Hope - Adapt And Overcome

Hope Verses

A Prayer Of Trust

O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things.

- St. Ignatius of Loyola

Hope

Positive Words

"Do not save your loving speeches for your friends till they are dead; do not write them on their tombstones, speak them rather now instead." Anna Cummins

Hope

Hope

–noun
1.the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best: to give up hope.
2.a particular instance of this feeling: the hope of winning.
3.grounds for this feeling in a particular instance: There is little or no hope of his recovery.
4.a person or thing in which expectations are centered: The medicine was her last hope.
5.something that is hoped for: Her forgiveness is my constant hope.

–verb (used with object)
6.to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence.
7.to believe, desire, or trust: I hope that my work will be satisfactory.

–verb (used without object)
8.to feel that something desired may happen: We hope for an early spring.
9.Archaic. to place trust; rely (usually fol. by in).

Hope

LOL

1 One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. 2 They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?” 3 “Let me ask you a question first,” he replied. 4 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?” 5 They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. 6 But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet.” 7 So they finally replied that they didn’t know. 8 And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Luke 20:1-8 NLT


As I read this yesterday afternoon I busted out in laughter and self talk (yes, I did answer myself). This is awesome. "They demanded" and Jesus gave it to them. Jesus is not fearful of the people who question Him and are in authority. He stays calm, He listens, He answers and He moves on to His purpose. He is not threatened. He doesn't walk away and experience negative self-talk. What self esteem, what self-differentiation. LOL. What a glorious peace, and He lives w/in me by the Spirit of God. God, Help me get it. Help me get it. LOL.

Broke The 1,000

Noticed I broke a 1000 post. Cool

Live

"May you live all the days of your life." - Jonathan Swift

To God Be The Glory

To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Refrain

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Refrain

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Refrain

John 12:12-19 NLT

12) The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors 13) took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hail to the King of Israel!” 14) Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: 15) “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.” 16) His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him. 17) Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. 18) That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign. 19) Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!”

My Hope Is You - Third Day

Hope

Only Hope - Switchfoot

Poem - Hope

As long as we have hope,
we have direction,
the energy to move,
and the map to move by.
We have a hundred alternatives,
a thousand paths and infinity of dreams.
Hopeful, we are halfway to where we want to go;
Hopeless, we are lost forever.

Mark 14:12-26

12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" 13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 15 He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." 16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me." 19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, "Surely not I?" 20 "It is one of the Twelve," he replied, "one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." 22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." 23 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. 25 "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God." 26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy
Uploaded by jpdc11. - See the latest featured music videos.

Your Expression

Smile! Of all the things you wear out your smile is the most important. Turn that frown upside down. "A happy heart make the face cheerful..." Proverbs 5:13b

Thoughts

"Our voluntary thoughts not only reveal what we are, they predict what we will become." - A.W. Tozer

Funny - Not Southwest

Hank Williams - Jerusalem to Jericho

Came across this while preparing a message for 3-14-10. Interesting telling of the Good Samaritan.

Finish What You Started

"Find your joy in something finished, and not a thousand things begun." Douglas Mallock

Relationship Thoughts To Live

Be quick to receive the truth and even quicker to dismiss gossip.
A smile is your most important accessory.
Examine yourself for the faults you find most irritating in others.
Be a leaner.
Let people help you.
Help others.
Spend more of your resources on relationships than you do on things.
Laugh with people.
Receive criticism and grow.
Call on a close friend when needed.
Seek advice.
Listen.

Horizon

Where Heaven meets earth. "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." The more heavenly minded you become the more earthly good you will be. A simple prayer - "May up there come down here" John Ortberg, God Is Closer Than You Think

Rock On - Don't Stop

One Another

Do not just pretend that you love others. Really love them.... Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:9-10 NLT

Psalm 27

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
4 One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, "Seek his [b] face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.
13 I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

God's Changing Power

I am currently in a community group, a small group of people that meets regularly to study the Bible, encourage one another and pray for each other, and we are looking at the first four chapters in the Book of Acts found in the New Testament. I enjoy reading through Acts and pray for a renewal in my life and in the local church as God's spirit falls fresh upon us and within us. I have been giving thought to the following verse.

