to the Creator’s intentions for his world. He comforted those who were mourning. He raised the dead. He brought life and hope and healing everywhere he went. Most amazing of all, Jesus offered God’s forgiveness and welcome to anyone and everyone who was willing to accept it.

In the end, Jesus was executed by those who felt threatened by his message. He saw this coming and explained the meaning of his death to his friends on several occasions. Far from being a meaningless martyrdom, in the mysterious plans of God, his death would be a sacrifice of love, offered on behalf of the rest of us, making amends to the God who made us.

Early on the Sunday morning after his execution, some women who had followed Jesus made their way to his tomb. They went to anoint his body according to the Jewish custom. But the tomb was empty, and the body missing. In the days that followed, Jesus appeared alive to his friends, and to many others. He taught them further about God’s plans for his world, and he left them with the staggering claim that God the Father had now entrusted ‘all authority in heaven and on earth’ to Jesus himself.

So who is Jesus? A remarkable Jew from the first century? No doubt. The wisest teacher who has ever lived? Most probably. Down through the centuries, millions of people like you and me have come to see that he is all of that and more. Jesus is the Son of God whose death can reconcile us to our Creator, and whose resurrection opens up a whole new world.