The Arrival...Merry Christmas Eve!

The Arrival - by Max Lucado

God had entered the world as a baby.

Yet, were someone to chance upon the sheep stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem that morning, what a peculiar scene they would behold.

The stable stinks like all stables do. The stench of urine, dung, and sheep reeks pungently in the air. The ground is hard, the hay scarce. Cobwebs cling to the ceiling and a mouse scurries across the dirt floor.

A more lowly place of birth could not exist.

Off to one side sit a group of shepherds. They sit silently on the floor; perhaps perplexed, perhaps in awe, no doubt in amazement. Their night watch had been interrupted by an explosion of light from heaven and a symphony of angels. God goes to those who have time to hear him—so on this cloudless night he went to simple shepherds. Near the young mother sits the weary father. If anyone is dozing, he is. He can’t remember the last time he sat down. And now that the excitement has subsided a bit, now that Mary and the baby are comfortable, he leans against the wall of the stable and feels his eyes grow heavy. He still hasn’t figured it all out. The mystery of the event puzzles him. But he hasn’t the energy to wrestle with the questions. What’s important is that the baby is fine and that Mary is safe. As sleep comes he remembers the name the angel told him to use … Jesus. “We will call him Jesus.”

Wide awake is Mary. My, how young she looks! Her head rests on the soft leather of Joseph’s saddle. The pain has been eclipsed by wonder. She looks into the face of the baby. Her son. Her Lord. His Majesty. At this point in history, the human being who best understands who God is and what he is doing is a teenage girl in a smelly stable. She can’t take her eyes off him. Somehow Mary knows she is holding God. So this is he. She remembers the words of the angel. “His kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:33)

He looks like anything but a king. His face is prunish and red. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. And he is absolutely dependent upon Mary for his well-being.

Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a carpenter.

She touches the face of the infant-God. How long was your journey!

This baby had overlooked the universe. These rags keeping him warm were the robes of eternity. His golden throne room had been abandoned in favor of a dirty sheep pen. And worshiping angels had been replaced with kind but bewildered shepherds.

Meanwhile, the city hums. The merchants are unaware that God has visited their planet. The innkeeper would never believe that he had just sent God into the cold. And the people would scoff at anyone who told them the Messiah lay in the arms of a teenager on the outskirts of their village. They were all too busy to consider the possibility.

Those who missed His Majesty’s arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren’t looking.

Little has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?

Breath of Heaven - Jessica Simpson

Mary Did You Know

Mary Did You Know - Clay Aiken

Please visit Spiritual Sundays and Praise and Worship Sunday for many inspirational posts!

I Heard The Bells

I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day - Casting Crowns

The Buzzard, The Bat, and The Bumblebee

Be sure to visit Spiritual Sundays and Praise and Worship Sunday to find many inspirational posts!

How Great Is Our God - Chris Tomlin

THE BUZZARD:
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from
the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly,
but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

THE BAT:
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place.  If it is placed on the floor or flat ground all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then at once, it takes off like a flash.

THE BUMBLEBEE:
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom..
It will seek a way where none exists until it completely destroys itself.

PEOPLE:
In many ways, we are like the buzzard,  the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up! And that's the answer, the escape route, and the solution to any problem! Just look up.

Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up! How great is our God!

Have a beautiful new week everyone!

In Better Hands

In Better Hands - Natalie Grant

Please visit Praise and Worship Sunday and Spiritual Sundays for many more inspirational posts!

He Knows My Name

Visit Spiritual Sundays each week for more inspirational posts.

My Father's House

"My Father's House"

Audio Adrenaline

video: YouTube

Please stop by to visit Brittany, Sweet Nothings, and Ginger and Charlotte, Spiritual Sundays to find many other inspirational posts.

Bring The Rain

Bring The Rain

Mercy Me

(Don't forget to pause the beach music on my sidebar before listing to Mercy Me)

Story Behind "Bring The Rain"

Please visit Brittany, Sweet Nothings, and Charlotte & Ginger, Spiritual Sundays, for more inspirational posts!