“But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

I know that I’ve read over this verse numerous times and have talked to friends about this verse and have preached messages using this verse and the text in which it is written. It’s easy to pinpoint the geographic interpretation of this command from Jesus. Jerusalem is their home town or where they are located, Judea is their homeland, Samaria is their neighbor, and the ends of the earth is the Roman Empire. Rome was the only known world at the time. Usually this verse is interpreted geographically and that is a good start, but there is much much more to this verse and mandate of Jesus Christ.

What might this have meant to these early followers of the Way. What is expected of them and of you and I as we seek to live out this first century text in our 21st century context.

Where were the believers preaching in Jerusalem? The temple, the market place and in households. The same temple that ordered Jesus' crucifixion is where these followers proclaimed His resurrection. I can’t imagine trying to preach in such a hostile environment. The Jewish leaders thought they got rid of Jesus and his followers, but now the followers are preaching in their temples. The message of Jesus is being heard in the same city in which the messenger had been put to death. These disciples are empowered and begin delivering a message of redemption and forgiveness right where they are. These followers are not from Jerusalem, yet they are in Jerusalem for the purpose of launching a message of hope.

Judea might have been a difficult area because of the Judaism. Many Jews were wrapped up in the laws of Judaism and to hear a message of grace and forgiveness based on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, would have been very strange to them. The new believers and the young church had a lot of undoing to do. To tell the Jewish people that the Law of Moses really doesn’t mean a great deal compared to God’s grace found in Jesus Christ is no easy task. But they did it. They stayed at it and relied upon God's power and one another and discovered ways to help people accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Samaria is Judea’s neighbor. The Jews did not care for these people because essentially Samaritans took a little bit of Judaism and mixed it in with other religions and people groups. Jesus even used the illustration of the good Samaritan to drive home a point about prejudice and hatred. I can’t imagine that the Samaritans liked the Jews either. The Jews and Samaritans did not have a loving relationship and there was most likely some serious prejudice towards one another from both groups. Yet Jesus tells these new believers to go preach to the people they have disliked and to the people who dislike them. This seems unreasonable, yet they did it. They begin to spread the good news (the Gospel) as they experience persecution in Jerusalem they are dispersed and thus is the message of Jesus Christ.

That leaves the last part of the verse which refers to the ends of the earth. To these early Christians the end of the earth was the Roman Empire and the rest of the unknown. The Roman Empire was the known world to them and Rome looked down upon the Jewish people because they were a troublesome people. The Jewish people did not care for the Romans and were even expecting Jesus to deliver them from Roman control. These early followers were expecting Jesus to set up a new Kingdom. But Jesus has now asked the believers to preach to people that oppress them. Go tell someone who despises you about God’s grace and they actually do it. They move beyond themselves and in God's grace and power, not without difficulty and tension, they take the Gospel to Rome, the known center of the world. Amazing.

These followers of the way are preaching to the very people who crucified Jesus, to the people they dislike and who dislike them, and to the people who are in authority and have been oppressive towards them. There’s nothing mild about this text or this story in Acts. These people seem to be downright crazy, yet they are not. They are empowered by God, they are changed by God's spirit, they are seeking to be obedient, they are moving beyond their small worldview and into God' Kingdom and Worldview. All of this just shows how much of a hold the Holy Spirit has on these people. Pentecost is the key ingredient here. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, the church would not have made it. This is powerful and this is about power. Gods power infusing His people and changing the world as they knew it. This is the real bold and beautiful. May we be empowered and live in such a way that God uses us to change the world as we know it.

"All the essentials of Hinduism would, I think, remain unimpaired if you subtracted the miraculous, and the same is almost true of Islam, but you cannot do that with Christianity. It is precisely the story of a great miracle. A naturalistic Christianity leaves out all that is specifically Christianity." C.S. Lewis

Parting Words

"Never part without loving words to think of during your abence. It may be that you will not meet again in life." Jean Paul Ritcher

Mark 5:1-19

A New App For Your Phone

Impossible??

