If you are a FB friend you have probably already seen this but I wanted to share with those who haven’t.
This tree is a very inexpensive gadget that is attached to my computer. The tree itself has no meaning but the star and the lights do. The star led humble shepherds to a manger bed and three wise men who had a lot to fear but risked it all to appear there. The lights like the colors of the rainbow remind us of God’s forgiveness. Jesus is the light of the world and as we celebrate his birth we need to remember this simple tree and what it means to forgive.
God bless each and every one of you. Be safe but enjoy life to its fullest!
A 31-year-old man named Charlie Kirk is dead. While I didn’t know Charlie personally, I knew him in spirit. Watching his videos I could relate to the kind of faith he had. Reading his words about his faith and family helped me to believe there was still hope for this nation.
Charlie’s life will live on through his children. The values he lived by will live on through the millions of lives he touched. The lifeless soul that took his life will live in misery. React not with violence but in faith that God will have his revenge.
The battle has just begun. We will not use weapons of disaster but tools of love from the Bible. We will not yield to Satan but stand proudly in God’s army.
Rise up and proudly show your faith. Charlie did!
We pray for the family of Charlie Kirk. I am proud to say that in some small way I knew him.
My current painting may look very dark but it has yet to receive the final stroke.
We go through so many things in life that at the time we may not fully understand their meaning. It is especially hard when those times involve the lives of innocent children. Remember, like this painting, it will go from dark to light. The darkness of the person who took the lives of innocent children will pass away and be overshadowed by the beautiful and happy lives that these children led. Satan does not win! Their spirit lives on in the hearts of their families and in a community and country that grieves with them.
This painting will not stay that way long. The light will soon reveal itself. The beautiful thing about art is that it gives us a venue to share messages to all its viewers.
Never let darkness stay in your life. Light will reveal truth in all things. Be the light for others. We still have an opportunity to not just enjoy life but to share that joy.
With everything that is going on in the world around us, you wonder how we got to this point. How did society take such a big left turn?
I grew up in a middle-class household but from day one we were taught strong values. I never saw my parents read the Bible but I knew they believed in what was in it.
And yes my parents were old school and believed strongly in the “spare the rod and spoil the child” theory because my behind rarely got spared. My father worked hard and ruled with a firm but loving hand.
Come Sunday we were off to church. We listened to what the preacher said and tried to apply it to our lives the best we knew how. Have I ever made mistakes, you betcha. At the end of the day, I asked for forgiveness and enjoyed God’s grace.
I left the church some years ago when it became so obvious that their focus became more about money than God. My focus was on finding peace with my faith. I took a year to read the Bible and focus on who Jesus was.
I grew closer in my walk with God that year than I ever did in church. Mind you I am not saying all churches are bad but some are. Most are driven more by the love of money and power than the love of Jesus! Mega churches have sprouted up like weeds but their backbone is theatrics not faith.
Faith is not learned. It is not theatrics that feel good in that moment. Real faith is much stronger. When you are in a dark room without the theatrics and the loud music it is just you and Jesus having a conversation that matters. That is where faith begins. Yes, I guess you could say the church drew out a plan of faith but they failed in that plan.
I hold on to my strong faith and yes I probably would return to church if I could find one that didn’t just talk the talk but could prove they could also walk in the path of Jesus.
I pray that this world can wake up and find faith in its Creator. In the meantime here’s a little tune to remind you.
The last five years have provided a lot of tragic events. From a man-made virus to violent and disastrous floods, earthquakes, and other unpredictable events. Who is the one who is first blamed, God. Hate to bust the bubble of those people, but God is NOT the one to blame.
While thousands have died during the last five years, you have to look not at the negativity of the events but what these events taught us. Pointing the finger at God is a waste of energy. We all know God created us, and he has the right and capability to destroy us at any time. But what have we learned? God did not create these events, but in some instances, He may have allowed things to occur to open our eyes to things we need to face.
If a person has a heart attack but survives, it’s not just a coincidence. It is because God loves us so much that he doesn’t want us to suffer but needs us to learn how to be faithful and take care of our bodies. In some instances, a person is allowed to pass because they have already suffered so much.
God does not do anything without reason. Some years ago, a small child fell into a public swimming pool. The lifeguard saw her go in and went in after her. Despite her valent attempts to save the child, she never took another breath. When the death was reported, there was an investigation, and it turned out that sweet child had been abused by a family member. Sometimes, in situations like that, God does intervene because he knew that child had suffered enough! When bad things happen, look at what leads up to that event.
At other times miracles happen even at the worst of times. Just look at the events that occurred after the massive loss of life in Western North Carolina. When the government failed to provide comfort and relief, people came from states away to help. There were miracles that occurred almost daily.
Even in the most horrific of situations, God tends to let us know He is there.
What can you do? Be grateful daily and give of yourself to others. Love begins with you.
Guess you are wondering what these two have in common! Throughout the Bible, prayer is discussed, and we are taught how to pray.