Monk & Neagle

Praise & Worship Sunday is hosted by Brittany, Sweet Nothings. Spiritual Sundays is hosted by Charlotte and Ginger.

video: You Tube

Monk & Neagle

"Hallelujah Jesus"

Keeper of the stars

Lord of time and space

I will live my life

Lifting up Your name

Lover of my heart

God who came to save

Thank You for the cross

And the life You gave

Wonderful, powerful

Jesus is Your name

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

You are the everlasting God

Author of my life

Friend of sinful man

Holy, mighty God

Ever Great I Am

You’re so wonderful, powerful

Jesus is Your name

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

You are the everlasting God

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

My Lord, beautiful You are

I love to sing Your name

I love to sing Your name

I love to sing Your name

I worship and adore You, God

I love to sing Your name

Hallelujah, Jesus

I love to sing Your name

Hallelujah, Jesus

I love to sing Your name

Hallelujah, Jesus

I worship You with all my heart

Wonderful, powerful

Jesus is Your name

Beautiful You

Praise and Worship Sunday is hosted by Brittany, Sweet Nothings. Spiritual Sunday is hosted by Charlotte and Ginger.

Don't forget to pause the beach music on my side bar before listening to "Beautiful You".

This song by Monk & Neagle describes some of the wonders of God's creations on Earth.

"Beautiful You"

All the oceans and the seas know the sound

Of Your beautiful voice

And if You tell them to be calm and be still

They have no other choice

You put the stars in the sky and then

You taught them to shine

They know just what to do

Every morning’s a symphony that’s perfectly timed

Thanks to beautiful You

Beautiful You

I can’t imagine life without You

Beautiful You

I can’t imagine being alone

Beautiful You

The only thing I ever wanna do

Beautiful You

Is have You hold me in Your arms

Beautiful You

All the waterfalls know just where to fall

Brilliant every time

When it rains, you are behind it all

With gentle rhythm and rhyme

Mountains high know Your voice

And they are ready to move where You tell them to

With all my heart, I believe that I can do the same

Thanks to beautiful You

Every ocean, every sea

Every morning’s a symphony

Every drop of rain, every waterfall

All the stars in the sky are so beautiful

Every breath I breathe, every beat of my heart

I feel so alive ‘cause of who You are

Every day I rise, every time I sing

I’m reminded of Your great love for me

You’re beautiful, so beautiful

Beautiful You

I just want to be around You

Beautiful You

I can’t imagine life without You

Beautiful You

There is nothing that I can’t do

Beautiful You

When I build my life around You

Beautiful You

The Ocean Floor

I am sooooo happy and feel sooooo blessed to be in sunny Florida this Sunday with sister-in-law Jeri! I love Audio Adrenaline and thought of this song to post today. It compares the depth of the ocean to God's forgiveness. When we receive forgiveness, it's forever - our failures never to be seen or remembered again by God. Just as if it's all been swept away to the depth of the ocean floor!

Don't forget to pause the beach music on my side bar before clicking on the video...

you tube

"Ocean Floor"

performed by Audio Adrenaline

written by Matthew

The mistakes I've made

That caused pain I could have done without

All my selfish thought

All my pride

The things I hide

You have forgot about

They're all behind you

They'll never find you

They're on the ocean floor

Your sins are forgotten

They're on the bottom

Of the ocean floor

My misdeeds

All my greed

All the things that haunt me now

They're not a pretty sight to see

But they're wiped away

By a mighty, mighty wave

A mighty, mighty wave

Your sins are erase

And they are no more

They're out on the ocean floor

Take them away

To return no more

Take them away

To the ocean floor

Please visit Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays and Brittany at Sweet Nothings for more inspirational posts.

Easter Greetings

On this glorious Easter Sunday I offer this video accompanied by Twila Paris singing "How Beautiful". The meaning and beauty of the words needs no explanation.

Please enjoy and may your Easter be blessed with love and beauty!

How Beautiful

Written and performed by Twila Paris

How Beautiful the hands that served

The Wine and the Bread and the sons of the earth

How beautiful the feet that walked

The long dusty roads and the hill to the cross

How Beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

*****

How Beautiful the heart that bled

That took all my sin and bore it instead

How beautiful the tender eyes

That choose to forgive and never despise

How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

*****

And as He lay down His life

We offer this sacrifice

That we will live just as He died

Willing to pay the price

Willing to pay the price

How Beautiful the radiant bride

Who waits for her Groom with His light in her eyes

How Beautiful when humble hearts give

The fruit of pure lives so that others may live

How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

*****

How beautiful the feet that bring

The sound of good news and the love of the King

How Beautiful the hands that serve

The wine and the bread and the sons of the Earth

How Beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

Please visit Brittany, Sweet Nothings, to find more Praise & Worship Sunday posts and click on this button to find links to more Spiritual Sunday posts.

