MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas and a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year to the blogging community and all of the wonderful friends I've made over the last year and a half!

SPIRITUAL SUNDAY

THE MANGER MOUSE

He opened a window in the straw

And poked out his nose, two ears, and a paw,

And all of midnight filled the skies

Except where two dots were his eyes.

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He saw the glow around the manger,

And knew that something so much stranger

Than he had ever seen before

Had come in at the stable door.

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The LIGHT spread out to darker places,

And fired the garnets in the faces

Of goats and sheep...and all the cows

Wore amber jewels at their brows.

~~~

He stared at eyes that watched from under

Horns and fleece, and gazed with wonder;

Unaware the LIGHT had thrown

Starry diamonds into his own.

-Ralph W. Seager

~~~

O Father, may that holy star

Grow every year more bright,

And send its glorious beams afar

To fill the world with light.

-William Cullen Bryant

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A very special thank you to our wonderful Spiritual Sunday hostesses Charlotte and Ginger. To see more Spiritual Sunday posts please go here.

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Help keep Christ in Christmas. Hear Christian recording artist, Matthew West read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke http://www.thechristofchristmas.com/

ANOTHER COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS TREE

This is one of my favorites! Wouldn't you just love to see the rest of the house?

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS

Sharing with you another pretty Christmas tree I have from my collection of internet pictures.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS

I will be sharing with you some of the pretty trees I have found as we countdown to the big day!

SPIRITUAL SUNDAY - QUESTIONS

My Question for God

What are some key questions I should ask myself each day?

A Moment With God

Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him. Psalm 105:4

Shouldn't people ask God for guidance? Isaiah 8:19

Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! Psalm 27:7

Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else? Matthew 11:3

The crowds asked, What should we do?" Luke 3:10

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Perhaps nothing reveals the heart of human emotion more than the questions we are asking every day. Questions reveal who we are, what we're thinking about, what we long to know, and what drives us. Do you ask God for wisdom and guidance? Do you question whether your work is self serving or serving God? Have you asked God what he wants you to do with your time, energy, and resources? When you regularly ask God questions like these and have an open mind and heart, you will find the answers you need to live a life that pleases God.

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Divine Promise

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3

Thank you to Charlotte and Ginger for letting us gather together to share our Spiritual Sunday thoughts. If you would like to join us please go HERE.

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY - Mama, Look!

While this isn't "outside," I couldn't resist showing you my 14 month old granddaughter taking in her first snow fall! My daughter emailed this picture to me and it is too cute not to post today.

Don't you just love the "tippy toes!"

If you would like to see more "indoor/outdoor" Wednesday posts please visit Susan at A Southern Day Dreamer.

SPIRITUAL SUNDAY

CHRISTMAS WITH A CAPITAL "C" BY GO FISH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ This is a funny YouTube video, but also a great way to get across the fact that CHRISTMAS means something! It is NOT "happy holidays!" The song by GO FISH really tells it like it is - but it's done in a sweet, gentle way!

I hope you find it as uplifting as I did. For more Spiritual Sunday inspiration please visit Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays.

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY-OUR DAY IN THE CITY

They were just starting to decorate the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center the day we were there, November 18th. The ice skaters at the rink at Rockefeller Center...

The tree is still in the scaffolding pictured center left, with the star ready to be lifted into place sitting near crane to the left of the tree.

For more Outdoor Wednesday see Susan at A Southern Day Dreamer.

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY - From My Kitchen Window

For today's Outdoor Wednesday, I'm showing my pear tree in the middle of my lawn in Fall and what it looked like in Spring.

To see more Outdoor Wednesday posts go to A Southern Day Dreamer.

SPIRITUAL SUNDAY - WE HAVE TODAY

Today is ours -- let's live it.

And love is strong -- let's

give it.

A song can help -- let's sing

it.

And peace is dear -- let's

bring it.

The past is gone -- don't

fret it.

Our work is here -- let's do

it.

The world is wrong -- let's

right it.

If evil comes, let's fight it.

The road is rough -- let's

clear it.

The future vast -- don't fear

it.

Is faith asleep -- let's wake

it.

Today is free -- let's take it.

-Lydia L. Roberts

As always I would like to thank Charlotte and Ginger for bringing us together on Spiritual Sunday to share our songs, our poems, our thoughts and our prayers. For more Spiritual Sunday messages go HERE.

A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!

SPIRITUAL SUNDAY

Last week I showed pictures of our church as we celebrated our 220th anniversary.  Today I will take you on a tour of the stream and pond that grace the back of the church property.  We will start at the gazebo where marriages are performed and celebrated. Then we will follow the stream to the pond and some beautiful calm and peaceful views.  You will see the benches and the cross where we hold Easter Sunday sunrise services.  Also, along the way you will see some picnic tables that were just built to replace the old, old ones that were there. Our young, and not so young families have picnics here.  We are so very fortunate to have this lovely spot to worship and also to find peace and talk with the Lord.

"Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!"  Psalm 107:8 NKJV

For more Spiritual Sunday posts, hosted by Charlotte and Ginger go HERE

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY - OUR PRETTY LAKE

Some views of the lake that we are fortunate to have in the middle of our little town. Taken in mid October and the colors were just coming out.

For more Outdoor Wednesday posts please visit Susan at A Southern Day Dreamer

SPIRITUAL SUNDAY

We will celebrate 220 years of continuous worship at Zion Church on Sunday, November 8th.
This is not the original building, however, as people began meeting at various parishioners homes in 1789. This building site was not used until 1814 when a meeting house was built here. Unfortunately, it burned down and the present church was built in 1822.

This is a view of our church from the cemetery across the street. It is not owned by Zion. Our much older cemetery (where several revolutionary soldiers are buried) is on either side and behind the church.

This is another angle of the front of the building.

Another front view from across the street.

This photo was taken from the parking lot of the Social Hall. When I walk into our sanctuary, I feel the presence of the many Saints who worshiped here before me. It sometimes is an overwhelming feeling. Love. I feel love here in this wonderful church family.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."
Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

Many, many thanks to Charlotte and Ginger who host this wonderful place called Spiritual Sunday for all of us to come together and share. If you would like to know more about Spiritual Sunday go HERE

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY - BEACH ON A RAINY DAY

It was a balmy but rainy and windy day at the beach. The clouds were lowering across the sky and this little fir tree was being whipped by each wind blast.

There was a storm off the coast of NJ and it kicked up the waves - I love to see the waves break and hear the surf roar.

Here is a picture of an old fishing pier. I should have taken a picture of the sign above the door of the fishing clubhouse. It said the pier was 94 years old and in continuous use in all that time

For more Outdoor Wednesday posts, go to Susan at A Southern Day Dreamer

SPIRITUAL SUNDAY - PERSPECTIVE

My question for God:

How do I make sense of the seemingly random circumstances of my life? Is God really in charge, or do things happen by chance?

A Moment with God:

I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don't be upset, and don't be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives...So it was God who sent me here, not you! Genesis 45: 4-5, 8

The Lord will work out his plans for my life. Psalm 138: 8

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From a human perspective, the world and even our lives often seem to be random and unpredictable, but God is ultimately in control. In Joseph's story, God used even the cruel and unjust actions of Joseph's own brothers to fulfill his plan. People's sinful ways do not ruin God's sovereign plans. Your life is like a tapestry. Now you can see only small sections on the back, with all its knots and loose ends. Someday you will see the front in its entirety, the beautiful picture of world history and your personal story from God's perspective. If you can see unexpected and even unwelcome circumstances in this way, you can embrace both the good and the bad, knowing that God is weaving a beautiful picture with your life.

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Divine Promise

YOU SEE ME WHEN I TRAVEL AND WHEN I REST AT HOME. YOU KNOW EVERYTHING I DO. Psalm 139: 3

This lesson, again from "Divine Moments for Leaders, seemed so appropriate for today. The world sometimes feels so scarily out of control and this lesson puts everything into "God's Perspective!"

Many thanks to Charlotte and Ginger at Bloggerspirit.blogspot.com.

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY

The pictures I have chosen for this Outdoor Wednesday are of my church looking from the field and small stream that runs through the back of the property. Where you see the birdhouse is a very small stream or as some would call it, a creek. In the far background is the Social Hall with offices and Sunday school rooms and auditorium. The church itself is to the left behind the trees.

The colors are just beautiful and I think this is the peak of the Fall season - the last week in October.

For more Outdoor Wednesday posts hosted by A Southern Day Dreamer go here

A PRAYER AT SUMMER'S END

For fruit warm ripe in summer's sun,

For love and work and wholesome fun,

For raindrops on the windowpanes,

For walks down grassy country lanes,

For sunshine bright, for moonlights glow,

For cornstalks marching, row on row,

For baby pigs, for laughter gay,

For fragrant smell of new mown hay,

For food...and music...birdsongs sweet,

For restful, healing nighttime sleep,

For home with its familiar joys,

For carefree shouts of girls and boys,

For safe returns, for loving care,

For all the bliss of answered prayer,

For dancing stars, for firelight's gleam,

Fulfillment of a cherished dream,

For books and friends, a faith that sings,

For happiness homecoming brings,

For hope renewed, for courage born,

For breathless hush of early morn,

For this -- a blessed interlude --

Dear God, accept my gratitude.

-Ruby A. Jones

A big thank you to Sister Charlotte and Sister Ginger for giving us a place to tell inspirational stories, share poems and scripture with all who come HERE

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY

A friend and I went on a bus trip to Peddler's Village in LaHaska, Bucks County, PA yesterday. Below are some of the beautiful grounds around the assorted shops, cafes and restaurants located

in this picturesque area of Pennsylvania.

These pictures show some of the last "roses" of summer...still quite stunning.

Thank you to A Southern Day Dreamer and for more Outdoor Wednesday posts go HERE