Impossible

On Fire For God

Start Where You Stand

Start where you stand and never mind the past,
The past won't help you in beginning new,
If you have left it all behind at last
Why, that's enough, you're done with it, you're through;
This is another chapter in the book,
This is another race that you have planned,
Don't give the vanished days a backward look,
Start where you stand.

The world won't care about your old defeats
If you can start anew and win success,
The future is your time, and time is fleet
And there is much of work and strain and stress;
Forget the buried woes and dead despairs,
Here is a brand new trial right at hand,
The future is for him who does and dares,
Start where you stand.

Old failures will not halt, old triumphs aid,
To-day's the thing, to-morrow soon will be;
Get in the fight and face it unafraid,
And leave the past to ancient history;
What has been, has been; yesterday is dead
And by it you are neither blessed nor banned,
Take courage, man, be brave and drive ahead,
Start where you stand.

Berton Braley

Hope

Miracles - Jesus

"Jesus himself is the one convincing and permanent miracle!" Paul E. Little, Know Why You Believe

Hope - Hold On

I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining.

I believe in love, even when I'm alone.

I believe in God, even when He is silent.

Trust God in the dark till the light returns. A.W. Tozer

Christ Is Central

Jesus Christ is the unique and total incarnation of truth, the only way, the only life, and yet we betray His spirit of love when we build a wall between Buddhist, Jews, or Muslims and ourselves (followers Of Jesus). He is our only Master, and yet without betraying Him we can learn from the Greek philosophers, the sages of India, the philosophers of China, or the sacred texts of Ancient Egypt. Paul Tournier

This Is Rich

1-5 After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home. A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. When they weren't able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins." 6-7Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, "He can't talk that way! That's blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins." 8-12Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, "Why are you so skeptical? Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, 'I forgive your sins,' or say, 'Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking'? Well, just so it's clear that I'm the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both . . ." (he looked now at the paraplegic), "Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home." And the man did it—got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him. They rubbed their eyes, incredulous—and then praised God, saying, "We've never seen anything like this!" Mark 2:1-12 The Message

Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

God's Active Love

9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
I John 4:9-10 NLT

Belong To A Church

Pastor.com Blog

The Importance Of The Bible - What If?

Use Them

11 The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away.
12 He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. 13 Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ 14 But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’ 15 “After he was crowned king, he returned and called in the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what their profits were. 16 The first servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’ 17 “‘Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.’ 18 “The next servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made five times the original amount.’ 19 “‘Well done!’ the king said. ‘You will be governor over five cities.’ 20 “But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘Master, I hid your money and kept it safe. 21 I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’ 22 “‘You wicked servant!’ the king roared. ‘Your own words condemn you. If you knew that I’m a hard man who takes what isn’t mine and harvests crops I didn’t plant, 23 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ 24 “Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’ 25 “‘But, master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten pounds!’ 26 “‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 27 And as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king—bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.’”
Luke 19:11-27

Love

3

Grade yourself on the same scale that you grade others.

Carefully avoid in yourself those things which disturb you in others. - T aKempis

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. I Thessalonians 5:11 NIV

There Is A God

I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say there is no God. - Abraham Lincoln

The Power Of One

One encouraging word
One extra minute
One extra mile
One brief conversation
One "Thank You" note
One smile
One kind word
One little reminder
One "good job" spoken
One "Hello"
One second before responding
One pat on the back
One positive voicemail
One compliment
One word of discipline
One "I love you"
One hug
One life

Growth

"God loves us the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way."
Leighton Ford

Horizon Community Church began on 2-1-10

Horizon Community Church

A Humble Approach

9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14 NLT

Be Kind

"Be kind to everybody you meet, because everybody is having a hard time."
George W. Truett

Luke 11:5-13 NLT

5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. 9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Louie Giglio - Laminin

Happy New Year

The Good Samaritan In Lego

The Good Samaritan

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[c]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " 28 "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' 36 "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." Luke 10:25-37

Christmas Chalk

Matthew 2:1-12

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
6" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' "
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Merry Christmas - This is a cool card

A Christmas Duo

This little nativity scene sets atop the CPU unit in the office I use at the church building. It was purchased at a Dollar Tree Store in 1996. I keep it out throughout the year to remind me that Christmas is all the time. Enjoy the Christmas Season and remember Christmas is all the time. Christ Mass or Christ Worship is what Christmas is about.

