The end of one year and the dawning of a new one provides an excellent opportunity to wipe the slate clean and make a fresh start.
The following are excerpts were taken from a column written by Norman Vincent Peale many years ago.
William Ewart Gladstone , once a minister of Great Britain said: " It is a dangerous thing for any person to start out a new year without the thought of God."
None of us can see very far ahead of life's pathway. We are surrounded on every hand by insecurity. The only certain and for sure factor in this world is the Eternal, 'the same yesterday, today and forever.' God is our security. So it is well to keep God in mind as Gladstone suggests.
As a young boy Norman Vincent Peale said his father would bring a Bible to the dinner table on every New Year's Eve and solemnly, he would open it, turning to its very beginning to read the first four words of the first chapter of Genesis. "In the beginning God." That was all-just those four words. He never explained , but that they are still remembered shows that they registered. It is very true that anyone who will make those four words basic philosophy will have what it takes to meet whatever problems come during the year.
This is so because such reliance on God and His power activates a new start and with it the belief that you can forget yesterday and go forward confidently into the future. The Bible is filled with emphasis on new starts and fresh beginnings. . Such words as: "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before," " I press toward the mark..." And again : "Old things are passed away; all things become new." and still again, "Behold, I make all things new."
Don't lug the past into the future. You have made mistakes, done dumb things. Who hasn't ? Extract from them what experience they contain and then turn and face the future to those wonderful new starts and great new beginnings.
Yes, we can leave the sins and failures of this past year behind us, accept His forgiveness, and press on to higher ground. Remembering God's faithfulness and forgetting past mistakes will make entering the new year a time of joyous anticipation. And don't forget "In the beginning God."
Friday, December 31, 2010
A Prayer for the New Year
God grant us this year a wider view
So we see others faults through the eyes of You-
Teach us to judge not with hasty tongue,
Neither the Adult...nor the Young
Give us patience and grace to endure.
And a stronger faith so we fell secure
And instead of remembering, help us forget
The irritations that caused us to fret
Freely forgiving for some offer
And finding each day a rich recompense
In offering a friendly helping hand
And trying in all ways to understand
That all of us whoever we are
Are trying to reach "an unreachable star"-
For the Great and Small...the Good and Bad,
The Young and Old...the Sad and Glad
Are asking today "Is Life Worth Living"
And the answer is only in Loving and Giving
For only Love can make men kind
And kindness of Heart brings Peace of Mind
And by giving Love, we can start this year
To Lift the clouds of Hate and Fear.
Helen Steiner Rice
Monday, December 6, 2010
A Christmas Prayer For You
LORD
We welcome You
into our hearts
and homes.
Bless us with
Your peace, fill us
with Your joy,
surround us with
Your love.
We celebrate You
and thank You
for coming.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!
Amen.
We welcome You
into our hearts
and homes.
Bless us with
Your peace, fill us
with Your joy,
surround us with
Your love.
We celebrate You
and thank You
for coming.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!
Amen.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
President Bushs' Thanksgiving proclamation
Americans are a grateful people, ever mindful of the many ways we have been blessed. On Thanksgiving Day, we lift our hearts in gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy, the people we love and the gifts of our prosperous land.
Our country was founded by men and women who realized their dependence on God, and were humbled by His providence and grace. The early explorers and settlers who arrived in this land gave thanks for God's protection and for the extraordinary natural abundance they found. Since the first national Day of Thanksgiving was proclaimed, Americans have come together to offer thanks for our many blessings. We recall the great privilege it is to live in a land where freedom is the right of every person and where all can pursue their dreams. We express our deep appreciation for the sacrifices of the honorable men and women in uniform who defend liberty. As they work to advance the cause of freedom, our Nation keeps these brave individuals and their families in our thoughts and we pray for their safe return.
While Thanksgiving is a time to gather in a spirit of Gratitude with family, friends, and neighbors, it is also an opportunity to serve others and to share our blessings with those in need. By answering the universal call to love a neighbor as we want to be loved ourselves, we make our Nation a more hopeful and caring place.
This Thanksgiving, may we reflect upon the past year with gratefulness and look toward the future with hope. Let us give thanks for all we have been given and ask God to continue to bless our families and our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of American, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 22, 2007, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all Americans to gather together in their homes and places of worship with family, friends, and loved one to reinforce the ties that bind us and give thanks for the freedoms and many blessings we enjoy.
IN WITNESS THEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.
Our country was founded by men and women who realized their dependence on God, and were humbled by His providence and grace. The early explorers and settlers who arrived in this land gave thanks for God's protection and for the extraordinary natural abundance they found. Since the first national Day of Thanksgiving was proclaimed, Americans have come together to offer thanks for our many blessings. We recall the great privilege it is to live in a land where freedom is the right of every person and where all can pursue their dreams. We express our deep appreciation for the sacrifices of the honorable men and women in uniform who defend liberty. As they work to advance the cause of freedom, our Nation keeps these brave individuals and their families in our thoughts and we pray for their safe return.
While Thanksgiving is a time to gather in a spirit of Gratitude with family, friends, and neighbors, it is also an opportunity to serve others and to share our blessings with those in need. By answering the universal call to love a neighbor as we want to be loved ourselves, we make our Nation a more hopeful and caring place.
