Happy First of December!

I have often spoken of my mother. She was a sweet and delightful person.  She rose to every occasion, she loved life, she dearly loved my father, she loved each of her children in their uniqueness, she loved anyone we loved with a passion, and she treasured all her grandchildren.

After her untimely death I learned of her difficult childhood and as an adult I marveled at how she had overcome her traumas.  I know she loved the LORD in her own quiet ways and I assume this was her greatest achievement--to conquer her wounds and live a full life.

When I was a young mother and had moved far way from my childhood home, a package arrived at the end of November to the beginning of December each year. These packages continued for me for 17 years. 

She called them "First of December" boxes. They would be about the size of a shoe box and full of treats to eat, small ornaments, crafts to do, trimmings to hang...so much love!

Each and every package would surprise us! What joy to receive and open such a box full of love each Christmas season!

These boxes were full of her--my sweet mother.  The things only represented the lovely woman she was. Her love showered us when we were far, far away from her, but I think if we had lived next door she still would have done special things for us there also.

What a precious treasure my mother was! I wish I could talk with her now, and tell her how much I loved her! I think and think and wonder if I ever told her!  

Well, of course, I have told her in so many ways! I loved her, told her, hugged her, wrote her, called her, visited her, made things for her, drew things for her, did things for her...She knew.

...but then she was gone, and I have missed her so much that it still hurts. I remember her every day, those little things and big things. I have some of her "things", but so many other things of her I remember in my heart. 

One thing my mother taught me was to love my life, to love my husband dearly; I have loved my children in all their uniquenesses, I love others, and sometimes I do some of the things she used to do like, "December First" boxes for those I love and those who need to be loved. Some of the "boxes" I made up were mailed far away this week, and others will be given out tomorrow and then the next couple of days.

Yesterday I was with a dear friend who has loved us as family. She has been a busy mom for 25 years. She has dearly loved her husband and each child in their uniquenesses, and she has loved us. I have given her and her family a "December First" box for 18 years, and now that her little ones are grown and on their own I send them each a "December First" package. While we were together yesterday she surprised with me a "December First" bag with sweet "this and thats" and I was overcome with joy and love for how my mother taught me how to reach out to others in kindnesses and love! 

How special we are to receive a "December First" bag!

Heal us ! We Are Deep Wounded Souls

Heal Us

Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are

We long to feel Thy touch

Deep wounded souls to Thee we fly

O Savior hear our cry

Our faith is feeble, we confess

We faintly trust Thy word

But will You pity us the less?

Be that far from You Lord!

Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are

We long to feel Thy touch

Deep wounded souls to Thee we fly

O Savior hear our cry

Remember him who once applied

With trembling for relief

“Lord, I believe,” with tears he cried

“O help my unbelief!"

Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are

We long to feel Thy touch

Deep wounded souls to Thee we fly

O Savior hear our cry

She, too, who touched you in the press

And healing virtue stole

Was answered, “Daughter, go in peace

Thy faith has made thee whole.

Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are

We long to feel Thy touch

Deep wounded souls to Thee we fly

O Savior hear our cry

Like her, with hopes and fears we come

To touch You if we may

O send us not despairing home

Send none unhealed away

Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are

We long to feel Thy touch

Deep wounded souls to Thee we fly

O Savior hear our cry

-Cowper

Thankful for so many things, today and every day

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Colossians 3:12-17

"So, as those who have been chosen 

of God, holy and beloved, 

put on a heart of compassion, 

kindness, 

humility, 

gentleness and 

patience;

bearing with one another, 

and forgiving each other, 

whoever has a complaint against anyone; 

just as the Lord forgave you, 

so also should you.

Beyond all these things put on love, 

which is the perfect bond of unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, 

to which indeed you were called in one body; 

and be thankful.

Let the word of Christ 

richly dwell within you, 

with all wisdom teaching and

admonishing one another 

with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, 

singing with thankfulness 

in your hearts to God.

Whatever you do in word or deed, 

do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks through Him 

to God the Father."

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"Be Thou my battle shield, sword for the fight!"

Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.