Matthew 1:18-25 From The Message

18-19The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.
20-23While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—'God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term:

Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son;
They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").

24-25Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.

Nativity Story

Stress Free Christmas

10 Tips for a Stress-Free Christmas
Written by Dwayne Hastings

Most of us have problems with stress sometime during the year, but the Christmas season seems to bring out the worst in all of us.

One-third of Americans live with extreme stress year-round and nearly half of Americans (48 percent) believe that their stress has increased over the past five years, according to a survey released by the American Psychological Association in October. Most of those surveyed (75 percent) tagged money and work as the contributing factors to the tension in their lives.

Richard Swenson, a physician and author of several books on stress, including "Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives," says, "Stress is such a common term that we might tend to trivialize it, assuming it's a convenient fiction for the weak who do not wish to do their best. Such an attitude would be a mistake. Stress is real, it is increasing and it can be highly pathogenic." Swenson is a member of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations.

With the Christmas shopping season nearly upon us, it is wise to plan ahead to minimize the anxiety and maximize the joy that often comes with the season. Experts might call this managing stress.

To avoid the build-up of stress knocking you down during the Christmas holiday, consider these tips:

1. Be reasonable in your expectations of the holidays.
2. Focus on the first Christmas. Involve your family in a ministry to the less fortunate in your community.
3. Be realistic in your spending plans. Set a realistic budget and don't budge from it.
4. Avoid impulse shopping. Make sure you save your receipts in order to return merchandise once you've gone home and surveyed all your purchases.
5. Take advantage of special sales, but refuse to consider bargains once you've finished your shopping list.
6. Plan ahead and take advantage of sales to buy gifts year around, but make sure you keep good track of your "good deals." A toy you bought on clearance for your preschool son doesn't have quite the same value it originally did when you discover it in the attic, still in the bag, when he is in 6th grade.
7. Make it a family-centered Christmas. Recall the favorite Christmas memories of your youth and seek to recreate them, e.g., make sugar cookies and snicker doodles from scratch as a family. Craft garlands of construction paper loops to decorate your tree. Set aside time to drive through town to see the Christmas lights. Visit a live nativity if one is held in your community.
8. A big buildup to Christmas day leads to a big letdown the day after Christmas. Keep the Christmas spirit alive by planning family events during the week after Christmas and throughout January.
9. Listen to Christmas carols!
10. Make Jesus the focus. Celebrate the Christ -- His birth, His life, His death and resurrection -- this season. Rejoice in the new, victorious life you have in Him.

Give a gift of good health to your family this Christmas -- don't let the stress of the season sour your spirit and muddle your family's merriment.

This article was written by Dwayne Hastings who is a writer for the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. I found it at http://www.lifeway.com/

This Is Christmas

Intention And Action

Despite popular belief, there is absolutely no power in intention. There's no difference in the person who intends to do things differently and the one who never thinks about it in the first place. Have you ever considered how often we judge ourselves by our intentions while we judge others by their actions? Yet intention without action is an insult to those who expect the best from you. ~Andy Andrews

Thanks to my friend Jay Hathaway for htis one. He posted on FB.

Christmas - God Sent Us A Savior

"If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior." - Author Unknown

Christmas In A Nutshell

Joy To The World - Remember This As You Shop

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Luke 2:11 - Hope

I Am Thankful For...

God's Word.

My fantastic husband and father to our daughter.

Being able to stay home with my daughter.

I am thankful for my best friend/husband.

My children.

Knowing that my Daddy is in heaven.