This Thanksgiving, may we reflect upon the past year with gratefulness and look toward the future with hope. Let us give thanks for all we have been given and ask God to continue to bless our families and our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of American, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 22, 2007, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all Americans to gather together in their homes and places of worship with family, friends, and loved one to reinforce the ties that bind us and give thanks for the freedoms and many blessings we enjoy.
IN WITNESS THEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thanksgiving Proclamation 1863
It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord.
We know that by his divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptious sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people?
We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity, we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.
But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.
Abraham Lincoln 1863
We know that by his divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptious sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people?
We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity, we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.
But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.
Abraham Lincoln 1863
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Thanksgiving History and Traditions
America's first Thanksgiving, in 1621, was a three-day celebration of feasting and recreation. The prior year was the Pilgrims' first winter at Plymouth, and it was so harsh almost half of the colonists perished.
By the second harvest, there was reason to rejoice. A peace treaty was signed with the Wampanoag, the Pilgrims' Native American neighbors. And Massasoit, their leader, shared his agricultural expertise, which resulted in a bumper crop. As was common in England, where the Pilgrims originated, they chose to commemorate their bounty with a harvest festival.
Most accounts of the actual event mention neither turkey nor pumpkin, our modern Thanksgiving staples. Indian corn was plentiful, however. Four valiant Pilgrim housewives supervised the feast that Massasoit and 90 of his people attended, bringing five deer as their contribution to the communal table.
Presumable, the Pilgrims followed the English custom of the day and served their neighbors buffet-style; dishes were placed on the table and guests helped themselves. There were no forks, only knives, spoons, and large napkins that were used to pick up hot foods and to tidy the face and fingers. Food could be eaten directly from the serving dish or you could share a trencher (wooden plate). No meal could begin without saying grace, since the Pilgrims believed that their good fortune was due to their relationship to God.
Similar New England harvest festivals evolved into an annual tradition, officially acknowledged in 1777, when the Continental Congress declared the first national Thanksgiving. President Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863, after 23 years of lobbying by Sarah Josepha Hale, an acclaimed author and editor.
The regional foods of New England, including turkey, cranberries, and pumpkin, came to be identified with the holiday, as did the inspirational story of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe feasting and coexisting in peace.
By the second harvest, there was reason to rejoice. A peace treaty was signed with the Wampanoag, the Pilgrims' Native American neighbors. And Massasoit, their leader, shared his agricultural expertise, which resulted in a bumper crop. As was common in England, where the Pilgrims originated, they chose to commemorate their bounty with a harvest festival.
Most accounts of the actual event mention neither turkey nor pumpkin, our modern Thanksgiving staples. Indian corn was plentiful, however. Four valiant Pilgrim housewives supervised the feast that Massasoit and 90 of his people attended, bringing five deer as their contribution to the communal table.
Presumable, the Pilgrims followed the English custom of the day and served their neighbors buffet-style; dishes were placed on the table and guests helped themselves. There were no forks, only knives, spoons, and large napkins that were used to pick up hot foods and to tidy the face and fingers. Food could be eaten directly from the serving dish or you could share a trencher (wooden plate). No meal could begin without saying grace, since the Pilgrims believed that their good fortune was due to their relationship to God.
Similar New England harvest festivals evolved into an annual tradition, officially acknowledged in 1777, when the Continental Congress declared the first national Thanksgiving. President Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863, after 23 years of lobbying by Sarah Josepha Hale, an acclaimed author and editor.
The regional foods of New England, including turkey, cranberries, and pumpkin, came to be identified with the holiday, as did the inspirational story of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe feasting and coexisting in peace.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Criticism
I consider myself a good cook. My taste buds are sharp. I detect when a strong or wrong spice is used in food. I complain when the meat is tough, the potatoes are not done, the gravy lumpy, the salad limp. You get the picture . Often, I complain about other things as well.
Examining the reason for complaining usually points a finger back at me. Am I finding fault with the issue to make my self feel superior, or am I genuinely wanting to make an improvement?
Are you a fence straddler or do you speak out when an important issue comes before you. Do you make a positive comment, an opposing comment or do you just stay mum. I'm usually vocal with my opinions and sometimes it gets me into trouble.
Recently I read an enlightening article (author unknown) that pointed out how you can actually learn to like criticism. This was a unique idea that people only appreciate 'constructive criticism.'
The key issue is how to take criticism...whether you can take it in stride, or if it shakes you up, or if, hopefully you can use it to your advantage. Sometimes criticism is really a test of how strong you are... and how you can profit from it by trying to improve yourself, and recognize what you know and what you don't know. Few people can take harsh criticism without appearing to be upset by it, but if we take criticism gracefully we can use it to our advantage.
A poet once wrote: "The stones that critics hurl with harsh intent, man may use to build a monument."
Examining the reason for complaining usually points a finger back at me. Am I finding fault with the issue to make my self feel superior, or am I genuinely wanting to make an improvement?
Are you a fence straddler or do you speak out when an important issue comes before you. Do you make a positive comment, an opposing comment or do you just stay mum. I'm usually vocal with my opinions and sometimes it gets me into trouble.