Carry Your Candle

Video: You Tube

"Go Light Your World"

Written and performed by Kathy Troccoli

There is a candle in every soul

Some brightly burning, some dark and cold

There is a Spirit who brings fire

Ignites a candle and makes His home

*****

Carry your candle, run to the darkness

Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn

Hold out your candle for all to see it

Take your candle, and go light your world

*****

Take your candle, and go light your world

Frustrated brother, see how he's tried to

Light his own candle some other way

See now your sister, she's been robbed and lied to

Still holds a candle without a flame

*****

Carry your candle, run to the darkness

Seek out the lonely, the tired and worn

Hold out your candle for all to see it

Take your candle, and go light your world

*****

Take your candle, and go light your world

We are a family whose hearts are blazing

So let's raise our candles and light up the sky

Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus

Make us a beacon in darkest times

*****

Carry your candle, run to the darkness

Seek out the helpless, deceived and poor

Hold out your candle for all to see it

Take your candle, and go light your world

Carry your candle, run to the darkness

*****
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn

Hold out your candle for all to see it

Take your candle, and go light your world

Take your candle, and go light your world

Be sure to stop in to visit Brittany at Sweet Nothings for more Worship & Praise Sunday posts. And don't forget about the many inspirational posts you will find each Spiritual Sunday.

Amazing Grace

I simply cannot hear Amazing Grace sung or even read the lyrics without crying. It's message is one of complete, implicit truth. The truth of the words lies in both the values of man and of God. The testimony of this song is even more powerful because it's author had lived a deeply sinful, immoral, and unethical life prior to one fateful day at sea when he found eternal life.

John Newton and the lyrics to Amazing Grace :
John Newton, the author of the lyrics to Amazing Grace, was born in 1725 in Wapping, London, United Kingdom. Despite the powerful message of "Amazing Grace," Newton's religious beliefs initially lacked conviction; his youth was marked by religious confusion and a lack of moral self-control and discipline.

After a brief time in the Royal navy, Newton began his career in slave trading. The turning point in Newton's spiritual life was a violent storm that occurred one night while at sea. Moments after he left the deck, the crewman who had taken his place was swept overboard. Although he manned the vessel for the remainder of the tempest, he later commented that, throughout the tumult, he realized his helplessness and concluded that only the grace of God could save him. Prodded by what he had read in Thomas a' Kempis' Imitation of Christ, Newton took the first step toward accepting faith.

These incidents and his 1750 marriage to Mary Catlett changed Newton significantly. On his slave voyages, he encouraged the sailors under his charge to pray. He also began to ensure that every member of his crew treated their human cargo with gentleness and concern. Nevertheless, it would be another 40 years until Newton openly challenged the trafficking of slaves. Some three years after his marriage, Newton suffered a stroke that prevented him from returning to sea; in time, he interpreted this as another step in his spiritual voyage. He assumed a post in the Customs Office in the port of Liverpool and began to explore Christianity more fully. As Newton attempted to experience all the various expressions of Christianity, it became clear that he was being called to the ministry. Since Newton lacked a university degree, he could not be ordained through normal channels. However, the landlord of the parish at Olney was so impressed with the letters Newton had written about his conversion that he offered the church to Newton; he was ordained in June 1764.

In Olney, the new curate met the poet William Cowper, also a newly-born Christian. Their Friendship led to a spiritual collaboration that completed the inspiration for "Amazing Grace".

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Please enjoy this beautiful performance and video.

"Amazing Grace"

Written by: John Newton

performed by: LL Divo

Video: You Tube

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.

And Grace, my fears relieved.

How precious did that Grace appear

The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come;

'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far and

Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.

His word my hope secures.

He will my shield and portion be,

As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years

Bright shining as the sun.

We've no less days to sing God's praise

Than when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

Please visit Brittany at Sweet Nothings for additional Worship & Praise posts as well as Spiritual Sundays to find inspirational posts.