Thou my best thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle shield, sword for the fight;

Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight;

Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower:

Raise Thou me heavenward, O power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,

Thou mine inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,

May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

-Forgaill/Byrne/Hull

Life is tough, people can be evil and cruel, but never get even, instead give the LORD room for His wrath

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Romans 12

 "... 9. Let love be without hypocrisy. 

Abhor what is evil; 

cling to what is good.

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; 

give preference to one another in honor;

not lagging behind in diligence, 

fervent in spirit, 

serving the Lord;

rejoicing in hope, 

persevering in tribulation, 

devoted to prayer,

contributing to the needs of the saints, 

practicing hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; 

bless and do not curse.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, 

and weep with those who weep.

Be of the same mind toward one another; 

do not be haughty in mind, 

but associate with the lowly. 

Do not be wise in your own estimation. 

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.

Respect what is right in the sight of all men.

If possible, 

so far as it depends on you, 

be at peace with all men.

Never take your own revenge, beloved, 

but leave room for the wrath of God, 

for it is written, 

“Vengeance is Mine, 

I will repay,” says the Lord.

“But if your enemy is hungry, 

feed him, 

and if he is thirsty, 

give him a drink; 

for in so doing you 

will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, 

but overcome evil with good."

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The LORD's Kindnesses have been from Old

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Psalm 25

To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

O my God, in You I trust, 
Do not let me be ashamed;


Do not let my enemies exult over me.

Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;


Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

Make me know Your ways, O Lord;


Teach me Your paths.

Lead me in Your truth and teach me,


For You are the God of my salvation;


For You I wait all the day.

Remember, O Lord, Your compassion 

and Your lovingkindnesses,


For they have been from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;


According to Your lovingkindness remember me,

For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.

Good and upright is the Lord;


Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.

He leads the humble in justice,


And He teaches the humble His way.

All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth


To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

For Your name’s sake, O Lord,


Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

Who is the man who fears the Lord?


He will instruct him in the way he should choose.

His soul will abide in prosperity,


And his descendants will inherit the land.

The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him,


And He will make them know His covenant.

My eyes are continually toward the Lord,


For He will pluck my feet out of the net.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,


For I am lonely and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart are enlarged;


Bring me out of my distresses.

Look upon my affliction and my trouble,


And forgive all my sins.

Look upon my enemies, for they are many,


And they hate me with violent hatred.

Guard my soul and deliver me;


Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,


For I wait for You.

Redeem Israel, O God,


Out of all his troubles.

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And, O LORD, redeem me and continue to be my Rock in the storms!

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A wonderful couple I have known my whole life

November 23, 1950

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My father's parents and my mother's mother.

A happy day!

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Precious Picture Book Honoring a Parent

This picture book centers around 

a little girl, 

her mother, 

and grandmother. 

A trauma happens, 

everyone is safe, 

then friends and neighbors 

rally around them.

Meanwhile, 

a special part of their lives

 is longed for,

saved for,

waited for,

and finally attained

 in this sweet family story 
full of love and honor.

Thankfulness.

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Pride breeds contempt, whispering, selfishness, and haughtiness which multiplies within.

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Proverbs 18

1. He who separates himself seeks his own desire,

He quarrels against all sound wisdom.

8. The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,

And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.

12. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,

But humility goes before honor.
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Find true safety in the LORD God Almighty!

10. The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

The righteous runs into it and is safe.

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RUN! RUN to HIM!

The LORD is Your Safety!

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Don't be a Target for Cults, Controlling, and Manipulating People. Seek the LORD in His Truth!

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Romans 16:17-20

"Now I urge you, brethren, 

keep your eye on those 

who cause dissensions 

and hindrances contrary to 

the teaching which you learned, 

and turn away from them.

For such men are slaves, 

not of our Lord Christ but 

of their own appetites; 

and by their smooth and 

flattering speech they deceive 

the hearts of the unsuspecting.

For the report of your obedience 

has reached to all; therefore 

I am rejoicing over you, 

but I want you to be wise 

in what is good and 

innocent in what is evil.

The God of peace will soon 

crush Satan under your feet.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you."

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So Christian, you say you are better than everyone else? --or-- Is that a millstone around your neck?

It has been said that PRIDE has its home in virtue.

A typical prideful thought would be, 
"I am more humble than you."