Recently I read an enlightening article (author unknown) that pointed out how you can actually learn to like criticism. This was a unique idea that people only appreciate 'constructive criticism.'
The key issue is how to take criticism...whether you can take it in stride, or if it shakes you up, or if, hopefully you can use it to your advantage. Sometimes criticism is really a test of how strong you are... and how you can profit from it by trying to improve yourself, and recognize what you know and what you don't know. Few people can take harsh criticism without appearing to be upset by it, but if we take criticism gracefully we can use it to our advantage.
A poet once wrote: "The stones that critics hurl with harsh intent, man may use to build a monument."
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
God's Blessings Declared Unto You!
"Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee and the light shall shine upon they ways." Job 22:28
That the peace of God will enter into your mind and destroy all confusion sent by the enemy. Phil.4:7
That the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10
That you will gain understanding of your God-ordained assignment. Psalm 119:104
That the plots of the enemy against you are cancelled in the name of Jesus Christ. John 10"10
That the blessings of God will overtake you. Deut. 18:1,2
That you are a blessing to the nation. Malachi 3:12
That you children are purpose-filled by the Lord. Matt.21:16
That no weapon that is formed against you will prosper. Isaiah 54:17
That the healing hand of God will cancel every sickness & disease & replace it with wholeness. Isaiah 53:5
That you are no longer a victim but a victor n Jesus' name. I John 4:4
That He who has begun a good work in you will complete it in you. Phil.1:5
That you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you. Phil.1:6
That your God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory. Phil.4:19
That the lies of man have no power over your life. Psalm. 110:1
The the generational curses in your life are broken from your life. Matt.11:29
That your finances are pressed down, shaken together and running over with abundance. Luke 6:38
That you are blessed to be a blessing. Hebrews 6:14
That you are fearfully and wonderfully made by the hand of God. Psalm 13:14
That you are free to praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6
That you have the authority to bind every demon and ungodly spirit. Matt. 16:19
That the peace of God will enter into your mind and destroy all confusion sent by the enemy. Phil.4:7
That the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10
That you will gain understanding of your God-ordained assignment. Psalm 119:104
That the plots of the enemy against you are cancelled in the name of Jesus Christ. John 10"10
That the blessings of God will overtake you. Deut. 18:1,2
That you are a blessing to the nation. Malachi 3:12
That you children are purpose-filled by the Lord. Matt.21:16
That no weapon that is formed against you will prosper. Isaiah 54:17
That the healing hand of God will cancel every sickness & disease & replace it with wholeness. Isaiah 53:5
That you are no longer a victim but a victor n Jesus' name. I John 4:4
That He who has begun a good work in you will complete it in you. Phil.1:5
That you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you. Phil.1:6
That your God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory. Phil.4:19
That the lies of man have no power over your life. Psalm. 110:1
The the generational curses in your life are broken from your life. Matt.11:29
That your finances are pressed down, shaken together and running over with abundance. Luke 6:38
That you are blessed to be a blessing. Hebrews 6:14
That you are fearfully and wonderfully made by the hand of God. Psalm 13:14
That you are free to praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6
That you have the authority to bind every demon and ungodly spirit. Matt. 16:19
Friday, August 20, 2010
Will People Return to God?
Possible because of so much frustration in our nation and the world today, I have heard a number of people suggest we should pray for our nation and ask God to again to bless our nation. I sincerely agree. As Billy Graham once said: "I want to lobby for God."
Bill listens to Glen Beck on Fox News each evening and I'm not sure whether Beck is a political lobbyist or whether he is lobbying for God when he said we need Faith, Hope and Charity.
The political environment is so disturbing that we recognize the need for a new criteria in selecting Presidents, Vice Presidents and Members of Congress. We must be wiser in our choices and more selective.
The conditions in the world today are less stable than at any time I can remember. What are we doing about them? Are we really seeing beyond the horizon, giving help where it is needed. Are we listening for the voice of God to call us to service. We need a deeper faith and firmer stand for the principles of right.
It has been said that religion tends to spread the language of the heart. Someone wrote: "Religion is life, philosophy is thought; religion looks up, friendship looks in. We need both thought and life, and the two shall be in harmony."
In ancient proverb states: "If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there be beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the family home; if there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.
God will bless what He initiates, what depends on Him for its success, what is done according to His Word, and what is done for His Glory.
"For freedom Christ has set us free, stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of
slavery." Gal. 5:1
Let us return to God and have Faith, Hope and Charity.
Bill listens to Glen Beck on Fox News each evening and I'm not sure whether Beck is a political lobbyist or whether he is lobbying for God when he said we need Faith, Hope and Charity.
The political environment is so disturbing that we recognize the need for a new criteria in selecting Presidents, Vice Presidents and Members of Congress. We must be wiser in our choices and more selective.
The conditions in the world today are less stable than at any time I can remember. What are we doing about them? Are we really seeing beyond the horizon, giving help where it is needed. Are we listening for the voice of God to call us to service. We need a deeper faith and firmer stand for the principles of right.
It has been said that religion tends to spread the language of the heart. Someone wrote: "Religion is life, philosophy is thought; religion looks up, friendship looks in. We need both thought and life, and the two shall be in harmony."
In ancient proverb states: "If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there be beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the family home; if there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.