That my parents taught me about God at a young age and that I have always had God in my life.

Concrete, TV, music, fun, swimming pools, friends, forgiveness, love, smiles, kisses, hugs and my church.

GLARE.

People who helped lead me to Jesus Christ.

My awesome family and friends. My health, my children, my job, my husband, and most of all the gift of salvation.

My amazing children.

My Sunrise family.

Those who continue to love me even when I cannot love myself.

The unconditional love of Jesus Christ and the opportunity in him to live a new life.

For 2nd, 3rd, 4th ... chances.

Grace, mercy, forgiveness.

For God keeping His promises.

I am thankful for my family and getting connected to Sunrise.

My health, family and friends.

For the power of prayer and people who pray for us.

For God bringing us close to home in Hampton Roads so our children and me and my wife could benefit being close to family.

For every single member of my family.

For my mother's husband who helps her accomplish and do things she has always wanted to do and really loves her.

A Brief History

History Of Thanksgiving

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Thanks

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Thankful - Quotes

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. H.U. Westermayer
To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven. Johannes A. Gaertner

If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get. Frank A. Clark

Who does not thank for little will not thank for much. Estonian Poverb

We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning. Albert Barnes

A Good Word

Be very careful never to forget what you have seen God doing for you. May his miracles have a deep and permanent effect on your lives! Tell your children and your grandchildren about the glorious miracles he did. Deuteronomy 4:9 TLB

Psalm 150

1 Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
2 Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
3 Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
4 Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!

Look Around

Things To Stop Doing

The following is taken from "3 Minutes" sent from the The Spence Network

The "Things to Stop Doing" List

Addictions: These are hard to give up as they are deeply ingrained in our thoughts, emotions and behaviours. For whatever reason, they have become a very big part of our lives and we feel stuck in their grip. Some examples are smoking, drinking to excess, drugs, prescribed medications, pornography,food and even sex can become an addiction.

Bad Personal Habits: These are little habits that we have which, in themselves, are not serious, but do annoy others or make them feel uncomfortable. What are yours?

Distracting mannerisms: These are our verbal and non verbal mannerisms that can distract, annoy or make us the brunt of others' jokes. I once heard a guy speak who had a little laugh after nearly all of the statements that he made. It seemed odd when he was talking about poverty in Africa. It made it hard to focus on the content.

Unhelpful interpersonal behaviors: I have to watch that I don't cut people off when they are speaking. I have a lot to say and my mind is often already onto the next thing. This is not helpful when it comes to building stronger relationships. Some people are always complaining or being negative, while others just don't want to talk about anything that involves feelings (often men).

Unhealthy leadership styles: Just because it says leader on your name tag doesn't mean that you are actually leading well. Some leaders are dictatorial while others are so relaxed and disorganized that nothing gets done. Some leaders are harsh while others are too nice and do not make difficult decisions.

Tips on how to stop and change

1. Acknowledge and accept responsibility for your behavior (don't blame your parents for everything).
2. Don't be too hard on yourself (we are only human).
3. Think about how this behavior started and what things are keeping it going, eg. started drinking because of stress at work and continued to drink heavily whenever stressed as it gave some temporary relief.

4. Understand the negative consequences and costs of the behavior.

5. Develop a desire for change.

6. Ask others for help. People who have had training and experience in the area that you are struggling with can help you to change.

7. Create a strategy for change.

8. If you fall back into it try again and again .....
9.Celebrate breaking the cycle and watch out that the behavior doesn't sneak in a later stage.

Give Thanks - Funny

From A Calendar - Thankfulness

Thankfulness is the soil in which joy thrives.

...let us be thankful and so worship God... with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28

Focus

11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. I Timothy 6:11-16

Three

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

FAITH - Forsaking All I Trust Him Fantastic Adventure In Trusting Him

Three

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. Psalm 28:7

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them,
is the true measure of our thanksgiving. W.T. Purkiser

Thanksgiving
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Relief

I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?