A righteous way of thinking would be crying out to the LORD saying,
"I am a simple servant of Christ Jesus!"

As a child of God we must turn from the easy, evil path of PRIDE toward true humility as in the innocence of a child.

PRIDE says, 
"I can do it all myself, and I will do it my way since I know I am humble."

Humility says, 
"Oh, LORD, I can't do this life on my own! 
It is too difficult and scary! 
Help me so I can overcome my fears and inabilities! 
I desire to accomplish things in Your strength!"

During Jesus' life on earth many kinds of people were marginalized, they were not considered as important. Children were one of these kinds of people.  We have many marginalized people today. 

In Matthew 18 Jesus taught about humility using children as an example. He encouraged the disciples to become like a child with the end result being a life reflecting the greatness of God to a needy fallen world full of marginalized people.  

How can we do this without the LORD's help? 

How can we revert back to a child-like innocence without Him? 

How can we truly shun PRIDE and live in humility? 

Submit to His Word in His TRUTH. 

Go to Him every day as His beloved child. Cry out to Him in your brokenness and true humility! 

Read His Word in truth---Do not listen to what others say to you unless what they say completely agrees with God's Word!

Find your greatness only in the LORD.

Turn from the easy path of PRIDE which can never, ever be satisfied. 

PRIDE always requires and desires more and more and more and more...

Flee from all relationships which are full of PRIDE, Manipulations, and Control. They have woven a great millstone around your neck! You have become a stumbling block to all who know you! Flee! Flee before it is too late!

Humble yourself before the LORD God Almighty 
and become His child in His truth alone!

Matthew 18:1-7
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, 
“Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 

And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, 
“Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, 
you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Whoever then humbles himself as this child, 
he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;
but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, 
it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, 
and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

“Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! 

For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; 
but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!"

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False Humility is a Characteristic of Cults and Cult-Like People

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"Humility is the fear of the Lord;
    

its wages are riches 

and honor 

and life.

In the paths of the wicked 

are snares 

and pitfalls,
    

but 

those who would preserve their life 

stay far from them."

Proverbs 22:4-5

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Beware of Cults and Cult-Like People

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"Cults and Cult-Like People 

have this one thing in common:

An arrogance 

that they have the right ways in life 

and that they are better than you."

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Philippians 2:1-11 

"Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, 

if there is any consolation of love, 

if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, 

if any affection and compassion,

make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, 

intent on one purpose.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, 

but with humility of mind regard one another 

as more important than yourselves;

do not merely look out 

for your own personal interests, 

but also for the interests of others.

Have this attitude in yourselves 

which was also in Christ Jesus, who, 

although He existed in the form of God, 

did not regard equality with God 

a thing to be grasped,

but emptied Himself, 

taking the form of a bond-servant, 

and being made in the likeness of men.

Being found in appearance as a man, 

He humbled Himself by becoming obedient 

to the point of death, even death on a cross.

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, 

and bestowed on Him the name 

which is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, 

of those who are in heaven and on earth 

and under the earth, and that every tongue 

will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 

to the glory of God the Father."

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Pluggersville

Thank you Military and Veterans for serving

F-4C Phantom 1976

Real American Patriotism
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"We can have no '50-50'
allegiance in this country.
Either a man is an American 
and nothing else, or he is not
 an America at all."

-Theodore Roosevelt
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Lest We Forget

Pause, Reflect, Remember.

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We can't run away

As the world becomes more chaotic we can't run away.
So put on your shield of faith and be ready to let your light shine.

Ephesians 6:10-18
"Finally, be strong in the Lord 
and in the strength of His might.

Put on the full armor of God, 
so that you will be able to stand firm 
against the schemes of the devil.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 
but against the rulers, against the powers, 
against the world forces of this darkness, 
against the spiritual forces of wickedness 
in the heavenly places.

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, 
so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, 
and having done everything, to stand firm.

Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, 
and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and having shod your feet with the preparation 
of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, 
taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to 
extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

And take the helmet of salvation, 
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.


With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, 
and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance 
and petition for all the saints..."
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Lost honor

We have lost so much in America, but certainly we have lost honor, manners, kindness, compassion, and respect in our culture.