God will bless what He initiates, what depends on Him for its success, what is done according to His Word, and what is done for His Glory.
"For freedom Christ has set us free, stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of
slavery." Gal. 5:1
Let us return to God and have Faith, Hope and Charity.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The ME Generation
I read the following in 'Our Daily Bread' recently: IT'S ALL ABOUT ME! This message is declared by so many men and women today that it could be the motto of our modern world - a challenging world that is destructively self-centered. The question we must ask is: Is it really all about me?
Obviously understanding that no one is perfect and probably would not make 100 per cent if tested on the following attributes: To be helpful, courteous, kind, constructive, sincere; or to serve, give, have faith and listen to advise. We could test ourselves and see what kind of mark we would score if we took a personal inventory, or we could listen to our friends for they will tell us what they really think, and this way we would learn to know ourselfs better.
We should be open-minded enough to talk difference over with our family and friends. This will shift the conversation from all about me as an individual to all about us. This will enable the important decisions to be made jointly and not solely by me. A selfish person will have a hard time finding happiness.
However, there are other enemies of character as bad as or worse than being self-centered. Equally as costly is doubting our faith , which is deficiency of faith; superstition, which is misdirection of faith; hypocrisy, which is insincerity of faith, irreverence, which is contempt of faith, and perhaps worst of all, indifference, which is neglect of faith.
For the followers of Christ however, the answer is clear - it is not all about ME - it's all about Jesus Christ and others. The power is not in us but through us. That power comes from the "one God and Father of all, who above all, and through all, and in all." Eph. 4:6
Obviously understanding that no one is perfect and probably would not make 100 per cent if tested on the following attributes: To be helpful, courteous, kind, constructive, sincere; or to serve, give, have faith and listen to advise. We could test ourselves and see what kind of mark we would score if we took a personal inventory, or we could listen to our friends for they will tell us what they really think, and this way we would learn to know ourselfs better.
We should be open-minded enough to talk difference over with our family and friends. This will shift the conversation from all about me as an individual to all about us. This will enable the important decisions to be made jointly and not solely by me. A selfish person will have a hard time finding happiness.
However, there are other enemies of character as bad as or worse than being self-centered. Equally as costly is doubting our faith , which is deficiency of faith; superstition, which is misdirection of faith; hypocrisy, which is insincerity of faith, irreverence, which is contempt of faith, and perhaps worst of all, indifference, which is neglect of faith.
For the followers of Christ however, the answer is clear - it is not all about ME - it's all about Jesus Christ and others. The power is not in us but through us. That power comes from the "one God and Father of all, who above all, and through all, and in all." Eph. 4:6
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Fear
Bill has a condition call 'Gastroparasis.' It seems to be unique with people with diabetes. When it occurs, the person is in extreme pain. The first time this happened to Bill, he was very fearful, afraid that something really bad was happening to his body, and emergency precautions were taken. He was taken to the emergency department at Baylor Hospital and was diagnosed with Gall Stones. A surgeon was consulted and the surgery was performed. Before long however, Bill was having the same pain and having the pain frequently. Finally a new diabetic doctor recognized the symptoms for what they were. Now Bill has learned to relax instead of being afraid and after a few minutes the pain goes away, but today he had an attack and it lasting longer than usuall. Fear can be a devastating experience.
Ralph Beebe. Having seen these words over the fireplace of the Hind's Head Hotel in Bray-on-Thames, not far from London: "FEAR KNOCKED AT THE DOOR. FAITH ANSWERED. NO ONE WAS THERE," wrote the following.
Too often Fear rules over our lives, intruding into every situation. Fear sits by our side and whispers advice while we make decisions. Fear embraces us when we meet grief. Fear frays our bodies and our minds, and robs us of the very sleep we need to mend them.
Fear masquerades in countless forms and under many names: Doubt, Indecision, Procrastination, Alarm, Timidity and Anxiety. Sometimes Fear becomes Terror, Horror, Shock and Consternation.
Fear constantly knocks at our door, asking to enter our lives. Fear poses as a friend. Fear claims to be Prudence, Caution, Care, Diligence and Discretion. But if we open our lives to Fear, we admit a guest who will not soon or gracefully depart.
Faith is the comrade who will serve us best against Fear. For Fear is shadow, but Faith is real. Faith too assumes other shapes and names. There is the Faith that is met as Prayer, the alliance with the Almighty that enables one to meet the contrary ways of the world. Faith is the courage that has battled for man's highest ideals. Faith supports us as Confidence, in ourselves and to those we serve and those who serve.
Keep Faith as a constant companion. When Fear knocks at your door, send Faith to answer. Faith will dissolve the shadow of Fear that would blot every thought and action.
"...Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you..." Isaiah 41:10
Ralph Beebe. Having seen these words over the fireplace of the Hind's Head Hotel in Bray-on-Thames, not far from London: "FEAR KNOCKED AT THE DOOR. FAITH ANSWERED. NO ONE WAS THERE," wrote the following.
Too often Fear rules over our lives, intruding into every situation. Fear sits by our side and whispers advice while we make decisions. Fear embraces us when we meet grief. Fear frays our bodies and our minds, and robs us of the very sleep we need to mend them.
