Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Gabriel's Message



The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
“All hail,” said he, “thou lowly maiden Mary,
most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
“For know a blessed Mother thou shalt be,
all generations laud and honor thee,
thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said.
“My soul shall laud and magnify his holy Name.”
Most highly favored lady, Gloria!
Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ was born
in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say:
“Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!

Christmas Eve



Life holds no sweeter thing than this:
To teach a little child the tale most loved on earth;
And watch the wonder deepen in his eyes; 
The while you tell of the Christ Child's birth;
The while you tell of shepherds and a song,
Of gentle drowsy beasts and fragrant hay;
On which that starlit night in Bethlehem,
God's tiny Son and His young mother lay....
                                          Adelaide Love

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Who would have thunk it?

A photographer was taking pictures of a dam in Italy when he noticed the "spots". On closer inspection he found they were goats!

They're not putting their life on the line to show off but actually grazing and licking the rocks for salts and minerals.



I'm impressed! God created some truly wondrous creatures!

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Sunday, December 15, 2013

O Come, O Come...

Enya has such a hauntingly beautiful voice...and is singing one of my all time favorite Christmas hymns...



"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" by Enya
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Friday, December 13, 2013

Southern Living...

I'm sure everyone is partial to the part of the world they grew up in (or currently live in). I, for one, couldn't imagine spending my life anywhere but the South. 

Having grown up with a father who thought himself half gypsy, I've lived in several areas of the Southeastern US. Each place had it's own traditions and customs but many are the same throughout the region. People can tell by your accent which state you're from (although I do get asked if I'm from Texas from time to time...but this is by those who haven't lived here and don't have a fine-tuned ear for accents), and although we may get a little upset if you support our number 1 rival college football team, as long as your accent has a southern twang, people will accept you.

Enjoyed an article this morning written by someone who had their first taste of Southern living...you might like it too:
 
Minutes after landing in the South, I realized I was somewhere very, very different from California or New York. The air indoors was perfumed with fried chicken. The air outdoors felt humid and rich. People were... smiling. For no reason that I could see.

For a few warm, smiley days, my eager (read: eager to party) hosts led me in the Southern way of life. The things they taught me (between beers) have made my real life all the better...

Although it wouldn't be hard to find more than the 8 things listed, it's a good start! Check here...

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Little Drummer Boy...

One of my favorites...A Capella...definitely worth a watch, and a listen!


Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Let's start talking...

Good article that tries to open the door, just a little, and get us to discuss "5 Uncomfortable Issues the Church Needs to Start Talking About"...

It has been said that the Church is not a museum of saints, but a hospital for sinners. Yet, most of us would much rather pretend to be a saint on display than call for an ambulance.

Week after week, many of us walk into a church, sit by people we have known for years and yet would never dream of sharing our innermost struggles with. While a large part of this is our pride, another factor is a Church that seems unwilling to talk about certain uncomfortable issues, choosing rather to ignore them, try to cover them up or simply reject people who bring them up.

There are many issues the Church as a whole needs to address, such as creationism, activism, environmental stewardship and many others. But there are many more issues that individuals in the Church are dealing with—issues that the Church Body should be talking about. In Galatians 6:2, Paul urged the Church to "Bear each other's burdens," so maybe with more grace and love we can turn on the light in the darkened rooms of each other’s hearts and let our churches become safe havens for the uncomfortable things we have to deal with....

Read the rest at Relevant

Monday, December 9, 2013

Beloved

From the moment we claim the truth of being the Beloved, we are faced with the call to become who we are. Becoming the Beloved is the greatest spiritual journey we will ever make.

As long as "being the Beloved" is little more than a beautiful thought or a lofty idea..., nothing really changes. What is required is to become the Beloved in the commonplaces of my daily existence and, bit by bit, to close the gap that exists between what I know myself to be and the countless specific realities of everyday life.


Thursday, December 5, 2013

Advent

For those who don't have an Advent calendar on hand...or for those who don't know what an Advent calendar is...


"Advent is a precious time in the Christian calendar. The four weeks leading up to December 25 are meant to be a period of expectant waiting, as we prepare ourselves for the miraculous arrival of our Savior and his gifts of love, hope, joy, and peace.
The reality for most of us, though, is that these are anxious weeks of shopping and holiday planning leading up to a hectic Christmas Day. In the bustle of the holiday season, it’s hard to remember what we’re waiting for.
Completely avoiding the Christmas onslaught may be impossible, but we can make an effort to maintain some connection to the spiritual foundation of this season. Busted Halo’s 2013 Advent Surprise Calendar is here to help with that..."

This is just a picture...to access the calendar, go to this link...
 http://bustedhalo.com/features/advent-calendar-2013 

Just in case you're not familiar with Advent...Busted Halo will tell you in 2 minutes what it's all about!

 

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

JOY!

Happiness is a perception!

 

Piano Guys....

Must admit, this is the first time I've heard these guys...what an interesting way to make music!

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

12 days of Christmas...

Just in case you're interested in purchasing all the gifts in the song...in 2013 it will cost you about $114,000.00!



http://news.yahoo.com/12-days-christmas-items-top-114k-050236819.html

Thought it was interesting, because of minimum wage, the 8 maids a'milking are the cheapest of them all!