Jeremiah 32:27 NIV

Life Change

Look To This Passaage All Month

1 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
3 Know that the LORD Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
5 For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100:1-5 NAS

Choose

Planning Head

You can never plan the future by the past. Edmund Burke

Christianity

Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. CS Lewis

Change - It Can Happen

I heard this message on Sunday, 10-18-09, with my family as we worshipped at and with Fairfax Community Church
in Fairfax, VA.
Great Message: Watch And Listen Here

Come To Me

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

One Another

The Gospels

1. “…Be at peace with each other” (Mark 9:50)

2. “…Wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14)

3. “…Love one another…” (John 13:34-35; John 15:12, 17)

Paul’s Letters

Romans, I Corinthians, II Corinthians

4. “Love one another”(Romans 13:8)

5. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love…” (Romans 12:10)

6. “Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10)

7. “Live in harmony with one another…” (Romans 12:16)

8. “…Stop passing judgment on one another” (Romans 14:13)

9. “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you…” (Romans 15:7)

10. “…instruct one another” (Romans 15:4)

11. “Greet one another with a holy kiss…” (Romans 16:16; I Corinthians 16:20, II Corinthians13:12; I Thessalonians 5:26)

12. “…When you come together to eat, wait for each other” (I Corinthians 11:33)

13. “…Have equal concern for each other” (I Corinthians 12:25)

14. “…Serve one another in love” (II Corinthians 13:12)

Galatians, Ephesians

15. “Carry each other’s burdens…” (Galatians 6:2)

16. “If you keep on biting and devouring each other…you will be destroyed by each other” (Galatians 5:15)

17. “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other” (Galatians 5:26)

18. “…Be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2)

19. “Be kind and compassionate to one another…” (Ephesians 4:32)

20. “…forgiving each other…” (Ephesians 4:32)

21. “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19)

22. “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21)Philippians, Colossians

23. “…in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3)

24. “Do not lie to each other…” (Colossians 3:9)

25. “Bear with each other…” (Colossians 3:13)

26. “…Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another” (Colossians 3:13)

27. “Teach…[one another]” (Colossians 3:16)

28. “…admonish one another” (Colossians 3:16)

I Thessalonians, Hebrews

29. “…make your love increase and overflow for each other” (I Thessalonians 3:12)

30. “Encourage one another” (I Thessalonians 4:18, 5:11; Hebrews 10:25)

31. “…Build each other up…” (I Thessalonians 5:11)

32. “Encourage one another daily…” (Hebrews 3:13)

33. “Spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24)

Other Letters: James, I Peter, I John, II John

34. “…Do not slander one another” (James 4:11)

35. “Don’t grumble against each other” (James 5:9)

36. “Confess your sins to each other…” (James 5:16)

37. “…Pray for each other” (James 5:16)

38. “…Love one another deeply, from the heart” (I Peter 1:22, 4:8)

39. “…Live in harmony with one another…” (I Peter 3:8)

40. “Greet one another with a kiss of love” (I Peter 5:14)
41. “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (I Peter 4:9)

42. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others…” (I Peter 4:10)

43. “…Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another…” (I Peter 5:15)

44. “Love one another” (I John 3:11, 23, 4:7,11,12; II John 5)

Questions

1. If you weren't on staff at your church, would you worship there? I think we've all served at churches that we wouldn't worship at. (I know I have). And many times we are in the process of transitioning them into a church that we'd love to attend. If you're in that position right now, this is still a great question to ask. Why wouldn't you want to worship there? And what is keeping other people away from the church that you serve? 2. If you didn't know ANYTHING about Jesus, what would you know about him after a normal weekend at your church? Think about your service yesterday. If you didn't know squat about Jesus yesterday morning; what would you know about Him or think about Him today? This is a question that we need to ask each and every week. How does your church communicate Jesus? 3. If you had a loved one who didn't know Christ, and they had one week left to live, would you take them to your church or another? In this last question, it goes one level deeper. How's your church doing at communicating the main message? Truthfully; would you take your dying unsaved mother to a service at your church or another church across town? How clear is the gospel presented in your church?

From lifechurch.tv

Hope