Fear masquerades in countless forms and under many names: Doubt, Indecision, Procrastination, Alarm, Timidity and Anxiety. Sometimes Fear becomes Terror, Horror, Shock and Consternation.
Fear constantly knocks at our door, asking to enter our lives. Fear poses as a friend. Fear claims to be Prudence, Caution, Care, Diligence and Discretion. But if we open our lives to Fear, we admit a guest who will not soon or gracefully depart.
Faith is the comrade who will serve us best against Fear. For Fear is shadow, but Faith is real. Faith too assumes other shapes and names. There is the Faith that is met as Prayer, the alliance with the Almighty that enables one to meet the contrary ways of the world. Faith is the courage that has battled for man's highest ideals. Faith supports us as Confidence, in ourselves and to those we serve and those who serve.
Keep Faith as a constant companion. When Fear knocks at your door, send Faith to answer. Faith will dissolve the shadow of Fear that would blot every thought and action.
"...Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you..." Isaiah 41:10
Friday, August 6, 2010
Ten Unique Commandments
For six weeks the pastor at my church is preaching on the ten commandments. I have heard many interpretation of the ten commandments, but it is always refreshing to be reminded of those rules.
ver since the Ten Commandments, with their guidelines for Christian living, were given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, they have been considered as probably the most important document in the history of mankind.
If these guidelines had been meticulously followed, and it's never too late to start, there would be less turmoil and more peace and happiness in our world today.
Whenever a great masterpiece of literature is written someone usually comes up with a practical, but much less religious version of the great and historic document. I found this one in my file - author unknown.
The Ten Commandments of How to Get Along With People:
1. Keep skid chains on your tongue; always say less than you think. Cultivate a low, persuasive voice . How you say it often counts more than what you say
2. Make promises sparingly and keep them faithfully, no matter what it costs.
3. Never let an apportunity pass to say a kind and encouraging word to or about somebody. Praise good work regardless of who did it. If criticism is needed, criticize helpfully, never spitefully.
4. Be interested in others, their work, their homes and families. Make merry with those who rejoice, mourn with those who weep, regard others as a person of importance.
5. Be cheerful, don't burden or depress those around you by dwelling on your minor aches and pains and small disappointments. Remember everyone is carrying some kind of a load.
6. Keep an open mind. Discuss but don't argue. It is a mark of a superior mind to be able to disagree without being disagreeable.
7. Let your virtues, if you have any, speak for themselves. Refuse to talk of another's vices. Discourage gossip. It is a waste of time and can be extremely destructive
8. Be careful of another's feelings. Wit and humor at the other person's expense may hurt when least expected.
9. Pay no attention to ill-natured remarks about yourself. Remember, the person who carried the message may not be the most accurate reporter in the world. Simply live so that nobody will believe them.
10. Don't be too anxious about the credit due you. Do your best and be patient. Forget about yourself and let others 'remember.' Success is much sweeter that way.
Remember, the important thing in life is not so much where you stand, but in what direction you
are moving. To reach the port of Heaven, you must sometimes sail with the wind, sometimes against it, but never dirift or lie at anchor.
ver since the Ten Commandments, with their guidelines for Christian living, were given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, they have been considered as probably the most important document in the history of mankind.
If these guidelines had been meticulously followed, and it's never too late to start, there would be less turmoil and more peace and happiness in our world today.
Whenever a great masterpiece of literature is written someone usually comes up with a practical, but much less religious version of the great and historic document. I found this one in my file - author unknown.
The Ten Commandments of How to Get Along With People:
1. Keep skid chains on your tongue; always say less than you think. Cultivate a low, persuasive voice . How you say it often counts more than what you say
2. Make promises sparingly and keep them faithfully, no matter what it costs.
3. Never let an apportunity pass to say a kind and encouraging word to or about somebody. Praise good work regardless of who did it. If criticism is needed, criticize helpfully, never spitefully.
4. Be interested in others, their work, their homes and families. Make merry with those who rejoice, mourn with those who weep, regard others as a person of importance.
5. Be cheerful, don't burden or depress those around you by dwelling on your minor aches and pains and small disappointments. Remember everyone is carrying some kind of a load.
6. Keep an open mind. Discuss but don't argue. It is a mark of a superior mind to be able to disagree without being disagreeable.
7. Let your virtues, if you have any, speak for themselves. Refuse to talk of another's vices. Discourage gossip. It is a waste of time and can be extremely destructive
8. Be careful of another's feelings. Wit and humor at the other person's expense may hurt when least expected.
9. Pay no attention to ill-natured remarks about yourself. Remember, the person who carried the message may not be the most accurate reporter in the world. Simply live so that nobody will believe them.
10. Don't be too anxious about the credit due you. Do your best and be patient. Forget about yourself and let others 'remember.' Success is much sweeter that way.
Remember, the important thing in life is not so much where you stand, but in what direction you
are moving. To reach the port of Heaven, you must sometimes sail with the wind, sometimes against it, but never dirift or lie at anchor.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Pride
Recently TV news caught my attention, "a mother and daughter dead." Article after article in the Dallas Morning News about this mother and daughter piqued my interest. This was an affluent family, but after the father died, the mother and daughter found they were seriously in debt. Apparently the mother or daughter did not share their problems with anyone, and as their problems worsened they became desperate. So desperate that murder and suicide seemed the only way to end their problems.
"Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." Proberbs 16:18
Looks are deceiving. Many people don't know how to present themselves to others, or share with another their real concerns. Each of us as unique individuals can live with other people , not apart from them. Pride can be a real detriment to a person. Pride is one of the Seven Deadly Sins listed in the Bible (Gal. 5:19-21). Those sins warn us of that not to do. But we need more than that. We need to learn how to reach out to others. We are not alone in the world. What can each one of us do ,as individuals, to make our world a better place? With our deeds and our exampled we can look to the opposite of the 'Seven Deadly Sins' to the 'Fruit of the Spirit', where love and kindness reaches out to others (Gal. 5:22-23).
Love is defined as 'an intense affectionate concern for another person, or in Biblical terms 'God's benevolence and mercy toward man.' Love embraces understanding of human weakness and the ability also to see the good in others. It has been said that to really love is not to live for one's self alone, but to help one another.
Kindness is an act of feeling of benevolence, good will or affection. Someone has said kindness is never lost; it may meet with ingratitude, or be of no service to those on whom it was bestowed, yet it ever does a work of beauty and grace upon the heart of the giver.
It is sad that the mother & daughter did not seek help or confide in a neighbor or friend, but let us not forget Love and Kindness for they are the keys to happiness and peace.
"Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." Proberbs 16:18
Looks are deceiving. Many people don't know how to present themselves to others, or share with another their real concerns. Each of us as unique individuals can live with other people , not apart from them. Pride can be a real detriment to a person. Pride is one of the Seven Deadly Sins listed in the Bible (Gal. 5:19-21). Those sins warn us of that not to do. But we need more than that. We need to learn how to reach out to others. We are not alone in the world. What can each one of us do ,as individuals, to make our world a better place? With our deeds and our exampled we can look to the opposite of the 'Seven Deadly Sins' to the 'Fruit of the Spirit', where love and kindness reaches out to others (Gal. 5:22-23).
Love is defined as 'an intense affectionate concern for another person, or in Biblical terms 'God's benevolence and mercy toward man.' Love embraces understanding of human weakness and the ability also to see the good in others. It has been said that to really love is not to live for one's self alone, but to help one another.
Kindness is an act of feeling of benevolence, good will or affection. Someone has said kindness is never lost; it may meet with ingratitude, or be of no service to those on whom it was bestowed, yet it ever does a work of beauty and grace upon the heart of the giver.
It is sad that the mother & daughter did not seek help or confide in a neighbor or friend, but let us not forget Love and Kindness for they are the keys to happiness and peace.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Boasting or Modesty
Sometimes the commercials are more interesting than the programs. One such commercial is about two men obviously boasting about their surgeries.
Sometimes boasting or bragging can backfire as in this story: A very wealthy lady was showing her new maid all the rooms in their fabulous house and their wall-to-wall furniture, and boasting about everything. Finally she said to her maid: "This dining room suite goes all the way back to Louis, the fourteenth. The maid replies: "Well lady, you don't have nothing on me. My whole living room suite goes back to Sears & Roebuck on the 13th."
We all know people who boast about their home, car, boat, vacations and jewelry. You get the point. Here are some old sayins:
The empty vessel makes the greatest sound. (Shakespeare)
Never cackle until the egg is laid.
The bigger a man's head gets, the esier it is to fill his shoes.
"We sure shook that bridge," the mouse said to the elephant after they had crossed the bridge.
If you wish people to speak well of you, then do not speak of yourself.
Confusius wrote: "Humility is the foundation of all virtues."
You might say Modesty and Humility are first cousins. Modesty is not a weak and timid quality; it must however be carefylly distinguished from a groveling spirit. Although Pride is one of the 'seven deadly sins,' there is such a thing as a honest pride and self-respect.
We should avoid some four letter words, but utilize these: work, pray and love.
"The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom and humility goes before honor." Proverbs 15:33
The more humble a person is before God, the more he will be exalted.
Sometimes boasting or bragging can backfire as in this story: A very wealthy lady was showing her new maid all the rooms in their fabulous house and their wall-to-wall furniture, and boasting about everything. Finally she said to her maid: "This dining room suite goes all the way back to Louis, the fourteenth. The maid replies: "Well lady, you don't have nothing on me. My whole living room suite goes back to Sears & Roebuck on the 13th."
We all know people who boast about their home, car, boat, vacations and jewelry. You get the point. Here are some old sayins:
The empty vessel makes the greatest sound. (Shakespeare)
Never cackle until the egg is laid.
The bigger a man's head gets, the esier it is to fill his shoes.
"We sure shook that bridge," the mouse said to the elephant after they had crossed the bridge.
If you wish people to speak well of you, then do not speak of yourself.
Confusius wrote: "Humility is the foundation of all virtues."
You might say Modesty and Humility are first cousins. Modesty is not a weak and timid quality; it must however be carefylly distinguished from a groveling spirit. Although Pride is one of the 'seven deadly sins,' there is such a thing as a honest pride and self-respect.
We should avoid some four letter words, but utilize these: work, pray and love.