Praise & Worship Sunday

Gosh, I love this song! First of all, it's beautifully sung by the gifted David Phelps. But the words spell out what matters most in life. Life is wonderful and there are many, many beautiful things in which to find joy in the world we live in. But none of the lovely things we enjoy in life last forever. God's love does.

Love Goes On

Written and Performed by David Phelps

A shooting star tumbles down,

Its flame cannot endure.

A scarlet rose withers brown

To lose its fragrant lure.

The moon illuminates the night

To vanish at the dawn.

Oh, but love, love goes on.

*****

Fortunes fail and disappear,

Like castles in the sand.

Power spoils and causes fear,

But yields to stronger hands.

Fame lasts for a moment,

Then, in a moment, it is gone.

Oh, but love, love goes on.

*****

Beauty fades, and passion wanes,

And faces show their years.

Death steals a lover's touch away,

But time dries up the tears.

Tunes are soon forgotten,

And singers lose their song,

But love goes on.

*****

A baby Boy, a starlit night,

Kings on bended knee.

Healing hands giving sight,

Then tortured on a tree.

A woman sings, rejoicing,"He is risen, He is gone!"

Because love, love goes on.

Oh, love goes on.

********************************

Now make your way over to the lovely Brittany's Sweet Nothings. She's posted a list of links to other wonderful and inspiring Praise & Worship Sunday posts!

Worship and Praise Sunday

About a month ago I found a delightful blog authored by a very special young woman named Brittany. She's a newlywed and madly in love with her very handsome young husband. I have been very impressed with the content of this young woman's blog. At just 22 but it seems to me that she is far more Spiritually mature than her years. Brittany works in the public school system with children who have behavioral disorders. Each Sunday Brittany hosts Worship and Praise Sunday - an opportunity to post a song of your choosing on your own blog, including a few words about it's meaning to you personally. I visit Brittany's blog each Sunday to see her post but I haven't posted myself until today.

I love music - of all kinds. I've gotta say, I'm a girl of the '70's and I still love the Beatles, the Stones, Aerosmith, Beach Boys, Bob Seger, and Rod Stewart. They're just plain fun to listen to! But there is nothing like an inspirational song that tells the story of God's amazing love. They encourage, uplift, comfort, and cheer you on when life is rough. One of my all time most loved songs is Redeemer, sung by the incredible Nicole C. Mullen. To me, Redeemer expresses the epitome of faith - in God and in His wondrous power and love for us. I have listened to this song over and over on many occasions when life became difficult to understand. Nicole C. Mullen managed to find exactly the right sentiments to remind the listener that there is always hope and love and beauty IN HIM! I recently found a beautiful video on You Tube which perfectly compliments this gorgeous song and it's meaningful message - but not so fast! I don't know where the problem lies, but I've had to change video's three times tonight because they just weren't working correctly. This video isn't the greatest quality but it was the best of the You Tube choices I had left! I hope you will enjoy the song anyway!

For my first Worship and Praise Sunday post I give you...

"Redeemer"

written and performed by Nicole C. Mullen

(Dedicated to my dear, long time friend CeeKay, Thinkin' of Home, who is facing a new challenge with courage and faith. It seems her ovarian cancer is temporarily out of remission and it looks like she will be having some more surgery and chemo. Many will jointly pray C back into remission!)

video: You Tube

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning

Who told the ocean you can only come this far?

Who showed the moon where to hide 'til evening

Whose words alone can catch a falling star?

Well I know my Redeemer lives,

I know my Redeemer lives

All of creation testify

This life within me cries

I know my Redeemer lives.

The very same God that spins things in orbit

He runs to the weary, the worn and the weak

And the same gentle hands that hold me when I'm broken

They conquered death to bring me victory.

Now I know my Redeemer lives,

I know my Redeemer lives

Let all creation testify

Let this life within me cry

I know my Redeemer, He lives.

To take away my shame

And He lives forever I'll proclaim

That the payment for my sin

Was the precious life He gave

But now He's alive

And there's an empty grave.

And I know my Redeemer,

He lives, I know my Redeemer lives

Let all creation testify

This life within me cries

I know my Redeemer lives.

Please be sure to visit Brittany at Sweet Nothings. Enjoy exploring her blog and then move on to the other Worship and Praise posts you will find links to.