Women used to wear their hair long and men wore their’s cut short. Somewhere along the way that standard got reversed. Here is what the Bible says about that: 1 Corinthians 13 – 15 13 Consider for yourselves; is it proper and decent for a woman to offer prayer to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not the native sense of propriety itself teach you that for a man to wear long hair is a dishonor to him. 15 But if a woman has long hair, it is her ornament and glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering.
I just happen to have long hair and have worn it most of my life that way. Having read this, I do have a greater appreciation for that gift and is an added reason to let my hair grow.
This world needs a lot of prayer. In your prayers, remember those who have lost so much in Western North Carolina, Texas, and New Mexico.
If you look the word up in the dictionary you will find that it refers to an intense feeling of deep affection. Sounds simple enough but is it?
In the Bible, there are more than 165 passages that contain the word.
It is used in songs more than any other word and yet society still does not act in a loving way.
In 1965, the song “What The World Needs Now” was recorded by Jackie DeShannon. A catchy tune, it woke the world up at least temporarily to what love might be. I grew up in that era. The era of flower children and free love ultimately was why my generation is now referred to as “baby boomers.” It was a time of free spirit while also being a time of war. It was a time of free expression, but was this love?
Our children were born in a time of transition. Where there was a shift away from free love to a world on steroids and acid. Where had the love gone.
All you have to do now is look at the news to see everything that love is not. The beautiful thing is that despite wars, pandemics, and pharmaceutical murders love does still exist. If you doubt it, just look at the outpouring of love our Appalachian people have received over the last year as they struggle to recover from the worst catastrophic event in the history of this country. Look at how our neighborhoods are changing. Revivals are taking place everywhere. Love is seeping into the very crevices of towns that were once lost.
God gave the world a number of gifts, but the greatest of these was the ability to give and receive LOVE.
Open your eyes, ears, and mind to the idea and intense feelings of love.
As we enter a new year, we are hopeful that a new administration will lead this country in a positive direction. It is time to put away the anger and injustice and concentrate on what we all want, peace.
No one man can govern. No one man can heal a nation. Our forefathers were great men of faith. They knew that it would take more than a man and congress to form and run a peaceful nation.
In creating a document that would forever change the course of history, they included these words: “One nation under God.” Those few words resounded their faith and their desire to set guidelines for the structure of this country.
We can’t change the events that have occurred since that time, but we can work on giving this country back to God. Let it begin today, right now, with you, and let us unite in prayer.
Well, this year, like the past three, less than desirable. The thing about an approaching new year is that it gives you time to reflect on the past twelve months and make goals for the next twelve.
I’m not going to promise I will lose weight because that just makes me gain more. I will be more conscious of good health habits and try to improve.
I’m not going to promise to be perfect because clearly I am not. I do try to keep a positive attitude and try to work on those things I am less perfect at.
While I try to keep my wallet tight I will make time and money for the things I want to do and see because I am worth it.
Most importantly, I will continue to give to those in need when the need is justified. When you give with an open heart, miracles happen.
In 2025, we look forward to positive changes in the new administration, humanitarian improvements, and a country driven more by faith than greed.
In your resolutions for the new year, don’t forget to include daily prayer. Focus on the light and not the darkness. Prayers for your future and a joyous new year.
As you go about celebrating this week, don’t get so busy that you ignore why we celebrate.
For some, it is just the celebration of trees and lights, food, and family. Certainly, those things are enjoyable, as are other traditions, but they are not about Christmas
December 25, most likely, was not the day Jesus Christ was born but just a day that was chosen to celebrate. It wasn’t just a kid in the neighborhood that was being born, it was the Son Of God.
Put yourself in Mary’s place. She was a young teenager who was betrothed to a much older man. If that was not scary enough, an angel appeared to her in the night and told her she was going to have a child, not just any child or the child of her soon-to-be husband but the Son of God. Mary followed the angel’s instructions to the letter. She never questioned God’s plan. She did question whether or not she was worthy of such an honor.
If you have read some of the books of Apocrypha found in some older Bibles and from the Dead Sea scrolls, you might have stumbled upon The Book Of Infancy, which details the birth of Christ through his youth. The first miracle was not at the wedding feast but in the wombs of two women when Jesus and John recognized each other. The second miracle occurred during Mary’s delivery. An older midwife came to help her but feared she might not be much help because one of her hands was badly deformed. At the shear touch from the baby Jesus, her hand was immediately straightened and made new.
Almost immediately after Jesus’s birth, there was a brilliant star that appeared over the stable where he laid. This was a sign to all that something special had taken place. Eight shepherds left their pasture to follow this star. Kings in the East had already heard of the news and began their journey to find the child. Their journey would last two years. Seeing the now toddler, they presented him with gifts of Frankinsence, Gold, and Myrrh, and then they went on their way.
It was certainly a meaningful night. A night of miracles. A night that would change the world forever.
The babe, the man, the resurrection, all made a difference.
I pray that you all will have a joyous Christmas and a wonderful New Year. God bless you with good health and fulfilled dreams throughout the year.
Through My Eyes 