"The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom and humility goes before honor." Proverbs 15:33
The more humble a person is before God, the more he will be exalted.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Worry
Bill is a walking time bomb. Both of his carotid veins are 98% blocked. Do we have surgery or not? If he doesn't have the surgery, the chances are high that he will have a stroke one day, but there is also danger in the surgery. So we are trying to take it one day at a time.
I have to remind myself it is futile and actually wasteful to lose time and even jeopardize my health by constant worrying. By worrying about problems , you can feel like you're just going around in circles and getting nowhere. Moreover, you are courting hypertension, ulcers,
despondency and even bring on a stroke or a heart attack. Worry & anxiety are synonymous.
Here is what one wise man wrote: "It is not the care of today, but the cares of tomorrow that
weight a person down. For the needs of today we have corresponding strength given. For tomorrow, we are told to trust. It is not ours yet."
Ben Franklin once said: "Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may happen. Keep in the sunlight."
We borrow trouble when we torment ourselves with imaginary dangers or trials. On the other hand the individual who does not allow the thousand little worries of life to embitter them has full faith in God to put those worries to rest.
"Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" Matt. 6:27
"Therefor do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the days own trouble be sufficient for the day. " Matt. 6:34
We should all remember that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which never happen.
t
I have to remind myself it is futile and actually wasteful to lose time and even jeopardize my health by constant worrying. By worrying about problems , you can feel like you're just going around in circles and getting nowhere. Moreover, you are courting hypertension, ulcers,
despondency and even bring on a stroke or a heart attack. Worry & anxiety are synonymous.
Here is what one wise man wrote: "It is not the care of today, but the cares of tomorrow that
weight a person down. For the needs of today we have corresponding strength given. For tomorrow, we are told to trust. It is not ours yet."
Ben Franklin once said: "Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may happen. Keep in the sunlight."
We borrow trouble when we torment ourselves with imaginary dangers or trials. On the other hand the individual who does not allow the thousand little worries of life to embitter them has full faith in God to put those worries to rest.
"Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" Matt. 6:27
"Therefor do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the days own trouble be sufficient for the day. " Matt. 6:34
We should all remember that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which never happen.
t
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Patience
Have you ever put new license plates on your car? The screws are too tight to loosen - the hole doesn't line up for the screw. How about the vehicle registration sticker? If you get a corner just right it will peel right off, but then what to do with the gooey mess left on the windshield. What I need is a little patience.
Sometimes my computer just don't work fast enough and when this happens I tend to give it another instruction, one after another, and then it slows down even more. What I need is a little patience.
We have created for ourselves instant lifestyles like 'one hour photo processing' and 'same-day dry cleaning.' If things don't happen right now, we get impatience.
We get impatience even with God - especially when we are undergoing a trial. When God wants to make a giant oak he takes many years. Yet, we wander, if He can create somethng out of nothing in an instant, why doesn't He act? Maybe, when our patience is being stretched, we are being given an opportunity to expand. There is a 'right time' to bring us to maturity and a strong faith. We read in the scriptures:
"We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady." Romans 5:3-5 The Living Bible
Sometimes my computer just don't work fast enough and when this happens I tend to give it another instruction, one after another, and then it slows down even more. What I need is a little patience.
We have created for ourselves instant lifestyles like 'one hour photo processing' and 'same-day dry cleaning.' If things don't happen right now, we get impatience.
We get impatience even with God - especially when we are undergoing a trial. When God wants to make a giant oak he takes many years. Yet, we wander, if He can create somethng out of nothing in an instant, why doesn't He act? Maybe, when our patience is being stretched, we are being given an opportunity to expand. There is a 'right time' to bring us to maturity and a strong faith. We read in the scriptures:
"We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady." Romans 5:3-5 The Living Bible
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
NARA
Farewell to Japan -Kimono I purchased and brought home.
Wilhelmine modeling kimono in hotel in Nara.Nara is about 25 miles south of Kyoto and is older than the sister city. Beginning in 710, for 74 years Nara (then called Heijo) was capital of Japan.
The Big Buddha measuring 16.2m in height and weighs 452 tons.
Gold Spiral in Nara Park
Kasugataisha Temple has 3000 lanterns.jpg)
Wilhelmine standing in front of more lanterns at Kasugataisha Temple
Kofukuji Temple is famous for its five storied Pagoda (165 ft. high) built in 1426. In the 8th century Kifukuji Temple had almost 2300 buildings. Fire after fire leveled them and now the Pagoda and four haus are left.
Todai-ji is the largest wooden building and its idol one of the largest bronze images of Buddha in the world.
Nara park is a woodsy expanse of hugh Japanese cedars, oaks and cypress trees. More than 1000 tame deer (called divine essengers) wander about the park during the day. At dusk, the call of a trumpet summons them to return to their pens.Sunday, May 16, 2010
Oyster Beds
At the age of 32, Kokichi Mikimoto decided to research into the possibility of creating cultured 'pearls,' an accomplishment, considered beyond any man's ingenuity and capabilities in his time. During the years that followed, he met many difficulties which had to be solved before his dream finally materialized in the production of the world's first cultured pearl on July 11, 1893. We visited Pearl Island, the spot where Mikimoto first succeeded in creating a cultured pearl.