Humanity should respect humanity, but we have witnessed less and less of it in our Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.

Concerning those persons who help us, they protect us, they save us, and most are willing to put their lives on the line for us - we continue to sadly witness many of these people not respected in our culture.

At the very same time, though, the disrespectful people still want to be protected from evil against themselves, they still want their own homes to be saved from fire, their own lives saved by medical staff, their own homes protected from invasion...

We are losing the America in which we all grew up.  

We who have been saved by Jesus know and look forward to His return as we see the signs of the times. As our country and our lives fall into disarray from the fall of decent culture, we can find great comfort and strength knowing the Lord wins.

Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death, 
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Ephesians 2
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins...

...But God, being rich in mercy, 
because of His great love with which He loved us, 
even when we were dead in our transgressions, 
made us alive together with Christ 
(by grace you have been saved), 
and raised us up with Him, and seated us 
with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 
so that in the ages to come 
He might show the surpassing riches of His grace 
in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 

For by grace you have been saved through faith; 
and that not of yourselves, 
it is the gift of God; 
not as a result of works, 
so that no one may boast..."
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--thanks to Wizard of Id

Keeping the Light on

Long as I can see the light

Put a candle in the window

'Cause I feel I've gotta move

Though I'm goin', goin'

I'll be comin' home soon

Long as I can see the light.

Pack my bag and let's get moving

'Cause I'm bound to drift awhile

Though I'm gone, gone

You don't have to worry

Long as I can see the light.

Guess I've got that old travelin' bone

'Cause this feeling won't leave alone

But I won't, won't

Be losin' my way

Long as I can see the light.

by Fogerty

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Isaiah 50:10

"Who among you fears the Lord

    and obeys the word of his servant?

Let the one who walks in the dark,

    who has no light,

trust in the name of the Lord

    and rely on their God."

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Romans 8:26-27

"In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; 

for we do not know how to pray as we should, 

but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us 

with groanings too deep for words;

and He who searches the hearts 

knows what the mind of the Spirit is, 

because He intercedes for the saints 

according to the will of God."

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There has always been a candle in the window for you,

literally and spiritually.

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Strength in my weakness

Who am I?

What can I do?

I live only one day at a time.

Trials and tribulations arise and sometimes every day. Most of these things I have no control over. Some of them I can do things to solve issues.

How do I survive and what is the difference between them?

I do not live in my strength for I have none. The strength I thought I had was only my illusion. Eventually, I began to know and rely on the One and Only, the LORD God Almighty. 

I loved Jesus as my Savior and I finally realized He was always with me, not because it said so in the Bible, but because He actually loved me as His child, just as He loves all of those who choose to accept His saving grace.

My weakness is what I give to Him. I give it to Him saying, I can't do this without His help. As I acquiesce all my life to Him, I then have His strength to carry on in all things.  

All things: small and large

How can I explain this exchange?  

Truly humbling myself before Him, and in my humility I give Him my life, which includes my wrong thinking of being able to do all things by myself. Broken, I truly know I do not have the strength, and literally, I can not fix things in any fashion. I must trust Him, and then I realize that I must wait for His timing.

Any strength in my weakness is all Him! Glory to God in the Highest!

Isaiah 40:27-31
"Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel,

“My way is hidden from the Lord,

And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?

Do you not know? 
Have you not heard?

The Everlasting God, the Lord, 
the Creator of the ends of the earth

Does not become weary or tired.

His understanding is inscrutable.

He gives strength to the weary,

And to him who lacks might 
He increases power.

Though youths grow weary and tired,

And vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet those who wait for the Lord

Will gain new strength;

They will mount up with wings like eagles,

They will run and not get tired,

They will walk and not become weary."

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

"For consider your calling, brethren, 
that there were not many wise according to the flesh, 
not many mighty, 
not many noble;
but God has chosen the foolish things 
of the world to shame the wise, 
and God has chosen the weak things 
of the world to shame the things which are strong,
and the base things of the world 
and the despised God has chosen, 
the things that are not, 
so that He may nullify the things that are,
so that no man may boast before God.

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus,
who became to us wisdom from God, 
and righteousness and sanctification, 
and redemption, so that, just as it is written, 
“Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

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