Mikimoto developed the cultured pearl by artificially stimulating oysters by inserting an irritant (a grain of sand) inside oyster, causing it to secrete the nacre of which cultured pearls are formed. The irritant sand comes from the Missouri River near St. Louis Mo.
Pearl bedsThe seeded oysters are placed in cages and suspended from bamboo rafts. The pearls are harvested six months to seven years later.
The 'Ama' women divers collect 60% ot the total marine products including the 'pearl' oysters, abalone, lobster and seaweed.
Wilhelmne as a 'Ama' Diver
The 'Ama' Women diving for oysters.
The 'Ama' women divers collect 60% ot the total marine products including the 'pearl' oysters, abalone, lobster and seaweed.
Wilhelmne as a 'Ama' Diver
The 'Ama' Women diving for oysters.Friday, May 14, 2010
Food
I ate with chopsticks all the time spent in Japan- I got pretty good and even enjoyed most of the food.Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Traveling in Japan
Tea BushesI learned to like the 'green' tea that the Japanese drink even before it became popular here in the U.S.
Everywhere we went while traveling in Japan, we saw Cherry Trees and Plum Trees in bloom.Wilhelmine standing in front of Cherry Tree at Temple.
More Cherry Trees
Rice Field
More rice fields
More Cherry Trees
Rice Field
More rice fieldsRice is a stable food in Japan. Every meal is served with rice.
Cedar Trees
Cedar TreesFriday, May 7, 2010
Plum Festival
This is 'Saki,' Rice Wine, a very poplular drink at Festivals and gatherings.
Plum orchard contains many varieties and a wide range of colors.I think the plum blossoms are just as pretty as the cherry blossoms. I brought home a silk screen of plum blossoms painted by a local artist which hangs on the wall in our apartment.
The Zuishin-in Temple is an Imperial Temple in southwestern Yamashina. The Temple holds its 'Hanezu Odori Festival' on March 30th when the Plum Blossoms are in full bloom.
Japanese Muscians playing at the Plum Blossom Festival.
Haezu O Dori is a sacred dance which has been passed on in the Yamashina district. It depicts comically the love life of Onono-Komachi, a poetress, who was extremely popular among the court nobles for her beauty & intelligence.
I thought this young Japanese woman was so pretty, I asked to take her picture. She was at the Festival.
The dress in Japan was about 50/50 % when I was there - as you can see here with the Japanese girl in cultural dress and the boy in western wear.Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Temples
Japanese women resting inside the Zuishin-in TempleMany of the older Japanese still dress in traditional kimonas. In Tyoko and the bigger cities the people dress more Western.
Zuishin-in Temple -This temple is a Shingon Buddhist Sect headquarter.
Purification rites is required before entering the temples.
Keyomizu - Dera Temple - Built on stilts
Japanese write prayers on wood and hang here. The Temple Priest collect and pray.
Golden Pavillon -Kinkaky-Ji Temple The Japanese get special merit for visiting all the temples . When school is out, the children visit the temples the same as our children visit our museums
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Ryokan or Motel
Wall covering at Ryokan (Motel)
Entrance to Ryokan
Wilhelmine in Kimono and robe provided by Ryokan. After checking into our room at the Ryokan, the innkeeper came to our room and brought tea and conducted business. The Kimono and robe, towel and toothbrush were provided and laid out when our futon was put out for sleeping. Tea was always outside out door in the morning.Monday, May 3, 2010
Himeji Castle
Picnic area on the grounds in front of Himeji CastleI3bought tea and the best Persimmon I ever ate and joined the crowd here for a bit of relaxation.
Wilhelmine in front of Himeji CastleHimejo known as the 'White Heron' is twin to the Neuschwantein Castle known as the 'White Swan,' located in Bavaria, southern Germany.
When building a castle, one must consider the importance of using the natural resources of the vicinity and the proper placement of the buildings. According to geography, castles may be classified into three types: mountain castles, hill castles, and plains castle. Himeji Castle is a hill castle. The five-storied main donjon together with the three smaller donjons - one on the east, on on the west, and one on the northwest forms a magnificent shape which gives the effect , from any viewpoint of a lovely white heron ready to fly into the blue sky.
Sumari, Movieland, Tyoto
Ninja, a Stunt man in the movie Sumari
Ninja, a stunt man in the movie, Sumari
Wilhelmine sitting in rickshaw at movieland, Kyoto
Wilhelmine with Sumari actor Kyoto is the birthplace of the Japanese movie industry. Movieland itself is a 30,000 sq. meter open set located inside Toei's studios in Uzumasa on the west side of Kyoto.
This was the same as touring the screen sets in Hollywood, California- very interesting.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Sightseeing, Japan
Pachinko gambling, a popular passtime
A store window showing traditonal & modern wedding gown
A mailboxJapan is so different from the U.S.A. in so many ways. These pictures show a few of the ways.
Another way that caught my attention was the truck playing music - for us, it indicates the ice cream man - for them , it is the hot sweet potato .The Japanese people love them and I must admit I enjoyed them also. Yet another difference, was those things the Japanese wanted to get rid of they take to the corner of the street and put in a pile (called a Gomer pile) and they are picked up by what we would call a Second hand store, for resale. I found three beautiful bowls in the 'Gomer Pile.' They had been dicarded because they were an uneven set and were thought to be unlucky.
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